# Lossing a lot of weight - Getting really stresed about it



## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

Helo all,I am looking for some advise. As you all may know, I am getting into the breakdown fase as I have been dealing with this IBS issue since February. When I get the diarrhea I tend to lose weight and it seems harder and harder to get it back up. I have lost 41 pounds so far. I can be fine for a couple of weeks, but as soon as I introduce something new that my body disagree with I lose 1 or 2 pounds and I hardly even recover one. I am on a very restricted diet, which is not good or an overall well being long term.I know it is been said lossing weight is not normal for IBS, so I am at a point where I start crying every time I see that weight go. Doctors say I don't eat anough calories. Which is true, but how do you increase the calories if they told me to avoid gassy foods and fats. I want my lentil stew back. I want my balance back. They don't want to do a colonscopy becasue I am 39 years old and I had one in 2004 that was clean. One Doctor even dare to tell me. DO you want a brain scan too?, brain tumors also cause digestive issues. Do you think I should look into finding one willing to have it done?. He did do a rectal exam and looked for blood in the stool which was negative, and blood work to see level of something to find tumors, ct scand and endoscopy that found gastritis and the H. Pylori.I ate a sugar free cookie the other day and got a huge soft BM with 2 pounds gone. Is that really normal?. I mean it can be just water, but shouldn't be back up once I drink the water?. What AM I doing wrong?. I do not take anything for diarrhea other than 2 metamucil pills at bed time. I only have one BM a day, but when an episode is coming, the BM is usually very heavy and strong odor with weight loss.After I have a diarrhea episode I tend to only eat carrots and potatoes grilled breast chicken and fish. They said, that is 0 calories!. So, what should I do then encourage the diarrhea to stay by eating oatmeal and high fiber foods?Any advise is highly appreciated.Thank you


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

> I am on a very restricted diet


My guess is that is why you are losing weight. For the record carrots & potatoes and grilled chicken or fish are not zero calories. I suggest you try expanding your diet. And not for nothing... I'd stop worrying about your weight as that doesn't help your gut. So why not give the scale a rest. Like don't get on it for awhile.Are your Doctors at all concerned about your weight? If not.. than I wouldn't be concerned about it.If you have diarrhea... use imodium to treat it. Or try taking calcium carbonate everyday.See "Linda's Calcium Info" thread thumbtacked to the top of this Forum for more info. Treat the D and eat more is what I suggest. BQ


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## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

I ditto everything BQ said. Try Imodium, or try the calcium carbonate. Give those a good try and see if they help.Loosing weight is normal for EVERYONE if they aren't taking in enough calories. In your case, the weight loss is a result of not enough calories. That doesn't mean you have something more serious than IBS, it just means you aren't eating enough calories.What have you tried to control the D?


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## TVgirl (Sep 16, 2009)

I have lost 13 pounds in the last 4-5 weeks. I have been restricting my diet as well and I seem to lose weight after large bowel movements. I know what your are going through on that regard HOWEVER I am way overweight so I don't mind !!! even though I know I should make sure I take in the right amount of calories. I would try and figure out a way to increase your calories, you can eat more of the safe foods or eat soluble fibre like a bowl of rice and then immediately after try something higher in calorie as you may be able to tolerate that better with the soluble fibre in your gut. there is a book eating for IBS and there are lots of recipes in there including desserts. =


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Well maybe not zero calories but it is really hard to eat the 2000 calories or so you need to maintain your weight if those are the only foods you will eat.Weight loss when you eat 800-1200 calories a day is totally normal. You can drop a lot of weight that way. After all you are eating what the models and stars who are trying to stay under 100 pounds limit themselves to. So that isn't a lot of calories and it isn't surprising you dropped a lot of weight.I would avoid sugar free foods (regular plain old table sugar is actually better tolerated than almost any of the substitutes even the natural ones) as some of the sugar substitutes can cause diarrhea and if they take the sugar out they gotta replace it with something that that is likely going to be fat although sometimes it is a lot of gums and fiber and if those bother you, you'd be better off with the regular white sugar. Any cookie has a pretty good dose of fat so as a sweet treat it really isn't the best.Also if you can't eat bread or pasta you won't be able to eat cookies. The wheat flour is the same.Every single human being weighs less after a BM than before the BM. That is normal, so try not to be so anxious about that. Everyone's weight goes up and down during the day based on what they eat and drink and poop.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

