Does eating help?

[Colt]

I know a lot of people have problems with weight loss. I'm not obese or anything, I'm 5'5 160lbs currently but instead of losing weight I tend to gain weight when I have a flare. I jumped at least 10 pounds with my recent severe 2 week flare-up and I've made it clear to 175lbs when I was at my worst. I probably average 155 which is a bit more than I want to weigh but not terrible.

I find that my lack of activity is part of it, but I think I'm eating a lot more than normal too. I have terrible nausea and loss of appetite but when I eat I get some temporary relief. Having food in your stomach will slow down your intestines and of course 20-30 minutes after I finish eating I'm as bad off as I was before I started eating. I tend to push past the nausea and lack of appetite and make myself eat something, even if it's just some yogurt, desperate for that brief period of relief. This results in me snacking all day long while I lay in bed or curl up in my computer chair.

Does anyone else see weight gain during flare-ups or approach eating this way during their flares?

 

[soupdragon69]

Yep that sounds familiar. I am overweight and absolutely hate it. I eat anyway when feeling rubbish guts wise as part of it is comfort and the other part is I do feel better guts wise for a little while like you Colt so you are not alone on that front.

I find when I am doing fine guts wise I lose weight. I just want to get into some sort of stability when I can lose the rest of the weight!

My dietitian and gastro team tell me it will happen and not to worry about it. But I absolutely hate being like this and of course steroids i.e. pred make me worse on this front too!!

Anyone wanna shoot me now?? ;-)

 

[Kev]

Age old question back home was: "Do you eat to live, or live to eat?" Who knows.

I figure, whether it be emotional or physical, if one can find comfort in food (or any thing) with this disease, then take it while it lasts. Frinstance, my 2 younger bros could eat me under a table N not gain an ounce.... whereas I had to exercise or workout not to get pudgy... But, they both lost their hair N developed ulcers... so it all balances out, right? Then I got IBD, so who has had the last laugh? It wasn't funny when I couldn't even swallow water taking my pills without extreme (and I mean extreme) pains. I think for women the whole 'body image' thing is way worse... and deliberately driven that way be a plethora of marketing conglomerates who don't give a rats ass for the 'poison' they inject in the minds eye of folks. Frinstance, I have it from a reliable source
that 80+% of the 'patients' at childrens psych ward suffer from eating disorder.
Mostly female... mostly driven by media... mostly striving, even dying, to fit in with the 'ideal' image... And that 'image' is often the creation of people who really aren't 'woman' friendly. Like, how many straight male fashion designers
come to mind? Think 'they' would rather a woman have the body shape of young males... Wasnt' there an article not long ago about 'bone density' in women... that a 'woman', in her 30's - 40's, SHOULD aim for at least 10% more than the 'ideal' body weight to prepare her for bone loss post menopause?

Think one has to look at the bigger picture... 'ideal' weight offers benefits, but so does 'good' emotional health, and that if one can find a good balance tween the two... then worrying over a few extra lbs is akin to a tempest in a teapot.