I had written about a month or so ago asking what people eat to try to lose weight with an ileostomy/J pouch. I've had several suggestions, and I thank everyone for their input. I decided to try the Carnivore diet, but not full meat; I have included vegetables as well. I had the issue where everything was running through me because the things that help me keep it together are things that put weight on. I read something about psyllium husk. I bought a canister of this, and by adding a tablespoon to a smoothie or Greek yogurt and some berries, it has helped a great deal, and I have lost 10 lbs so far. I think this is the answer for me. Again, I want to thank those who responded to my first post concerning this.
MTgirl
Apr 14, 2025 2:52 pm
IGGIE
Apr 14, 2025 11:18 pm
Good luck MTgirl,
Great news for losing 10 lb. Keep working at it.
Regards, IGGIE
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Posted by: freedancer
In both of my cases, I had no choice. It was surgery or be put 6 feet under! I thank God that He has been with me all these times. Without Him, I never would have known what to do and might not have gone to the hospital when I did. I don't know if you have had your surgery or not yet but I hope you will hang out on this website when you are done. I have learned a great deal through the people here and it is so great having others who have had the same thing done and been through what you are about to or have gone through. The only thing I have turned down is a reversal of the ileostomy. When the doctors did the emergency rebuilding of my original ileostomy this last February, I told them I did not want to go through this again. My doctor told me at that time that I was no longer a candidate for the reversal. In a way, I was very relieved. The last three years of my life have been a nightmare for me. I do not want to go through any of it again. If you wish to be rehooked up and they say you are a good choice for that, research it carefully. Every surgery I have ever had except for Old and New Maxine and the emergency surgery on my broken foot, I have spent weeks researching. I recently had my C5 C6 disk in my neck replaced with an artificial one. I went to my pre-op with 2 pages of questions for the doctor. I knew everything that they were going to do and could talk intelligently with them. I always try to research my adversaries! Don't cancel your surgery. It is nice not to have to suffer any longer with horrible pain. We all had to change a few things around when we had our surgeries but in the long run, most of us are glad we did it. I know I am. Good luck to you!
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James Arnold
Apr 20, 2025 5:28 pm
Hi MT, I have been taking about a level or slightly rounded teaspoon of Metamucil first thing in the morning for over 30 years. A few months ago, I found that I was super gassy. After trying all kinds of diet changes, I finally thought about this supplement. So I stopped for a day and saw improvement, and in two days, problem solved. Well, almost! I have lived with IBS all my life. I cannot eat any, and I mean ANY, fats or oils, or I'm in pain. Fortunately, Metamucil gave me some relief, but now I'm in between a rock and a hard place. I will have to go back to Metamucil but will try to reduce the amount and see if I can find a balance that works.
A funny thing, when I first started Metamucil, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I was about 50 years old and asked my wife if she always had a bit of stomach pain, and she said “no” to my surprise. I always thought everyone did.
Jim7
Avoiding Ostomy Bag Leaking | Managing Ostomy Leaks with LeeAnne Hayden
MTgirl
Apr 20, 2025 11:54 pm
Yes. I'm not crazy about the taste of it. But it works great in smoothies where you don't taste it or feel the texture, lol!
MTgirl
Apr 21, 2025 2:51 am
Hi Jim, sorry about the issues with IBS. I've heard about people having this. No fun.
I've been hearing about parasites in connection with digestive issues like IBS, colitis, Crohn's disease, etc. I wonder if you did a parasite cleanse if this would help? I'm thinking about doing it for myself. I grew up in North Dakota and ate a lot of pork. We raised and sold hogs. Well, they aren't the cleanest animals, so I can imagine what I have inside of me. Getting back to the psyllium husks, I wish I had known about this sooner because having no colon, everything just goes right through. I'm feeling some relief from needing to go to the bathroom so much. Take care and I hope you can start feeling better.
Nancy
Redondo
Apr 21, 2025 4:51 pm
I would be interested in the carnivore diet too because I'm heavier than I should be and can't eat a lot of vegetables and fruit.
Is it helping? Where would I get a list of the foods in the diet?
Thanks in advance.
IGGIE
Apr 22, 2025 2:58 am
G-Day Redondo,
You don't need a list.
The Carnivore Diet is easy; it's anything that comes from an animal other than its waste.
Anything from a cow: beef, lamb, chicken, pork, fish, eggs, and bacon.
It goes back to how we evolved; it was eating meat that made our brains grow and helped us move on from being apes.
Regards, IGGIE