# How can I have gotten so fat when what I eat is eliminated within 2 hours?



## Sheilat (Jan 19, 2002)

I have gained 65 pounds in the last 4 years. I don't know how it is possible when I can't even finish a meal before I dash to the bathroom. I can eat a salad, and 2 hours later...Salad is in the toilet, undigested!!!! I can't eat or drink all day until I am home and by the toilet. Then I eat until I go to bed, then I am up all night with the runs. I have tried Immodium, Metamucel, paxil, and several other meds. I dont get it.


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## xk (Jan 15, 2002)

I noticed that I have gained some weight, but I figure that is because I stopped exercising. I didn't want to go out because I was scared I'd be sick. Also I wrote a response to your situation at work in the depends section, I think the best thing you can do is speak with your supervisor. There a brochure on this site that explains ibs to people, and that might help. Finding out now if your supervisor is willing to be supportive and understandingis the best thing you can do. Without open communication, your fear will interact with your job performance, and if your supervisor doen't understand whats going on you can't expect him to be understanding and supportive. TRY TALKING TO HIM! even if he is young. You never know, he might already know about ibs.


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## lisa01 (Sep 24, 2001)

Sheilat -Well, it may be what you are eating, when you eat it and how you eat it.I have IBS/D as well and when I first started w/ D I lost about 10lbs but put it back on when my body "got used" to the hourly eliminations. Having a background in fitness and weighttraining, I realized what my body was doing and at the time I was not training.The key to losing weight is increasing your metabolism. Sedentary people have very slow metabolisms and it takes a little work to "kickstart" it and then a little to keep it up there. Do you exercise? Do you drink water? I know water is hard to drink for some IBS/D people (I am one of them) but I find that if I drink it slowly through out the day (and I can't do the gallon I used to which is about 16 8oz glasses) I will be alright. YOU NEED TO DRINK WATER to increase your metabolism. Try drinking at least one glass w/ each meal. Next eat small meals througn out the day. Sometimes my D is so bad I am actually AFRAID to eat, but I have to if I want to stay trim. I eat small snacks throughout the day to keep my metab. up. Eating only once or twice only keeps the body in starvation mode (which yours is most likely in already). You need to FEED your body, continously. SMALL meals. Next, do NOT eat prior to (try very hard) TWO HOURS before you go to bed. If you are currently not exercising at all, your body already in starvation mode will not utilize any of this food, will store it as fat. If you are hungry before bed have a glass of warm milk (if you can) or some dry toast (you'll get used to it). Stay away from fat (it is bad of D anyway). This is all very hard if you are not used to doing it. I'm not going to lie to you - but you need to work with your body, not against it. Let it know you are going to feed it and water it, don't make it store everything.I'm like you - I am in the washroom during dinner most times, but I do follow these rules (drink water, eat often, exercise and don't eat before bed) and it has gotten BETTER with time. I also take Imodium which thankfully does help me. Have you asked your dctr for Questrian, aka Cholestid (I think that's what it's called).Excercise inside if you are afraid to go out. One of the best cardio tapes I have ever bought is Kathy Smith's interval training, which I believe (and follow & have seen great results QUICKLY) is the best method of fat-loss. She is encouraging, it is easy (I am not very coordinated and I get bored easily; another reason I love interval training). I hope that you give this a try...it is so worth it. You will feel better about your, I can guarantee your IBS/D will be better (you are going to have find which foods work for you though) your sex drive will increase (!) you will have more energy, you will have more self-confidence, you will have more tolerance and patience even! Don't think of it as a "Fix" or weight loss program. It's a WAY OF LIFE. Being healthy is beneficial not just for IBS but for longevity, peace of mind and soul.







