How low can a guy go?

[Guest guest]

Here's my sit: A lingering and intensifying case of gastritis (I think;

the HP blood test came back negative) of stabbing upper gi pains is

limiting my already limited diet. Near as I can tell, red meat and fats

like avacado, olive oil, possibly butter aggravate this thing. Even my

homemade chix soup, which is pretty high in fat, causes probs

sometimes. So i've cut the meat and avacado and swapped out olive oil

for coconut oil. and I'm eating less in general because the pain just,

well, kinda stifles one's appetite. But as a result, I'm down to 138

lbs (6'1 " ), which is scaring both my girlfriend and massage therapist,

both of whom have suggested I'm suffering from malnutrition (I am

exhausted, even weak at times, aside from usual insomnia / cfs

problems). I tried PPI's but with no improvement; Manuka honey tasted

great but is so potently sweet that it blew up my hypoglycemia. So, two Qs:

1) any low-fat calorie rich snacks (paradox??) I might try?

2) Is it possible to stay on this diet without a heavy daily dose of

good fat consumption? If there's an ounce of fat on my body, it's

hiding behind some increasingly prominent bones.

Bonus Q: Seriously, nutritionally speaking, how low in weight can a

person go before serious complications begin to arise? I know I've

heard reports in this forum of people dropping way below my weight, but

I'm not too eager to test those limits.

thanks,

tom

ibs (sort of?) / cfs

scd 7/09 (with an occasional cheat here and there)

[Guest guest]

Hi Tom,

So sorry you have

to go through this. I am pretty thin also, having been on the diet for 18

mths and still not being able to handle fat, except for a little coconut oil.

1) any low-fat calorie rich snacks (paradox??) I might try? Hard boiled eggs, fish (especially salmon, tuna),

squash, green peas, brussel sprouts all with a little coconut oil, nut muffins

(without any oil, use a variety of nuts), home-made yogurt (I am ok with 1/3

homo, 2/3 2%), cooked fruit (berries, apples).

2) Is it possible to stay on this diet without a heavy daily dose of

good fat consumption? If there's an ounce of fat on my body, it's

hiding behind some increasingly prominent bones.

Yes it is. You’ll be thin for a while, but will feel good.

The more you heal, the better you will feel and eventually, as you can consume

different foods, you will gain your weight back.

Bonus Q: Seriously, nutritionally speaking, how low in weight can a

person go before serious complications begin to arise? I know I've

heard reports in this forum of people dropping way below my weight, but

I'm not too eager to test those limits.

A tip, if you can alternate between oil of oregano and s.

boullardii (I do 2 weeks of 1 at a time), it speeds up the healing as it kills

bad yeast and bacteria.

Good luck and don’t give up!!!

GERDS and chronic C.

SCD 18 mths

[Guest guest]

Hi Tom,

I strongly suggest you get a stomach acid supplement. This should help with the

upper GI symptoms you're having and help you digest more fat. Having enough

stomach acid will trigger your liver/gallbladder to release more bile to break

down fats.

I suggest a really good one I have used called Thorne

Bio-Gest:http://www.costlessvitamin.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=2_1442&pr\

oducts_id=8129

It has acid as well as supplemental bile and enzymes.

Or you can try just a regular Betaine HCL supplement. I like the one by Now

Foods: http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/ProductsAlphabetically/M003463.htm

I usually take my stomach acid supplement in the middle of a meal or towards the

end. Start with 1 capsule per meal, and if you don't get heartburn, increase the

dose with the next meal. Make sure you take this supplement only with a

meal/large snack that include protein. IE: if you're eating applesauce don't

bother taking one.

I also found that yogurt was one thing I always could have high in fat. I think

because yogurt is like a pre-digested food, the fats in it are easy for you body

to use. Coconut oil is also a very easily digested/absorbed fat so you may want

to try that.

I also found better carb choices would help both my glycemia and weight. Squash

seemed to be the best thing for me. Beets were ok. Bananas or honey alone would

cause blood sugar problems.

As for your weight, 138 lbs at 6'1 places your BMI at around 18.2. Most consider

under 18 to be too thin. So I would say you're ok. I've been as low as a BMI of

16 and still felt ok.

Kat

www.scdkatfood.blogspot.com

>

> Here's my sit: A lingering and intensifying case of gastritis (I think;

> the HP blood test came back negative) of stabbing upper gi pains is

> limiting my already limited diet. Near as I can tell, red meat and fats

> like avacado, olive oil, possibly butter aggravate this thing. Even my

> homemade chix soup, which is pretty high in fat, causes probs

> sometimes. So i've cut the meat and avacado and swapped out olive oil

> for coconut oil. and I'm eating less in general because the pain just,

> well, kinda stifles one's appetite. But as a result, I'm down to 138

> lbs (6'1 " ), which is scaring both my girlfriend and massage therapist,

> both of whom have suggested I'm suffering from malnutrition (I am

> exhausted, even weak at times, aside from usual insomnia / cfs

> problems). I tried PPI's but with no improvement; Manuka honey tasted

> great but is so potently sweet that it blew up my hypoglycemia. So, two Qs:

>

> 1) any low-fat calorie rich snacks (paradox??) I might try?

>

> 2) Is it possible to stay on this diet without a heavy daily dose of

> good fat consumption? If there's an ounce of fat on my body, it's

> hiding behind some increasingly prominent bones.

>

> Bonus Q: Seriously, nutritionally speaking, how low in weight can a

> person go before serious complications begin to arise? I know I've

> heard reports in this forum of people dropping way below my weight, but

> I'm not too eager to test those limits.

