# Fitness lifestyle caused my sibo, here is how I cured it.



## Burnheart (Oct 11, 2017)

Dear all,

I have succesfully treated myself and I would like to share my story. If i'm capable of helping one person it will be worth it. I am aware that everyone is different and that my methods or my situation might not be of any relevance to some of you. I will structure my story and try to be as thorough as possible.

*1. Who I am*

I am a healthy guy, always been active and never had any digestive problems. I could eat anything, in any combination, without any consequence. Like fries, chips, chocolate, cake, you name it. My mother was a nurse and always looked out for my health and diet. I was always slim and felt great. Having constipation was a foreign concept to me. I could never understand the commercials I saw promising constipation or bloating relief. I would soon come to understand.

*2. How it went downhill*

I had always been slim and I fell in love with bodybuilding, I use fitness in the title, but this is misleading please ignore that. I wanted to be big and strong. I had been training at home for 5 years and decided to go to the gym at the age of 25. It was there that I would be constantly challenged and made myself insecure. There is a lot of "Bro science" in the gym. Everyone has their silly anecdotes and regimes. You get affected by that. Always trying to compete and outdo the other guys. This would lead to destructive diet habits.

Eating massive amounts of calories and junk food. Eating 8-12 times a day never giving the intestines a break to complete a migrating motor complex cycle. High protein, high fat, high carbs. It all kept going in. I was belching, farting, but still going on. I didn't notice the small increments at which my intestines were going to hell.

After a food poisoning I was left in a weakened state. I lost a lot of size and was frustrated. I went back in the gym and ate even more terrible than I ever did. It wasn't uncommon to eat 5 pancakes, 10 small chocolate bars, a bag of cocktail nuts, 6 sandwiches with jam, 4 eggs, 500 ml of yoghurt, 2 durum doners, 1 liters of full fat milk etc. almost ever single day for 2-3 months ( think 4000-5000 kcal ). It was then that my digestive system broke. Please understand that I was addicted to fitness and eating was always a chore for me. So it had to be extremely tasty and garbage food. My diet became this terrible over a 3 year span.

*3. The lowest point*

I woke up being nauseous, during exercise I was nauseous, the entire day I was nauseous. I had extreme bloat and felt terrible. Believe it or not, but as this point I still didn't think I had IBS-C caused by sibo. I thought I had an infection or a bacteria and that it would pass. Why not? My family has no history in digestive problems and I was always able to eat whatever I wanted.

I went to the docter, who checked me for food allergies and H. pylori. All of these tests turned out negative. This had me scratching my head. What is wrong with me? I decided to fast for 1-2 months drinking only water/tea and having some fruits and vitamin supplements. My digestive system should be listening to me and I would teach it through starvation. I lost some weight and sticked with the fasting period. But the results weren't noticable. I was still nauseous and my intestines were made of STONE, dead, with no movement. This was logical, because the fruits kept feeding the bacteria. I was doing it completely wrong. But I didn't know any better.

In a last act of desperation I just decided to do cardio. I hadn't done cardio for 2 years thinking it might hurt my size in the gym. Within 2 weeks, after doing an hour of cardio every single day, I didn't wake up nauseous anymore, I still had bloat and felt terrible after eating certain foods. But it was an amazing improvement. I was getting closer to finding out wat was ailing me.

*4. Research and implementing my short term cure program*

I hit the internet, researched everything. People describing their IBS-C or SIBO really hit home. I frequented these forums and found people in similar situations. I read Mark Pimentel's "A New IBS Solution". This was a great insight. I based my cure program based on this book and people experience on this forum.

First I will list the medicine and supplements I used during this 4 week cure program:

Herbal Antibiotics
FC Cidal
Dysbiocide

I couldn't get a Rifaximine prescriped so I decided to go with the alternative. Which also came out strong in studies: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4030608/

Supplements
Ginger pills ( kill bacteria )
Oregano oil pills ( kill bacteria )
Grapefruit extract droplets ( kill bacteria )

clove of garlic ( kill bacteria )
Glutamine supplement ( for intestine recovery )

Second I will point out a few crucial tips during the fasting period

- No fruits/high fiber foods, avoiding carb foods in general except white rice and potato's

- Eating two meals a day, allowing the migrating motor complex of you intestines to clean up

- Drinking only water

Third l will decide on exercise as well!

