Hey there!
I’m a Peater too, so thought I’d chime in with some tips.
First, if you’re making progress in just a couple months, I’d say you’re definitely on the right track. I Peated for a long time but didn’t make much progress at first because I wasn’t eating enough. Re-feeding with 180d principles started to move things along. And now I’m trying to do a Peaty-180 combo.
Don’t worry if foods that are “supposed” to make you feel good just don’t. Maybe those foods just don’t work for you (right now anyway… hopefully better in the future, but there are no guarantees with anything)– but over time, yes, IBS and reflux issues will get better it your metabolism increases.
Concerning dairy, I can still only tolerate certain kinds and only so much. If milk or ice cream doesn’t work for you right now, then leave them out- it’s pretty common to have issues with those. You can keep trying other kinds of dairy. Hard cheeses, as you noted. Also, a lot of Peaters do well with Greek yogurt, sometimes restraining it to get out more lactic acid, even though yogurt isn’t necessarily Peaty. To re-strain, just put a coffee filter into a colander and dump the container of yogurt into the filter- leave it to strain overnight- the liquid whey will drain out and you can discard it and eat the yogurt.
If fruit is bloating you right now… have you tried cooked fruit? Peaches, plums, apples, pears, etc. The cooking should make them easier to digest. You can also add some sugar while they cook if you want them sweeter.
If you were low carb for a long time, your body may just need a while to get used to processing sugar and fruit again. Think of it like a vegan trying to reintroduce meat. The enzymes to digest that food haven’t been used in a while so the body needs some time to remember what to do. It might be uncomfortable (bloating, reflux, etc) for a while, but it’s pretty common so don’t worry too much about it right now if you continue to feel better in other areas.
Another analogy that might be helpful: people with anorexia who go through a re-feed often have really bad stomach issues for a while (bloating, gas, reflux, slow stomach emptying, nausea, etc). Their bodies aren’t used to processing a lot of foods (and their metabolism are likely slow). Even though re-feeding is uncomfortable, it’s a necessary part of the recovery process for a lot of people. So, even though you have reflux and bloating right now, it could be a good sign that your body is slowly re-learning how to digest sugars, dairy, etc.
If the diet feels limiting, a lot of Peaters incorporate starch and grains into their diets, even though starches aren’t strictly Peaty. But experiment and see what works for you- well cooked oatmeal, rice, etc. If eating grains makes the diet tolerable and makes your life easier, then no biggie to include them, especially if they don’t bother you.
You might already know a lot of this, but just thought I’d give some words of encouragement- it sounds like you’re going in the right direction.
