Restricted af diet please help

so my doctor recently put me on low FODMAP diet bc of IBS. No lots of things, mainly wheat, lactose, and high fructose corn syrup, but also all of my favorite fruit are no goes except grapes, and onions, the only vegetable I can stand, is also off limits. Now it turns out I have (slightly) high cholesterol and fatty liver, so now I can’t eat “unhealthy” fats or cholesterals or carbs or fucking anything. I literally cannot stand bitter tasting food, and many vegetables one two that with texture wierdness (and no, i dont like soggy ass steamed or w/e vegetables either). I am kind on the verge of just. Not eating anymore or maybe just fucking dying. Does anyone have any advice on fasting or w/e. Can I subsist entirely on grapes.
For example w texture wierdness- I can only do lettuce if it is chopped up super thing and fine. I can kinda do carrots but it is a literal chore to get through. I also need to be excersizing more and I’m just tok fucking depressed and now I’m not going to have any evergy or be taking my antidepressents lol I just want to give up

 

Note: cooking is also super hard like having to keep track of so many things and know when the right time to do stuff is is a surefire way to iverload me. I know it sounds like im just whining and making excuses but i rlly have tried to do things and i just feel hopeless

 

Can you give us a list of fruits and vegetables you don't like, but can have? Or maybe the stuff you can't have is a shorter list. Are you vegetarian?

Grated carrots might be good. Spinach in a smoothie? I have a recipe for a V8-based broth that might work. If there is a fruit you don't like raw, maybe there is a cooked recipe that you'll like.

Can you do rice? Maybe there are some gluten-free foods that will work.

Maybe you can't do commercial Soylent, but there might be a homebrew recipe that will work with your restrictions.

 

Oh man, I've been on the starting end of a low-FODMAP diet before too...you are Witnessed. I've been able to reintroduce a bunch of items back into my diet, so now it's mostly just onion and garlic that I have to avoid, but the stage where you have to avoid All FODMAPs Anywhere sucks so bad. I hope your reintroduction phase goes well for you...!

I don't have any experience with high cholesterol or fatty liver, so I don't really know how diet restriction based on that works, but here are some foods I've really fallen back on, in case it helps:

1. Oatmeal. I eat this literally every day, partially because it's so easy to prepare and so gastrointestinally unproblematic, and partially because I'm just That Kind Of Autist. If you mix cinnamon and sugar and bananas and walnuts into it, it's like Banana Bread But Filling! If you mix cocoa powder into it and top with chocolate ice cream, it's like Hot Chocolate But Filling! And recently I've been experimenting with savory options, too, which is also totally allowed. (And speaking of chocolate ice cream: Lactaid's is as good as the regular dairy kind, and I'm pretty sure it's okay as far as FODMAPs go*. And speaking of dairy - oatmeal made with almond milk tastes better than oatmeal made with dairy milk and absolutely no one can prove me wrong.) ...Oats are a good staple, basically.
2. Rice. I think rice is a simpler carb, so I'm not sure if it's okay for your carb restrictions...but then, maybe it's just white rice that's like that, and brown rice is okay...? The point is that rice is FODMAP-safe, and, if you have a rice cooker, Very easy to prepare. If you live in an area where food delivery is available, and if you've got money to spend on food delivery, you could probably find a restaurant that has plain rice on their menu and can deliver it to you.
3. Meat. The thing about the low-FODMAP diet is that, with all the restrictions it places on grains, fruits, veggies, etc...it's going to push you really hard into some sort of protein option. This was never something I've been great with, because I hate preparing meats, because I hate handling raw meats. (Ditto with seafood.) Nevertheless, I've managed, thanks to the wonder of...ham steaks...or bacon...or frozen meat...basically, the kinds of meats where all you have to do is throw them onto a frying pan and cook them until they're done. No additional steps before the frying pan, no additional steps after the frying pan, and you usually don't even have to oil the pan, 'cuz the meat oils it for you. Staying low-fat might make bacon problematic for you, but ham steak or frozen turkey burger or that kind of thing might be fine? Another thing you can buy are frozen chicken nuggets, and then you can just microwave those. But you'll have to really read the ingredients label on those chicken nuggets; a lot of them do contain soy or wheat or whatever other FODMAP. I know I've found a no-FODMAP brand of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets before, but I don't remember the name. Anyway, meat is a good way to add flavor to your food when you're banned from pretty much all condiments, so if you're okay with eating it, then try to do so. Note: you probably won't be able to eat any sausages, thanks to the general existence of onions and garlic in all prepared foods, so that's why I'm suggesting bacon and ham steak and like...non-seasoned meats. I used to get a turkey burger that had no garlic or onion in it because it was seasoned with rosemary instead, but that's about the luckiest I've ever gotten with seasoned meats.
4. Eggs...another source of protein. Maybe just egg whites, to avoid the cholesterol? The nice things about eggs is that you can make scrambled eggs in the microwave. Doesn't taste as good as frying pan scrambled eggs, but it's low spoons food and it's good at taking care of the whole "hunger" thing.
5. Speaking of protein: peanut butter powder is great. All the protein of peanut butter, with none of the fat, which means that you can stir it into basically anything to make it 200% More Filling.
6. ...Bananas are good. The less ripe they are, the lower they are in FODMAPs, so keep that in mind.

