How low is low fodmap?

[Squiggle4]

I know it helps but it's difficult to follow at school and home - will a single serving of fodmaps eliminate any benefit or is it more that the fewer fodmaps you eat the more benefit??

[runswithdogs]

Are you doing the elimination diet? I know it's really, really hard, but it's not forever. It's a lot of repetitive meals, feeling unfulfilled and boring as heck. Maybe even a few tears watching other people eat. But it's only a few weeks and then you can try reintroducing things. I found it wasn't all FODMAPS that bothered me, so I was able to return to a varied diet. Some foods bothered me if I ate any of it, others bothered me only if I ate several FODMAPs foods throughout the day. And some didn't bother me at all. I also found a dietician useful for the elimination diet, because she could help me change up my meals or brainstorm when things got really tough.

[Squiggle4 in reply to runswithdogs]

I don't really know what I'm doing - sort of trying to eat low fodmap without making a fuss about it in case it doesn't work? It's difficult to maintain 100% low fodmap though when I haven't told anyone what I can't eat. I tried it before and it was definitely helpful but i couldn't sustain it for the whole time because of school/home/eating out etc. so i gave up... when i next see my gp i will talk to her about it but I'm not sure when that will be and also I'm going out on lots of trips soon where it will be impossible to maintain which is why I was wondering whether "semi-low fodmap" would still be a somewhat helpful option x

[ClareLou]

The fodmap diet is not ment to be a lifetime diet as its not nutritionally balanced. The idea is is to get the level of fodmaps in your diet as low as possible and then do the second phase called the challange phase this will show you what fodmaps are your triggers ans what dose of that food causes a trigger hope that helps

[Squiggle4 in reply to ClareLou]

okay thanks that is helpful i should probably talk to my GP about it rather than trying on my own but even so it will be really difficult to follow with the school lunches :/

[robrascal]

Don't stay on fodmaps for too long as it then is quite difficult to reintroduce foods that you have eliminated back into your diet.