Some of you wondered, “Does meal spacing for SIBO work,” after I published Meal Spacing for SIBO. 

If you haven’t read Meal Spacing for SIBO yet, start there, because I tell you exactly how I do it).

I have now been practicing meal spacing for quite some time, and the answer is a clear yes. Yes, meal spacing for SIBO works!

A reader recently reached out asking a few questions, so I wanted to address them in a blog post today. (By the way, this has been happening a lot lately – messages coming in through my contact form. I am grateful for them, and I will always respond. I have more blog posts coming soon that answer other questions.)

She asked,

• Have you seen significant benefits from meal spacing?
• How do you manage to avoid snacking when you work around food, or even just in general?? Any tips?
• Did you ever experience constant burping with your SIBO? If so, did you find anything to help with that? I’ve been dealing with it for years and NOTHING works, I’m assuming it’s from fermentation or low stomach acid but it’s so hard to tell!

Here are my answers.

Does Meal Spacing for SIBO Work

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Have you seen significant benefits from meal spacing?

Yes, yes, and more yes. On a scale of 1-10 (with 1 being the worst and 10 being the best), I am probably at a 9+-ish with how my gut feels.

As I mentioned in my 9 Reasons I’m a Whole30 Dropout post, doing Whole30 was the only time I remotely felt any SIBO symptoms. I have stayed consistent with meal spacing (and everything else), and I know it’s benefitting me big time.

How do you manage to avoid snacking when you work around food, or even just in general?? Any tips?

Yes, absolutely I have tips. I have 3 main ones.

1. Eat plenty for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

   I cannot stress this one enough. I believe that this has been my primary key to success. When I was an all-day snacker, main meals were likely only 300-400 calories. If you’re only eating three primary meals, though, that number must drastically increase. I’d guess (I don’t know because I don’t count or measure *anything* anymore) I have roughly 500-600 calories (or more) per meal, with one side snack if I really need it. For the record, usually, I do. Just because.

2. Tasting vs. Snacking.

   Sometimes when I’m developing recipes for a client, I have to know what it tastes like (when it’s not gluten free, Ryan and the kids do it for me). But I don’t need an entire serving to know if it’s good or not. For me, a taste here and there, when I need to for work works just fine, and has not seemed to disrupt the meal spacing practice. Tastes, not snacks.

3. Don’t avoid it.

   You want the truth? Sometimes I don’t avoid snacking. When my body is screaming, “Feed me,” I feed her. It’s very important that you not get too caught up in any dogmatic rules. Those rules will also do nothing for your healing. Remember, this is not a starvation tactic.

Did you ever experience constant burping with your SIBO?

Not really, and not to the point that it was a nuisance. That said, burping falls in line with flatulence in general, and in either case, you just need to heal the SIBO to eradicate it.

Meal spacing could help, but I am also a huge advocate these days of making sure your stomach acidity levels are right. Have you ever done the HCL Challenge? Start there (+ 33 ways to know if you have low stomach acid, and 11 ways to naturally increase stomach acid production).

p.s. There is some interesting conversation on the MMC (Migrating Motor Complex) via THIS THREAD that you might want to check out.

Want to Try Meal Spacing?

Because I believe in meal spacing for SIBO so much, I’ve included it (+how to record it) via the 90-day journal key.

This is how you will be able to tell if it’s working for you!

I hope this has been helpful. Stay the course, keep our eyes focused on the prize…..healing! 

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

1. A Gutsy Girl’s Bible
2. Intermittent Fasting for SIBO
3. The Elimination Diet

Xox,
SKH