Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Food Diaries

Kaycee

By Kaycee
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Kaycee Collaborator
Kaycee
Posted

Ever since dieting to loose weight nearly two years ago, I have been using a food diary. Initially it was for counting calories of the food I was eating. Then slowly I made a co-relation between what I eat and my bowel problems, so I started adding my bowel habits.

Now that I am gluten free, have been for eight months, my diary is still changing.

Now I write down the dates, times and what I eat, still count the calories as I worry about putting that weight back on, (I haven't but then have not lost any for at least a year) times of bowel motions and I number them according to the bristol scale. I enter down how I am feeling physically and what vitamins etc I am taking. I also write down the steps that I do.

My food diary has been quite helpful in alerting myself to any problem foods. Ask me what I ate yesterday, and if I did not write it down, I would never know. Maybe I do spend a bit of time poring over my exercise book.

So what do you list in yours, and do you have one?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


rinne Apprentice
rinne
Posted

Mine sounds much like yours except I don't count calories and I do enter moods because I have noticed a real relationship between how I eat and how I feel. Most recently I have realized that I can trace a certain mood to foods high in histamines, though I don't seem to have overt physical symptoms. Oh, and I also note the day's activities.

Interesting topic.

BRUMI1968 Collaborator
BRUMI1968
Posted

Can you elaborate on the "bristol scale"? I just jot down what I eat and when, then how I feel and IF I had odd poop. I'd like it to be more extensive. Maybe if it were put in Microsoft Acess as a database with a pretty entry form, it might be easier. I've actually decided I should have a book I carry around with me, since you never know when you're going to be eating.

I think I'll make a new one:

time, what ate, how much

activities beyond normal stuff

mood

bowel habits

energy levels (this one really fluctuates for me)

misc. things (canker sores, swollen lip, dizzy, etc.)

Hmm. this book sounds big.

I have tried those computer programs that are supposed to analyze your calories and nutrients and whatnot, but I like the free ones and they're never very good -- they want you to enter the values for all the foods - what's the point, then? Plus, a lot of them focus on prepared foods, which I don't eat.

anyway, good post. I look forward to seeing what others say.

Kaycee Collaborator
Kaycee
Posted
  • Author

Check up on bristol stools on wikipedia and it explains from constipated looking ones to diahrhoea. It is on a scale from 1 to 7, with 7 being diarhoea. I still like to keep an eye on this, as I tend to be a five quite a bit too often.

Maybe being a coeliac, I might never get to normal.

Sorry for being a bit gross, but it is one way for me to keep track of things.

Cathy

gfp Enthusiast
gfp
Posted
-- they want you to enter the values for all the foods - what's the point, then?

Sometimes just being forced to look something up can be a good prompt :D

taz sharratt Enthusiast
taz sharratt
Posted

im starting a food diary so some good tips there

oceangirl Collaborator
oceangirl
Posted
im starting a food diary so some good tips there

Kaycee,

Mine looks like yours only no calorie count. Just everything that goes in my mouth-don't log times- just breakfast/lunch/dinner. Don't snack ever really. ALWAYS how I felt all day and what kind of night I had. (Many of my digestive issues wake me up at night-FUN!!!) It is helpful at times and frustrating at other times when I can't seem to find a culprit for things! Sounds like you're doing great with it!

lisa

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Isonic Newbie
Isonic
Posted

Hey this is a great reminder for me, thanks!

I used to have a food diary, counting food weights, amounts and sizes etc but not calories. I expanded that to add exercise and moods and sleep patterns and then when being diagnosed for hypothyroidism, added my waking (ha! which waking, exactly, for an insomniac?) axial temperature and pulse as well as retiring temp and pulse measurements. That was a LOT of detail and after three months I kinda stopped.

Now I think I'm ready to start a log again and I'll include sleep (quality, amount and duration), food and drink (amounts and frequency), moods and energy levels, activities, exercise and bowel movements. The Bristol scale is very useful!

I find once I institute a regular system it's fairly effortless to add to it daily. Longer than daily and my brain fog intervenes and memory is utterly lost. Sigh.

BRUMI1968 Collaborator
BRUMI1968
Posted

what a lovely cat!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. xxnonamexx
      - xxnonamexx replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      32

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      I made it through the holiday w/o being glutened. I had my brother cook with gluten-free breadcrumbs and I didn't get sick. I baked cookies with gluten-free flour and had dry ingredients for cookies in ziplock bag. I also made gluten cookies as well and guess I did good washing to avoid CC. My wife also went to a french bakery and bought a gluten-free flourless...
    2. xxnonamexx
      - xxnonamexx replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      32

