Struggles with Dieting and Fiber Intake

I have been experiencing challenges in trying to lose weight. Everything that's good for a diet revolves around fiber.  It's challenging and frustrating.  For some reason eating canned vegetables or fruit is not exciting to me. The better I eat, the more I have to empty my bag. Again frustrating. Have others experienced the same problem?

Hello Msmith0718.

Thanks for posting about this fascinating subject.There have been a few posts about it in the past so it must be an issue for a number of people. 

You say 'The better I eat, the more I have to empty my bag'; I would say that in principle, 'what goes in, must come out' so the 'more' we eat the 'more' comes out. Many- many years ago, when I gave up smoking, I put on a considerable amount of weight ( for me) because I was eating instead of smoking. MY resolution to this problem was to monitor how much I ate and cut down gradually on each meal. I never stopped eating what I liked, just marginally less of it at each meal. Soon I realised that I wasn't gaining weight so just a little less again and I was gradually losing it. Exercise helped a bit, but I was convinced that it was the amount I ate that made the difference, not 'what' I ate.  ( I certainly don't have that problem now!)

Best wishes

Bill 

MsSmith,

I am not sure if I get the gist of your question. Are you concerned about not being able to lose weight on the diet that you have or as I suspect, you are concerned about the frequency of having to empty your bag. Well, if you are increasing your fiber intake with vegetables, especially uncooked and some fruits they will  increase your output by increasing the amount of fluid necessary to eliminate them (presence of undigested fiber). They in essence serve to pull water out with them.

X_

I have had the same problem. We are told what a 'healthy diet' is but if I eat too much fruit or salad I feel nervous about leaks the rest of the day due to the difference in the output (chocolate on the other hand never causes any concerns for me). I have asked dieticians at the hospital but they just told me the usual information you read everywhere about a varied, healthy diet. I know the answer is to eat less move more but that just leaves me feeling hungry and then eating sweets.

The only time I've been able to keep my weight down without obcessing over what I was eating is when my Crohn's was so active I just couldn't eat.  Once told my gastro "This is better than Jenny Craig"! I gained about 25 pounds this past year - after losing it the previous year. My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer 1/17 and this past year has been a roller coaster so I ate.  Hoping 2018 will be a little better.

In the past, I have had good success with the 17 Day Diet and I'm going back on that 1/1/18. There are cycles to this diet, each 17 days long.  I'm allergic to chicken but I can eat turkey and the diet has a chicken - substitue ground turkey - soup that I ate "all the time".   It also has cabbage in it so, yes, my pouch fills up very quickly and that is a draw back but I like the soup. I often times walk around holding papers in front of me to try and hide a poofed out pouch till I go to ther ladies room. 

The diet also calls for yogurt & I use greek yogurt with unsweetend fruit (1 fruit cup per cup of yogurt). That doesn't seem too bad as far as output.  For some reason I have more trouble with leakage when I eat apples than some other foods which really frustrates me - they are easy to take to work, nutritious and filling. In general, I eat very little fruit because it is more dangerous for me.

Canned fruits? ok mixed with yogurt or cottage cheese.  Canned vegetables - YUK

It kind of surprises me how different foods affect people.  Before surgery, when Crohn's was very active, I craved mashed potatoes and they felt so good in my stomach. I've heard of many people who can't eat them.  So, I guess it is trial and error until you find something that will work for you.

Good luck with your eating plan and I do hope you find something that will work for you.

 

 

My Ostomy Journey: Kimberly | Hollister

 Drink an 8oz. glass of water before your meal. It helps your body to feel full. It might even be good to drink it when you want a snack.

Sounds like me you find out what you can or not, myself I hate it and it's ruin my life at lease there's other people out there that can relate

Check out out the book by Dr. Gundry....Plant Paradox. He has helped many with overweight and underweight individuals. He was a well known cardiologist who switched to naturalistic medicine 17 years ago. My wife and I are reading it. People I know are following this and ketogenic diets and dropping pounds per week. Good Luck

Watch portion size and total carbs. Things like 4oz of meat, 2oz dry pasta, one slice of bread, ..... You will lose weight. Keep it at 120-130 gram of carbs per day