Dieting with an ileostomy: Need advice on limited food options and portion control

Hi, prior to surgery in Jan 2018, I was a size 10. Then, due to ill health and an overabundance of steroid medication, I put on 5kgs in weight. I just can't seem to shed this weight. Conventional dieting is no good for me as I am limited to what I can eat, and when I do eat, I can only tolerate child-size portions. My 5-year-old grandchildren eat more than me.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I cannot cope with my body image, never mind the ileostomy which has put so many inches onto my hips. Contemplating joining a gym and the services of a personal trainer.

Hello Mini-mo.

I must admit that I do not have this problem and I have never had the need for dieting. However, I have been reading some interesting articles recently which seem to indicate that it's not so much the diet or the gym-type exercises which help people to lose weight but how people go about exercising. The research seems to show that regular, comparatively short bursts of high intensity whole-body exercise, followed by resting, gradually reduces the body fat and consequently weight. Apparently, the body does the work for long after these types exercises are finished, whereas the slower, more methodical, longer frequency exercising, which often goes on in gyms and on the road, does not have the same effect.

I thought I would share this, even though I have no way of telling whether the articles I have been reading have any validity. Perhaps someone else might contribute and tell us more about this phenomenon.

Best wishes

Bill  

Good morning Mini-mo,

I have read the same as Bill stated. I need to lose a few pounds that I have gained since surgery. I lost a lot really fast at surgery and it seemed my skin was sagging, so now I have gained some back. I want to start walking again. My walking habit will change though. A few minutes of fast pace and then some slow, then some bursts of fast pace running in place at each street corner in the neighborhood! It makes it a little fun and my walk is about 4 miles. I am slack about doing it because my neighbor and walking buddy likes to get up really early to walk and I just cannot walk that time of morning! It is really hot here in SC in the summer, so walking in the afternoon is out of the question! But since it has cooled down, I may have to start up again!

I have the same issue with my body image. When my lap band was placed and inflated, I was able to lose a bunch of weight and finally feel good about myself despite the ostomy. When I became ill again and needed surgeries, I had to get it deflated. I began to get very depressed and began to eat more. As a result, I pretty much gained all of the weight back. Now that I think I'm finished with surgeries, I am looking to get the band reinflated.

I agree that it's quite hard to diet with an ostomy. I am actually beginning the Special K diet...which consists of the protein shakes...snacks...and of course the cereals. It really helped me before and an added bonus is that they all taste awesome! Along with that, I try to eat as many fruits and veggies as my ostomy will tolerate. I cannot do any raw veggies anymore but have found that if they are steamed or cooked until tender, I can now digest things such as cauliflower and broccoli. I can also do things with little seeds like zucchini...eggplant...and cucumbers.

You might want to try to experiment with different foods...eating just a tiny bit at first to see how you handle it. Try to eat more protein like chicken and fish. Of course, you want to avoid fried foods as much as possible. Be sure to drink A LOT of water as an ostomate who doesn't is prone to dehydrate quite easily...and water does make you feel full. Lastly, my advice is to change your plates from regular ones to snack plates (dessert plates). Once you get into the routine of doing that, you will see that the weight will begin to come off.

Good luck, hun!

Have you looked into the 5/2 fast diet? It is not about what you eat so much, so you stick to what works for you in terms of what you eat. But for 2 days each week, you eat only 1/4 of the calories that you do on your regular days. For example, on "fast" days, you eat only 500 calories, and on the other 5 days, you eat a regular 2000 calories. The 2 days are not consecutive, but separated, like Tuesday and Friday. You choose the two days. Keeping track of what you eat on fast days helps you keep to the 500 calories. It was working really well for me until I hit the holidays last year, and then had to start all over. I was doing really well all summer when I was bicycling without the fasting; then winter hit and now I have to start all over again. Sigh. But it really does work if you don't let yourself get sidetracked.

Hi

You could check out intermittent fasting. It works great for me. There are a lot of other health benefits also. I lost weight easily and eat all the healthy foods I want within a 5-hour period every day. It boosts your immune system and gives you loads of energy. There's lots of information on the internet and lots of studies about the health benefits.

Good luck

Soozigayle

I think you're right in saying you're thinking of joining a gym. It's the best option, in my opinion. Exercise will burn calories, tone your body up, and help you get fit. Most of all, it will help you get your confidence back, so it's a win-win situation all around.

Suzigale, are you still intermittent fasting for your health? What has your experience been like? Any ill effects being an ostimate?