Hi i'm a 42 yr old male and I have irritable bowel syndrome and I need to lose weight can anybody help please I need to do this

[Howieb71]

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Howieb71,

Welcome! A good place to look for weight loss advice is on the NHS website - there is a 12 week programme there that you can look at and it offers lots of great advice and tips on healthy weight loss. It's also helpful to read through some of the other posts and questions, as people offer lots of useful tips and advice there too.

The best of luck with your weight loss journey, and hope you have a good first week.

Lowcal

[Howieb71]

OK thanks

[Blanket]

Hi Howieb71, welcome to the forum!

I don't have a diagnosis of IBS but I've noticed that I have gut issues and they get worse with stress etc. Whilst I don't want to compare (and I'm also not medically trained) I just wanted to say that I found all my gut issues cleared up when I cleaned up my diet.

Basically I went to a personal trainer and talked about how much I hated losing weight(!) He gave me some free leaflets but basically told me that he didn't think I was ready for their style of working. Obviously you don't know me but I am REALLY stubborn and I hated being told I couldn't do something! SO, I went home and looked at his leaflets and they lead me to investigate the paleo diet which is a high fat, low carb diet. Once I got my head around it I found it really easy and loved the food I was allowed - lots of protein and lots of fresh veg and a bit of fruit. As you have a medical diagnosis I am reluctant to advise that you do this diet without checking it out with your GP etc but for me the physical changes were unbelievable! I had NO bloating at all, whereas on previous days I would be doubled over at work after eating my lunch. I also lost 2 stone within about 6 weeks without doing any exercise or changing anything else. It just seemed to suit my body. I try to stick to it mostly now as I do notice when I eat meals containing lots of gluten (breads etc) I feel bloated and it's painful. This can last until the next day so I am learning that the short term satisfaction of a curry with naan AND rice probably isn't worth a few days of discomfort. I'm not as rigid as I was last year when I first found out about it but mainly for me cutting down on carbs (pasta, bread, potatoes etc) and bulking out my meals with lots more steamed veg made me feel loads better.

Just a thought. I know lots of people have different thoughts about this type of diet but I genuinely believe that when you find the right foods for your body you'll know it - then there's just the small challenge of developing will-power to reject all the things you know don't suit you!! :o)

[Penel]

Hi Howie

Sorry to hear about the IBS, it can be such an unpleasant condition. Do you know if any particular food triggers the problem? I have real problems with gluten and have to avoid it completely (coeliac disease). Milk can also cause problems too. I follow a similar eating plan to Blanket.

This link is advice that I have found very useful to control symptoms and lose weight.

authoritynutrition.com/12-b...

Good luck.

[TenaciousD]

Hi there, it might be best to ask your GP for dietary advice..cetain foods that you might normally eat whilst dieting may make your IBS symptoms worse.

increasing your activity and exersise levels will help and control of portion sizes, have your dinner in a bowl instead of a plate it really helps x good luck!

[Howieb71]

Thanks

[SimplyDietetics]

Hi Howieb71

There are some really great weight loss resources on the NHS choices website. Be cautious where else you look online for dietary information regarding your IBS as there is a lot of unhelpful information out there. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) have a really good food fact sheet. The best thing would be to see you GP and rule out coeliac disease or crohn's disease as a cause of your IBS symptoms (unlikely but necessary before you make any dietary changes or exclusions) and then ask for a referral to see a dietitian. They will be able to give individualised advice on both your irritable bowel syndrome and weight loss as it can be quite hard to manage the two together on your own.

bda.uk.com/foodfacts/IBSfoo...

I hope this helps

[GRUMPYA]

One of the things that frequently triggers ibs is eating a large meal so my advice and i do have ibs is to never allow yourself to get too hungry. If your stomach is totally empty putting food in tends to cause cramps so eat small meals 5 times a day. Try to stop coffee it often helps as well. Some people benefitfrom more carbs, some from more fibre some from less and fruit can be a trigger so iI'm sure you have some ideas of your triggers. Calorie counting means keeping a food diary so I would put a score down for your ibs as well so you can see trends developing. It may help you manage it in the future.

[Howieb71]

OK thanks really helpful