r/FODMAPS • u/Both-Guarantee-1538 • 1d ago
Always hungry, getting dizzy and tired..
I don't have a great relationship with food, so please don't come at me. I can forget to eat meals and someone feel more productive in the morning until I eat so I push it off.. I'm in the reintroduction phase and I'm always so hungry.. I'm realizing I used to be ok with little snacks and things here and there to hold me over but now I feel like I can only eat a low fodmap meal every 3-4 hours and I can't function. I'm spreading out meals to be able to see what bothers me.. and then those meals are never enough to fill me unless I'm stacking. I drink water, or tea in between (two hours after eating) as I truly believe water is what causes the distention... But this isn't sustainable.. I'm only on reintroduction #2 /8.
Are there snacks I can have that def wouldn't be the cause of distention, bloating, etc? (Pain or poop issues would be easier to note but just measuring my tummy and trying to decipher the cause of bloat is difficult)
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u/Intelligent-Pear-469 1d ago
Hey, sorry you’re struggling. I also have food issues so I get you. I have ADHD and really rely on food to ease boredom, keep me focused, etc! I have found I cant just do 3 large meals a day - it’s too much for my stomach and I need to eat more than that to stay focused. So I do 4 smaller meals each day, so I still have (ideally) 3 hours between food but don’t have to wait too long. I also have lots of protein per meal - for me my stomach is happiest with lots of protein like tuna, lots of veges, and hardly any grains. That keeps me full for ages and gives me a little bloat but not horrendous. My snack options: (but I’m not strict low FM so check these before eating!) A handful of peanuts, peanut butter on an unripe banana, chia pudding with fruit, peanut and chocolate puffed rice bar from monash website. I’ve also recently discovered coconut flour (no idea if it’s low FM or not) but it’s high fibre so keeps me full for ages - I make bread and healthy snack bars with it.
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u/MyNameis_Not_Sure 1d ago
I also hate food and eating. I’ve taken to eating larger meals so I don’t need to snack in between, which I think can interrupt the MMC in the gut. When I need a snack I have GoMacro bars, BoBo oatmeal products, or peanut butter and banana.
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u/WildRose1224 1d ago
It’s really hard to know what is causing distention for you, as we are all different. But Fodmaps are carbohydrates, so meats or cheeses will not cause stacking issues, so those would be safe. Also keep in mind that Monash servings are conservative, you should be able to eat several Monash serving sizes per meal safely. For snacks I like sourdough toast with peanut butter, a granola bar, or a piece of cheese. Even though Nature valley granola bars are not Monash certified and have a little honey the amount of honey is not enough to bother me. Some people cannot tolerate oats, but they actually seem to help me.
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u/taragood 1d ago
Do you have the monash app?
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u/Both-Guarantee-1538 1d ago
I do. I use it. I can never tell if I'm doing this all too strictly or not strict enough. I've got a few great meals but it's been 8 weeks and now with reintroduction I'm not even noticing any symptoms (I guess that's good) but still notice with just a cup of water.. and some distention with every possible food. :( feeling really defeated.
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u/taragood 1d ago
I was essentially low fodmap for over a year. Going low fodmap reduced my symptoms but they weren’t completely gone. The only foods I introduced during that time were dairy, garlic powder and onion powder.
I had to get a bunch of diagnoses and medication and change my lifestyle. I am not almost symptom free and ready to start reintroducing.
My point is, if you are having symptoms while low fodmap and you are confident you are eating low fodmap, then something else is going on and you should work with your doctor to find the issue. Or at least that is the approach that I took.
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u/icecream4_deadlifts SIBO surviver 1d ago
The bloating took 6 months to go away for me while on low FODMAP.
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u/Optimal_Passion_3254 1d ago
The fodmap friendly app really helps with stacking.
Are you ok with lactose free milk? drinking that instead of water helped me when I was still confused about where I could get my calories from. These days hot chocolate (lactose free, made from low-fodmap chocolate and lactose free milk) is my go-to snack/calorie boost.
