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So Matia just increase my SF intake, and also started me on the Natren step one. I have been so bloated and uncomfortable the last few days. I had complained to her that just about a week before I talked to her I had been dealing with feeling bloated, and constapated even though I was going once a day. But now it is so much worse! I have gained 7 lb in like 3 days! I am not eating anything different, and I had been losing weight slowly since starting this the diet. I feel so gross, and hate feeling like this, I look 6 months prego! I ALWAYS feel hungry, but now every time I eat I feel worse.
My question please is; could this just be die off and or me getting used to the new things and it will go away? OR, am I not handling the change well, and maybe can't tolerate it right now? Because if it is something I should just stick out I want to!
My bladder always feels worse when I feel bloated, but it isn't feeling that much different from before the change.
I am so confused on what I should do.... I have a sore throat, feel so tired, and bloated up : ( And the insides of my nose are cracked and bleeding?? Does anyone know what I could put up in there (sorry gross) to help it? It hurts so bad, and I promise I am not picking my nose!
Thanks!
Kelsey
Hopeful
If she just initiated this change than give it like 2-3 days and see if things don't improve. ( if you are not like suffering terribly.) Bloating sucks but ask yourself if you can stick it out a few more days- sometimes the probiotics/SF can really help with bloating and sometimes they can bring it on! So sorry to tell you that the pregnant look is a part of the treatment for many of us -but it can fluctuate somewhat. Pretty much ANY crazy symptom you can imagine is DIEOFF. I have had formulas take up to a week to start working in a positive way for me but they were the right ones even though they made me suffer a little bit at first. All your symptoms are dieoff without a doubt.AWESOME! Take some jojoba oil/olive oil and put it up your nose with a finger? to ease the pain/cracking. its actually a fantastic way to prevent catching a cold on an airplane too! Yes things can calm down and become tolerable- if the herbs are not improving and you are struggling with them and its preventing you from eating or making your bladder feel bad after a few days then write her and tell her your notes of what happens throughout those days. Either she will tell you to hang on a little longer ( this has happened where I was sure it was the wrong formula and she was sure it was right and i waited and she was right after all) or she will change it a little bit or do something else. Sometimes even an extra sip? of probiotics can make alll the difference. Probiotics were intense for me at first and some folks cannot do them at all at first. and sometimes your body ( later on ) will want tons of probiotics and it will make you feel great. it just depends. pay attention and hang in there! Mary
Thanks Mary
for the encouragment... I will stick it out, as I think it is just what you said, my body getting used to this change. It is so hard sometimes to know what to do!Thanks againKelsey
Never fear
I get like that too. You know it is not fat... The weight gain is water weight. Remember that when your body is toxic, it must conserve water and fat to neutralize the blood... Blood pH is tightly regulated... I believe if it slips past a 7.4 pH, you can enter a life threatening situation. Your body is doing what it is supposed to be doing as you release toxins, so, the best thing you can do is drink more water to push out the old stuff... You will also be helping your lymphatic system move more quickly... I EXACTLY know how you are feeling... I hate it.
It is really nice
to know that I am not the only one feeling like a bloated cow sometimes : ) Even though I feel for everyone that has to deal with this. I know there are many more symptoms that are much worse to deal with. But when you feel so bloated, I do feel fat. I get scared that I am over weight, or getting there fast. Then I try not to eat as much, but I am so hungry all the time. So then I feel MORE deprived and it is just a vicious cycle because then that bag of potato chips, or any carb I feel like I have a hard time keeping proportions right, because when I feel depressed I go to food, sometimes. And it just makes it worse. I have not cheated at all on the diet, but have had to remind myself to keep the carbs in the right amounts.I hate feeling fat : ( It makes me feel so ugly. My face it breaking out, I feel fat. Ugh... and I just don't feel "right". I feel like there is something wrong... like in the back of my mind and being. This sounds weird I know, but that last few weeks, I just have had this feeling of things aren't right, and I am really upset inside, but I don't show it to other people. I think this is die off, so I will just keep hanging in there, like all of us who are struggling are. It is just hard, when I was loosing weight a couple weeks ago!Today someone on my face book wrote " Eat whatever you want, whenever you want, we are all going to die anyway ; )" I just read it about an hour ago, and it is just making me so mad! This person is my sister in law, and she KNOWS about me, and this program and how I have had such a hard time with this IC. So I am trying not to let that bother me, but it is. How can people be so inconsiderate. I felt like saying, you are so stupid sounding, do you know that? I don't want to eat crap everyday, and also, I think everyones day is coming for some kind of health crisis. I try and be thankful I have descovered how to try and be healthy now. Anyway, sorry of the subject, but it is really bothering me, and I have to let some of this out! I have no one to talk to except for my 14 month old : )
Hopeful!
