Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Please help me out, I'm new!

Hello everyone,
I could really use some help if you have a few minutes to give me some advice. I've recently discovered that I have IBS and I really have no idea how to eat. I mean..it sounds simple enough. But I find myself asking questions about when, how much, how much is enough soluble fiber and is it bad to eat the same kind over and over again? I'm in college and I really just have our cafeteria to eat from at this point. I find myself eating bananas and sourdough bread at every meal. I still like the taste but I'm not sure how much longer that can go on. I suppose what I'm asking is, how do you eat with IBS? Are there any rules that you feel like you couldn't live without? I avoid dairy like the plague (I'm sure you would understand what it does to me) and I try to avoid the other foods on the list of "trigger foods" but this is hard to get a handle on!
I had one other question as well. I've heard a lot about the IBS diet being a simple way to lose weight. I know that's not the point of eating this way but I have to admit that if it happens I'm certainly not going to complain. My problem is that I seem to be gaining weight. It's like every day is this incredibly delicate balance between what will make me sick and what will keep me going until I have to eat again. Is weight loss supposed to happen in the beginning? I'm sure you can see I'm still pretty lost in this new way of eating.
If anyone can offer any advice I would really appreciate it. It brings me a lot of comfort to know that there are others in the world who know what I'm talking about and can sympathize. Thank you for reading this and may God bless you!

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