Day 7 --- tomorrow marks end of week 1 !

So today marks the end of the full 7th day on FODMAP elimination.

I plan on doing the elimination for at least 6 full weeks... maybe 8 if I can! And then I'll start the reintroduction phase to test each food group.

Overall I am VERY HAPPY with the way things are going now. First few days were so rough with the constipation and always feeling full, but now everything is regular.

I definitely do feel more full than I used to. I have to consciously add calories each day. And I miss yogurt! I think that's probably the thing I miss most... I used to gobble up those 100 calorie greek yogurts, Light & Fit, etc. But I'm definitely thinking they were one of the nasties that was causing me issues... not only do they have dairy, but a lot of times they have chicory or inulin added. And I am VERY suspicious about those 2 ingredients now... I didn't realize how many of the processed "healthy" foods I was eating all the time were chock full of them. Protein bars, high-fiber 'health' cereals, yogurts... I wouldn't be surprised if those ingredients totally flop in the reintroduction phase.

Either way, good day, still feeling great. Trying out new recipes to keep things interesting and am REALLY enjoying everything I eat. I feel like I'm indulging :D


Breakfast: Dragonfruit Bowl -- 1/2 mashed dragonfruit mixed with 1 T. chia, 1 T. ground flax, 1 T. milk, 1 T. peanut powder, topped with 1 T. pumpkin seeds and handful of berries

snack: 1 c. lactose-free milk, 3 egg whites, 1 quinoa/rice cake

Lunch: 1/2 90% lean hamburger patty, 1 colby-jack cheese stick, 1 quinoa/rice cake, 1 kiwi

snack: 10 almonds, 1/2 cup blueberries

Dinner:  Cheeseburger Egg White Omelet --- 1/2 chopped up patty, 1 slice american cheese, 1 cup egg whites. I then cut the omelette in half and had half for dinner, saving the other half for tomorrow
+ 1oz plantain chips, 10 baby carrots

dessert: 1 quinoa/rice cake with 1 square 85% dark chocolate melted on top and a sliced strawberry, topped with 5 crushed almonds

Days 4 - 6 ... hallelujah!

OH thank god

So back on Day 3.. I was on day 3 of low FODMAP but also day 3 of constipation and just feeling SO FULL all the time. I didn't even make it to 700 calories that last day because of how terribly full I felt, and that's no good!

That night I drank half a magnesium citrate.

Woke up at 6:15 on Day 4, still not needing to go. I was starting to feel hopeless... decided to go for a walk, and after about 15 minutes I started to think I might need to turn around! Ran back, and haaaaallelujah it worked. Half a bottle is great by the way. Wasn't totally sure how it would all work out since a full bottle would force me to stay home all day... But half a bottle was just what was needed. Worked fine, and then I was able to get to work and not have any issues at work or be uncomfortable.

But then there remained the looming question.... will my body be able to do this on its own tomorrow, and the next day, etc?

and YES!!! everything's been great since then. Odd consistency sometimes, but I'm thinking that might be due to the fact that I've gone up to 2 Tablespoons of ground flax per day? Either way it doesn't bother me one bit. I am SO SO SO happy that my body's been able to adjust and do its thing.

And the BEST part is.... none of my old IBS symptoms have returned! Every day I'm feeling better and better. No distention, gas, aches, pain, pressure, etc. I'm able to sleep in any position I want (I used to have to sleep like a tightly-wrapped mummy to keep everything... contained...). And my stomach is flatter each day. No more preggo baby.

So, I know this might just be these past few days and things could change. I don't want to get ahead of myself and think everything's solved forever. And I know the reintroduction phase will mix this allllll up.  But either way I'm just happy to have some relief and to see that this low FODMAP plan is really working. Makes me very VERY hopeful about pinpointing the issue foods later on in the reintroduction phase.

today's food was good:

Brunch:  low FODMAP ice cream: blended frozen banana, PB2 powder, ground flax, cocoa powder, and a splash of milk. Popped it back in the freezer to solidify, then took it out and topped it with more ground flax, chunky peanut butter, some pumpkin seeds, and a sliced up strawberry. Enjoyed with a glass of lactose free milk :)

Snack: plantain chips & baby carrots

Dinner: homemade burgers, quinoa/rice cake, slice of cheese, baby carrots, pickles

snack: quinoa/rice cake with a low FODMAP chocolate spread I made: PB2 powder, cocoa powder, and splash of milk. Topped with sliced strawberries, and a square of dark chocolate on the side.