There are some apps out there that you can use to look up the FODMAP content of foods on the go, like the Monash University FODMAP app; as far as I know, none of them are free, but you might find it worthwhile to make the investment. But uh. What else. I might be Talking Excessively because I haven't actually known anyone until now who's also on low-FODMAP (outside of like, specifically low-FODMAP blogs), so...sorry about that...

...The point is, being told that you're suddenly not allowed to eat any of the foods you usually eat sucks absolute ass and I'm sorry that it's happening to you. I don't know when the last time you ate was, but do you have anything you can eat right now? It's a lot easier to despair about food things when you're hungry. And when you're full, it's a lot easier to tell yourself "okay, I'm fine, I have had food. And I'll have food tomorrow, too, and the day after that." It might take a while to find a wide circle of foods you both can and want to eat, but I promise that it's possible to find just one for now, and then another one later. There are very many different kinds of foods out there. Some you can eat now to tide you over until the reintroduction phase, and some you can rediscover once you get to the reintroduction phase...and some might cause you gut problems every time you eat them for the rest of your life, but that's okay, because you can make your own decisions about the contexts in which you might eat that food anyway, and in what amounts. The restriction phase isn't forever.

* According to the Monash University FODMAP app, which I did, apparently, spend eight bucks on at one point. Well, they only have a listing for lactose-free milk, not lactose-free ice cream, but I think it should be the same principle.

 

Nope, not a vegetarian. I’ll list some of them, +reason why I don’t like them if there is anyway to mitigate that?

Spoiler: Veggies and Fruits

So the thing about me +foods I don’t like is that there are basically 2 kinds: stuff I can choke down but I have to coach myself through every single bite and stuff that insta triggers my gag reflex.
So ones I like that are on my good to eat list:
-Cantaloupes
-Grapes
-Oranges
-Corn (kinda)
-Carrots (kinda)
-Potatoes (kinda)
-Seaweed

Ones I don’t like (i am getting this all from lists online so if someone who knows more than me can correct that would be nice
-blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries are all in a general “wierd texture” category. I can eat them, but its a chore
-idk why I don’t like honeydew actually its just that whenever I eat it I go “dont really wanna do that again”. I can try but I would rather have cantaloupe
-pineapple is just. Wierd texture too, combined w one of the few things thats too sweet for me
-never had dragon fruit, durian, kiwi, kumquat, passion fruit, rhubarb, or strawberries
-bamboo sprouts is a wierd texture but if ts tiny i can deal. Broccoli is an instagag unless it is in very, very, very small shards. Any and all leafy greens have to be chopped very very thin and also covered in ranch but that isnt really an option now. I think I can get them down if they’re just thin but its a chore.
-spinish is in the same category as above when raw and an absolute no go when its cooked and slimy
-cant have Any Kind Of Spicy I’m a baby
-green beans also slimy. Even if outside not slimy, inside usually slimy
-i can do tomato paste but chunks of tomato is just. Eugh.
- I think I can do stuff like parsnip, radish, turnip, ect, if they are chopped very very small as well
-i just. Want something to cut the bitter of vegetables and I don’t know what to use anymore

Is there a way to prepare oatmeal where it isn’t kind of a sludge? Bc thats my main problem with it. Like idk crispy oatmeal is 100% not possible nvm

I have been So Much Rice, its+canned tuna+a bit of butter+soy sauce has been my dtable food. But now I def cant have the butter and im unsure if i can have the soy and the mayo in the tuna

Is there something I can use the mask the taste of egg? I used to use ketchup but I don’t think I can anymore? Bc Just egg is. Another thin that triggers gag reflex

Oh wow that seems rlly good. My issue w penut butter is mostly texture so this could rlly help!

Thank u v much. I just. Its been hard not to hear ppl trying to give me advice irl as “lol u dumb fat bitch just eat right like normal people do”. I ended up having taquitos while crying so that’ll be an event later. Thank you so much for help+advice+sympathy

 

Okay, good news... that's actually workable. Can you get a cheap blender? (I'd recommend two of the cheapest Osters. Two blender jars, the blade assembly fits onto mason jars, and you'll probably burn out one of the motors eventually.) As a side note, I'm not actually allergic to melon, but it does give an unpleasant sensation in my mouth, so go ahead and cut out honeydew.

Honestly, I'd start messing with smoothies since most of your stuff seems to be texture issues. Mix strawberries and spinach, pineapple with broccoli. If you don't like to drink it straight, maybe some spices will make it taste good over rice.

You could also experiment with slaws and finely shredded vegetables. Maybe look up how to make califlower rice and try it with everything. Also, try a few fresh raw green beans, but I doubt you'd eat more than a garnish worth.

