I want to ask you guys for some advice/tips on how to gain weight when you have severe IBS. My current body weight is 41kgs, which I know is an extremely low and concerning weight. I have done quite a lot of searching on Google but there seems to be limited information about how to gain weight for people who have a lot of food intolerances. Most websites I've found recommend eating things like dairy products and nuts, but my gut can't tolerate those foods. So I just wanted to see if anyone on this forum has had any luck in gaining weight. Is it even possible to gain weight when you have so many food sensitivities?
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Crescendo251
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Yes, it's difficult to gain weight for some people with IBS. I am fairly skinny myself, but in my case I've always been on the lean side, and in the past, when I didn't have IBS symptoms, could eat anything I liked and not gain an ounce.
Well, that sounds great doesn't it?
Nothing was wrong with me. I was healthy and fit. I didn't have any medical problems and my thyroid was fine by the way.
But then when IBS came, and especially at first, my diet was very restricted just in order to manage symptoms. I did discover a number of high calorie foods which I could eat happily, and I was fine with most fats, and fine with proteins.
So I ate as much as I could, but there were still many foods I couldn't have, and I had to be picky to make sure foods didn't have certain additives which seemed to upset my gut (things like some emulsifiers, undisclosed "flavourings", and most artificial sweeteners, but other additives too.
So I had to pass on quite a lot of foods and snacks.
Added to that, my vegetable and fruit intake became extremely limited at the same time.
I used to have a big breakfast with nuts, seeds, granola or bran flakes, and two portions of fruit. I daren't have that any more, and had to have a small plain breakfast.
Everything changed with IBS.
Now I can eat more range of foods and am doing okay I think. My diet is also quite healthy, But I lost weight during the worst, and never put it back on, though my weight seems steady where it is now and I don't lose any more.
I would say eat whatever you can that suits you, and if high calorie foods are OK, then eat them, along with anything you can manage which is "healthy" even if that's only a few veggies and one or two fruits for now.
Taking vitamins and minerals (the recommended daily dose) might help too. If not sure, ask a doctor or pharmacist. You might reach a stage where you can eat better and don't need them any more, but for now they may help fill in a nutrient shortfall in your diet.
I am limited by IBS, but also by the need to watch cholesterol and eat only lactose free foods. I have a pretty healthy diet and mostly follow the Fodmap diet. My weight is stable, but I really have to limit foods with a lot of fat and have cut out red meat for that reason. If I really had to gain weight I think it would be difficult.
Yes, I can understand that. I don't really know how to actually "gain" weight either. Part of it might be my age plus I always was wiry. Or maybe it's connected to IBS? I don't know. I stay stable, like you, but don't know how to put weight on. I have given up worrying. So long as I can stay as fit as possible and still do stuff, and still get hungry and eat, I am still alive!
Yes i am in the same boat trying to gain weight, and like you cannot tolerate nuts, seeds or too much fibre or fat. Very difficult. They say to eat plenty of protein so i try to eat lean meat particularly chicken, plus potatoes and rice. Weight stays stable but i cannot gain any. Just dont want to lose any more.
Hi Crescendo251, It is really hard to gain weight with IBS. I'm also struggling to gain weight, I'm now 42.7 kg, the lowest I've been is 39. Have you tried a dietitian? They can give you food drinks that can help. I take Aymes shakes, 1 a day, I should take 2 a day to put weight on but I can't tolerate 2, so I only take 1,also take multivitamins and and really important that you take vitamin d. Hope that helps! X
Try to eat more food, more often with less meal spacing. Ordinarily I would recommend spacing out meals to help the MMC (migratory motor complex) to run. This sweeps food from the small intestine to the large intestine during fasting. However, this could be counter productive if you are trying to gain weight.
Eat carbohydrates that you are more able to tolerate such as:
White jasmine rice. This is pure calories and very easily digested. It gets completely digested in the small intestine leaving no residue for the colon. Note that some types of rice (such as Basmati) contain resistant starch some of which would be undigested and end up in your colon.
Low FODMAP and/or gluten free grains (if you are intolerant to wheat). This can include buckwheat pasta, gluten free pastas, quinoa and buckwheat flakes. Some of these are more fibrous than others, so you will need to test for your own tolerance. Some sufferers are more tolerant to oats than wheat, so porridge made with full fat or dairy free milks are good for breakfast and even as extra snack meals. Oat amazake is a form of highly digestible fermented oats. I mix this with buckwheat flakes and add in tolerated fruits as a snack.
Squash and pumpkin. There are different types of squash and pumpkin products listed on the Monash University FODMAP app with their various low FODMAP serving sizes.
