Digestion question

[renaissancewoman101]

There are some fatty/oily Asian foods that I love to eat (but worry about the fatty caloric content of it). I also know that when I eat those foods, my stomach acts up badly and I am in the bathroom within 20 minutes of eating it. I have a very weird, sensitive stomach that acts up badly to oily, greasy, fatty foods.

 

I know those foods usually have a lot of fat, calories, salt, etc., in them. The fact that these types of foods don't stay in me long, does that mean that when I eat them, since they pass through me so quickly, my body didn't absorb the fatty/sodium/bad contents of them (that could cause weight gain and stuff)?

 

No, I am not anorexic or bulimic, I just have a stomach that doesn't handle some types of food really well.

[g84]

Even if it passes through the body quickly, my guess is that the body is still taking in the qualities of the food.

[BellaDonna]

I don't think it will have an effect on significantly reducing the calories. If anything you will need to be sure you drink extra water when that happens because it could reduce your hydration.

 

If you want to make your digestive system work well for your weight loss- have a high fiber diet and add sources of probiotics. Fiber helps move fat through the digestion system.

 

Eating foods that are unhealthy and that make you sick is counter-productive to your goals. The more you eat fatty/oily/salty foods, the more likely you are to crave them in the future, no matter how long or short they are in your system. If you want to build good habits for the long term, only enjoy those foods in strict moderation.

 

If your body doesn't tolerate the food, it is trying to tell you something. Also, if you eat that and get sick shortly after, you're not even going to be kept full so it is a pretty empty meal. My motto is: Eat to live, don't live to eat. I try to choose food that will be the most useful to me: (i.e. will keep me full, is nutritionally sound, and in line with my health goals)

[renaissancewoman101]

Thanks for the advice.

 

I was hoping to enjoy them and not have them cause weight/nutrition issues for me, since they pass through me so quickly.

 

I guess eating healthy is the only way to go. I do drink a lot of water whenever I eat.

[Seraphim]

Do you have IBS RW? I do and that is what happens with me. If it is something that my system can not handle it is coming out about 15 minutes to 45 minutes later. I can go through phases where it happens with everything I eat.

[BellaDonna]

Give yourself a time when you can count on enjoying them like a special occasion: Your birthday.

 

To tell yourself that you can never have that food again is unrealistic and depressing. You just have to know how to enjoy it on occasion, without letting it mess up your goals.

 

Once you reach your weight goal you will likely know your body enough to know the perfect balance that will help you to maintain your weight. If I have cheat meal, I eat religiously well for at least 3 days after.

[renaissancewoman101]

Do you have IBS RW? I do and that is what happens with me. If it is something that my system can not handle it is coming out about 15 minutes to 45 minutes later. I can go through phases where it happens with everything I eat.

 

I don't know if I have IBS or not. I do know that I have to watch what I eat, esp stuff that is oily, greasy, fried, or fatty. My stomach is very, very sensitive. Although, at times, I can eat whatever and it is fine, but other times, I can eat something and I am in the bathroom within 20 minutes.

 

This is one big reason why I avoid buttering my foods, or heavily greasy/fried foods. I don't know how my stomach will react to it.

 

My dad's digestion is very much like mines but he has ulcer issues.

[Seraphim]

Well IBS will not show up on scans or anything like that because it causes no physcial damage, basically it is an under active or over active colon or a combination of both.

[renaissancewoman101]

Give yourself a time when you can count on enjoying them like a special occasion: Your birthday.

 

To tell yourself that you can never have that food again is unrealistic and depressing. You just have to know how to enjoy it on occasion, without letting it mess up your goals.

 

Once you reach your weight goal you will likely know your boady enough to know the perfect balance that will help you to maintain your weight. If I have cheat meal, I eat religiously well for at least 3 days after.

 

You are right about that. I have to watch what I eat, but also schedule in times where I can eat stuff that is not so good for you.

 

I have the exercise down pat now (I love going to the gym). I actually missed going to the gym yesterday but I got my exercise in by walking Jasper (which was a feat in itself

 

All I have to do is to square away my food intake now.

[renaissancewoman101]

Well IBS will not show up on scans or anything like that because it causes no physcial damage, basically it is an under active or over active colon or a combination of both.

 

how do you know if you have IBS or not (do they run tests for it)?

[Seraphim]

It does not show up on tests.........but they will do all kinds of tests to rule out other things and then they will usually give you a diagnosis of IBS. They have to look down the esophagus and um up the other end to make sure there are no other issues first.

[renaissancewoman101]

I do know I have acid reflux. I was tested for that a few years back because the doc thought it was affecting my asthma.

[Seraphim]

My mother has that too, I do not thankfully. Do you still have your gallbladder?

[renaissancewoman101]

My mother has that too, I do not thankfully. Do you still have your gallbladder?

 

yes I do.

 

Do you take meds for IBS?

[cazmoore]

ha, i have exactly the same problem.. I'm in the bathroom so fast from oily, greasy foods irritating my stomach. I just avoided it all together, eat lots of fiber so my body soaks up the water... sometimes i just eat a lot of food with carbs, too, and i end up avoiding that issue.

[Seraphim]

I do not no. My mother does.She has been on several and she is on the last medication they can give her. I do use metamucil when it gets out of control cause it adds fibre and bulk to the system which reduces the diarrhea and also constipation.

[annie24]

my advice to you would be to avoid those foods which make you go to the bathroom right away. like bella said, that is a sign your body does not like it. that can't be any good.

 

what i recommend instead is finding lower fat, lower calorie versions of your favorite foods. kind of like a game! Hungry Girl has a website and a set of books with low calorie versions of favorite foods like pizza, pasta, cakes, burgers, etc. it's very creative. Weight watchers has lots of asian recipes modified to have lower calories. you can still make your favorite foods, but with modifications that will make the food healthier for you.

