daily calorie intake weight loss struggles

[MissSKOctober]

hi

I am 5'4 and weigh 15.5 stone I will be turning 21 soon I suffer from IBS, Stress & Anxiety.

What should I do to stop going over my daily calorie intake?

I have spoken to my GP about this but there is not much they can do.

At the moment I am researching some advice

Can anyone help me please

Thank You

[shirleycadle]

Are you on the Low FodMap diet? I have lost weight on the diet. I have only been on it for about 6 weeks and lost 20 pounds. I think it is due to going gluten free. I was dairy free to start with, but leaving the gluten was hard. I also have cut down the amount of sugar intake. My only problem is that I have had a couple of days that I gave into my cravings. I guess my brain is not into the new diet. I do feel better and I do not have the bad diarrhea that goes with my IBS. I hope that you can stay strong. It is difficult; I am going to start writing during the day for stress relief.

[MissSKOctober in reply to shirleycadle]

thank you I have not tried a Fodmap diet before. What sites would you recommend

[janeeng in reply to shirleycadle]

Hi, I am not on the low FodMap diet but I'm gluten and dairy free. I've been gluten and dairy free for about 6 years now and I must admit it took a long time to get used to going without. I'd occaisionally sneak in some bread or cheese but the longer i've gone without it the worse the reaction is when I do have it. So now I don't have it at all! It just takes time but one day you'll find the taste and smell of wheat and dairy unpleasant so hang in there. When I smell flour now, it actually smells stale to me.... Good luck and have some gluten free treats handy to have when you feel like caving in. There are some really delicious alternatives to gluten and dairy now. P.S. Probiotics will help with the sugar cravings. I make Water Kefir which is much better than any store bought pills or powders.

[Kariss]

You've probably heard all this before but try eating from a slightly smaller plate. Your brain is tricked into seeing the same but your portion will be less to fill the plate. Also eat slowly and try to take 20 minutes at least. This is the time it takes before the brain sends the 'I'm full' message to the stomach. If you bolt your food you will still feel hungry. Practise putting your fork down between bites and taking a small sip of water to spread the time. Also, concentrate on just eating. Don't watch TV, read or daydream while you eat as the food will be gone and you won't have noticed and so won't get the satisfied feeling.

Trying to eat healthily with IBS is a challenge and giving the Fodmap diet a try as shirleycadle advises could be a good plan. Just type Fodmap diet IBS into Google. There is plenty of information. Choose a site you find easy to navigate...(some can be quite wordy which is off putting). Do it gradually, don't cut out too much at once though as you may well get cravings which won't help your anxiety.

Best of luck, I hope you have some success.

[Rachh8]

Are you on any medication that makes you eat more? Found that really hard. I went from 11 stone to 15 stone but I've lost a stone this year and I'm just under 14 now. I now keep a food diary which makes me accountable for what I've eaten that day and I can see if I need anything else or if I need to eat something that's more healthy or low calorie as I forget during the day and it adds up. Try to find things that are healthy but low Calorific value and fill you up. just having a little walk each day makes a big difference as well as you can. Also drinking water if you're hungry can sometimes help

[MissSKOctober in reply to Rachh8]

I am on a lot of medication i recently had my antidepressants changed and I also take birth control tablets.

Thank you for your advice