I am 5'5' and I just lost half a pound from yesterday so I weight 115.5 About to go underweight.My docs are worried about it, but the Gi only said he wanted to repeat the upper endoscopy and he doesn't find anything he will send me to a psychiatric because I have fears to eat. Which I don't. I love cooking and eating.I call diarreah when I don't have a well formed stool. So I only go once a day but have a very soft stool. I don't take immoduim, just metamucil 2 pills before bed time.I will give a try to the calcium citrate and read the posts suggested.thank you all for your support. Still trying to figure out how to stop the weight from coming low.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

would you mind giving me an example of your day about what you eat for a whole day and the time you do it?thank you!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The calcium people use is calcium carbonate, not calcium citrate.My IBS was never food driven so I ate a pretty standard healthy diet no matter what was going on.Here are some with menus that may help you figure out more foods to eatFlatus/Gas preventionhttp://www.endowsec.com/pated/edtgs12.htm(some IBSers still have problems with a small glass of milk even if most lactose intolerant people can have it but buying a lactose free milk will be a good substitute)http://www.endowsec.com/pated/edtgs06.htm is a gluten free diethttp://www.endowsec.com/pated/edtgs05.htm is a lactose free diethttp://www.endowsec.com/pated/edtgs11.htm is low fat which sometimes help reduce diarrhea and is for people with gall bladder problems as they also have to cut out the fat.Hopefully they'll help you figure out how much food you need to eat to maintain weightI use http://www.fitday.com to keep track of my calories. Right now I need to lose a few pounds so I enter my food in there.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

Thank you!. I will read those links. I can eat bread and one time I tried again the oatmeal cookie and I was fine. I just bought those sugar free cookies as a new something to eat. But you are right, that was not smart. I only started habing the soft stools again after I ate that cookie with xilitol on it and it has been soft stools still even after 5 days only once a day though. i wonder if it stays in the sysmte the xilitol or why the stool hasn't come back to a well formed yet. MAybe my diet again?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Sometimes once something sets off the system it can take awhile for things to settle back down.Anything with an -itol is likely to be a problem for those on the diarrhea end of thing. The sugar alcohols are used because we don't absorb them so they get into the stool where they draw in more water, and the bacteria can make a lot of gas out of them as well.


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## clareuk (Feb 7, 2006)

my normal weight had always been around 9 1/2 to 10 stone ish and because of having the diarrhea I eventually became 7 stone 10. So I lost roughly nearly 2 stone (28 pounds) and was up and down all the time. That was with me eating 3 meals a day although I admit I didn't eat much in the end because I knew it would end up coming out the other end. Because I was always on the larger size people really noticed but I guess it was like taking laxatives everyday. What I did eat came out and I reduced my portions so it would make the diarrhea a little less as I still had to work full time. The immodiums really helped me through the day and allowed me to eat my meals again. Although I did still have diarrhea and hours on the toilet in the mornings everyday, they did help. I certainly did lose an obvious amount of weight and it was all due to the diarrhea and eating less - although I did still try to eat as much as possible.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

If I try the calcium approach, do you think I should stop the metamucil and just give the calcium a shot?.Thank you.You guys know a lot more than the doctors I have spent a lots of money on calcium they suggested and I ended up with diarreah and had to stop them. The mangesium was like 500 mg and the calcium 1000. The y said it shouldn't, but it was giving me diarrhea. A nutritionist toldm if I had diarrhea is because I needed it. I was like what??


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It doesn't have to be either calcium or metamucil. Heck they sell a combination product so it isn't like they are going to interact in some dangerous way.For diarrhea prevention you want a calcium ONLY product. Not a cal-mag. The magnesium will loosen up things too much. I don't think most nutritionists understand how supplements effect IBSers, and some are very sensitive to low doses of magnesium.I, personally, do not buy the whole if it makes you a lot sicker you must really need more of it theory. I think if it makes you sicker that is a side effect you can't handle. But a lot of people feel all side effects are proof that it works and you need it. I'm just not one of them. I tend to go with the traditional chinese medicine approach where everything you take should be bringing you into balance and don't need to throw you way out of balance first. But a lot of people like the if it makes you sicker just keep taking it theory. Goes along with the nothing natural has side effects stuff I also do not believe. If it has an effect, it has a side effect.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

I thought the post talked about the Caltrate 600-D Plus and it does have alittle magnesium, but it looks small compared to the regular formulas. I will give it a try. The only thing I am trying to think is if taking this much calcium would impact the iron absorption.Have a great weekend everyone. I'll keep you all posted.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

I am with you Kathleen, I didn't buy the you needed it so badly. I also believe in the chinise medicine. As a matter of fact, I will start acupuncture next week to relieve my stress about all of this and to try to get the balance back.Thanks for all your support


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Some of the calcium has a little magnesium in it (and some people end up taking one without any at all).The Cal-Mag supplements tend to be 2:1 Calcium:Magnesium as that balances out, in a normal person, the side effects and is fairly close to the ratio a balanced diet tends to have/ the USRDA for both things.Calcium can block absorption of some things, so you might take the iron at a different time most of what I see says about 2 hours apart.


