Questioni am a 49 yr old female with IBS, lactose intolerance,ostropenia,and depression, who is now noticing with age is coming a loss of muscle tone and increase in body fat. I am taking kick boxing classes twice a week and using some weights for about 30 min twice a week and walking for 45 min once a week. With my impossible diet to constantly not feel weak and shakey I am evidently taking in too many calories and the wrong kind of calories to loose any of this body fat. I eat alot of cereal with water and pretzels and popcorn and diet colas and nachos and graham crackers and also alot of grilled chicken to get protein since I can't have dairy products. Can you give me a diet to loose body fat without hurting my stomach. I also have to take 2 precription tablets of amitiza for constipation for my IBS and still have problems with going to the bathroom. With ostropenia I can't even take calcium tablets because of my IBS which I can't tolerate dairy products. Please help....
AnswerCindy,
Sounds like your IBS is not under control, and sounds like you mostly have problems with constipation. The types of foods that you're eating-pretzels, cereal, popcorn, crackers-will make ANYONE constipated, IBS or not. You need to immediately throw away all white carbs. Check ingredients on everything in your house, and if it contains corn syrup or any flour not clearly identified as whole, then throw it away. White flours and sugars cause very dry, hard bowel movements.
I'll warn you that it will take two or three weeks for your stomach to adjust, and during that time your IBS symptoms may get worse. Stick with it, though, and you'll find that May will be a much better month than April.
Also, you're lifting weights twice weekly, which is adequate for now. But you're only doing cardio three times a week. You'll need to increase that to every day if you want to see your weight go down.
And finally, the dairy-bone problems can definitely kill you. You need to address this with your doctor. Once your IBS is controlled with a healthier diet, you may be able to tolerate calcium pills. You may also be able to tolerate natural unsweetened yogurt-it contains almost no lactose compared to milk or cheese. In the meantime, ask your doctor about using an enzyme supplement like Lactaid, and start taking vitamin D. Since you're having serious problems so young, you might also want to ask your doctor about prescription osteopenia medications.
Good luck, and if you're having trouble figuring out which foods you should or shouldn't eat, then please send me another question!
Melissa
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