>

> thanks,

> tom

> ibs (sort of?) / cfs

> scd 7/09 (with an occasional cheat here and there)

>

[Guest guest]

Here's my sit: A lingering and intensifying case of gastritis (I think; the HP blood test came back negative) of stabbing upper gi pains is limiting my already limited diet.=( That sounds rough! I wish you had my doctor. He always seems to know what's going on with my body, even if I have absolutely no idea. I know doctors like mine (chiropractor/ acupuncturist/ applied kineseology/ CMRT) are pretty rare, but maybe you could find one near you who does something like that? I know acupuncture really helps me, and maybe it could help you too. And the applied kineseology and CMRT really help with just knowing what's going on, and figuring out how to fix it. I know I got down to 83 pounds on Kleins diet, but I'm only 5' 4" so I'm not sure how that compares.. It sounds like you're pretty skinny though. Do you have a juicer? Maybe making fresh juices would help get some nutrients in you, and have them in an easy to absorb form. I used to juice a lot when I was really sick, and my favorite was apple-grape-celery. Or what about smoothies? I know different people tolerate different things, and some people tolerate fats way better than fruits or veggies, but maybe since you don't tolerate really heavy things your body is craving fruits and veggies? Just a thought.. Anyways, I hope you figure something out soon! Peace =)Alyssa 15 yoUC April 2008, dx Sept 2008SCD June 2009 (restarted)No meds!

[Guest guest]

Tom

Are your stabbing pains in the upper right quadrant, or more towards the center? Have you had a HIDA scan to look over your biliary system (liver, gallbladder, bile ducts) and was anything found? Do the pains include between-the-shoulder blades?

I have upper GI dysfunctions (Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction) which means my biliary system doesn't work normally, which means I'm super-sensitive to fats, fiber and seasonings. I've had to experiment a lot to learn which foods my upper GI could handle, and those it couldn't, to avoid severe symptoms. I still have chronic symptoms but have learned to keep them minimal.

I lost a lot of weight when I first started SCD -- I needed to as I'd been struggling to lose weight for years (very sluggish metabolism!), but it came off very rapidly and my doctors were concerned. I ended up needing a sphincterotomy to drain my common bile duct and get my Sphincter of Oddi functioning relatively normally (still goes into spasms, but only severe occasionally). But once I'd been on SCD 2 years, and worked out which foods to avoid, my upper GI calmed down, I stopped losing weight, and now have to watch my food quantity to avoid gaining weight....

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction isn't too common, so I had to see several gastroenterologists before I found my current one who was willing to consider the unusual problems and order the tests. It seems to affect women more than men, but there are several men in my Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction/chronic pancreatitis support group. It is something to consider depending on the results of all the standard upper GI tests.

By the way, I can't eat most of the foods you list. Even a mouthful of some of them would have my upper GI in a severe spasm and I'd be in severe pain and nausea. I, too, have to be careful of fruits and carbs or I go hypoglycemic.

So, you might ask for a scrutiny of your biliary tree or upper GI in general, make sure nothing was missed. HIDA scans, GES, CT scan, MRCP, endoscopy, blood work checking liver and pancreatic function, and several other tests are the normal ones looking at the upper GI.

Kim M.

SCD 5+ years

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Here's my sit: A lingering and intensifying case of gastritis (I think; the HP blood test came back negative) of stabbing upper gi pains is limiting my already limited diet. Near as I can tell, red meat and fats like avacado, olive oil, possibly butter aggravate this thing. Even my homemade chix soup, which is pretty high in fat, causes probs sometimes. So i've cut the meat and avacado and swapped out olive oil for coconut oil.

[Guest guest]

I have a friend who can eat steak, but not ground beef because of the fat content. Have you tried small, lean portions of meat? You can also chill your chicken broth so that the fat becomes solid at the top and then scoop it out, if you aren't doing this already. Coconut oil is really good for you, so is a good substitute for butter. Just remember when converting amounts of pure oil/fats for butter, one needs to decrease the oil/fat by 20%. For example if you were using 1/4 cup of butter, use about 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of oil/fat.Amelia

[Guest guest]

i too can do steak but not ground beef-who knows why???stool tests say fat isn't

an issue i'm OK with ground bison but not great and can't touch coconut oil but

fine with olive oil and fat in general - test yourself slowly

eileen 21 months scd

>

>

> I have a friend who can eat steak, but not ground beef because of the fat

content.  Have you tried small, lean portions of meat?  You can also chill your

chicken broth so that the fat becomes solid at the top and then scoop it out, if

you aren't doing this already.  Coconut oil is really good for you, so is a good

substitute for butter.  Just remember when converting amounts of pure oil/fats

for butter, one needs to decrease the oil/fat by 20%.  For example if you were

using 1/4 cup of butter, use about 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of oil/fat.

>

> Amelia

>

[Guest guest]

I grind my own meat.

I primarily use Bison.

Marilyn advised me to get the Maverick meat grinder.

It was such a good decision to start grinding meat..

Won't look back to be honest.

Jodi

[Guest guest]

We use a hand grinder that I have had for about

45 years. It's easy, quick, simple to wash, and

it does a good job. I don't think they ever wear

out. This way you can pick a good beef round or

whatever you want to use, and you will know

exactly what you have in the way of ground beef.

I am sure there are small electric ones, too, but

this one works fine unless you are grinding for a

large family, perhaps. It has three sizes you can grind to.

This is why some people buy a small grinder and grind their own meat.

— Marilyn