Day 3 - ugh

Today's Day 3 of my FODMAP elimination phase, and also Day 3 of no bathroom!

I added 1.5 tsp of ground flax to my dinner last night, and 2 tablespoons of ground flax to my breakfast this morning. I've been drinking tons of water to see if that would help too.

But unfortunately nothing's worked.. not coffee, exercise, flax, brown rice, tons of water.  Its making me feel uncomfortably full and making it really difficult for me to eat enough calories. Today was an all time low, and I don't want it to continue like that!

The one nice part is that I am definitely not experiencing the same GI pains and bloating as before. Now I do feel bloated due to not being able to go to the bathroom... but this is very different from the terrible effects of my previously FODMAP full diet.

So I'm really hoping this phase will pass and it's just my body adjusting to the change, so that I can continue and finish the elimination phase and start the re-intro phase later on.


I ended up buying a bottle of Magnesium Citrate to help with my situation, but only drank half the bottle. I know it kicks in strong for me, so I'm hoping half the bottle will be low enough to not put me too out of commission tomorrow, but will still do the trick.

We'll see!

today's meals were actually super tasty, just not enough cals.

Breakfast: 1/2 cup brown rice, 3/4 c. lactose-free milk, 1/2 c. raspberries & blueberries

snack:  1/2 small grapefruit, 1 cup cooked rainbow chard

no lunch :( no appetite

dinner:  3 cups kale & baby spinach, 1/2 c. feta cheese, 10 kalamata olives, 1.5 oz grilled chicken

snack: 1 corn thin cake, 1/2 c. honeydew & cantaloupe melon

Day 2 --- what gives?

Ugh. end of Day 2 and still haven't been able to go to the bathroom.

I read a lot about people dealing with constipation while on FODMAP elimination. I didn't think it would happen since I'm eating oats and fruit every day! But this totally sucks.

It's also affecting my appetite.... I feel full most of the time so I'm not eating nearly as much as before.
 I logged my intake for yesterday and today to make sure I was eating balanced.. it was only around 1,000 calories yesterday and then today 800 :(((((
that's not good! I'm not doing this to lose weight... I'm doing this to resolve whatever my GI issues are and move on with my life.

I added some ground flax to my dinner tonight hoping that this will help. I read that some people can tolerate flax, others can't, but that it's supposed to help move things along. I added 1.5 teaspoons to my dinner and hopefully that'll get things going for tomorrow morning.


I woke up with pains in my lower GI.. but different than the usual pains. This definitely felt like constipation.

But, the good news is I didn't have bloating or pains all throughout the day. I just feel full and like I wish I could go!

Here was my food today. Again... it's not enough, I'd like to eat more I'm just feeling so full...



Breakfast:  1/4 cup oats, 1/2 cup raspberries & blueberries, 1/2 T. roasted pumpkin seeds, 1 cup lactose-free milk

Snack:  2 egg whites

Lunch:  2 egg whites, 1 corn cake, 1 T. natural chunky PB, 3 large strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries

Dinner:  1/2 cup egg whites, 1/4 cup brown rice, 1.5 tsp ground flax, 8 baby carrots

Snack:  5 raspberries, 1 square 85% dark chocolate

Day 1 on FODMAP

So today was Day 1!

I plan on doing a fairly strict 8 week FODMAP elimination, where maybe after 4-6 weeks I'll test some of the ingredients that are not totally known yet or are OK for some and not for others (flaxseeds, eggplant, etc.)

