Can someone please help?

[acarver19]

So I found out I had IC about 2 months ago. Since then I have not been able to stick to the diet. Is there anything that I can start off with to help me stick to it? It is very hard because I am major chocolate freak. I also like macaroni and cheese, pasta(alfredo), burgers including mayo, salads with ranch dressing. I am pretty sure none of these are good for me but does anyone have any ideas that could help with these sort of foods or any other? Any help would be great.

[shell]

Everyone is different when it comes to diet, but I found it effective to start with the elimination-style diet and slowly add back in foods. Unfortunately, I don't think your favorite foods are part of the elimation diets. But if you choose to go that route it doesn't mean you'll never eat those again, just that you won't for a while.

It took me a long time of trial and error to discover what foods I can tolerate and to what degree, but it was well worth it. Now I feel that I have more control over my symptoms than they have over me. If there is a food/drink that I know will effect me negatively, I can choose when - or even if - I'll have that.

I'm sure many of the others here will have some great suggestions.

[traceann]

I'm with Shell, doesn't sound like many or your faves are IC friendly, - which I would say is/was true of most of us ICers when we looked at the diet. I remember thinking "Hey! None of my faves are on here, this is just wrong!" LOL But when the difference between bladder feeling awful and bladder feeling ok enough to go shopping with a girlfriend or get through work fairly uneffected, I had no choice but to stay the course.

And like Shell said - it does not mean you will never eat them again, I found many times that something that bothered me once - I retried at a later date (a month or so later) and could handle just fine. I chose to view it all as "temporary" (regardless, lol) - something I could do for myself for a few months or so, that way it didn't feel so "final" I guess you could say. It was easier to view it as a choice, instead of "punishment", at least I was CHOOSING to do this for myself, not told I had to.

As time went on I was able to have a little bit of marinara on my pasta (always with my Prelief insurance), then a little bit of mayo on something, or a little bit of mustard on something - it was all (and still is really) in moderation as time went on. And I found that even though I was a girl who ate pasta just for the sauce, that a few months of no sauce made a couple tablespoons eventually taste heavenly, LOL! As time's gone on and my meds did their thing, I pretty much eat whatever I want now, but I still practice moderation - no point in tempting fate

I also allowed myself one little cheat a week. Usually on weekends (in case I was made miserble, lol) I'd have a favorite no-no food (small amount) after eating really strictly all week long - bladder seemed to tolerate it a bit better than if I'd racked up a bunch of no-no's all week long, and it helped me keep my sanity!!

I really wish I had some definitive answers for you, and again to quote Shell, everyone is different when it comes to how foods affect them, so again, it all boils down to trial and error *sigh*....

[amartaingirl]

Re

I Have No Problems With Any Of Your Foods.

Peanuts Are My Main Trigger

[Kathy in Canada]

IC diet

Maybe you could try making home made macaroni and cheese using mozzarella cheese. I love fresh parmesan cheese. But because of the IC I mainly use mozzarella in its place - grilled cheese sandwiches, on pasta, on hamburgers.

Kathy