(More incoming, my cat pushed a button.)

For oatmeal, maybe you could make savory oatmeal cookie crumbles or GF crackers. I wonder if oatmeal flour could make an acceptable biscuit or pancake. Seriously, I would make a bowl of oatmeal, mix in an egg or two, bake or fry it, and dip it into a vegetable puree.

My recipe involving V8 is pretty broad, but tomato juice might be sweeter... The base is tomato juice and a good spoonful of cheap creamy peanut butter. I like putting hotsauce in, but you might want to try lemon juice or black pepper if it needs something. I usually add spinach or green beans, the base recipe called for okra. I would use it to make cheap ramen and poach an egg in it.

I think that good fats and bad fats is not really concrete enough to worry about beyond the elimination diet for sensitivity. You're going to struggle to get enough calories, so ask your doctor again about how important it is to adhere to both diets at once.

 

We have a ninja blender, I think? Do u know what I can use as like the smoothie. Thickening agent? Like usually ppl use yogurt but I cant, unless I get lactose free yogurt. Is that what u reccomend?

 

Try making oatmeal flour? Or you can use wet leftover oatmeal to thicken it. Rice might have a cleaner flavor, but I think the texture wouldn't be good.

 

With the bitter taste of vegetables-what kinds of vegetables and does cooking them for less time help? Because a lot of vegetables commonly considered 'bitter' are only bitter when overcooked-but due to historical reasons involving selective breeding for shorter cooking times and not making this common knowledge a lot of people were taught to overcook their veges and just think It's Bitter.

 

W cooking its like. If I can just sit there and stir a pot for 10 min I’m fine, and if I can just shove somethibg and forget kt for a while I’m fine. Its if I have to like. Manage things. Make sure I’m Doing Things Right. Thats what stressed me.

Its the smell, actually. I used to manage scrambled eggs w ketchup but then mom started putting zuchinni in it which i fucking hate. I’ve never actually had an over easy or sunny side up bc they just smell so bad.

I had to walk this woman thru the concept of “yes I am sexually active, no that doesn’t mean I’ve had a dick inside me” so I’m not sure I, like, trust her. Plus it just feels like they’ll just think I’m a lazy fat girl.

Appearently I can’t have white rice bc refined grains add to blood sugar so. Ughh.
Eta: here’s one if the lists I’ve been using

I haven’t expirimented w them that much. When I have them its part of a stir fry or been baked w a chicken for a couple hours, and I don’t rlly like either method.

 

a quick google search says that for broccoli, baking time is 15-20 minutes. Carrots, 40 minutes to an hour. Potatoes, pumpkin and kumera, about 45 minutes.

...'A couple hours' is probably overcooked.

 

Being fat doesn't mean that you don't have a right to stand up for yourself. Ask very clearly which diet is more important because following all of them is too restrictive. Personally, if you're not willing to talk to the doc about it, I'd focus on the IBS diet first. It sounds like they're worried about your glycemic index because of diabetes? Following a low GI diet is also a weight-loss fad. Just poking around, you might be able to have white rice if you mix it with a high-fiber vegetable.

I found some egg ideas... https://andhereweare.net/almond-dutch-baby-grain-free/ And then there's shaksusha.

 

Have you ever tried eating frozen berries? I don't mean frozen and then thawed, I mean still frozen. I hate the textures of a lot of fruits, and berries are about 400% more edible when they're frozen.

 

If you’ve got texture problems with veg, maybe try making soup?

 

I might have been exaggeratinfbbut thats good to know!

Actually I didn’t hear anything about possible diabetes, but I def have fatty liver. Rn my goal is to focus more on the fat stuff than the fodmap stuff, or at least try and see if onions are garlic absolutely ruin me. Dairy definitely does.

Huh, I haven’t. I’ll try it, thanks.

I...don’t know how...but it is a good idea. My mom has offered to help me cook on her day off so maybe I can ask her about that then.

 

I also have fatty liver and am in a diet for it (though... not following it as well as I should). I was at level 1C, so it might be different if you have more damage to your liver cells, but my dietitian allows me a bunch of carbs, and definitely brown rice. More specifically, it gives me
1 slice of whole wheat bread each for breakfast and after-dinner snack, and four tablespoons of whole rice for lunch and dinner, plus the carbs present in legumes and vegetables. I can also eat some dark chocolate and one and a half portions of Fruit; you don't want refined carbs like white rice and excessive fructose because it affects your triglyceride levels the most, and these are an indicator of liver fat because... they are like, precursors to liver fat or something like that. It's been a while since I talked to my doc.

If you want I can post my meal plan to give you some ideas?

 

They didn’t actually tell me anything about levels or w/e? Thy just called me the day after my ultrasound like “yo yu have fatty liver so eat better and excercise more byeeee” like. That is basically entirely it. Huh. But yes posting your diet would be super useful thank you!

 

Picture me giving your doctor an extremely judgmental smile right about here.