      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      What do you mean it would not allow any celiac to eat gluten again. I think if this helps cross contamination when eating out at a non dedicated gluten-free restaurant this would be nice not to encounter the pains. But is their a daily enzyme to take to help strengthen the digestive system?
    3. SamAlvi
      - SamAlvi replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      Hi, thank you for the reply. Unfortunately, no other antibody tests were ordered. I am a 32-year-old male. About two months ago, I ate pancakes and then developed severe diarrhea that lasted the entire day. At night, I became unconscious due to fluid loss and was admitted to the ER, where I received IV fluids. Two days later, I ate bread again and once...
    4. trents
      - trents replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      2

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @SamAlvi! Were there any other antibody tests ordered? Particularly, was there a "total IGA" test ordered to check for IGA deficiency. When people are IGA deficient, celiac panel IGA test scores, such as the TTG-IGA, are likely not valid. If a total IGA test was not ordered, I would request such to be done. Note:...
    5. Scott Adams
      0

      Homemade Gluten-Free Egg Drop Soup

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,844
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    donnawebb265
    Newest Member
    donnawebb265
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • xxnonamexx
      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      By xxnonamexx · Posted

      I made it through the holiday w/o being glutened. I had my brother cook with gluten-free breadcrumbs and I didn't get sick. I baked cookies with gluten-free flour and had dry ingredients for cookies in ziplock bag. I also made gluten cookies as well and guess I did good washing to avoid CC. My wife also went to a french bakery and bought a gluten-free flourless chocolate cake dedicated gluten-free it was out of this world. 
    • xxnonamexx
      My journey is it gluten or fiber?

      By xxnonamexx · Posted

      What do you mean it would not allow any celiac to eat gluten again. I think if this helps cross contamination when eating out at a non dedicated gluten-free restaurant this would be nice not to encounter the pains. But is their a daily enzyme to take to help strengthen the digestive system? 
    • SamAlvi
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By SamAlvi · Posted

      Hi, thank you for the reply. Unfortunately, no other antibody tests were ordered. I am a 32-year-old male. About two months ago, I ate pancakes and then developed severe diarrhea that lasted the entire day. At night, I became unconscious due to fluid loss and was admitted to the ER, where I received IV fluids. Two days later, I ate bread again and once more developed severe diarrhea. I ended up in the ER again and received IV fluids. In my country, Pakistan, doctors are unfortunately not very thorough, so they treated me for a stomach infection. I visited three or four doctors, including a gastroenterologist, but it seemed like they just wanted to keep me on medications and IV fluids. Eventually, I did some digging myself and started connecting the dots. For years, I’ve had excessive gas buildup and frequent loose stools, but I never paid much attention to it. I also cannot easily digest dairy products. Two years ago, I had a CBC test that showed iron deficiency. My doctor told me to eat more meat and said it was nothing serious. However, for the past five years, I’ve also had severe motion sickness, which I never experienced before. Whenever I get on a bus or in a car, I sometimes lose consciousness for 10–20 seconds and wake up sweaty, and occasionally I feel the need to vomit. After more research on the internet, I came across gluten and celiac disease, so I got two related tests (TTG-IgA & TTG IgG) done along with a stool test and another CBC. The stool test showed weakly positive blood. Ever since eating those pancakes and bread, I’ve had a burning sensation in my gut. My doctor reviewed my tests, he told me to completely stop eating gluten and started me on IV fluids for 20 days, saying that I had severe inflammation in my gut. It has now been two months since I quit gluten, and I’m still not sure whether this is celiac disease or gluten intolerance. I don’t really trust doctors in Pakistan, so I thought I might get some help here.
    • trents
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By trents · Posted

      Welcome to the celiac.com community, @SamAlvi! Were there any other antibody tests ordered? Particularly, was there a "total IGA" test ordered to check for IGA deficiency. When people are IGA deficient, celiac panel IGA test scores, such as the TTG-IGA, are likely not valid. If a total IGA test was not ordered, I would request such to be done. Note: "Total IGA" goes by other names as well. I will include a primer on celiac disease antibody testing which does a good job in covering the nomenclature variations connected with the various tests. Elevated IGG scores can certainly indicate celiac disease but they are more likely than elevated IGA tests to be caused by something else.  
    • GlorietaKaro
      Am I nuts?

      By GlorietaKaro · Posted

      Thank you— yes, valid and essential— The issue either doctors is that every one I have tried to talk to about this has essentially rolled their eyes and dismissed me as a hypochondriac, which gets discouraging. I believe a diagnosis would help me to be taken seriously by doctors as well as being validating, but can carry on without it.    There are many, probably most people in my area of my age and gender, who avoid gluten, but many just avoid it casually— eating the occasional plate of wheat pasta or a delicious-looking dessert, or baking cookies with wheat flour for gatherings.  That is not an option for me. I don’t eat other people’s cooking or go to restaurants that do not have strict cross- contamination procedures. It can be boring and lonely, and people do look at me as if I am being a bit dramatic but weeks of symptoms after a single small exposure has taught me to respect my experience.    Thank you very much for your response— sometimes I just need to hear that I am not crazy—
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.