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

Damn I'd give anything to lose some weight!Anyway....go see a nutritionist ...they're not there only to help you lose weight but to help yopu gain weight as well!


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

I did went to see a Nutritionist, but I just couldn't get anybody's reference so I just found him online,. But he just gave me stuff that caused me diarrhea. Everything had Milk on it. When I pointed out, he just said, only traces, but hey 400 USD less and diarrhea and 2 punds less not sure how to react. lol.If only doctors were trained to believe that food can heal you, Not only the health system would be cheaper, but we all would be healthier.


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

Hmmmm....did you mention to him from the very beginning that you have IBS and a lactose intolerance?Cause if you did .... then the guy seems kind of stupid!


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

Yes, I did mentioned I had IBS. I went to him since he had a wonderful website explaining how IBS works, I guess he may have just copy pasted from somwhere else. When I called him up to tell himm what happened, he just said, well stop it for now.


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## TanaG (Jul 11, 2009)

God! this way any of us could be nutritionists! Don't know if you losing weight should only be from IBS....maybe you have a hyperactive thyroid gland as well. Did you get that checked? There should be some more supliments.....some kind of vitamins or so to help you gain weight. I really don't know much about gaining weight cause I have tried all my life to lose some. lol ...but I know a friend of mine had a weight gain problem (and not because of any desease, it was just the way she was - lucky huh?) and went to see a nutritionist and stuff. However she didn't stay on that diet much, she probably gave up .... got bored whatever! I think that to find a good specialist in this is really hard! Anybody can act like the big nutritionist and just prescribe whatever goes through their mind...


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

IBS will not make you lose weight all by itself. If you are losing lots of weight when eating more than enough calories then you really do need to get tested for some non-IBS causes of that.A lot of IBSers are so afraid of food they do not eat nearly enough calories and no pill or supplement will put the weight on if you don't eat the calories (although some weight gain supplements are high calorie shakes that will help to get the calories in, but a lot of those have ingredients some IBSers do not tolerate and you have to figure out what they really are trying to do which isn't always easy).I will agree it is hard to find a good nutritionist. Fortunately with the abundance of online calorie counters it is pretty easy for anyone to log in their food and make sure they are eating enough food to maintain or gain weight. It takes 500 extra calories every day (above what you need to maintain) for week to gain one pound. Depending on why you don't eat much that can be a very hard thing to do.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

I wasn't eating enough calories and protein. Now that I am aware of it I am keeping track of the calories. I struggle with the proteins though. NOt sure how to increase the amount without being from animal source, or is it ok to just eat more chicken'??lolI read I should get in about 80 gm a day to keep my current weight. that seems like a lot!The issue with trying new foods is that if I get diarrhea I lose the weight and to get it back up is a huge struggle.I tried the calcium and that does help. But I do have kidney stones, so that may not be such a good idea after all.where do you get your proteins from?


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Here:http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/index.php?s...=111143&hl=All the bestBQ


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Chicken, turkey breast, lean fish, eggs (whites only if you don't want the fat in the yolk), even lean cuts of pork or beef may all work. You can see if you tolerate soy burgers or other vegetarian alternatives, and some foods like quinoa (a whole grain) have a good portion of protein in them.


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## Yaretzij (Mar 31, 2009)

I think I got the protein amount form countcalories.com. I said I am 116 pounds and want to be 124. So it told me how much carbohidrates and protein to consume to reach my goal by Jan 2010. that sounds too ambitious, as long as I don't keep loosing, I should be happy!


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## EvEy (Jul 5, 2009)

I have had IBS sence i was 14 .. very hard as a kid !! i would not have any trouble for years. then it came off and on..I am 39 now and it started up again .. i could not eat with out RUNNING to the bath room .. the big D .. lost about 20 lbs and only weighted about 120 so not good . Well saw where a DR said if u have IBS you should be on Probiotic !! Well i ran out and got some =) ... All the pain want way .. no more Diarrhea .. i feel like a new person..The root cause of most digestive troubles is not the foods it's eating an acid-forming diet and haveseriously unbalanced intestinal flora.A big problem people dont know is combining food.. if u combind the wrong foods their will be pain ..try lookin up combining food and see what u have been doing wrong .. I ate PB&J every day for the first meal of the day ! right their i was combining the wrong food.. sence i have stoped.. and have been pain free.. good luck in finding whats works for you.. all so try honey for GAS u can take as much as u need !!! sustenex.com .... the ones i use !!


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