- I would do cardio ( walking 7 km/u or jogging 9 km/u ) for 30-45 minutes a day

- I would train my abdominals every single day to improve blood flow to the area.

*5. A typical day during the cure*

Morning:
100 gram white rice
20 grams of walnuts
20 grams of almonds
20 grams of cashew

1 ginger pill
1 oregano pill

1 FC Cidal pill

1 Dysbiocide pill

1 scope glutamin in water

45 min cardio

5 sets upper abdominal training

5 sets lower abdominal training

Evening:

100 gram quinoa

300 gram steamed potato's

100 gram steamed brocolli/butterbeans/any vegetable which is light for you

1 ginger pill
1 oregano pill

1 FC Cidal pill

1 Dysbiocide pill

1 clove of crushed garlic, cut in pieces, left to rest for 10 mins and then swallowed with water (www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZC_jlfY81A)

15 drops of grapefruit extract in 200 ml water

After 1-2 weeks I would feel a great difference. The bloat was finally going away and being nauseous was a thing of the past. This cure program was easy for me. I'm not a very big eater and eating only twice a day was perfect to give my intestines some peace.

*6. Implementing my long term cure*

After the 4 weeks I felt great. The bloat and the nausea was completely gone. However, I was still fragile. Eating certain foods would still trigger a minor reaction. My intestines felt empty and inflamed. After all the months of bloating I could finally feel my intestines again. Empty and inflamed, the Migrating Motor Complex had been heavily damaged, because the bacteria have had their way for a long time. I knew this wouldn't be cured in a few weeks. Some damage might even be permanent, I might never be as careless and tolerant as I used to be.

I made some decisions:

- I wouldn't snack ever again. Stick everything in 3 meals a day

- I would go completely Vegan. Meat, processed foods, dairy are all crap and inflammation inducing and very poor for your health.

- I would stick to 4 times cardio and abdominal work every week

- I would still drink 1 clove of crushed and cut garlic a day (www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZC_jlfY81A)

I have been doing this for the last 3 months. And I am doing GREAT. I can eat whatever I want, without a reaction now. If my friends want to pig out at a chinese restaurant? No problem. If I want some ice cream? No problem. I am very aware that this long term period is the most important. I will never stop being vegan, eating more than thrice a day or my cardio. I will need to pay my body back in recovery years, for all the years I destroyed it. So I think I'll need at least 2 years to be back at 90-95% of my old self.

*7. Conclusion*
I hope my foolish years and recovery have been insightful for you. Remember I have no allergies and have never had any genetic defects. If you do, your story will be different. I want to urge everyone to implement cardio in their lives. minimum of 4 times a week. Ideally, every single day. This has been the best for my intestines and recovering. I wish all of you good health and a life free of intestinal problems.


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

To me? The topic of this ("Fitness lifestyle caused my sibo................") is misleading.

I've been lifting weights for years and years now. I don't think your fitness lifestyle caused your constipation/SIBO, it was actually overeating (gluttony) - you ate way way too much for a period of time.

Regardless, I'm glad you are doing better now. It's good to read a success story every now and then here. Congratulations!


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## DavidG (May 7, 2017)

That's great news !

Just a few questions.

You took many antibacterial supplements to kill off the bad bacteria, but did you also take a probiotic ?

I might have missed it, but at what point did your constipation clear up ?

Your curing diet seems to be very low in calories. Were you able to maintain your weight during this time ?

Thanks

David


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## Burnheart (Oct 11, 2017)

DavidG said:


> That's great news !
> 
> Just a few questions.
> 
> ...


Hi DavidG.