 

do you like to cook? i do like it a lot, it is fun.

[annie24]

the other thing is, that your digestive system is something like 30 feet long. there is no way your food can make its way through 30 feet in 20 minutes. i think it's more likely that some ingredient (oil?) is setting off some reaction in your body that makes you go to the bathroom, but i think that the fatty food is still in you, working its way through.

[sophie274]

the other thing is, that your digestive system is something like 30 feet long. there is no way your food can make its way through 30 feet in 20 minutes. i think it's more likely that some ingredient (oil?) is setting off some reaction in your body that makes you go to the bathroom, but i think that the fatty food is still in you, working its way through.

 

Yes this is exactly what I was going to say. When you feel like food "runs right through you", it's actually just "pushing" whatever was ahead of it in your digestive track through. It basically irritates your digestive track and causes those interstitial muscles to move the waste along. So unfortunately it doesn't give you a free calorie pass, and it's really your body's way of protesting what you're feeding it! Moreover, don't you just feel really grotty and gross when you have to rush to the bathroom after having had something greasy? I know there are certain foods that I avoid because they make me feel this way. I think Annie gave great suggestions about lower-calorie and healthier versions of your favorite foods. You can also explore other cuisines to find yummy foods that feel sinful and delicious and like a total treat but are actually healthy.

 

For instance, my really unhealthy treat foods: junk food (hamburgers, french fries, cake, pizza, potato chips), anything covered in cheese, bacon or sausage with eggs and biscuits in the morning

My healthier treat foods that I can enjoy more regularly without making my body revolt: mango, dried fruit, oranges and grapefruits (don't ask - LOVE citrus), feta cheese, red wine, dark chocolate, fruit sorbet, a really yummy bread with some olive oil

 

Do you see what I mean? I'm not sure I'm making any sense. The first list is delicious but mostly has no redeeming nutritional value. The second has some super healthy things that I just love and could guzzle any day of the week, but also some things like feta, sorbet, red wine and chocolate that feel like a treat but are not THAT bad for me. It helps to replace the really terrible for you treats with foods that are still delicious but not quite as bad.

[renaissancewoman101]

Sophie, you are making sense, esp your explaination about the digestive tract.

 

Actually, I don't really like greasy foods all that much, except for some greasy, spicy Asian dishes. I am not really fond of greasy American food though.

 

I was just hoping that if I indulged in some of my greasy, spicy Asian foods that I love (like spicy ramen), that it wouldn't affect me if it passed through me quickly (but I see that it doesn't).

 

And yes, I feel like crap when I am rushing off to the bathroom rather soon after I eat.

 

I am going to check out the Hungry Girl website.

 

I already signed up on the FitDay website so I can track my food intake and exercise routine.

[sophie274]

Sophie, you are making sense, esp your explaination about the digestive tract.

 

Actually, I don't really like greasy foods all that much, except for some greasy, spicy Asian dishes. I am not really fond of greasy American food though.

 

I was just hoping that if I indulged in some of my greasy, spicy Asian foods that I love (like spicy ramen), that it wouldn't affect me if it passed through me quickly (but I see that it doesn't).

 

And yes, I feel like crap when I am rushing off to the bathroom rather soon after I eat.

 

I am going to check out the Hungry Girl website.

 

I already signed up on the FitDay website so I can track my food intake and exercise routine.

 

I think the best thing is for you to put those (the whole hog delicious real deal Asian version) in your "on special occasions" food list. And honestly, I find that when I'm eating really healthily, I don't crave my unhealthy treat foods quite as much. I crave things like roasted beets with goat cheese and fresh salsa and home made guacamole and really fresh fruits. So once you get into your good eating habits it really does become easier to stick to them. I mean, I still personally enjoy a hot dog and beer every once in a while, but the bad food doesn't call out to you anymore as you drive by it!

 

You sound like you're really committed to this lifestyle change, which is great! Keep it up!

[renaissancewoman101]

I think the best thing is for you to put those (the whole hog delicious real deal Asian version) in your "on special occasions" food list. And honestly, I find that when I'm eating really healthily, I don't crave my unhealthy treat foods quite as much. I crave things like roasted beets with goat cheese and fresh salsa and home made guacamole and really fresh fruits. So once you get into your good eating habits it really does become easier to stick to them. I mean, I still personally enjoy a hot dog and beer every once in a while, but the bad food doesn't call out to you anymore as you drive by it!

 

You sound like you're really committed to this lifestyle change, which is great! Keep it up!

 

The bolded statement above is very true. I used to eat at Burger King and Carl's Jr every week (when I was working because that was what was close by). Since I lost my job earlier this year, I have had only 1 burger this whole time (a Jr whopper). It seems as I started to exercise on a regular basis, drink water all the time, and try to eat better, my cravings for burgers and sodas decreased tremendously.

[renaissancewoman101]

my advice to you would be to avoid those foods which make you go to the bathroom right away. like bella said, that is a sign your body does not like it. that can't be any good.

 

what i recommend instead is finding lower fat, lower calorie versions of your favorite foods. kind of like a game! Hungry Girl has a website and a set of books with low calorie versions of favorite foods like pizza, pasta, cakes, burgers, etc. it's very creative. Weight watchers has lots of asian recipes modified to have lower calories. you can still make your favorite foods, but with modifications that will make the food healthier for you.

 

do you like to cook? i do like it a lot, it is fun.

 

Annie, I don't really cook that much

 

I am gonna check out the Hungry Girl website. I was looking at her book reviews on link removed and they look interesting.