I am definitely being helped by consciously reducing my amount of food at a sitting and eating way more often. I had sort of strayed from this a little. I am eating a larger breakfast than before and snacking when I am hungry. I am trying to reduce the size of my dinner- even eating in two separate sittings. At work I am bringing easy to eat snacks back to my desk and then on breaks or lunch just having something like half a grapefruit or half a sandwich. If I have a banana at my desk I don't have to worry about being hungry later on. So I have still been gassy but since Tuesday I haven't been as bloated or painful. Also I have thought about the times I have been feeling well and the times when I haven't. My doc had mentioned once in passing how the body responds to change. This is why I have had really good spells after a diet trial (elimination diet that is) and when I first started Heather's diet and felt cured. But then trying to feel that good again is really hard. We should not underestimate our body's natural reaction to change in our deciphering our own conditions. The body naturally seems to feel better when we change our diet. I don't know how this can be used to stay stable but I do know it is really important to remember when doing trials and eliminations. They have to be repeated to really see if you feel better, along with doing food allergy tests. So I think it is a huge process to be completely sure you have a food intolerance.
-------------------- IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!