I was wondering if anyone else has the same issue as me...
I used to weigh around 7.7 stone to 8 stone and for the last 6 months I've been 7.4 stone. I can't seem to put weight on to get back to 8 stone.
I eat 3 times a day but rarely snack. I'm not ill very much as severe IBS attacks are rare at the moment. I do suffer from days where I'm nauseous for no reason and I can have periods of not eating much for a few days due to loss of appetite but that's not very often. But i can eat like a pig and not put weight on or put on hardly any at all.
I don't know if my IBS is causing this and was wondering if anyone else had the same issue? I'm worried as I was underweight before and now I'm worse.
Thanks!
Emma
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Kweh123
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6 stone is something to be concerned about. I don't think what they told you about "burning it off easily" or "high metabolism" is true. That is very dismissive of they have you that excuse. In other words they..your Doctor or gastro should be fired and a new one found along with nutrition shakes and the help of a dietician.
Yeah I've always been underweight since i was born... I eat massive meals altho been suck inside for 5 months due to shielding ''covid" slowly getting outside again which is a really nice feeling...
I haven't weighted myself since i last went to the drs.... Its just part of me basically i do try but lose it easily due to use alot of energy of disability related
Oh something i also forgot to add its been going on quite a while... Cycles all messed up too normal is 7 dsys every 28" days now itd like 5/6 days every 19-21 days...... Is that normal?
I am not sure. I am no longer having periods. Im sorry. Have you seen a Gynecologist? I just got blood work done and it said my estrogen levels too high at my age of 58. I was referred to an ob gyn. A bit nervous..
Don't be nervous, had a smear done last year all good, haven't gotten round to it seeing a dr due to covid... Still sheilding counting down the week tho until finally free
I think if you are concerned you should see your doctor about this. I would say though that if you are not snacking then you are less likely to put weight on - people cut snacks to get weight off, and also if you have odd days when you don’t eat much then they will have an effect too. But yes, IBS can do that in my experience - you say you don’t have many flare ups at mo. But it depends what your daily condition is like - if food goes through you very quickly then I think it’s harder to maintain/put on weight. Also depends how much you are exercising. Putting on weight in my experience tends to result from unhealthy snacks, less exercise, and stable bowel movements. If I eat three healthy meals a day and walk a reasonable amount I don’t put on any weight. If I don’t walk, and start snacking then I put it on. But I really would go and see your doctor if I were you, because you sound worried and it’s best for her to make her assessment as a medical professional. Then she can hopefully ease your concerns as worrying won’t help increase your weight. Lots of best wishes to you xxx
Thank you for your advice! I just find it strange that I'm not putting on a lot of weight as I'm currently "unemployed" but writing up my PhD thesis at home so I'm not really going out or exercising. I've tried eating some chocolate everyday the past few days to see if that helps and I put on half a pound from yesterday but I'm sure that's gone now! I'm going to try to incorporate healthier snacks like nuts in my diet and see if that improves things. If not I'm going to see my GP and try to get more answers
I do hope you will try the Ensure, Boost, Belvita high protein soft cookies or CB-1 weight gainer. My dietician recommended these..and your insurance will most likely pay for nutritional supplements like Boost or Ensure. I'm sure your GP or gastro will prescribe these shakes. My Doctor did..I was to take one in morning and one in afternoon. Chocolate..well..not so great at really gaining unless you are a lot of it, and unless it's dark Chocolate, Chocolate is unfortunately constipating. I do hope you will try the above. If they can get me off of nearly being put on a feeding tube skin and bones and back to a healthy weight, I am sure they may help you too..☺
Hi..I can very much relate. I got to the point where they were considering putting me on a feeding tube. I got as low at 108lbs. Before I weighed 186lbs. I was losing weight about 4-5 lbs a month. It was very stressful and frightening. Finally, with the help of a dietician and trying to get over the fear of eating "heavy foods" (as I suffer from severe IBS-C). And trying to eat a bit more snacks and 3 meals a day..I have gained weight to where my normal should be. I was on CB-1 weight gainer. It just works. It's a powder that I took twice a day because I was so thin and malnourished. Skin and bones. I was also put on "Boost" (the high protein nutrition shake) or Ensure. I unfortunately Had to pay for it out of pocket, because my insurance does not pay for nutrition supplements. Are you under the care of a dietician? They really do help with weight gain. I know how awful it feels. I hope you get it all sorted out.
Hi Eliana ! Glad to hear you are better now and restored your weight👍 since i weigh only between 38 to 39 kg , may i ask you what is the ( CB-1 weight gainer ) that you mentioned above ?? is it like a powder or food supplement ?? where can i find it ?
