Q: I’m currently very unhappy with myself. I was diagnosed with IBS 2 years ago and it has been a rough couple of years but I am learning what I can and can’t eat. It’s just very hard now to keep the weight off since Carbs helps with IBS. I also suffer Diverticulosis and Gastritis so it’s hard for me to follow any sort of diet. Doctors are not really very helpful with that. At first when I found out I had IBS, I only ate oatmeal and lost 20 pounds in 2 months. I then started to feel bloated and sick so I stopped eating the oatmeal. I gained the weight back and even more weight. I am 5”6” and 145 pounds. I used to be 125 and that was before my IBS. I just started taking probiotics which has helped me tremendously but I would like some sort of eating plan and workout routine that I can follow. Can you give me any suggestions?

A: Sorry to hear about your troubles with IBS, but hopefully I can help a bit since I have some experience in that area. But first off: I am not a doctor and if any of my advice contradicts what your doctors tell you then follow their advice and not mine.

People with IBS will generally benefit from the same advice that I recommend for everybody else: lots of minimally-cooked (raw or steamed is usually best) veggies (especially leafy veggies like spinach, broccoli, lettuce), complex fiberous carbs like beans, lentils, peas, oats, and brown rice, and plenty of water. Also try to avoid as much as possible processed foods and carbs -- basically any pre-packaged food you find in the supermarket that has more than a couple of ingredients listed on it is probably a bad choice for a person with IBS (other than mixed veggies salads, of course). Stick to unprocessed natural ingredients and cook your own food at home rather than buying pre-made meals because those are basically guaranteed to be packed with preservatives and processed carbs. The exact same advice holds for everybody interested in eating healthy, but goes double for IBS sufferers.

Secondly, don't try to find the perfect single food that you would eat all the time. It sounds like you tried to do that with oatmeal and it backfired. Plain old-fashioned oatmeal is great for you in moderation, but neither it nor any other one food can make a good diet and alleviate the symptoms of IBS. Your best bet is to eat a balanced diet, rich in many different types of complex fiberous carbs. For example, you might have oats, berries, and plain natural yogurt with live bacteria (which has the same beneficial effect as probiotics) for breakfast, a big bean salad with various leafy greens and some grilled chicken for lunch, brown rice with green beans and grilled salmon for dinner, then work out in the evening, and another salad before bed. In between those meals you could have small snacks like a piece of fruit, a handful of dry-roasted nuts, baby carrots, etc. Overall you should be eating somewhere around 1500-1800 calories per day if you are physically active (meaning you exercise at least 3-4 times a week, both cardio and weight training). I have two sample diet plans which are not IBS-specific but should be a good starting point for you as far as planning your diet:
http://www.mikesfitness.com/content/fat-loss-diet-1500-calories and http://www.mikesfitness.com/content/fat-loss-diet-1900-calories . If you are very worried about eating too much, then lean towards the 1500 calories. But if you are physically active in the long run you should be able to lose weight and fat even at 1800-1900 calories. In the long run, eating more calories (from healthy foods, of course) will boost your metabolism and will make it easier for lose fat and keep it from coming back.

As far as your actual exercise program it need not be any different than for anybody else trying to lose fat and weight. Aim for 1-2 hours of cardio (pick whatever form of cardio you enjoy best and try to make it physically challenging) and 2-3 hours of heavy whole-body weight training per week. Make sure to read http://www.mikesfitness.com/content/weight-training if you are not familiar with weight training.

Lastly, don't dwell on your IBS too much, especially when it flares up -- find some activity to distract yourself or simply go for a walk. Don't make any dramatic changes in your nutrition, such as "cleansing" or "fasting" diets and don't try to compensate for a bad day by eating less the following day. Instead have your daily nutrition plan and stick to it as much as you can regardless of anything else. In the long run that should restore some regularity. Don't pass up a chance to be physically active -- it will almost certainly make you feel better than vegging out in front of the TV. Try to maintain positive attitude towards yourself and everything else in life.

Hope that helps a bit. Good luck!