PEACE


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## Sheilat (Jan 19, 2002)

Houston,Thanks for the advice. It definitly makes sense. I never had a weight problem before and I ate all day. Of course I always had the D too. Now that I have 4 children I have to be able to run them here and there at the drop of the hat. That is something I can't do if I have eaten. I have such a fear of embarrassing myself, which I have done, however, now I am afraid of embarrassing my children too. What foods should I stay away from? I just bought soy milk today to try to avoid milk, which I love. I also bought Calcium tabs which I read about on this board. Everything I eat causes D. I have tried eating cheese all day and still had it. I get really gassy with Immodium, and then still have D. I will talk with Dr. about med you suggested. What does that do? Thanks for your help.Sheila


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## stop here (Sep 3, 2001)

I have the same problems you are having. I have 2 children and have to take them here and there. I want to do more activities and trips but I'm too worried about what might happen.I don't drink much dairy so I know that's not my problem. I find almost anything sets me off. I can't eat out without visiting the restroom before the meal is over. And I only eat out if I can get home within 10minutes.I have tried the Cholestid. It helps some and especially helps with the pain and cramping. I can now pick up my son from school and run by the grocery store in the same trip. It hasn't given me the confidence to travel, though. I too am getting ready to try the Calcium tablets.I also have changed my diet some. I make sure I have protien at every meal with one other food group. Bagels instead of sliced bread, brocilli instead of salad. I know I'm not any help but it's nice to know there's some one else feeling the same woes as you.Good Luck


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## KarenP36 (May 24, 2001)

Boy I can relate unfortunately. I have gained over 30 pounds in the last 5 years. I feel like I'm just getting bigger and bigger and slower and slower. There are 5 girls in the family and now I'm the biggest (although I'm the tallest too). I have IBS-D all of the time. I'm sure keeping enough of the fat in me though. I know I've got to stop buying and eating all of this junk food but it's so hard. It's the sweet stuff that I'm hooked on the most... If anyone wants a cyber-pal to try and lose weight with let me know.


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## lisa01 (Sep 24, 2001)

Sheilat, Sorry, I'm usually on here Mon-Fri so missed your post until today since yesterday was a holiday for us.I can not tell you what foods to stay away from, you are going to have to find that one out through trial 'n error. It is different for each person. How do you like the soy milk, by the way? I love milk, too and can no longer have it. Just can't seem to talk myself into trying soy milk though ... Cheese all day is bad for anyone! But I can see the reasoning behind your doing that (I tried it too! Didn't work, hehe!) While cheese isn't all bad for you, it's not really good. A little bit here and there is fine. Don't eliminate all fat from your diet when trying to loose pounds. It's the type of fat. For example fish has fat but it's good fat. Peanuts in small amounts (handful) is good for you, too. Small amount of peanut butter. See, it's going to all depend on what you can eat that will not cause immediate elimination. The Questran/Cholestid is a binding material. The Questran is a powder you mix with water (or juice if you can, whatever makes it easier for you to drink). It does not dissolve in the water, it's gritty but I personally don't think it tastes BAD, it's just thick. It "absorbs" and binds all the fat in the food you eat and lets it pass right through you, but bound all together so it bulks up your poo so it's not just runny. The Cholestid is the pill form & does the same thing. My doctor said I could take as much of this as I needed to help w/ D. She would rather I take that then Imodium (it's designed to help patients with high cholesterol) but I did not find it helped much at all so I am taking Imodium. I take the Imodium A-D which helps gas - have you tried that? How did you find the calcium helped?What about veggies? Are you eating those? Green ones are the best for fibre (bulk) but also cause much gas (or can). To alleviate gas I use BEAN-O which you can find in the grocery store by Imodium. Take as directed on the bottle.What about eggs? Do they bother you? That is the one thing I can eat that comes from an animal. I can't do any other animal product or by-product or I am going to pay dearly. (So I'm now trying to be a "vegan"). Try egg whites. You can eat as much of that as you like. Don't forget to exercise. Even just to walk around the block or mall or whatever - get your heartrate up there for at least 30 min. a day. The secret to that (elevating your heartrate is) that it takes 20 min. of elevated heartrate before your body will start to use the fat it has stored. Otherwise it just is using the energy (sugar, carbs) that are readily avail, have not been stored and does not help in reducing inches/lbs.Wanna try writing each day what you drank/ate & how long you worked out? It's great to keep a diary. It makes you more accountable to what you are doing (or NOT doing) if you can see each day what you have written down. If you know each day you have to report to me, for example (and I to you) that might help, too!


