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Struggling with weight gain due to IBS
Hello doctor,
I have had IBS (mainly diarrhea dominant) for the past 5 years ..I have frequent poops 3 -4 times a day. I have worked as a software engineer for the last 4 years. I have recently joined the gym and go 3 times a week. Can you guide me on what diet to follow? I don't know if protein powder is required. I don't drink milk as it triggers my symptoms so I don't know which smoothie is suitable. My height is 5.1'' and weight is 47 kg. I also do some yoga in between gym days. I take 7 hours of sleep at night. I have a stressful job but still try to find time for exercise and eat home cooked food.
Answers (18)
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With IBS (diarrhea-predominant), the goal is to support digestion, manage symptoms, and maintain energy for workouts without triggering gut discomfort. A calm, consistent eating routine works better than restrictive diets.
Diet & Lifestyle Guidelines:
- Eat small, frequent meals instead of large portions to reduce bowel urgency.
- Focus on easily digestible complex carbohydrates and limit very spicy, fried, or highly processed foods.
- Prefer soluble fiber and well-cooked foods; avoid large amounts of raw salads.
- Protein powders are not mandatory—adequate protein can come from regular meals if digestion is comfortable.
- Since milk triggers symptoms, tolerated plant-based options for smoothies.
- Keep smoothies simple (single fruit, minimal ingredients) rather than mixed blends.
- Include healthy fats in moderation and stay well hydrated.
- Continue gym, yoga, and regular movement, as they support gut health.
- Manage stress and maintain consistent sleep, as IBS is strongly linked to stress.
Next Steps
If you require a personalized diet plan which will help improve your overall health do reach out to us.
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IBS is related to your metabolism. It's better to go for gene testing. And then customized gene based diet plan
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I am a certified genetic wellness educator. if you want gene based plan. then DM
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You need to work with a Nutrionist to follow a low FODMAP diet.I have worked with lot of IBS patients and they have managed to recover from the condition.
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You can book an appointment with me, I will guide you
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You have to avoid gluten based foods like wheat, raw garlic, onion, ginger and lactose base foods like milk and milk products... Reduce Dietary fibre intake temporarily.. And have to take probiotics for healthy guts
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Consult Me for a healthy diet....
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Hello,
Will surely guide you what to do further, before we proceed i have completely gone through your concern. To get in detail shall we connect directly for a quick consultation call to take the details and will plan a balanced meals as per your request and requirements
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Lets connect and have a consultation call
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Good evening pls connect through practo app directly.
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FODMAP diet there is so many things to take care
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do not take raw food not even raw apple or salad
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drink plenty water and connect for customised plan
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Hi
It’s good that you have taken up yoga and are doing exercises at the gym. Please contact me for consultation.
I have worked with numerous clients with different types of IBS. We can schedule a free 15 minute to understand your current health issues and suggest the right nutrition plan.
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You are already doing many things right—regular exercise, yoga, home-cooked food, and good sleep—all of these are very helpful for IBS. Since you have IBS-D (diarrhea dominant) and are slightly underweight for your height (5’1”, 47 kg), your diet should focus on being gut-friendly, nourishing, and easy to digest while also supporting your workouts.
For IBS-D, a low-FODMAP style diet works best. This means avoiding foods that ferment easily in the gut and trigger loose motions, gas, and urgency
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you should take personal consultation so that i can suggest you and give you a personalized diet plan
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Please book an appointment it will be helpful. Need detailed counselling for long term
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Ms. Mini Thomas
Dietitian/Nutritionist
21 yrs exp
Chennai
Good morning,
Follow a low FODMAP diet
Contact personally through practo app
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Ms. Ranjana Singh
Dietitian/Nutritionist
13 yrs exp
Allahabad
FODMAP diet is definitely will help you. Dietitian needs more information for giving any diet and suggestions.so kindly consult.
1- your diarrhoea should be reduced through modified diet.
2- Need your full body blood report before diet consultation.
3- you should be eliminate some kind of food from your diet.
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for Diet consultation kindly book your appointment.
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Ms. Samriddha Dasgupta Sarkar
Clinical Nutritionist
22 yrs exp
Kolkata
Avoid gluten and lactose
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Ms. Hashika Vyas
Dietitian/Nutritionist
6 yrs exp
Mumbai
Hi,
First of all, thank you for opening up so beautifully, it requires courage. Accepting that you have a stressful job, makes you stronger. Now, you must work on managing the stress with multiple techniques. Start with 4-8-4 breathing (diaphragmatic breathing). This calms down your IBS-D spasms. I used to suffer from IBS-D and made it go away (dormant) with multiple methods:
1. Avoid stress
2. No late binge eating
3. Say no to junk
4. Avoid chugging a lot of water at once
5. Avoid protein powder or shakes, get your protein from your diet (as clean as possible).
These are just for starters. For a more holistic and guaranteed approach, please contact me.
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Ms. Swarn Shikha Sharma
Dietitian/Nutritionist
19 yrs exp
Delhi
First of all you should start focusing on the root cause of the problem that is IBS. If you add on things in the diet and your metabolism rate is kot good. There is no point. Better is to check your body heat ( constitution:- vata/pitta/kapha) level and go accordingly.
We need to figure out the root cause of IBS first
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Ms. Neema Yadav
Dietitian/Nutritionist
5 yrs exp
Kolhapur
Based on your symptoms, you likely need a diet that manage diarrhoea while providing enough calories to support your exercise, focusing on low -FODMAP, dairy free and easily digestible foods .
Avoid :
Milk, garlic, onions, wheat (gluten), beans, apples, pears, peaches, watermelon, sugar free gum and candy and fatty fried foods
Includes:
Eggs, chicken, fish , firm tofu
Rice , quinoa, potatoes ( peeled), sourdough bread
Carrots, green beans, cucumbers, lettuce, zucchini, pumpkin
Bananas , blueberries, strawberries, oranges, kiwi
Olive oils, peanut butter, avocados
Gym and Lifestyle :
Hydration:
Drink plenty of water throughout the day but try do not huge amounts
Post workout:
Ensure you have protein to aid recovery such as boiled eggs or shakes
Diarrhoea Management:
If symptoms flare , temporarily reduce fiber intake and stick to white rice , potatoes and plain chicken
Consider a probiotic to help balance gut flora
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Prajna Pai
Dietitian/Nutritionist
38 yrs exp
Mumbai
Hi.. You do require a proper personalised diet with the right nutrients as I feel you might be undernourished due to IBS. So please connect with me directly or through the Practo app
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Ms. Somya Jain
Dietitian/Nutritionist
9 yrs exp
Delhi
Please connect over consultation to help better
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