Fodmap diet

Living life being bloated

I'm not exactly sure when this started to happen but its been quite sometime now. Back in 2010 I was very heavy, I wont get to much into it but I started to loose weight rapidly by extreme dieting. I was in the gym non stop, taking tons of supplements, limiting my body from the nutrition it needed and then I would binge ....basically I was running myself into the ground by trying to be "skinny". I've tried every diet out there, you name it I've done it. Nothing EVER seemed to work until I started to eat clean and really take nutrition seriously. As time went on however I began to feel really bloated and sick after eating CLEAN FOODS. I thought maybe it was normal because I was eating 6 meals a day....or maybe everyone got a little bloated. The pains and feeling sick NEVER went away, it only got worse. The bloating continued to progress until the point where I would look 9 months pregnant. I was mortified! How could I be doing everything right and be so bloated?!!?

9 months pregnant? Nope just bloated -_-

I was determined to fix this problem so I began experimenting by eliminating different foods from my diet. At the beginning of 2012 I decided to go vegan. I gave up all animal products and began to feel better each day. I finally thought I found a solution until it started to happen again :/ So after 4 months of depriving myself I said screw it I'm gonna quit being vegan, why continue if I was still feeling sick? After that things only seemed to get worse though. I'm not sure if my body became intolerant to dairy but every time I tried to eat yogurt or anything with a good amount of dairy I was beyond sick. Not only was I extremely bloated but I would have the worst pains! I had to give it up and switch to non dairy products. 

You would think things would get better after that right? Wrong! Still bloated....now almost every night. I was sick during the day which made me very irritable. I ALWAYS felt like shit, it got to the point where it was hard for me to go places or be out for long periods of time. I didn't know what to do, I was doing everything right and yet I was feeling so bad. I felt like my body wasn't where it should be. The hours and effort I put in the gym and my clean eating I should have a twelve pack!!! I went to the doctor and was told that I needed more fiber. So I did that....nope made me worse. Then I thought "okay ill try a probiotic or enzyme." NOPE made me extremely bloated! I tried not eating gluten, weighing out my food, sticking to small meals, eating only certain foods at certain times........still no luck.

I decided that in 2013 I wanted to compete and that I was going to get in amazing shape. I figured out my macros   (calories, fat, protein & carbs) for each day and I stuck to it. I weighed all my food and began to carb cycle. With this I actually found the most success....but I would still get bloated or feel sick on occasion  So after carb cycling for 2 months I began to incorporate more carbs into my diet........this was a big mistake. I was more sick then I've ever been. Now I'm NOT saying its from the carbs, its from not giving my body the proper nutrition every day. I had to find a solution now, I couldn't take it anymore! So I reached out on Instagram and talked to some amazing people who suggested the Fodmap diet. I don't like to even call it a diet because its not something to do to loose weight, its for people that are suffering with the sickness of bloat. 

My Progress with Fodmap

Its been almost 1 week since I've been sticking to the approved foods and I cant even explain how good I feel! In this diet you must give up dairy, gluten, caffeine, whey, casein, chewing gum and a lot of fruits & veggies that I really love! Now its not saying that all of these foods are whats causing the problems....maybe its not food at all. But these are the foods that most commonly cause bloat and upset stomachs. Personally I don't think I have a problem with gluten but I'm sticking to this diet for the whole month of February and after that ill slowly add foods one by one back into my diet to see what I can and cant handle. So far its been working great for me! I've also decided to give up whole eggs because I was told that they also might cause sickness.

Everyone is different so I'm not sure if this will work for you but so far this is what ive been doing....... 

Steps I've been taking with Fodmap:

1. Drink a glass of warm water, 1 tbs. apple cider vinigar & lemon each morning upon awaking (before you eat anything).
2. Drink warm water with lemon, mint or ginger (i like combining all 3) throughout the day. Cold water is hard on your digestive system.
3. Not drinking to much water, you CAN over drink. 
4. Eating 6 portioned small meals a day.
5. Adding carbs to every meal.
6. Eating a variety of colors and nutritional items. Feed your body what it needs!
7. Not weighing anything. If you need to still measure your food to keep portions do that!
8. Not eating to close to bed. 
9. Reading all labels, not eating anything with added ingredients (like peanut butter) make sure your foods are NATURAL & clean.
10. Keeping protein and moderate amount (I was consuming over 200 g. a day)
11. No whey or casein....(This has been extremely hard, I need to find a non-dairy protein)
12. Adding fruit to my breakfast, usually banana, strawberries or other berries. Some people have fruit intolerance as well so you might not be able to do this (Fodmap says certain fruits are okay)
13. NO SUPPLEMENTS

I'm still learning and hopefully I continue to feel good and not bloated! If you want to know more you can Google it or ask any questions.....like I said I'm still very unsure of what my problem is so I'm no expert. Just trying to help those of you that are experiencing this same problem and are as lost as I was. I still plan on seeing a gastrologist and suggest that you see a doctor as well!

At night                                In the morning  

Sample basic meal plan of what I EAT:

• Pre-workout meal: 1 brown rice cake, fresh almond butter, a slice of microwaved banana
• Breakfast: 1/2 cup oats, fruit, 3/4 cup egg whites
• Meal 3: 4 oz chicken, bell pepper & zucchini, sweet potato (100g)
• Meal 4: 2.5 oz tuna, green beans, 1/2 cup rice
• Meal 5: 4-5 oz chicken, bok choy, carb (sometimes)
• Meal 6: microwave cake (includes egg whites, NO whey and all clean ingredients)

This is NOT what I eat everyday this is just a basic meal plan of what I would have for one day. And like I said I'm not weighing my food but I gave you the measurements so you can keep your portions and dont go overboard. 

Good luck! :)

 

After 5 days!

"The FODMAP theory holds that consuming foods high in FODMAPs results in increased volume of liquid and gas in the small and large intestine, resulting in distention and symptoms such abdominal pain and gas and bloating. The theory proposes that following a low FODMAP diet should result in a decrease in digestive symptoms.  In other words, eating foods with varying FODMAP values at the same time will add up, resulting in symptoms that you might not experience if you ate the food in isolation. This might explain the mixed results of studies that have evaluated the effects of fructose and lactose, two types of carbohydrates, on IBS.  As with any new treatment or dietary approach, it is always best to discuss the issue with your own personal physician." http://ibs.about.com/od/ibsfood/a/The-FODMAP-Diet.htm