Eating for IBS (Plus some weight loss!)

I still don't have an official diagnosis from my doctor, but after my colonoscopy/endoscopy passed with flying colors, I think the arrows for my symptoms are all pointing to IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). From what I've read of IBS the usual triggers for it are certain foods and also stress.

This week I decided to REALLY try to give the elimination diet a go, starting with wheat. I have been slowly losing about 1 lb or two a week following the colonoscopy, but started to gain back.

Last weeks weight was 225.2

This week my diet changes include mostly eating either oatmeal, fruit n yogurt parfait (McD's), or my new Granola Thins for breakfast. I usually had Granola Thins, applesauce for a snack at work and maybe Oatmeal for lunch. There were a few days I had some lunch brought in by drug reps that hosted....but of course I was avoiding wheat, which meant no biscuits, pastries, etc.

At home I mostly ate regular dinner stuff (rice and some chicken) although Wed I broke down and had Pizza. I was starved and DH had made it already. What's a girl to do?

So, I jump on the scale this morning and my weight was: 220.0!!

That is a 5.8 lb weight loss for this week! It has been awhile since I was below 220...the last time was a month or so ago, but I didn't stay there.  I think after I figure out how to incorporate some more lean protein into my diet, this could be something I do for long-term (until I get preggo).

After looking online, here are some of the trigger foods usual for IBS:

Red Meat (Beef, Pork, Lamb, etc.) Poultry Dark Meat and Skin. Dairy Products. Egg Yolks. Fried Foods. Coconut Milk. Oils, Shortening, Butter, Fats. Solid Chocolate. Coffee, Regular and Decaffeinated. Alcohol. Carbonated Beverages. Artificial Sweeteners. Artificial Fats.

Hmm, I eat most of these foods on a regular basis. I'm hoping Pellegrino will be ok, because I love that stuff. But looking back, I have noticed these things tend to make my symptoms flare up a LOT. Add to that Spicy foods. spicy stuff can leave me in a lot of pain or super heartburn right now.

Last week I noticed I would get especially sick when eating food with fat, meat, or something cooked in oil. So, definitely avoiding some of these things.

I have been eating some dairy products and so far these haven't been too much of a problem, although they may have been a major contributor to the constipation.

So, I was also talking to another friend that suffers from IBS and she was saying that it is mostly stress that causes it to act up. I pointed out that her diet she follows for her hypoglycemia is the suggested way to eat for IBS and could be a reason she doesn't get flare ups often.

She usually eats small portions every 2-4 hours. She avoids mostly fatty foods, chocolate, and sticks to whole grains, fruits and lean meats. So really a healthier diet in general. That was another thing I read, that eating smaller portions every few hours should help with the digestion rather than larger meals and reduce IBS symptoms.

Also, I've been doing some (very) light working out at night. Just moving around in front of the TV mostly. I don't think I would do more than 30 minutes at a time. I want to get geared for that again.

Now, this is not to say I ate super great the whole week. I had some Cracker Chips and Cream Cheese one day and stuff, but so far so good.

New goals....waiting longer to TTC.

Well, recently at my psychiatrists I realized that after the last 90 days (m/c, knee sprain, sick with flu, bronchitis) that I am no longer as emotionally stable as when I started the summer.

So, I realize that in addition to making sure my heart is in the right condition for pregnancy, I'm going to re-assess my mental health each month to see if I'm prepared for it.

Also, I'm excited about the prospect of losing weight. I think this will help me get my heart in the best condition possible as well. So, whenever I get healthy again (no longer sick with cold/bronchitis) I'm going to start using my Wii Fit, starting at least twice per week.

You might see my Weight loss ticker above with my charts...here it is

As you can see I'm currently at 8 lbs lost. I re-made the goals a few weeks ago. Also, I'm using a newish product called Sensa

 

The way it works is you sprinkle it on your food (salty for your main dishes or savory foods, sweet for desserts, muffins, etc) and then when you smell it (has no smell really) it triggers a reaction in your brain that tells you you're full. I end up eating much less on Sensa and feeling satisfied. I feel like it's training to let me know what my full signals are like. 

Oh, and today, another kick in the pants. I started realizing I was having a pain in my lungs when breathing last night. And I've been using the inhaler the hospital gave me more often. SO, went to my PCP (managed to snag an early morning appt) and now I have a cold.
Grreeeeeeeaaaaaat 

I get it God! No baby-making right now! The baby factory is closed for repairs until further notice!