I have the SAME problem with my sister in law..weird! She is ALWAYS posting things on facebook about sugar, caffine, cooking bad things, I feel like its a attack on me since she knows what these things have done to me. Then, I remember they really are just writing what there lives are about, I remember a time in my life when all I had to talk about was my food and drink too..IC has ripped that from me though, and I guess its good in a way. I have learned there is SO much more to life than food and drink, even though it seems to be the topic of conversation all the time..People really have no idea..
Thanks Mel
This helped me check myself, and see that she probably wasn't trying to "attack" me. It is just that they don't understand. It is hard for me, to think that maybe she is just being rude and mean, but then I try and remember that if I didn't know how this all felt, I would probably not think twice either. I would hope I would though, and I think more now about what might hurt someone else, with living with this.
People's comments
I live in a country here where socializing revolves around food! I am constantly mocked and so is my husband ( he follows a similar diet bc of his health issues). When someone comes over to visit, or if you go somewhere to visit for " coffee" or tea it does not mean coffee or tea it means that you MUST EAT something and if you don't you are a freak from another planet! What do you mean you don't eat cookies or cakes, they are sugar-free?? I hate that question. I have explained multiple times to my in-laws that I don't consume anything whether it is artificial or not that is sweet but they are too f-n stupid to grasp the concept. Last time I was over, she said I bought a special cake for the both of you, look! It is sugar-free, fat free and sodium free, so you can eat it! ( Since when do we have a problem with fat or sodium. So my husband turned to her and said , "What's in it?" She said " I dunno". She got mad and said you guys don't eat anything! Now I know why she was mad. In this society you are considered a bad hostess if your guests don't eat anything so the fact that we won't eat her cake makes her feel bad about herself, but on the other hand she is not willing to ever go make something that we will eat, so its easier for her to serve us things that she knows we can't eat and then make fun of us. I also have same issues with my neighbors and we visit for " tea" about once every 2 weeks or so. Every freakin' time she asks me and my husband the same question, she asks "How many teaspoons of sugar you would like in your tea?" ( that's how it goes here, people don't put the sugar in themselves) Then my husband or I will answer no sugar and her eyebrows get all scrunched up. Sacharin? No. We have explained in detail what I can and can't eat almost every time I visit and every time she asks the same questions. I know she does not have Alzheimers and it started really pissing me off to the point that I did not want to go there anymore. Then the last time I was over there she had another guest and they asked for 3 teaspoons of sugar in their tea and some cake. She turned to me and laughed and said, finally some normal people that eat sugar, you guys are so boring , you eat nothing and you drink tea with no taste! She poured herself some tea and served herself some sweets . I finallly realized why she was always giving me such a hard time. She has the problem with herself!!!! She told me that she has high cholesterol and high blood pressure but she can't follow any diet. I think it bothers her to see how much self control she percieves us to have and it makes her feel bad about herself. My sister-in laws also teases me a lot and I think this stems from the same place. When she teases me its not like a friend teasing me, there's this mean spiritedness about it. I realize now that they feel like failures themselves. They never have been consistent with anything. They quit smoking for about 2 days and every diet they are on lasts no more then a week. They have known me for 8 years and they know that I won't touch sugar, alchohol, etc and I have been consistent on this throughout the years. I think your SIL on Facebook wanted someone on Facebook to just encourage her and give her the OK to abuse her body. She probably knows she is doing something wrong and is looking for someone to say heck ya! go for it!I'm sure it has nothing to do with you!I hope you are feeling better emtotionally and physically!Cecilia
Cecilia
Wow, you do have it rough! That would be so hard and make me SO mad and discouraged. Way to go, you stand your ground and THAT is why it bothers them so much. Because not only do they envy your way of eating, but your courage. Thanks for sharing and encouraging me!I wrote underneath what my sister in law said that day " With that kind of attitude, you will be a hefty one in no time, and then you WILL die sooner because you won't be-able to move. " No maybe I should have just kept my mouth closed, but she didn't say anything bad back. She is very very thin, but ALWAYS saying how fat she is, and how she doesn't want to be fat, but she is just very young still, but that won't last forever. All she eats is junk, and that is all my brother and her daughter eat too. It makes me sad because my brother since marring her has gained so much weight, and is overweight and always says how crappy he feels all the time, and I know it is because she encourages him to eat that way! He is only 21! She makes stabs at me all the time, like the last thing she wrote to me was "So how is your pee problem?", and my mother in law said to me last week when I was trying to explain how taking my daughter to the park is hard because I have to pee so much, she said " Maybe you could wear Depends!" And started laughing really hard, and I felt like crying. Why can't people just keep there mouth shut unless they have something nice to say?