- I did not take a probiotic. I am a believer that flooding the intestines with more "good" bacteria is not the way to go. *(Please understand, this is merely my opinion and my experience. If you have had great results using probiotics, then more power to you. However if someone considers my program, I will ask them not to use probiotics.)*

- My constipation cleared up after the 1 month short term cure program. Cardio is one of the strongest factors in this!

- I would hit 1800-2000 kcal every day ( which isn't that low ). I did lose some weight (2-3 kilo's) during the 1 month short term cure program. Eating a little less and getting a bit more lean is not a problem. It's actually great to give your intestines a break for 4 weeks


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## Burnheart (Oct 11, 2017)

flossy said:


> To me? The topic of this ("Fitness lifestyle caused my sibo................") is misleading.
> 
> I've been lifting weights for years and years now. I don't think your fitness lifestyle caused your constipation/SIBO, it was actually overeating (gluttony) - you ate way way too much for a period of time.
> 
> Regardless, I'm glad you are doing better now. It's good to read a success story every now and then here. Congratulations!


Hi Flossy,

Fair enough, the title can be a bit deceiving. I would like to point out that eating a lot more is essential if you want to get both bigger and stronger. Eating more than your appetite is usually the rule if you want to increase your bench or general size. Just exercising doesn't lead to Sibo. I did use the term "LIFESTYLE" in my title, hoping that would clear up any misunderstandings. Anyone serious about lifting weights in the gym will confirm the importance of eating ( shakes, high kcal foods, bulks etc ).


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Burnheart said:


> Hi Flossy,
> 
> Fair enough, the title can be a bit deceiving. I would like to point out that eating a lot more is essential if you want to get both bigger and stronger. Eating more than your appetite is usually the rule if you want to increase your bench or general size. Just exercising doesn't lead to Sibo. I did use the term "LIFESTYLE" in my title, hoping that would clear up any misunderstandings. Anyone serious about lifting weights in the gym will confirm the importance of eating ( shakes, high kcal foods, bulks etc ).


Most people join gyms/work out to lose weight and/or get into shape. I have been lifting weights for over 10 years now and still? I don't know anyone who ate as much as you did to gain muscle. It seems like food addiction set in. To me? You were very much just plain overeating, IMHO. That to me is not fitness nor a fitness lifestyle.

It's the mantra, "I can eat a lot because I work out a lot." Plus you were trying to bulk up.

Most weightlifters and people who regularly work out here in America will drink protein drinks. They are very popular. But there are other ways to get your protein besides taking in supplements (like drink whole milk, eat meat, beans, whatnot).

Personally, I usually eat two or three times a day and that is that. I usually don't overeat because of my IBS-C. Plus I like my abs to look like skin/muscle/guts and that's it - I don't like fat on them.

What body type you have (ectomorph, endomorph, mesomorph) is *very* important to how much or how little you can bulk up from weights. I'm ectomorph (hard gainer), so eating extra doesn't do much for me. Even lifting? I get a little bit more muscle mass, but not much. I like to say, "A millimeter here, a millimeter there!" Even lifting heavy weights doesn't make me bigger, it just makes me ache. But I'm wise to my body type, so I know what the results will be, no matter what. I'm in good shape, but I'll never look like a stereotypical weightlifter because of my body type.

Usually guys that have a terrific build that look a little too big, like it might be a bit artificial? Will be on steroids. Nothing works better for bigger muscles. Personally? I've never tried them.

P.S. I hope I didn't bum you out with our difference of opinion!


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## Burnheart (Oct 11, 2017)

I am very familiar with the body types. I am an ectomorph myself. My weight was always around 65-70 kilo's standing 190 centimeters tall. Eating was tough, I'd be full in no time and lack a lot of the "needed" appetite. When I was serious about getting my bench/deadlift/squat up I started eating 4000 kcal a day. I gave some extreme examples in my post. Some fair examples of a day would be:

500 ml yoghurt with sugar
300 ml whole milk with 50 grams protein powder shake
2 banana's

6 sandwiches with peanut butter

4 eggs

250 gram grapes

100 gram of nuts

200 gram salmon

1 doner, a microwave meal, insert junkfood etc.

