5 Keys to success using the FODMAP diet for IBS

January 15, 2023

keys to success using the fodmap diet for IBS

Trying the FODMAP diet for IBS? 

Here are the five common things I often see that get in the way of success with the FODMAP diet for IBS…and how to deal with them!

1) Getting confused…and using old FODMAP diet information

So many people who have found their way to me thought they were following the FODMAP diet correctly. It turns out they had received old information or misinformation. This led to them accidentally consuming FODMAPs. It is easy for this to happen. There is lots of old and confusing information out there!

Even if the information is current and from a trusted and knowledgeable source, it can make your head swim. I remember feeling completely overwhelmed and confused when I first started learning about the FODMAP diet for IBS more than 10 years ago. That was even as a registered dietitian nutritionist with extensive training in nutrition, biochemistry, and physiology!

At that moment, I committed myself to making it easier for people to follow the FODMAP approach. 

2) FODMAP stacking crushing your gut

Even when people had good information, many ran into problems with “FODMAP stacking” or, as I call it, a “bucket overflow” issue.  (Read “Why foods sometimes bother you…and sometimes they don’t” by clicking here.)

I’ve developed an easy method that helps people working with me avoid these pitfalls. Most people feel better and can accurately detect which types of FODMAPs contribute to their IBS issues when they get to the challenge phase of the FODMAP protocol. The result is they get back to eating a wider range of foods while still feeling better.

That’s not only better for their health…it’s a heck of a lot more enjoyable and easier!!!

3) Fitting the FODMAP diet into your busy life

Deciding what to eat, getting enjoyable meals, and having appealing snacks that fit both the FODMAP elimination and challenge phases while living a busy life can be challenging. There can be a big gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it!

This is why I make sure to discuss meal and snack planning with everyone who sees me for help addressing IBS and other GI issues. I don’t use a “one plan fits everyone” approach. We talk about your food preferences, your schedule, your budget, and your life. It’s all about you!

5 keys to success using the fodmap diet for IBS 4) Your food trigger may not be FODMAPs or may include other things besides FODMAPs

Some people don’t respond well to the FODMAP approach because their IBS has nothing to do with FODMAPs. Or, FODMAPs are just one of the types of foods that makes their gut unhappy.

Keeping a good food log and having an experienced registered dietitian like me who is an expert in IBS and gut health working with you can make all the difference!

5) There’s more to IBS than what you eat

Having other conditions and/or contributors to IBS symptoms is another reason why people haven’t had success with the FODMAP approach when they’ve tried it on their own.

The truth is that our gastrointestinal system does not function in a vacuum. It is affected by other things that are going on in your body and your life!

My approach to helping people with any GI issue (or nutrition related issue) is to look at far more than just what food you eat. Many factors can make your gut “cranky” and unpredictable. Some are related to food. Some are related to other things happening in your body or your life. It’s what can make figuring out IBS triggers such a challenge unless you know what to look for!

A real IBS success story: Betsy’s experience

Betsy had struggled with IBS for years.  She’d tried many different approaches to taming her IBS, including attempting the FODMAP diet.  Nothing seemed to work.  Eventually, she found me on the internet and contacted me.  I’ll let her words explain what happened after that:

“I learned so much working with Lisa to get to the root issues with my IBS. She’s incredibly knowledgeable and helped to break down the scientific components of nutrition to me in ways that made sense.

I came from my experience with so much more information as well as practical techniques for managing my symptoms. She helped me navigate the FODMAP diet (a journey that would have been so much harder without her) as well as discover and address the non-FODMAP triggers that were causing issues for me.

It was so clear how familar she was with current nutrition and information. Using that she charted a clear course for me to ultimately uncover the root causes of a health issue I have dealt with all my life.

I only wish I had connected with Lisa decades ago!”

Like many people with IBS, Betsy’s issues weren’t only related to FODMAPs. Recognizing that some types of FODMAPs as well as other triggers were causing issues for Betsy, I put together a plan that reduced her IBS symptoms. 

But that wasn’t all!  Betsy was also able to get back to eating many of the foods she had previously eliminated and get back to enjoying activities that her IBS had been limiting. 

Get back to enjoying food and life again!

Start by downloading my free guide “5 key items to track to help figure out what’s bothering your gut!”  It gives you more information on some of the common issues I mentioned above and how to keep a food and symptom log which is an important part of figuring out what’s triggering your IBS symptoms.

Then contact me or book your free discovery call with me so you can get back to enjoying food and life.

Lisa-Garcia-registered-dietitian
Lisa Garcia_Name Mark_RDN+Health Coach_Color_1200

Having personally struggled with weight and gut health issues, I understand how easy it is to think that food is the enemy especially with the changes our bodies undergo as we age.  It doesn’t have to be that way!

I love using my extensive education and coach approach to help people realize it is possible to feel better and be healthier while still enjoying their life and food.

Want to change how you eat?

Get the 5 secrets to success!

FC lead mag for web 5 secret change 2