Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

First of all, let me preface by saying that I think my IBS is moderate. I have had excruciating bouts, but I'm not sure I suffer as much as some other people on the boards, so what I do might not work for everyone.

We only get one trip through this life, and I'm not going to spend it depriving myself of everything I crave. So, if I want a piece of cheese, I eat a piece of cheese. I know I'll pay for it for days or even a week, but sometimes it's worth it, in moderation. I'll probably never have a serving of fettucine alfredo again, but I might have a bite, or two, or three, and be gassy and crampy later but live to tell the story. I think the anxiety we can give ourselves by banning certain foods and thinking of them like poison can hurt our gut as much as the food itself. So, I don't go nuts. If I'm having a stable day, I'll get a slice of swiss on my turkey sandwich. I know it's not going to kill me, and I'm willing to put up with the discomfort for a while. Same goes for alcohol. I'm in law school, I live in Manhattan, and I'm 24. Abstinence from alcohol simply does not fit into my lifestyle. So, I drink, and I pay the next day (as do most people, incidentally).

All this being said, I do have one policy from which I do not waver: I do NOT keep "cheat" foods in the house. No dairy, no red meat, no alcohol whatsoever. I allow myself to have bits of these things on special occasions out of the house, and that's it.

If your symptoms are not crippling, maybe this is something you can try?

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Amanda

I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin

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