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## Lizbec (Dec 20, 2001)

Peace - I read your response to this post with interest. Can you give me any advice-I have the opposite problem (I weigh about 95 pounds...!). This is due to me frequently restricting my diet because of ibs-d. I do, however, drink lots of water and i try to eat little and often. Should I reverse that or what? I'd be grateful for any advice as I'm sick of people (including doctors) assuming that my problem is anorexia!!!!thanksliz


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## Kitty19HasIBS (Jan 8, 2002)

at the start of this I lost 40 lbs well i guess like one of you said my body got used to the eliminations b/c i have 5 min-2 hrs and its gone b/c ive gained back the 40 and about 5 more...wow it's diet time!


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## lisa01 (Sep 24, 2001)

Lizbec,Well, it's going to take some work but believe it or not, it's basically the same without all the cardio. Eat about 5-6 times a day and drink water. Without knowing your frame size (small, med. or large) and how active you are it's a little more difficult, but doing weights will put some muscle tone & bulk you up. Find a protien/carb powder that you can make smoothies with & use those for snacks. I have NEVER had a problem after drinking a protein shake since it is made with water.Make sure you eat a nice, big breakfast with carbs (like dry toast, or english muffin or cereal) and also include carbs at lunch & dinner (baked potato, sweet potato, greens, legumes (protein), soups .. things like that.EAT and exercise. If you are small under 5'5, you should only be around 125lb give or take... using the protein shakes & adding resistance training should do the trick.Good Luck, and keep posting if you like or you can email me at lisa_peterson###aimfunds.comPEACE


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## Lizbec (Dec 20, 2001)

Lisa - thanks, i'll take your advice and let you know how it goes. I would say i'm a small frame (size 4 UK shoe).Btw - it's really nice to have someone take me seriously instead of telling me how lucky I am not to be gaining weight!liz


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## Sheilat (Jan 19, 2002)

Hi all. I thought the calcium was helping but the minute I got home from work Thurs. night I had D. Then I had it all night, even getting up from my sleep. I tried soy milk, vanilla, and gagged. I just can't drink it. The dr. put me on Lomotil and Elavil Mon. I have taken almost all the Lomotil with no results. I have been using Immodium also but I still have D. I know my eating habits are poor. I have to leave my house at 6:30 am and we have no breaks until lunch at 11:15am. I eat at the prison because it is free, and I don't have time to make a lunch. Then I don't get off work until 5:45pm, I rush to Cape to take classes until 9:00pm two nights a week, get home at 9:45 and go to bed. I live off vending machine food. Then on the weekends when I am off, I eat everything because I am so hungary. This weekend I have to be careful of what I eat because Tues. I have to go to Jeff City with a group of people and I am terrified of traveling. I end up needing to go D. and having full blown panic attacks when I can't find a place. My whole life is consumed by this IBS-D.


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## TryingToDeal (Dec 21, 2001)

there is a test with putting your fingers around your wrist to tell if you are small medium or large framed i saw it on the net not sure which health site


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## abby101 (Jun 3, 2001)

Sheilat I have tried the lomotil with no results as well and I have been taking Elavil 25 mg at night and I have been sleeping very well.. I have a busy schedule as well and when I have to travel and be around large groups of people I get so nervous just thinking about what if I have a bad attack what am I gonna do ? I am starting back on the Calcium again I had really good results with taking that before but had to stop do to other medical problems I was having.. Are you having any problems with the Elavil ? I have family that live in Dexter and know how much you have to travel. Abby


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## GraceFromSoCal (Feb 1, 2002)

I've been struggling with weight gain for several years now, too...in my case, 80 pounds--and I definitely do not consume enough calories to justify the weight gain (I typically eat 1200-1800 calories per day). I also can see in the toilet whatever it is I've recently eaten...plain as day, undigested. Within a very short time after eating, my gut starts its unmistakable rumblings...and I run to the bathroom. Although I've reported with absolute accuracy my daily caloric intake, every doctor I've seen along the way, including GI docs, insisted that IBS does not cause weight gain and that I MUST be consuming more calories than I think I am... ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!


