Help...I'm struggling to drop weight

[DJW]

Hi all.

Background:

I've always tried to be an active participant in sports since my diagnosis many year ago.
Not always possible when flaring.

I was in an extended 2 plus year flare with multiple surgeries due to obstructions . That kept my weight down.

Two years ago I started imuran and last September I started Remicade.
I've put on about 45 pounds since then.

For the last 1.5 years I've been tracking calories, exercise (walking) and healthy eating.

I have about 1.5 metres of intestine. (Should make me underweight right? NO!)

The issue:

I walk about an hour to an hour and a half per day (brisk walk).
That's roughly 7,000-10,000 steps a day.

I try to restrict calories to 1500-1800 on walk days. Sometimes it's a lot lower...no good.
I'll drop 5 pounds in a couple weeks but I'll be physically wiped out until I get more calories in. Then the weight goes back on.

I'm one of those older crohnies who has fatigue all the time; even when not flaring.
I'm seeing a counselor to deal with any depression/anxiety related fatigue.

I'm at a loss. I'd love to join a gym, cycle, or start martial arts but walking still does me in for the day.

Thought?
Thanks.

 

[scottsma]

I know this won't be much help Dave,but why are you being so hard on yourself ???
In an ideal world we would all be slim and fit and lovely to behold.
It seems to me that you're doing the best you can,and also that you're aware of diet and fitness.But weight is a problem for a lot of people as they age,and health dictates what we can achieve.All I can advise,is cut the SUGAR,and be aware of fat content.But you know that already.Best wishes.

 

[DJW]

Good point. I needed to hear that.

I get frustrated. Keep thinking...I'm missing something.
I'm getting older, not working and single...the wall are closing in. Lol!

 

[UnXmas]

I wouldn't worry too much about not being able to do more exercise. Exercise can improve your health in many ways, but many people over estimate its effects on weight. (The amount of walking you're doing is enough to benefit your health in many ways.) If you were sticking to 1500 to 1800 calories all the time you'd probably be losing weight, or at least not gaining any more, even if you're not able to do strenuous exercise. How many calories do you have on the days when you're not limiting them and the weight is going back on? How often does that happen, or how long do the periods of weight gain last?

Rather than having times when your calorie intake is very low, if you try to stick to around 1500 to 1800 all the time - but don't ever drop to less than 1500 - you may avoid the fatigue and you will have more long term success. You will lose if you keep your calories low enough; the problem is that you are having times when you are not limiting them and are having more than 1800 a day. Try to avoid the fatigue that leads you to that by not dropping your calories too low. If you're an average height male then you shouldn't need to drop any lower than 1500 to lose weight, and may well be able to lose while eating more than that. Rather than having ups and downs, try to keep it even and have a weight loss that is slow and steady.

 

[DJW]

I have a five pound range. Thankfully I've stopped the constant gain. So I'm having some degree of success.
Losing is just so much harder than it used to be. Maybe I should just get rid of the scales and focus on walking, eating well (healthy) and stop beating my head against the wall.
Thanks.

 

[Tuff]

I started using myfitnesspal (free) three months ago. I've lost over 15 lbs so far, slow but it's staying off. I find that exercise doesn't help me lose weight, but counting calories does. I stay away from sugar and bread except for my breakfast bagel. Maybe it's the walking that is making you physically wiped. Could you try something else, like weights? This is what I use http://www.dumbbell-exercises.com/top-10/index.html
I agree, don't be so hard on yourself.

 

[hugh]

just a thought and worth investigating,
Comparison with ancestral diets suggests dense acellular carbohydrates promote an inflammatory microbiota, and may be the primary dietary cause of leptin resistance and obesity
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3402009/

-the basic concept is that 'a-cellular' carbs (processed foods, flour, sugar) are digested differently from 'cellular' carbohydrates (plant cells that haven't been ground up).
Restricting calories is a hard way to diet, being hungry and tired all the time is no fun, but obviously you would need to consider what you can digest when thinking about diet
"And so they have a completely different impact on the gut microbiome. When you compare diets and you take one diet that has 25% or 30% of calories as carbohydrate in the form of these cellular carbohydrates, the tubers and the fruits and the vegetables, and then you have another diet that’s 30% of calories as carbohydrate in the form of flour and sugar, those are going to have a completely different impact on the body. And Spreadbury’s argument is the thing that’s mediating that difference in impact is the gut microbiome. "

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=72911

 

[DJW]

I started using myfitnesspal (free) three months ago. I've lost over 15 lbs so far, slow but it's staying off. I find that exercise doesn't help me lose weight, but counting calories does. I stay away from sugar and bread except for my breakfast bagel. Maybe it's the walking that is making you physically wiped. Could you try something else, like weights? This is what I use http://www.dumbbell-exercises.com/top-10/index.html
I agree, don't be so hard on yourself.

Thanks, I'll check out that app. I think some light strength trading is a good idea.
Anything to increase my energy is welcome.

 

[DJW]

Thanks Hugh. I hadn't thought of it that way (types of carbs).
Tired and hungry is awful. The hungry I can deal with but this being tired all the time sucks.
I'll start experimenting with some diffrrent types of plant carbs. See how my guts deal with them.

I know my current routine isn't dropping any weight or moving me closer to normal living.

 

[hugh]

It's only part of the picture, but I think it's a big part......

 

[DJW]

I understand that. I think it's a good start.
I ate a lot of sweet potatoes and carrots and got tired of it...I need to do that again.

 

[Tuff]

I'm eating about 1200 calories a day, sometimes more, sometimes less. I'm not tired or hungry. You learn to pick foods that have less calories but make you feel full, like a banana. Also I've shrunk my serving sizes. One cup of pasta is a serving. You get used to it. When hungry, I can have a big bowl of homemade veggie soup for 100 calories. I put on a lot of weight on prednisone, I was always ravenous. Give yourself a year, so there is no pressure.:ghug: