The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[doglover]

Hi guys and gals! I am mostly on the complete plan unless I am going out to a meal, then I eat a salad and some form of chicken! Well, last night for the second or third time I had BBQ grilled chicken salad. I had FF ranch and only dipped, did not put it on top. It had tomatoes and onions on it. There was corn in it but I avoided all but maybe a couple pieces. No cheese and no crunchies. After I was done I had the worst stomach pains. It felt like a burning in my stomach. It lasted maybe 10 min. then subsided. I was extremely nauseous as well. About 1/2 hr later it came again, lasted 10 min and subsided. The rest of the night passed w/out problems. This has happened once or twice before but I cannot remember if it was w/ this same salad.

I am trying to figure this out. I don't think it is food in general as the day before I had been to a Japanese restaurant and had chicken and salad and had no problems. So, I am looking for suggestions here!

I quizzed my hubby on whether he thought I ate too much. He did not and neither do I. I don't know if the BBQ sauce, dressing, maybe eating too fast? Does anyone experience this as well? Have you determined the cause? Any suggestions would be helpful as I am beginning to think I will never have another form of "real" food again. It will be MF forever!!!!!

Thanks for any ideas!
Donna

[Nancy]

Hi, Donna ~

Oh, yucky! I had similar experiences.

I suspected it was due to the meat, not the veggies. Like you, I was on the complete meal replacement program, no regular food. The first time I ate, I had salmon – very rich and rather fatty – not a smart choice for a first meal on my part – but at the time, I thought it would be just fine. Now I know better.

Meat can be harder to digest and even though a chicken breast is lean, it does have some fat and that could create some stomach distress. It is important to chew thoroughly and to drink water with your meal to help with the digestive process. I know that I was so used to eating like a dog – wolfing down my food and I had to learn to eat slower, to chew up the food and not to send it down the chute in a blob. I felt the worst when I first had sugar – it was a major sugar surge and it really gave me a head-spinnin’ rush and I didn’t like it one bit.

Donna, your salad sounds like it was totally fine. Since you had chicken the day before with no nausea or pain, could it be that the chicken had a sugary glaze or that it needed a bit more chewage?

Do you regularly have a bit of BBQ sauce? If it was just plain grilled chix, this is a misery mystery!

I’ll check with the Take Shape For Life nurse and get back with you during the week.

[bk]

my guess is the onions... they can cause gas, and the sharp pains you experienced might have been your stomach trying to process all that stuff.

[doglover]

Thanks Nancy. I'll look forward to hearing the nurses thoughts. I did not see the chicken cooked but it said it was grilled, no frying or glazing. But could have been!

No, I don't have BBQ sauce regularly. In fact, I really don't eat a lot of spice at all. I never doctor any of the medimeals and have not even had any syrups in a while! So everything is really bland-ish in my life. I don't mind it that way! So perhaps it was that. And I have had chicken 2-3 times in weeks prior w/ no problems. So I am really leaning toward it being something like spices or, as bk said, the onions. I really wish I could remember what I ate the last couple times this happened. It did not feel like gas - it felt like fire in my stomach!!!

Anyway, I will try to stay away from very spicy stuff and be sure it helps. Tonight we are going out again to celebrate our children's report cards. I'll see how it goes! And I will try to eat s-l-o-w-l-y!!!

Donna

[Helen]

it sounds like you have what i got. its happened 3 times and 2 of those times were 30 minutes from each other. im on the full fast and havent had any "real" food. but i came to find out it was heartburn which of course has nothing really to do with the heart. your stomach releases too much acid and goes up a little. maybe an anti-acid would help. good luck!

[scrabbler7]

Ohhh - Donna - bummer on the stomache ache. I've mostly done the 5 and 1 plan but have had the occassional full fast day if it's been too hectic for me to eat.

I have found though, on days if I leave it too long between my meals that I get pains in my stomach after I do eat that eventually go away. But I also know that I've caught myself eating VERY QUICKLY those times too. So maybe it's as Nancy said, and you gulped instead of chewed. (I sometimes get to the end of my lean and green and realize I didn't raise my head from my plate the entire time )

Here's hoping your next meal sits much better in your tummy!