Either way, here's what I ate today:


Breakfast :  1/4 organic oats, 10 raspberries, 3/4 c lactose free milk, coffee

snack :  2 egg whites, dried seaweed snack pack

Lunch : 3oz grilled chicken breast, 1 corn thin (like a rice cake made of corn), 1/2 packet mayonnaise, 1/2 small grapefruit

snack : 10 almonds, 10 raspberries, 1 colby-jack cheese stick


Dinner: 2oz grilled chicken mixed into 2/3 cup egg whites, 1 colby jack cheese stick, 6 baby carrots

snack:  1 red rice & quinoa cake, 1 square dark chocolate, 1/2 tablespoon natural peanut butter



I've felt pretty good all day! Right now I feel some pressure in my lower GI... maybe even that 1/2 grapefruit is bothersome?
I also know that it could be due to foods from yesterday, right? I only started today, and have not... gone to the bathroom... today just yet. So I'm wondering if anything I ate yesterday could be causing some pressure

But, this is very mild compared to what I usually feel, so I am very hopeful!

I plan on eating mostly the same tomorrow, minus the 1/2 grapefruit and I'll have extra eggs at lunch instead of chicken.

The Backstory - IBS for years!

I'm starting this blog on the eve before I begin an 8 week FODMAP elimination diet that will (hopefully!) help me pinpoint which foods might be at fault for my years of tummy torment.

I was diagnosed with IBS around the age of 12 or so. The doctor at the time just told me to stay away from broccoli, other cruciferous vegetables, and very grainy whole wheat bread. And that was it! See ya!

I dealt with GI issues for a few years after that and then saw another doctor, who had me get a colonoscopy and endoscopy. They found no issues other than signs of mild irritation, again likely due to IBS. She had me take antibiotics to eradicate H-Pylori and to this day I can't remember if that's because I actually had H-Pylori or if it was just an inkling the doctor had??

For years after that, I dealt with stomach aches and bloating. I've always known I'm lactose intolerant so that I at least could pinpoint some of the issues to if I strayed and had ice cream or too much yogurt. But most days that wasn't the case.

I wasn't too frustrated with this early on in my life, but as I got older the discomfort, bloating, and gas became more and more bothersome and disruptive.

It got to the point where at 29 years old I began feeling depressed and hopeless about my issues. I have GI pain, bloating, and gas almost every single day and then a lot at night time. It prevents me from feeling comfortable in bed with my husband, and I usually have to wait until the main issues have passed to get into bed.


I FINALLY got some useful information on my last bout of treatments (antibiotic again..) and exams (colonoscopy, no issues again). The gastroenterologist said if after the antibiotic treatment I still had issues that I should do an elimination diet to pinpoint which foods might be to blame for my issues and that way I would know what to avoid.
I reached out to her office after the antibiotics had finished their work and I was still having the same issues.

This part frustrates me a lot...

Her secretary said she'd send information. I thought I was going to be consulted by her on this elimination diet, get some one-on-one chat going first and then have a good detailed write up of what to do. This could very well change my life! It would make sense to put some time and effort into it, right??

Instead I got a letter in the mail a few days later. It was just a list of FODMAP foods to avoid. It didn't explain anything... it didn't say for how long, why?, forever? what to eat instead, etc.
I looked up this FODMAP thing.. and READ EVERYTHING I COULD. Dear god, I have read so many blogs, articles, research papers, etc. about this thing now and I am SUPER excited to give it a go!
But, this doesn't take away from how disappointed I am about how my gastroenterologist dealt with this. It feels like the same way my doctor at age 12 just said to avoid a thing or two and sent me on my way. These doctors could very well help you change the whole trajectory of your life! The way they approach things, the way they encourage and educate.. this can all have a HUGE impact on someone's health when they walk out of the doctor's office. I'm just disappointed that she took zero time in helping me understand all of this. I wonder how long ago I could've had this figured out had my first doctor talked a bit more with me about doing something similar.

Either way, the good news is... now I know what I CAN do! I'm starting tomorrow, now that I've fully researched the specifics, printed out reminders, done all of my fridge/pantry clearing out and new grocery shopping, and made my meal plans.

I'm looking forward to hopefully having some relief for a while from these GI issues, and then pinpointing at least some of the culprits.

I decided to start this blog in case anyone else is going through the same thing. I'd like to document my experience on the FODMAP elimination diet so that it might give others some perspective on the process if they're planning to do the same!

hope it helps :)