Wow can I relate to you. I
Wow can I relate to you. I used to have a weekly date with my Dad for coffee and a muffin at Tim Horton's a coffee shop we have in Canada. I have had IC for 2 years and after explaining to my Dad no less than 500 times that I cannot have coffee and muffins anymore I have finally quit going to Tim Horton's with him. I have come to hate the place. I was going and bringing my own tea, but I find it so frusterating that people do not even try to understand what we are going through. They honestly can't be that thick can they? Its a very tough world when so much of our socializing is around food. I don't like going to peoples houses for dinners anymore for the same reasons. I hope this makes me more compassionate towards other with health issues.
Thanks Cecelia
Thanks Cecelia for such powerful insights. I have always believed in this paradigm but you articulated it so meticulously. They are actually trying to cover up their failure and lack of self-control, so they project it on you by mocking you. They are in many ways just envious of your strength and self-control. They know (in their heart of heart) that the healthy choices you are making is making you healthier. So, essentially, after all said and done, you are the silent winner!
I just wanted to share my story and say I empathize with you. I am from India, also a culture where socialization revolves around food. If you go for tea, its not only that but much more to eat and your being a good host depends on the quantity of your food (that you served) that was consumed by people. I have been married for just a year and live in a joint family. My mother-in-law and brother-in-law live with us. I have lived and worked in the US for many years now. My mother-in-law is around 69 years, but amazingly healthy (which is great). However, it is accompanied by a slight arrogance of 'I am so healthy, people get sick because they do not take care of themselves'. So, often she is very inconsiderate of my feelings. She takes pride in the fact that she has lived a long life eating everything and is still doing so, and looks down upon me with 'pity' for not being able to enjoy sugar (which she has tons of, loves rich creamy cakes) or other tasty spicy Indian foods, at such a young age.
So, more than the fact that I cook and follow restricted diet that we have (working full-time on a job with high responsibilities), and manage my own feelings of deprivation and emotional die-offs, what bother me more is her and others' attitude towards it. Its the occasional mocking laugh regarding my condition and my choices, that is very frustrating. Since she lives with me, its the constant battle everyday. Also, I have always been very thin and have lost a ton more of weight on the diet. So there are constant comments socially from everyone. Long story short, I try to gain strength from a spiritual centeredness. Understanding the reasoning behind people's comments and behavior, which Cecelia so beautifully elucidated, helps me gain a better perspective and encourages me to be calmer, more forgiving and to keep up my courage, at least many a times.
Just wanted to empathize. Thanks for listening.
-Hami.
I have had the same
I have had the same experiences too... People at work going... oooohhhh, what is THAT??? I always offer a bite... Some take it some do not, however there have been many at work who have become very turned on by what I am eating... Some of my family do not get it at all... Like offering alcohol... They are like.. hey it is a party! and I am like... hey I dont care.. Don't take it personally... People do take it like you are trying to say "look how good I am cause I eat like 8 lbs of greens with every meal" Quite frankly, I just look at others and pity them because they are going to be the ones with cancer, not me... Reassure your family that you appreciate their efforts but tell them not to go out of their way... If they really want to make something for you, send them a recipe ahead of time... Maybe they will even try it out... I know some cultures really have a hard time with this. My BF's mom in highschool was Persian... If I did not eat a whole plate of spaghetti after school as a snack, she thought I was anerexic... Go figure..
To Hope & Cecilia
I had tears in my eyes reading what you have had to go through ... it's hard to even conceive they could be mocking or even trying to 'sabotage' you, this is the LAST thing you need to deal with on top of trying to heal, esp from of all people your family and the ones who should be supporting and at least trying to understand. (Unfortunately) eating is a necessary, regular function that makes it impossible to avoid, and it's not just a personal activity but an event intertwined with culture and socialability that makes it so so difficult to not stick out, even if you try your best to stay under the radar... it invites the unwanted questions, comments, etc. when all you want to say is "Just leave me alone to chew my celery stick in peace!"
But seriously, I"ve dealt with some issues from others about my eating here and there but nothing close to what you're facing. I really really feel for you and praise your strength & send you even more strength and patience for getting through those situations. I know this whole food thing is very culture-bound, nevertheless I hope in time these people will come to see what really matters in life is far from whether or not you consume some of their "sugar free" (LOL) cookies.
Does anyone have a good
Does anyone have a good solution for bloating? I really feel awful, whatever I eat makes me feel bloated. I look like pregnant, and I get puffy right away, my face, hands, etc... -'( I am way bigger than me before and it is pretty disturbing feeling.