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## Micashell (Nov 20, 2001)

I can totally relate! I often say to my husband that I can't believe that I keep gaining weight when it seems like nothing I eat stays in my body.Exercise is key for me. When you spend your days running to the bathroom and your nights trying to fall asleep, it's difficult to find time and energy for exercise.Calcium has made a huge difference for me. I still must stay away from my trigger foods - coffee, onions, lettuce, garlic. There are still bad days. My doctor just started me on Elavil to help prevent migraines and combat my insomia. I had no idea that it was given to people with IBS. I'm hoping with more sleep and less worries about a migraine attack that I will be able to exercise more.


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## lisa01 (Sep 24, 2001)

Grace,You may have your caloric intake exactly correct. That's not the issue. What type of calories are they? Or, what I really mean is - are they all calories from carbs & fats? Even if you feel they are not if you are serious about losing weight you need to really pay attention to where your calories come from (protien, carbs, fats) and there are good fats and bad fats, just like there are good carbs and bad carbs.After that, it's only a matter of using more calories than you take in. Just because you only take in 1,500 calories doesn't mean you will maintain a nice, trim figure. If you only burn 500 calories a day then that extra 1000 turns into fat. Over a period of time, that's a lotta fat.... you have to burn more than you take in and it has to be the right kind. You also have to increase your metabolism.


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## lisa01 (Sep 24, 2001)

MicaI know it's hard to find the motivation when you aren't sleeping. I can promise you if you tried it for two weeks regularly - 3x's at 20min a week - you will find falling asleep is not so hard & you will have more energy. I GUARANTEE IT.


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## mich2002 (Jan 14, 2002)

Lisa can I get your advice - I'm an IBS-D have D every 3-4 days - Im 123 pounds (think I got that right 56kg, 5'7 - have lost quite a bit since this all started but not rapidly dont think Im taking in enough calories does this sound ok? breakfast banana and 3 rice cakes/ marmite (cant really eat in the morning) lunch is a potatoe/ rice ,butternut, and sometimes tuna, supper is a carb, starchy veg, protein and I have some rice cakes and another bannana and if I can another fruit as snacks drink loads of water only herbal tea and do moderate exercise - try take Ensure now and then but makes me nauseous!! do I need to eat more or is this ok? - I dont want to loose more weight but do want to maintain where I am?


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## norbert46 (Feb 20, 2001)

Sheilat, first off many of IBS/D folks have overweight problems. The food is taking longer to get thru the guts than we perceive and our bodies are doing a great job of absorbing more nutrients than we need and turn to fat! If you will use the "hop to " box below you can go to the "Meeting Place" BB and look for Sunny's(Ks-Sunshine) thread where we talk about exercise and diet and encourage each other to get our weight back under control, I've lost 20+lbs. since Dec.2001 and need to lose 40lbs. more and I'm using a Gazelle machine from Walmart. If you will use the "hop to" box to come to the CognitiveBehavioralTherapy/Anxiety and Hypnosis BB you can ask questions and get answers about using Mike's audioprogram100 to relieve or in many cases completely stop the IBS symptoms. I'm 55yrs old and had 35yrs of IBS/D and tried everything, Mike's tapes were my answer and I do anything I want, anytime I want and do NOT take any pills or avoid any foods I enjoy eating! You will find Mike,Eric and Marilyn available to help and offer support or answer any questions! Best wishes, Norb


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## simsam (Jan 21, 2002)

I also have substantial weight to lose -- about 35 pounds. I remembered I had great success with the Atkins (low to no carbohydrate) diet and started it about two weeks ago. I had been having D almost daily before I started but since I started the diet, no D, no gas and I'm losing weight. You might want to try all protein for a day or two to see if it helps. It has worked for me.


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