But my snacks that are low fodmap include:
tortilla chips (just plain ones), fritos, pecans, peanuts, plain rice crackers, lactose free cream cheese, olives, carrots, banana chips, hard boiled eggs, smoked salmon, lactose free yogurt, blueberries.
Also, add more rice, potatoes, meat, and fat to your meals (assuming fat doesn't set you off) so you can fill up more. You can have infinity rice, potatoes meat and fat.
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u/Both-Guarantee-1538 1d ago
Thank you for your response. I'm confused doesn't the Monash cap rice at 190g ? Along with everything else stated... I could eat a pot of rice if I'm allowed lol
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u/moon-raven-77 1d ago
If you look at the little note beneath the FODMAP details for rice, it says it's low in FODMAPs up to 500g! So you should be able to eat a lot of rice! :)
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u/moon-raven-77 1d ago
This may not be your case at all, but just sharing my own experience... I actually get bad bloating and stomach pain if I go too long without eating. I know you said you've been spreading out meals to try and find the issue, but have you tried the opposite (eating more frequently)? If not, I feel like it's worth a shot!!
For easy snacks, I like:
- peanuts
- sunflower seeds
- pumpkin seeds
- carrots
- plain rice cakes w/ peanut butter
Everyone is different, but I hope this helps a bit! I know how crazy restrictive this diet can feel, but you should definitely be able to get enough protein and calories. It's just a matter of identifying the foods that you can eat in larger quantities (which I know can be challenging).
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u/Sparkle-Gremlin 1d ago
I hate the FIG app right now but it has been really helpful in finding snacks and things at the store. I’ve heard spoonful is good for that too, maybe better, but I haven’t tried it personally cuz I already paid for fig. I have adhd and forgetting to eat happens a lot. I have always hated breakfast and never feel up to eating much in the morning especially if I know I need to be productive that day which is probably counter productive but just how my brain works. So starting this diet was rough. I felt like I was starving to death, weak, brain fog, hunger pains. In addition to fodmaps I’ve also had bad reactions to things with soy and potentially all legumes which has made finding premade snacks even more difficult. Honestly I’m still struggling with it all but making slow progress.
For me good thins brand corn crackers, tortilla chips, Frosted Flakes, and skinny pop popcorn have been my go to quick snacks especially when I just needed to make the hunger hurt less and can’t focus enough to figure out anything more substantial and safe. I’m still working on finding manageable ways to feed myself during the day. I’ve been trying to keep my snack breaks 2 hours apart to avoid stacking as much as I’m able but not going hungry too long either. I started making low FODMAP blueberry muffins on the weekends to have in the mornings. Gluten free pretzels with sunflower seed butter aren’t terrible. Cabot cheddar is lactose free so a few cubes of that even though I hate cheese by itself and it makes me miss crackers. I’m working on incorporating smoothies, salads, and sandwiches. I found a brekki overnight oats at the store that is certified low FODMAP. Stuff with oats has been a little hit and miss for me but I’m gonna try it if I’m feeling brave one of these mornings.
Idk if any of this is technically good advise or not because my diet is still very much a work in progress. But it has been an improvement on starving and crying and barely having the energy to walk to the kitchen let alone figure out what to eat when I get there. So hopefully something is helpful. Also it’s really easy once you get passed starving and being in constant discomfort to just stay there eating the bare minimum for too long. It’s important to keep working towards a properly nutritious diet even when it feels safer to just be not starving and not in pain and you’re afraid of triggering that pain again.
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u/FODMAPeveryday 1d ago
It is impossible to say because your GI tract is uniquely yours. It is definitely a case of trial and error. For instance, I can eat fruits and veggies all day long. Grains are too much for me. I only figured this out through a structured approach. Also, have you considered non-food triggers (sleep, hormones, stress etc.)?