Week 6 Weight Watchers

I lost 1.8 lbs! I'm only 8.6 lbs lost, but hopefully when I reach my 10% you can see a visible change in my weight loss.

I thought I recorded my measurements earlier, but can't seem to find them. Maybe they are on a post on one of my forums.

Here's today's though:

Arm: 12 in    Waist:  43.5 in  Hips: 51.5 in  Bust: 44 in   Thigh: 26 in

So I guess I'll take the measurements in a month to see if there is any change!

Woohoo!  Also, when I went to my doctor yesterday, she noticed that I weighed 20 lbs heavier in January than I did now!!! What a great change!  That gives me confidence that I can keep it up.

Onward and upward! (or downward as far as the scale is concerned)

Weight Watchers Meeting

So, I may not have posted my latest Weight Watcher results because I have been gaining slightly. Well not today. Even though it was the first day of my period, I lost 2.4 lbs! Hooray!  Making some progress.  Just gotta keep the weight loss train going!

I think when I hit my 5% (12 lbs lost) I'll post some more update pics.

Week 1 Weight Watchers

So, I did say I would post pics along the way. I don't think I'll post pics every week just along the way to show my progress. Maybe every ten pounds or so.

Starting weight: 238 lbs

Starting weight: 238 lbs

Still have 7 pts left. Maybe if I'm hungry later I'll have a popsicle or three.

Joined Weight Watchers (for the third time)!

Let's hope third times the charm, right? Mostly, I joined because my friend D recently joined and would like some support to talk about the plan and how we're doing on it. Being a WW veteran I could have easily used my materials at home and done all of the process, but you know, I like meetings. It's the little attention-seeker in me that loves to say "Look at me, I lost .5 lbs this week!" I just love the pats on the back and sharing good tips with others.

Also, I feel that I can help support my friend along the way if she knows that I'm going to be saying, now you missed the meeting this week, what's up? And hopefully I'll get the same from her.

Ultimately my goal would be to reach goal weight and achieve lifetime membership. BUT since right now my primary goal is to be at a healthy weight for when I eventually become pregnant, I think I'd be happy with losing about 4o lbs. Which is a tall order.

Later I'll change into slimming clothes and have DH take some before shots of me and to keep me accountable I will also post my weights. I'm thinking of also taking my measurements.

My starting weight is: 238.0 lbs (eep!) I have a whopping 29 DAILY points that I can eat...that's a lot really. As I lose the program will get harder and harder, so I think I may take advantage of the 29 daily points to ease myself into the program.

I think I may set my first goal at 195 lbs. Because any weight loss would be a healthier weight to start a pregnancy, but I think to be below 200 would be the best. And I'll have to do some soul-searching to see if I want to hold off on the TTC until I've lost 20 lbs or so. Or do I just want to do the program and cancel it should I then become pregnant? I have started soy and that may or may not work, but who knows, if it doesn't, I may have a long while on the WW bandwagon to get to the healthiest starting weight possible.

Lose Weight or Procreate?

So, I've been thinking lately that I really need to lose a lot more weight in order to be more healthy when I do conceive. I'm going to need all of the help I can get with being high-risk already due to my heart and bipolar disorder (double whammy!).

So, I had some recent success (lost 8 lbs) with a small setback (gained about 3-4 lbs back). I haven't had the heart to stick to my diet (calorie shifting) so the weight is steadily increasing again.

DH just found out about a program called Splendid Figures, which he is willing to do with me! Looking over the program it works quickly and it looks like along with dieting there are SHOTS involved (eep!) including Vitamin B6 and an Appetite Suppressant.

I have actually heard that Vitamin B (one of them at least) can be helpful with fertility, however, I would worry about what is in the appetite suppressant and if it would be harmful to a baby.

However, the diet clinic has doctors on staff so I plan to ask their recommendation. I have heard even without something like this to aid weight loss it is advisable to wait at least a month after losing weight to begin TTC again. It couldn't hurt to take a break and hopefully this would go towards making me more fertile and likely to conceive.

I'll probably still monitor my charts to aid in birth control, but must find a barrier method DH will put up with if it is not good to conceive while on the appetite suppressant.

Well, I'll keep everyone posted. First I have to make an appointment at Splendid Figures and see what's what.