Losing weight with a digestive disorder
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Losing weight with a digestive disorder
I'm an eighteen year old who was diagnosed with IBS four years ago which ended my ability to train in athletics and gymnastics. Since then I gained about a stone and a half in weight and feel bloated all the time. I want to get back into shape and look at restarting in gymnastics but I struggle because my IBS stops me from eating properly (I get nauseous after having a full meal or eating certain foods), and also exercising enough (I get really bad abdominal pain which was why I quit sports). Also because of the bloated feeling it causes I don't feel much effect from weight loss or exercise anyway which really de-motivates me. How can I lose weight and be healthy whilst dealing with the IBS?
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Dr James Thompson
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 1:58 pm
Re: Losing weight with a digestive disorder
Hi Kerry-Mae,
Thanks for getting in touch.
Sorry to hear that your IBS has got in the way of your pursuing your athletic dreams!
Since you have stopped exercising as regularly this may be the reason for your weight gain, however the IBS alone is likely to explain the bloated feeling.
Eating large meals is unlikely to help you with trying to lose weight and eating regular, small meals is probably going to be a more successful option. This is because it will prevent your metabolic rate from falling away in-between meals. A higher metabolic rate will ensure that the calories in your food are dealt with more efficiently.
There is a great range of foods that you can try that will provide the balance of calories, protein, fat and other nutrients required. In my experience it is often wheat based products (namely bread and pasta) and dairy that are the biggest culprits for IBS trouble. Keeping a food diary is a useful way of finding out what triggers your IBS and once found you can substitute for something else.
It might also be helpful to revisit your GP to check whether you are on the right medication for your condition. There are a number of available treatment options for IBS and it might be worth trying something new and seeing what effect they have.
Good luck with getting back into your gymnastics, if you can get back into doing regular exercise the weight management will become a lot easier.
Dr James Thompson
www.askdocjames.com
Thanks for getting in touch.
Sorry to hear that your IBS has got in the way of your pursuing your athletic dreams!
Since you have stopped exercising as regularly this may be the reason for your weight gain, however the IBS alone is likely to explain the bloated feeling.
Eating large meals is unlikely to help you with trying to lose weight and eating regular, small meals is probably going to be a more successful option. This is because it will prevent your metabolic rate from falling away in-between meals. A higher metabolic rate will ensure that the calories in your food are dealt with more efficiently.
There is a great range of foods that you can try that will provide the balance of calories, protein, fat and other nutrients required. In my experience it is often wheat based products (namely bread and pasta) and dairy that are the biggest culprits for IBS trouble. Keeping a food diary is a useful way of finding out what triggers your IBS and once found you can substitute for something else.
It might also be helpful to revisit your GP to check whether you are on the right medication for your condition. There are a number of available treatment options for IBS and it might be worth trying something new and seeing what effect they have.
Good luck with getting back into your gymnastics, if you can get back into doing regular exercise the weight management will become a lot easier.
Dr James Thompson
www.askdocjames.com
Dr James Thompson
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