Living with IBS – Feeling Off Track
The Absolute Best Gluten-Free Bread
February 18, 2020
Low-FODMAP Zuppa Toscana
March 7, 2020Have you ever felt like you have fallen off-track?
We all have a vision for how we want to live our day to day, from eating our homemade, perfectly proportioned, low-FODMAP meals, to meeting our gym goals.
Some weeks we’re on point.
We get our beauty sleep, stick to our food and gym goals and manage to check off all the essentials on our to-do list. Sometimes we even have enough time left over to give ourselves some love in the form of a bubble bath.
These weeks can be real confidence boosters and improve your mindset, helping you be the badass chick you are! That better mindset makes it so much easier to be successful in avoiding high-FODMAP foods.
But this is not always the case. Whether it’s stress, lack of time, or some other external factor, sometimes we just feel completely off-track. It could be that you are eating out more and there are limited low-FODMAP options, or you find yourself slipping on prepping food and snacks for the week. Whatever it is, some weeks just seem harder than others to stick to the “low-FODMAP lifestyle”.
I used to beat myself up quite a bit about not sticking to my food goals, especially when I decided to commit to the elimination of high-FODMAP foods. If I found myself caving for a non-gluten free dessert during the holidays or eating a high-FODMAP meal at a restaurant, I’d feel like crap the next day and angry at myself for getting off track. And even if there was a “good” reason why I was having a harder time being diligent that week (work-overload, holidays, vactions etc.), I still felt upset about not making it a priority.
Changing My Perspective
Over time I have gotten better at changing my perspective around this lifestyle. Instead of making it a strict, all rules and no exceptions “diet”, I give myself space to breathe. I have changed the way I look at eliminating high-FODMAP foods from my diet.
It is not diet. It is a lifestyle.
It is an amazing tool I’ve found that gives me control (most of the time) over my IBS symptoms. I now have the knowledge of what foods, what portions, and what habits can help me feel better.
So, if I choose to have a slice of that delicious homemade apple crisp my Oma makes ONCE a year, that is my choice. I know it may make me feel bloated or give me a stomach ache the next day, but instead I choose to enjoy it in the moment and set myself up for success the next day.
Life Happens
Changing my perspective was one thing that really helped me ease the pressure I was putting on myself.
Nonetheless, life still happens.
Life can get really busy sometimes. Whether it is a month of celebrations and you are going out to eat way more than normal. Or stress has consumed your life, and on top of a pounding headache your gut will not settle, regardless of how well you treat it.
Yes, there are strategies to battle these moments, but our stomachs are sensitive, and sometimes it takes time to get back into our normal groove.
My point with this post is to remind you that we all feel this way sometimes. We are all human, and even though I share what has made it easier for me to live a life of low-FODMAPs, it does not mean that I don’t struggle sometimes. It is okay to have a (or a few) bad days from time to time.
So, cut yourself some slack! Tomorrow is a new day and an opportunity to try it all over again.
Getting Your Groove Back
To leave you with positive thoughts, here are some of the strategies I will often use to get my IBS symptoms and good habits back on track:
- Reminding myself why I chose to follow the low-FODMAP lifestyle in the first place.
- The control it gives me over my symptoms.
- The relief I get from eating food that is good for my gut.
- The positive impact that reducing my symptoms has on my overall mindset and mood .
- Reminding myself that when this trip is over, when time permits, the next time I eat out, when [fill in the blank] happens, I will have the opportunity to eat the right food for myself again.
- Implement strategies to reduce my stress, as I know it triggers my symptoms.
- Start applying some of my in-the-moment stomach relief strategies to set myself back on a good path. (check out my instagram page for some of these strategies)
These are some of the things that work for me when I feel a little off my normal path, but I’d love to hear how you make lemonade out of lemons! Leave a comment, DM me on Insta, or email me your thoughts. Like I always say, this is a journey, and there is always more I can continue to learn.