2 chicken breasts with sauce
300 grams steamed vegetables

400 grams potato's

300 gram beef with sauce

The end result would be me benching 150 kilo's, squating 200 and deadlifting 240. Weighing 90 kilo's feeling like a tank. It's impossible to lift these kind of weights weighing 65 kilo. Your body needs the extra fuel to grow. I just took it too far. Eating 3250 kcal would have been fine, eating clean would have been better and doing consistent cardio would have been great. It was actually the food poisoning that played a big role as well to built up to IBS-C triggered by SIBO.

PS. I understand your difference in opinion I'm not offended. I suppose my gym was a bit more hardcore (bodybuilder type). Maybe I should call it the bodybuilders lifestyle? Haha. It seems I can't edit this anymore. As a fellow ectomorph let me give you some advice on gaining some muscle. As you know there are different twitch fibre types. Type 1, Type IIA (endurance), Type IIB (strength). You should train endurance as well as strength. Hit your muscle groups twice a week. One time go heavy 6 reps max and the second time go light 12-20 reps with *dropsets*. This gave a hardgainer like me the best results. Just lifting heavy didn't increase muscle that much. If your muscle has 20% type IIB you won't see much size increase or general effectiveness. Let's take Usain Bolt, this man is 90%+ type IIB. That's his "talent" having the perfect muscle composition. If you combine both type IIA and type IIB in your training consistently you will see significant results. Even with a low kcal diet and being an ectomorph.


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## DavidG (May 7, 2017)

Thanks for getting back to me Burnheart !


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Burnheart said:


> I am very familiar with the body types. I am an ectomorph myself. My weight was always around 65-70 kilo's standing 190 centimeters tall. Eating was tough, I'd be full in no time and lack a lot of the "needed" appetite. When I was serious about getting my bench/deadlift/squat up I started eating 4000 kcal a day. I gave some extreme examples in my post. Some fair examples of a day would be:
> 
> 500 ml yoghurt with sugar
> 300 ml whole milk with 50 grams protein powder shake
> ...


I wouldn't be surprised if Bolt is on the juice. He hasn't been busted but many athletes (especially in football & baseball) take steroids.

One of his teammates was caught and because of the Bolt got stripped of his gold medal:

*'Usain Bolt stripped of Olympic gold medal after Jamaican team-mate Nesta Carter fails drugs test - but he vows to appeal'*

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/athletics/2017/01/25/usain-bolt-stripped-olympic-gold-medal-nesta-carter-banned-drugs/


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## Burnheart (Oct 11, 2017)

flossy said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if Bolt is on the juice. He hasn't been busted but many athletes (especially in football & baseball) take steroids.
> 
> One of his teammates was caught and because of the Bolt got stripped of his gold medal:
> 
> ...


They are all on juice. Bolt just has more talent physically. Just juicing doesn't make you a winner it's just a prerequisite, they all work extremely hard and intelligently, leaving talent as decisive factor. Just proving he juiced, which I never said he didn't, doesn't disprove his great talent for sprinting. Why aren't juicing white guys with a lot of money winning? Difference in muscle type is the answer. Sadly, this is getting very off topic. I would like to help people with my post and experience. It's obvious we will not agree on certain things.


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Burnheart said:


> They are all on juice. Bolt just has more talent physically. Just juicing doesn't make you a winner it's just a prerequisite, they all work extremely hard and intelligently, leaving talent as decisive factor. Just proving he juiced, which I never said he didn't, doesn't disprove his great talent for sprinting. Why aren't juicing white guys with a lot of money winning? Difference in muscle type is the answer. Sadly, this is getting very off topic. I would like to help people with my post and experience. It's obvious we will not agree on certain things.


Yes, I also agree different muscle type is the answer too. Plus God-given talent.


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## Andrej (Mar 15, 2021)

It's a lot of antimicrobials you took,also raw garlic is insanely rough on the lining.I tried it and I puked like a minute later


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