Colitis - psyllium, breakfast and don't want to lose weight

[Nomorecolitis14]

I'm preparing to start my Whole30 and I have spent hours reading the forums and Can I have?...

But I haven't seen anything about Psyllium husk, which I use to control the diarrhea I have from colitis. Without it, I could have anywhere from 10-20 bm's/day (sorry to be graphic). As psyllium is a seed, not a grain, I'm assuming it's ok but any feedback is most appreciated. Also, I'm wondering what to have for breakfast besides eggs and meat. I'm REALLY not up for having meat for breakfast and suspect I will get sick of eggs quite quickly. Any ideas on that would be most appreciated too! Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and if I'm going to set myself up for success on this program, I have to start my day happy

 

Finally, any tips/advice on no weight loss would be great as I'm 10 lbs underweight already from the colitis and can't afford to lose more weight. I do have the article that Dallas wrote on Clean Mass Gain and will try some of those recipes. I'm anticipating it will be difficult for me not to snack at least once in the day if I don't want to lose weight. I'm usually ok if I have a good breakfast but struggle after lunch in the late afternoon with getting hungry.

[AmyS]

Welcome to Whole30!

 

First of all, doctor's orders trump Whole30.  I'm assuming that you are under the care of a medical practitioner for your colitis and have come to a treatment plan that helps.  If that is in fact the case, carry on.  If you discover that you are able to manage your colitis with less or without the psyllium husk at some point, you can work with your doctor to decrease safely.

 

Second, for breakfast ideas you can search google with Whole30 breakfast in your search box and come across many very long threads on this subject.  Don't rule out things like leftovers from dinner, or meat in general, just because it's a new idea for you - but look at all of the ideas and try a few that you will like.

 

Third, to not lose more weight, you can eat more meals.  Some folks eat up to six full meals a day for a while.  That means 1-2 palms of protein; 2-4 cups of veggies; and a thumb-size or more of fat at each of those meals (note that nuts are a fat source, not a protein source, on Whole30).  When you are hungry, eat a meal.  Since you are concerned about starting out underweight, you can start right off by eating four full meals a day and adding one or two more as needed.

 

Whole30 is designed to keep you from being hungry, and to increase your overall state of health.  So eat when you're hungry, continue using the treatments that work for your colitis, and enjoy trying new breakfasts.  Welcome to Whole30!

[Nomorecolitis14]

First, AmyS, thanks so much for your wonderful reply. I've already Googled Whole30 breakfasts and found a whole host of options! And yes, you're absolutely right about needing to be open to things I haven't eaten for breakfast before.

 

As for being under the care of a medical practioner for the colitis, that is a big fat no :0) I've had colitis for nearly 30 years - since I was 18 - and doctors have never helped me. In fact, they've done me much more harm than good. They basically push drugs and aren't really interested in solving the propblem. But I could wax on about that forever! Let's just say, I'm wise enough about the disease now to believe that it will only get better via diet and my mind. What draws me to the Whole30 is the emphasis on no added sugar and changing our views on food. For some time, I've had a twisted relationship with food, even though it is far better now. I do believe that it was addiction to sugar and dairy that caused me to develop colitis in the first place. When I gave up dairy years ago, it didn't clear my colitis but my overall health improved enormously! Even though I have a so-called auto-immune disease, I never get sick anymore.

 

Finally, thanks also for the advice on eating more meals. I feel much better about that now, as the thought of three square meals with no snacks was very scary to me. I'll do my best to have three big enough meals but it's good to know I'm not "cheating" if I eat one or two more! I'm really looking forward to starting and am working on my grocery list and meal planning today . Thanks again Amy!