# I'm wasting away, I need help



## tasha.. (Apr 30, 2010)

Hi,I'm new to this website but decided to join because I have no where else to turn. I was diagnosed with IBS-A about 2 months ago, but I have had the symptoms (and diagnosed myself) more than two years ago when I was 17.Fitness has always been a part of my life, and very important to me, but since I was diagnosed, I cannnot seem to keep on any weight. I have changed my eating habits drastically as most of us have, and I am no longer getting the carbs, fat or calories I need to sustain myself. I'm almost 5 foot 9 and weighed about 120 lbs (I was thin to begin with), but now....I have lost about 6lbs, and its stuck. People have noticed and made comments, I'm extremely self concious and some of my friends have ventured to tell me that there were rumors of me having an eating disorder flying around. I overanaylze and obsess over everything that I injest because I'm terrified of feeling extremely sick, having an urgent bowel movement, or being so bloated my abdomen looks distended. To someone who doesn't know how this has changed my life, its hard for me to explain that this weight loss has nothing to do with me feeling bad about my body. I've talked to some health professionals about it and all they have really said is to experiment with foods and see what makes me sick and push my boundaries a little more.I'm scared.


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## lightning95 (Oct 26, 2009)

Man, I soo empathize - I was in pretty much the exact same situation. The worst is that no one understands ibs, so you can't really explain exactly why you're so sick. I've found eating 5-6 small meals a day (which can be really hard) is the best way to minimize pain while getting enough food. Try to keep the diet balanced, even if it's VERY limited - even if you can only tolerate a little olive oil at a time as fat, that's something. And google elemental shakes - they're predigested shakes which, if you get one that's low on fat, seem to be like safe Ensures. For me they've been a lifesaver/ I've finally gotten back to my original weight, so, though I need to gain more, know that there is hope.


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

Can you try eating something with sugar in it? What is your diet like? I diet with no fat in it is not healthy.Give me a run down and i'll try and help.


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## jennyk22 (Jul 3, 2010)

I hate that when people ask if I'm anorexic. I always say, "No, I just have stomach problems," but they don't believe me or understand. It's definitely aggravating!!! I want to gain weight too, but I just keep slowly losing more.


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## volatile (Jun 20, 2005)

I completely understand where you are coming from.Unfortunately, I have no advice.Just wish you had cancer so life could be either improved or over.IBS ruins your life,


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## jennyk22 (Jul 3, 2010)

volatile said:


> I completely understand where you are coming from.Unfortunately, I have no advice.Just wish you had cancer so life could be either improved or over.IBS ruins your life,


well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that! I'd rather have IBS than cancer any day!


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## mystikezmereyez (Oct 31, 2010)

you know, i just mentioned to someone the other day that, from the outside looking in, it must look like i have an eating disorder... i'm 5'3.5" and, at the lowest, 89 lbs. switched pcp's and even they told me i was underweight. well, duh! i love to eat, but...


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## Erica<3 (Nov 2, 2010)

tasha.. said:


> Hi,I'm new to this website but decided to join because I have no where else to turn. I was diagnosed with IBS-A about 2 months ago, but I have had the symptoms (and diagnosed myself) more than two years ago when I was 17.Fitness has always been a part of my life, and very important to me, but since I was diagnosed, I cannnot seem to keep on any weight. I have changed my eating habits drastically as most of us have, and I am no longer getting the carbs, fat or calories I need to sustain myself. I'm almost 5 foot 9 and weighed about 120 lbs (I was thin to begin with), but now....I have lost about 6lbs, and its stuck. People have noticed and made comments, I'm extremely self concious and some of my friends have ventured to tell me that there were rumors of me having an eating disorder flying around. I overanaylze and obsess over everything that I injest because I'm terrified of feeling extremely sick, having an urgent bowel movement, or being so bloated my abdomen looks distended. To someone who doesn't know how this has changed my life, its hard for me to explain that this weight loss has nothing to do with me feeling bad about my body. I've talked to some health professionals about it and all they have really said is to experiment with foods and see what makes me sick and push my boundaries a little more.I'm scared.


Hey there, I understand what it's like to be scared. You want to be pain free and symptom free to enjoy your life as it was before IBS... my advice would be to check out Heather Van Vorous's book on IBS. I followed her diet and I've been relatively symptom free for a year and I can eat pretty normally (her diet is no dairy, no red meat, no alcohol, no caffeine, no fried foods)... so basically you should eat healthy! haha and she offers alternatives, a diet for really bad days and foods that you should eat first then secondary foods you can eat next which offers a more complete diet. Plus you can eat all the candy that's not chocolate that you want







Take a look at her diet, before I started it I felt misunderstood by everyone including doctors and I was depressed and stayed home every day because I didn't want to take a chance.. now I have a normal life







Good luck and I promise that there's a way to be healthy and happy even with ibs.


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## Vicki N (Nov 6, 2010)

volatile said:


> I completely understand where you are coming from.Unfortunately, I have no advice.Just wish you had cancer so life could be either improved or over.IBS ruins your life,


What an idiotic and insensitive thing to say! Shame on you!!


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