Bloating
Hi Selda,
I know this is going to sound like a flip answer - but I'm trying to reach the point where I'm telling myself that the thing that will help the most is time. Unless whatever is happening is intolerable, I try to tell myself to give it two weeks. For example, my right rib hurt like crazy - especially when I walked. Then it moved around to the back, then it moved back to the front, down low instead of up high. Then an hour ago it didn't hurt at all - now it hurts just a little. In the beginning I just freaked out and decided that I was going to die. Now, whatever it is seems to be is sorting itself out and I'm telling myself to hang in there another week to give it time.....if you don't hear from me again, it truly did kill me :)...until then, I'm going to have another cup of coffee.
As for some truly constructive advise for the bloating - is it constipation? When I feel like that, I eat a ton of carrots. I'm not sure that's something that you can have, or would even be acceptable to Dr. M - but, for me, it does the trick every time.
Nice talking again,
Take Care
Denise
I am glad you found a way to deal with the pain, two weeks idea sounds good. Btw, it seems like the energy is moving around your upper body. Might be due to the herbs you are taking? I have lots lots lots lots of back pain after my ankle is sprained, I started to believe there is a connection (meridians may be) but I dont really know what that is. It is like a stuck energy on my right upper back/shoulder, and goes all the way down to sacrum sometimes.
I have bloating issues since months, indeed I always had it but lately it is way too much and very disturbing as if I am carrying a big rock on my belly. It is not like I look pregnant, I feel pregnant, lol. I have no idea what I am going to give birth to, pain? new ideas? new me? Anyhow. I sometimes have constipation, not chronic. Even though I have bm, I might still feel bloated, and gas once in a while. I haven't tried carrots, I might give a try. Thanks
OK - it hurts now
Hi Selda,
Thanks for the contact back and the info - this rib back thing moves around, burns, and stabs. If I lay down it doesn't hurt all that much. At the moment, I'm not feeling so flip about it. Oh, and itching like mad -mostly legs - which I've always done. However, now palms of hands, feet, and boobs. I don't know about you, but I'm fricken sick of this.
Can you kind of explain the energy thing? I had some major surgery on my right side several years ago - maybe it's come back to haunt?
Hang in there with your "rock". Hopefully, soon, it'll become a pebble :) Sorry, bad humor is normally my coping mechanism - when I'm not busy just freaking out.
Will I have kidney stone
Will I have kidney stone then, I mean after pebble?:-)
I am sorry you are having so much pain. What kind of surgery did you have btw? May be that part is creating a different affect now when it is healed? I am just guessing, really.
When I do EFT, often times I noticed the pain is moving around my body, and it usually happens when I have back pain. Thats why I said the energy might be moving around your back/upper body. If you know EFT, may be you can tap on it and follow the pain? It helps me when I follow the pain, esp describing it (stuck, burning, stinging, dark, etc...)
I feel like the best way to
I feel like the best way to deal with it so far is to not tell anyone. I have told maybe 8-10 close friends and that's it. The only family member that knows is my mom and only one co worker. I am sure my close friends told their significant others but I just feel like it is so much easier if nobody knows. I just say no thanks when they offer me stuff. My own roommate doesn't even know! The alcohol thing is definitely the hardest though. And I usually just get a water with a lime so they think I am drinking but I don't know how long that will last. Does anyone else also keep this a secret? Sometimes I feel like it's not healthy but I find it to be so much easier. Thoughts?
HI LeeLee
I think the older you get the less you give a rats behind what other people think. However, I also love a really good creative non hurtful lie. That said, I'm pretty open about my not drinking. Which is a bit of a joke in my family when we go out - they can always count on me to get "free" tastes, around the table, of a couple of drinks. That is what I pretty much limit myself to. My advice, if you have more self control than myself, and don't score a sip or two, is to brag about this incredible herbalist that you've found in California, that if you're like me, you actually got onto a plane to go and see, that you are learning some mind boggling things, and can't believe what western medicine just doesn't know about the human body. I, myself, can actually read a menu again, without finding my reading glasses. That one was incredibly interesting to both my 81 year old mother-in-law, and my 25 year old daughter - who I was actually stealing the most "sips" from.
Got to go - neighbor at the door
I care deeply what people
I care deeply what people would think of me on this bizarre trip, so only my mother, my brother and my husband know. My friends think I have gone on a health kick, so do my colleagues and other family have their own health issues and dont even notice that Ive changed my lifestyle or if they do, dont make any comments. It is because of what some people have gone through with comments and sabotaging that I decided to never tell people what i am going through. It is tough keeping a secret, it is isolating and it is scary as well. But it is not forever and I just couldnt cope with comments and remarks. I think Matia is spot on on this, I think she says to only tell your nearest and dearest, that other people will probably never understand.