Hi..it's been awhile since I have had to take it. I think I got it on their website. I'll try to provide the link. Or I think you can get it in stores as well. I don't remember it being expensive..as I am on a fixed income. I'll look for their website and reply back..It is a powder and nutrition supplement to help people gain weight. It worked for me along with "Boost" or "Ensure" nutrition drinks. ☺
Hello Eliana ! Thank you for following up with me 🌹 i checked the product in Amazon site but unfortunately there are no ingredients listing either in the images they show or the description below which only says ( a combination of vitamins and minerals and " herbs" ) which types of herbs ?? Not mentioned ..So i went to the link you provided as i thought i might get more details from the official web site but it says this site is not available !! since i'm not living in the US ..it will take at least 2 weeks ..sometimes more if it's food or meds to reach me ( every thing even makeup should pass first through the customs then the ministry of health to verify that it's legal and that there are no restricted / illegal items or ingredients getting inside the country ) So i couldn't risk buying it not knowing the exact ingredients if they are suitable to my body or to the country 's regulations ..i will check the other items that you have mentioned ( Boost / Ensure) ..but have been So busy with my kids tests and school projects before Spring break 😥😩 Thank you so much for your help and Sorry for the delayed response 🙏💕
Let me see what I can do..Boost or Ensure are really easy to get and they really helped put weight on. And they are delicious..will see if I can't find the cb-1 weight gainer info and ingredients..
Here is a list of ingredients that I coppier and pasted from cb-1 weight gainer.com
-1® Weight Gainer is a unique blend of natural herbs, vitamins, minerals, and ingredients known as isobutylamides. Each batch of CB-1® Weight Gainer undergoes extraction and testing by an independent third-party laboratory, ensuring CB-1® contains the most pure and potent, all-natural ingredients.
CB-1® contains no steroids, drugs, or other dangerous ingredients. CB-1® is a safe and natural product.1
Well..rats..that's all it would copy and paste. But the ingredients are below..it will say "ingredients" + and you just click on that. From what I can see..as I am wary of herbs as well..was it was more minerals and very trace amount of herbs. Try to access the site again..
Thank you again for your help .. i managed to access the web site ( the dash was the problem ..should be without space !) i have noticed numerous types of strange herbs that i never heard of before ..i searched and found out that they're actually a kind of " Pesticide" to kill insects !! as i have a very sensitive gut i was terrified to try something new especially this time when my kids most need me .
I think Boost and Ensure are better choices for me and safer too ..hope we have them here locally so that i don't need to wait around a month for the products to arrive 😥
Thank you for your advice! I'm sorry to hear that you had lost so much weight but I'm glad you're better now. I'm going to try to incorporate healthy snacks into my diet and maybe try protein shakes to see if I can get some extra calories in. If it doesn't improve I'll consult my GP and see what the next step is Thanks again x
Assuming you are not suffering any undiagnosed medical problems, controlling your IBS and maintaining a healthy weight, is all about managing your diet and lifestyle and taking regular exercise.
I accept that it not always easy, but do suggest that you need to reassess.
Having IBS is a nuisance, but if managed correctly, it should not be a dominant issue in your life. I have had IBS for 40 years. You could have far worse.
It is the same with maintaining a healthy weight.
Not eating or eating like a pig are not sensible choices for your IBS or your weight.
You should eat regular well balanced meals, not snacking between meals, and not eating ‘junk’ food, ready made meals, processed food etc.
Eat fish, lean meat, chicken, fresh fruit and veg, nuts, seeds, greek yogurt, wholemeal bread, porridge etc, etc.
If you must have a snack, eat some unsalted nuts, or a piece of fruit!
Nuts are good, full of nutrients and will help you put on weight too!
I suggest that you check with your doctor that you have no medical problems causing your weight loss first of all, but if not it is all down to you.
It takes some effort, but once you readjust it all becomes easy in time to keep to a healthier lifestyle.
I’ve done it, although I was overweight, BMI was 28 now 24, blood sugar HB1ac 52 now 39, cholesterol 5.7 now 3.3, no medication taken, all on change of diet and walking.
It will take a time for your body to adjust, so you will need to stick with it, determination is the key.
I take umbridge to you third paragraph. I have had IBS for nearly 35 years, daily for the last 26 years, and it is far more than a nuisance to me, I have to fit my life around it. It's bad enough when people without IBS put you down but you should know better.
Hi Emma, I had this problem for years. It took me 22 years to make it from 7 st to 9 st 10. However, I have now cracked the formula (for me personally) and am stable at 9st 6 now (6ft tall).
Firstly - breakfast. Always eat it and 8f you can, eat multiple breakfasts. I have a tiny pot of tinned fruit when I wake up and run my bath. Then, I pick up a cup of coffee and a croissant at the station. After an hour's journey, I buy a bacon sandwich near my office. By splitting the meal out like that, I seem to be able to tolerate more. I do also snack. Things like dried fruit if I need things to be looser and drier food like biscuits or cake if I don't. I eat about 500-700 calories at lunchtime and then always have a proper meal (meat and 3 veg) in the evening. I avoid lentils and pulses which go through too fast to absorb enough from them and always aim for a very varied diet. With his I have managed to leap from 8st after an operation last July back to 9st 6 again.
