It may seem harder to lose weight when you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That's because some of the foods associated with a healthful diet—such as those high in fiber—may aggravate symptoms of the condition.
However, it is possible to lose weight with IBS. To do it, focus on eating more protein, low-FODMAP produce, and whole foods while limiting your intake of simple carbohydrates and processed foods.
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Eat More Low-FODMAP Produce
Fruits and vegetables are filling, nutritious, and low in calories. However, the short-chain carbohydrates found in many plant-based foods (called fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides, and polyols, or FODMAPs) can trigger IBS symptoms in some people. That's because the small intestine does not absorb these nutrients well, causing bacteria in the gut to ferment the foods.
That's where the low-FODMAP diet comes in. Developed by researchers from Monash University in Australia, it includes vegetables and fruits lowest in FODMAPs. Eating a diet rich in these foods can help people with IBS get the filling, nutrient-rich benefits of plant-based foods with fewer digestive symptoms.
Low-FODMAP veggies and fruits include:
- Avocado (when limited to 1/8 of a whole)
- Bananas
- Bell peppers
- Blueberry
- Broccoli
- Cantaloupe
- Carrots
- Corn (In small servings)
- Grapes
- Kale
- Potato
- Tomatoes
- Sweet potato
- Zucchini
You can significantly increase your intake of gut-healthy fruits and vegetables by trying to include produce at every meal. For example, try the following ideas:
- Have a vegetable omelet for breakfast.
- Enjoy a salad either as lunch or as a side.
- Fill half of your dinner plate with vegetables.
How to Avoid FODMAPs to Lessen IBS
Power Up With Protein
Protein boosts satiety, helping you feel full, and also increases how many calories you burn. Eating more protein than the recommended daily allowance is proven to help people reduce body weight and fat mass. Lean proteins tend to be easier to digest than high-fat ones, making them less likely to trigger IBS symptoms.
Lean sources of protein include:
- White-meat chicken and turkey
- Eggs
- Seafood
- Lentils
- Nuts
- Tofu, tempeh, and seitan
- Yogurt
Gut flora is the bacteria that naturally exist in your digestive tract. Balanced gut flora plays a vital role in IBS and overall health. To reduce your risk of exposure to things that can throw this off, choose free-range, pastured, antibiotic-free animal products whenever possible.
Choose Healthy Fats
Fat is an essential nutrient the body needs to function. It also adds flavor to food and increases satiety (the sense of fullness.) Even so, it is essential to remember that not all fats are created equal. Trans and saturated fats, as well as partially hydrogenated oils, are associated with an increased risk of health problems such as heart disease. What's more, they can aggravate IBS symptoms.
Healthy fats, on the other hand, are tolerated well by the digestive system and help nurture the gut flora.
Sources of healthy fats include:
- Fish: Although most fish are a good source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, anchovies, salmon, and sardines, are particularly rich in the nutrients.
- Low-FODMAP nuts: Snack on macadamia nuts, pecans, peanuts, and walnuts.
- Plant-based oils: Cook with olive, canola, or sunflower oil.
- Produce: Produce with healthy fats include avocado (1/8 of the fruit is low-FODMAP) and olives.
Limit Simple Carbs
When you eat sugar and simple carbohydrates—like those found in foods like pasta, white bread, cakes, and processed food—your blood sugar levels rise quickly, prompting the pancreas to produce more insulin. Insulin clears out the excess blood sugar (glucose) by packing it into fat cells and blood vessels.
Once your body clears out the glucose, it sends out the call for more. Unfortunately, this prompts cravings for more highly refined carbohydrate foods. Over time, this cycle can cause insulin resistance, a condition that increases a person's risk for obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
To support weight loss and manage IBS symptoms, limit sugar and simple carbs. These include pastries, bread, and processed foods.
Focus on Whole Foods
Processed and fast foods contain sugar, refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and food additives like artificial sweeteners. When people consume more processed foods, they take in more calories, making them more likely to have obesity. Consuming processed food is also associated with an increased risk of IBS.
When possible, choose whole (unprocessed) foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and animal products.
To incorporate more whole foods into your diet, try:
- Cooking at home: Home cooking allows you to be in control of what you eat.
- Shopping the supermarket perimeter: The outside aisles contain fresh produce, meat, and dairy products. Purchasing most of your items from these sections can help you avoid highly processed foods.
- Eating foods your great-grandmother would recognize: Highly processed foods are a pretty recent innovation. So, consider wholesome foods that your ancestors might have prepared.
Are probiotics helpful for weight loss and IBS?
Some research suggests probiotics—like those found in foods like yogurt—may help people maintain and lose weight, but a healthy overall diet is the real key to weight loss. Several studies have also found that probiotics may help with IBS symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating, and urgent bathroom visits.
Select IBS-Friendly Snacks
Snacking between meals can prevent hunger, halting overeating later on.
Some snack options to keep at the ready:
- Low-FODMAP nuts like Brazil nuts, Macadamia, pecans, and walnuts
- Cheddar or mozzarella cheese sticks
- Fruits such as bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, oranges, pineapple, raspberries, and strawberries
Drink More Water
Every cell in the body needs adequate amounts of water to function well. It's also easy to mistake dehydration for hunger, so staying hydrated is important when you're trying to lose weight.
Drinking plenty of water can also help with IBS symptoms, including:
- Constipation: If you are prone to constipation, drinking enough water will help keep your stools soft. When you don't drink enough water, your body compensates by pulling water out of the stool, making it hard and difficult to pass.
- Diarrhea: If you are prone to diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D), the water you drink can help replace what's lost during diarrhea episodes.
Summary
People with IBS sometimes have difficulty losing weight because foods that promote weight loss may also aggravate their symptoms.
However, eating a diet that focuses on low-FODMAP produce, protein, and healthy fats—while minimizing your intake of simple carbs and processed foods—can help you lose weight with IBS. It's also important to stay hydrated since dehydration can be mistaken for hunger.