Beans and pulses (thoroughly rinsed when canned) – see Monash University FODMAP app for low FODMAP quantities if necessary.
High fat varieties of dairy (e.g. hard cheeses) or lactose free dairy if necessary. Note that some sufferers will be intolerant to cheese due to the whey or casein protein content rather than lactose.
Semi-skimmed or whole milk or lactose free varieties.
Nuts. These can be ground in a coffee grinder to make them more digestible. Nuts add fibre, so gradually increase the amount. - Maybe not for you...
Eggs.
Protein shakes as snacks.
Berry fruits (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries).
Healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil. This could make you more loose, so start with 1 teaspoon working up to 3 tablespoons (1 tablespoon with each meal) per day depending on tolerance. Note there are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon.
I used to think I was dairy intolerant my dietician suggested I try lactose free cows milk. Some people think they are dairy In tolerant when it is just the lactose which is hard to digest. IF you are just lactose intolerant then you can have all the goodness of cows milk without the lactose. Good luck I hope this is the case for you.
Try eating more protein if you can, including fish, eggs and some high quality/organic meat with fat on. Avoid cheap fatty meats as the fat will store antibiotics and toxins.
Include healthy fats too, olive oil, avocado, walnuts, macadamias, pecans (depending on your tolerances).
Protein shakes can be beneficial too, opt for those with as few upf ingredients as possible, and check which protein you can tolerate (eg: whey is dairy, others use pea, soy or hemp protein. One brand that’s not upf is Form organic.
I also take L-glutamine & butyrate supplements daily to increase / support my mucosal lining production - which I believe is key to IBS.
Take a look at Dr Steven Gundry for anti nutrients to avoid. I have virtually healed my gut after 6 years of hell. One year to the month since I transformed my health. Hope it helps you too.
I went down to 5stones at my worst and intolerant to dairy, wheat, gluten and gut does not like onion family so much. I eat organically where I can as it's so expensive and try to eat a variety of fresh fruit and veg for the fibre. My staples are oats, rice, buckwheat and quinoa, to get protein of at least 5g per meal (5 smaller meals per day if you can) and more if tolerated and I have managed to increase my weight. I don't eat dairy but I eat df yoghurt daily which seems to help my gut. It's not a quick fix though. I agree with other posts that vitamin D is paramount and clean multivits. Getting enough sleep is so important too but also v hard to achieve for me at any rate. I have taken to mindful meditation and walking meditation. Five k is my optimum for restorative sleep and gut relaxation. Oh and water, water, water. I wish you well on your journey and hope you find the right combo for yourself soon.
I had the same problem because i have ibs and high cholesterol and i'm a vegetarian person , so most of my food is white toast with low fat cheese and sometimes with blueberry jam and almond butter and white rice with vegetables .i thought to double the amount of my meal so daily i have twice breakfast and the same with lunch and dinner . everyday i eat fruits and little of nuts . from time to time i take vitamins supplements and probiotics capsules . i tried the collagen powder but it increased my bad cholesterol.
Raneena, your diet is terrible. 🙂 No wonder you have IBS!
Why are you vegetarian? The only thing you've listed that your body can actually use is the cheese; but why low fat? (I'm assuming the collagen powder is derived from yeast and is a poor substitute for the real thing). Fat is not bad. Margarine is bad, but that's a fake fat; a toxic alien substance that causes heart disease and other diseases.
I say this to vegetarians and vegans a lot: you're denying your body what it needs to repair itself and function; and be healthy. Why do that to yourself? We are designed to eat fatty meat. Here is one of the biggest lies ever told: We need to eat a balanced diet.
What can your body do with toast? Nothing! Grains steal from the body; they don't give anything except inflammation. Same with the nuts (and beans). White rice is a non-food. Zero nutrition. It's like eating nothing. How are your energy levels? Are you tired most of the time?
There is no such thing as bad cholesterol (or cholesterol that's 'too high'). Cholesterol protects the brain from disease; the skin from sunburn. Our faces are made out of it!
Hi for couple of years I had a dietician who specialised in IBS. It was NHS too and on prescription. She prescribed Altrajuice a drink with 300 calories... in different flavours. I found they had no harmful affects on my IBS and I didn't gain immensely but stopped losing. You can have 2 or 3 a day but I just have 1 now. She also prescribed powdered soup with 300 calories but they were awful. Try talking to gp and ask to give them a try. They're not unpleasant and full of all sorts but minerals and vitamins as well. I'll never be my 9.5 stone again but I'm content with 8.3 to 8.5 stone.Best wishes
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