Thank you for your advice! I'm glad to hear that you're at a much healthier weight now. I think I always assumed that you were only supposed to eat 3 meals a day and I'm just so used to it now that it never occurs to me to try to eat more. I'm going to try to include some healthy snacks into my diet (as well as the odd bit of chocolate) to see if that'll make a difference Thanks again!
Really understand how you feel at 7st 10lbs and aged 67 I struggle to put on weight especially after a severe IBS -D attack. Currently for the past 8 weeks I have been 8st.
Why I don't know perhaps its because my attacks have been less frequent? One thing I think you may like to follow up with your GP is getting a digestive enzyme test. My GP said the result of mine showed I was not digesting my food correctly therefore I was getting alot of loose stools. I took digestive enzymes for 3 months it did improve. The nauseous
and loss of appetite I would suggest again you see your GP just to put your mind at ease that nothing else is going on especially as you are female. Good Luck and let us know how you get on.
Thanks for the advice Linley The trouble is my GP always just assumes it's my IBS and they don't try to investigate. I find IBS is a easy excuse to fob you off with. I'm going to try to eat some healthy snacks from now on and if things don't improve I'll go to my GP and see if they can give me a better examination. Thanks again x
Hi..I hope you don't mind my reply. I don't know if you have these..(I'm in U.S)..is the "Belvita" soft cookies, or breakfast cookies. Protein is really good for putting weight on..and not only do they have a lot of Protein..but they are healthy and delicious. I ate two-three a day along with Ensure or Boost high protein shakes, and it really helps put weight on.
I had a blood test a few months ago and my thyroid is working fine, thankfully! I'm not the best sleeper at the moment as I'm under a lot of stress so that probably isn't helping. I'm going to change my diet and see if that improves things. Thanks for your advice ☺ x
Thanks for letting me know ☺ I really need to sort out my anxiety as i find it's really affecting me at the moment. I'll try the magnesium and see if it helps x
Ooh other than that, I do eat healthy so rarely have take aways or alcohol, all my results that I had last year..... btw Ibs use to be the cause of weight loss but now that seems to vanish which is good so able to eat normal foods again ((yay))
Yes same!! Not sure in stones lol but around 4 years ago I lost 30 lbs over the course of 6 mo or so of heavy stress from a job change that caused severe nausea most days and lack of appetite so I would skip meals, eating child size portions some meals and other meals I could eat twice that..fast forward to about a year ago..still have kept the weight off and I do not exercise at all but have an active job that is pretty fast paced and where i am moving all day, I am in management which is pretty stressful lol. All of a sudden out of the blue, I have diarrhea every time i go to the bathroom for 6 weeks straight, ranging from 2-5 times a day, with hardly any other symptoms besides a stomach cramps a few times, one of the times I remember them being pretty debilitating. Anyway, got all the tests done with the doctor and was diagnosed with ibs-D. I’ve been on prescription Viberzi (which I don’t believe is available in the UK) that was made for IBS-D and it has been awesome! I have way less flare ups! I still struggle to put on weight, and when I have the flare ups or get super anxious (which I struggle with in general) I get the nauseous/hungry-ish feeling and it’s a hit or miss how much I will be able to eat..other days I eat quite a bit. I mean, a regular size portion for a 28 yo female 135lbs..I don’t really drink sodas or alcohol..still don’t really exercise hah, and honestly I eat pretty unhealthy..burgers don’t seem to give me symptoms so I eat them a lot..usually from greasy fast food places lol and I eat a lot of fried foods..still no weight gain, which is weird because I remember being between 17-24 where I would just fluctuate weight..mainly because I would gain weight by eating unhealthy or whatever..then I joined the army after high school where I lost weight by getting in shape, then I start to gain weight again slowly over the next few years before the weird 30lb “maybe stress-related” weight loss. I’m not really sure what’s going on with my body, but honestly I’m not complaining for now lol oh and also I did have my thyroid checked the last time I went to the dr and it was normal🤷🏻♀️ but that is something worth looking into if you haven’t!!
I'm glad you have found a medication that is working for you
I'm the same really. I eat a lot of junk food at times and still don't put weight on even though I don't exercise. I've pretty much been inside my house since September 2018 as I was writing my PhD thesis and now lockdown is happening but still no weight gain. You'd think I'd be a fat slob by now but I'm not. I'm putting it down to anxiety though as I've had stressful periods in my life the past 2 years, which I believe are what making me keep the weight off. I mostly eat three times a day (sometimes with an evening snack) but I don't think I'm eating as much as I should. I struggle to eat a lot in the morning due to that time being when I'm most sensitive IBS wise. I probably should make more of an effort with my breakfast and lunch meals but I can't be bothered. It's bad really lol.
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