To be blunt - constipation

[kingerm]

Hey. Can't seem to lose weight no matter what I do. I'm in slimming world and if I eat too much I feel too full and don't want to eat but the more I eat of healthy, good food, the more weight I lose and yet, at times, I get constipated and my weight soars again. My consultant doesn't really understand and thinks I just use PBC as an excuse - is she right?

[Louedwards]

I suffer with IBS . Before I was diagnosed was told to eat more fruit veg and fibre because I constipated. Which just made things worse 🙄 so I didn't bother going to docs again. 15 yrs later they took me seriously. Told me I had IBS but a few years later ive been diagnosed with PBC. is it related or was it this i had at the time. I don't appear to be able to loose weight anymore. Is it age im also peri menopausal. Or something else. As long as I dint get too stressed I dint get too constipated but ............

[58goose]

I'm a Slimming World member with PBC too. I'm not very 'regular' either but I find that drinking lots more water helps me, especially if I've been eating bran products. I'm struggling to loose much weight at the moment but with blood pressure tablets that can make you retain fluid and an underactive thyroid I'm happy to loose half a pound at a time. My thyroid tablets were increased yesterday so I'm hopeful that may help. Stick with the SW healthy eating plan and hopefully the losses will be more than the gains - I've lost nearly 4st but it's been a long haul! Good Luck

[liver-bird in reply to 58goose]

Well done !

[butterflyEi]

Hi kingerm

My personal opinion is that a diet rich in vegetables and a little less fruit has to be supported by an exercise regime. I have been overweight for ages and topped out earlier this year and was not very content. I bought an indoor exercise bike at the beginning of July and have built up to 20 minutes a day. I don't like to walk in amongst all the noisy traffic and if it is too windy, too wet, too hot or too cold I just used any excuse! ha ha

Currently this summer I have lost nearly 5 kilos. It has been a slow reduction and the change to my diet is also being reinforced with time. I have always liked soups and now make up a varied amount of different soups to form at least three lunches during the week and maybe a more robust soup for one evening a week. The following is one of my favourites

jamieoliver.com/recipes/veg...

I have taken red meat out of the diet except for making a lasagne and try to eat a bit more fish but eating fish and chicken is more expensive than vegetables and pulses. I find mushrooms are a good texture substitute for meat but again that is personal experience. I now also drink a lot more water than I used to. I was never much of a one for drinking fizzy drinks like coca cola but I do like the flavour but for the time being all fizzy drinks are off the menu.

I do believe that it is more difficult to lose weight with PBC and as we get older. For a period of time I was a carer 24/7 for my mother and I used to like to sit with her so did not get much exercise and that is when I piled on the weight.

Drinking plenty of water and eating a variety of vegetables should help with the constipation apart from being able to get healthy vitamins into your system.

I also believe that if you lose weight rapidly then when returning to the food usually eaten then the weight goes quickly back on and then some. Again this is a personal opinion with no basis in anything I have read.

Hope this is of some help

best wishes