[doglover]

I just knew I could count on you guys for a lot of ideas. We went out again tonight to celebrate my kids report cards (we were minus my son last night as he was at a buddies!). Anyway, got yet another chicken salad (good thing I really love them!) and I ate s-l-o-w-l-y and had NO BBQ sauce. It turned out pretty well. My stomach did not ache but just felt full! So I think it was one of two things or a combination - eating too fast and BBQ sauce on a belly use to the blander things!

I'll still be interested in what Nancy finds out from the nurse but I think I may just be careful. I probably have a very sensitive system once I clear all the crap out!

Have a great night and I can't wait to see everyone in roll call tomorrow!

p.s. found a Marshalls near me at got Davinci Kalua and Carmel SF syrup! One was on sale for $4 and the other $5.99! I am so excited to find them! I can't remember who gave us that tip (and too lazy to search your name out!) but THANK YOU!
Donna

[Nancy]

Helen ~ good pointer regarding the acid reducer ~ it could very likely be just that!
A nice fresh load of food down the chute and the tummy acid pumper Dude probably goes into overdrive and squoozes out a bit of excessive acid since he's been out of commission for a while.

Donna ~ how neat to celebrate the GOOD KID reports!

When I was still teaching, I'd call the Daddies (if there were any...) at work on Friday afternoons to give them a Good Kid report - the first few times I did it, it blew their minds!

People are always quick to crab and moan about everything so it is refreshing to hear a good report!

Hey, I am thankful you didn't double over at the table this time. Whew!

[bikipatra]

I was diagnosed over a year ago with acid reflux disease. I take a prescription medication for it called Protonix. Not anymore, but for the first few days on MF, I was having stomach problems. Usually when I had my lean and green early in the day and drank 3 shakes as meals in a row and too much diet soda. One night I had reflux so bad I thought I was dying. I was asleep and came out of the bed and stood up crying for help. I had experienced such a rush of stomach acid that I aspirated on it and some went up my nose. VERY PAINFUL! Nothing like that had ever happened to me before....that was my forst week on Medifast and the acid seems to be in control now.

[doglover]

Thanks again for all the tips!

Nancy, I am so incredibly blessed to have awesome kids. Both do well in school, both behave very well, are mature, smart, kind and compassionate. I thanks the Lord every day for them! We realyl encourage them and celebrate often as a family!

I think being a teacher has to be so rewarding. Bless you for doing that for so many years!
Donna

[Nancy]

Hey, Kids ~

I am back with more information regarding the stomach aches...


The Nurse does not talk to as many people as I do who are on the complete program but for the occasional few, she directs them to start adding food back very slowly and to follow the transition plan as described in the Success in a Shaker Jar book. (BTW, Linda Spangle's book is designed for people on the complete program.) Also my November 2003 Newsletter outlines the Transition Program.

Here's what the TSFL Nurse said: "Some people will start with a few bites of meat such as the fish or deli turkey and take a few days to increase it to 4oz."

Like me, the nurse also suggests that full fasters do tranny over a 6 week period - adding back one new food per week. I know you want that real live food but you've waited this long, don't blow it now - what's a few more weeks? I think this is really important to gradually reintroduce regular food. It is important psychologically as well as physically to not twang right back into increasing portion sizes and foods – many dieters go from fast to feast and that is not good. I like to think of going from fast to glamorous famine because no longer will I ever be able to go to the Boo Coup Buffet and pork out and tank up. If I do, I will twang right back into my former foodie ways and I’ll be staring at the needle on the scale registering 265 and wonder what went wrong…

More from the nurse: "The digestive organs are not used to handling much food and I would definitely expect a upset stomach if this process is rushed. I tend to think the particular combination this customer added when doing "mostly a complete" upset her stomach - Possibly her grilled chicken salad had more seasonings in it then the stomach is used to on a Medifast program."

So, Cutie - blander seasoning, smaller portions of meat and this is especially important for people who have been doing the complete meal deal for a long time -- Gradually increase the amount of meat for those of you going from the Complete Meal Deal Replacement program to the 5 and 1. Small amounts of meat for several days, gradually increasing the portion to 4 ounces, then adding the green salad or cooked vegetables for a week.