How can i lose weight with crohn's

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katy

Joined
Feb 26, 2014
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I was diagnosed with crohns in July 2013 and have been in a flare up for 12 months now.

Despite being really ill and have no appetite at times, I've still managed to gain weight and can't seem to do anything about it. When I eat fruit, veg and fibre my stomach is aggravated and feel sick, and when I don't and have to eat high carb, high fat and high sugar diet, I feel sick. I feel so weak and exhausted all the time so I eat food high in sugar to try and get energy. Plus even gentle walking seems to make me go the toilet. Eating high carb and sugar for so long has affected me so much that I get out of breath walking up the stairs and my heart does not seem healthy as I'm getting pains and tightness in my chest and arms.


Has anybody had success losing weight and dieting with crohn's? I really don't know what to do and my nurses at the hospital seem to only be concerned with controlling my symptoms and not my weight or my overall health.
 
I,m a tubby chronic and am finding it difficult to control weight though it's got better recently though the hospital says it hasn't,t?i think you need to be patient let your crohns settle and hopefully on reduced meds which allow a more normal diet.all the best good luck
 
I've had success in the past with using a calorie tracking website to make sure that even though I can only eat low fibre foods (which tend to be high carb and have a really crappy nutrient density); I'm eating under my caloric needs for the day. The one I use the most is MyFitnessPal.

I also love making smoothies out of lower fibre veggies and fruit. My favourite one at the moment is coconut water, banana, blueberries with a little bit of avocado thrown in to thicken it up. You can also juice your favourite veggies and fruits. I make a "juice salad" out of carrots, lettuce, celery, cucumber and beetroot. It sounds a bit gross but it's so nutritious without all of the killer fibre.
 
Are you taking prednisone or any other steroids? These medications are notorious for causing weight gain and increased appetite.
 
kel said:
Are you taking prednisone or any other steroids? These medications are notorious for causing weight gain and increased appetite.
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I was going to ask the same. You need to identify why you are gaining weight (or not losing it) before we can offer suggestions.

Tracking calories will help, but if you are on steroids, the water retention isn't something you can get rid of easily.
 
I was on steroids (for 8 months) and have just come off then, but even with them my appetite wasn't that high. I hoping to lose a bit now I've come off them but I think the main problem is that when I do eat, I only eat high carb, high fat and high sugar foods. When I try to eat healthier with fruit and veg or porridge etc, I get ill. Plus the lack of exercise and any movement at all really.
 
I second myfitnesspal! great app. You can scan/input everything you eat/drink. Recipes you make on a regular basis, you can input as well for calories per serving. You may be ingesting more calories than you think in a day, which may be part of why you can't lose any weight. Having any kind of IBD is so hard :( Hope you feel better soon!
 
I too have gained a lot of weight with my crohn's for the same reasons as you stated; can't tolerate high fiber, raw fruits/veggies, some cooked fruits/veggies, and when not feeling well (which is 90% of the time) carb-rich foods make me feel better/less pain. I have heard a lot of good things about MyFitnessPal as well, but havent personally tried it. After talking with a nutritionist, it was explained to me that it can be hard for our bodies to maintain a regular metabolism because we go through periods of eating, periods of not eating, periods of hunger, not hungry, so it can't develop a rhythm; Plus, if you've had surgery (I've had small bowel so not sure if its same with large bowel), that completely disrupts your absorption of nutrients, your peristalsis, etc.... Its a complex thing - there's definitely no quick/easy fix, so hang in there, try out some different things, but most of all, remember being in control of your disease is more important than being a little overweight!
 
katy said:
I was on steroids (for 8 months) and have just come off then, but even with them my appetite wasn't that high. I hoping to lose a bit now I've come off them but I think the main problem is that when I do eat, I only eat high carb, high fat and high sugar foods. When I try to eat healthier with fruit and veg or porridge etc, I get ill. Plus the lack of exercise and any movement at all really.
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I was on prednisone for less than two months and gained 30lbs and it took six months to go back to a more normal weight. High carb, high fat, high sugar don't really cause weight gain unless you are eating excess calories, which is easy to do, but it's better to keep track of what you're eating rather than speculate.
 
the steroids I took were budesonide, the doctor gave me them specifically because they don't cause weight gain like the others and I'm a young girl. Still though the weight has latched on.

I just have know idea what to eat, I love fruit and veg and ate loads before I got ill. Its like I can feel my heart suffering and my cholesterol getting higher form eating all this crap. I'm on 2 immunosuppressant's as well so I always have some sort of bug which affects my eating.

Has anyone used one of those slendertone ab belts, I bought one before my diagnosis but now I'm scared to use it incase it affects the crohn's somehow.
 
katy said:
the steroids I took were budesonide, the doctor gave me them specifically because they don't cause weight gain like the others and I'm a young girl. Still though the weight has latched on.

I just have know idea what to eat, I love fruit and veg and ate loads before I got ill. Its like I can feel my heart suffering and my cholesterol getting higher form eating all this crap. I'm on 2 immunosuppressant's as well so I always have some sort of bug which affects my eating.
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Budesonide may cause weight gain too and it's listed as a side effect of the drug, but as you stated, eating better food is your goal.

Have you spoken with a dietitian? Perhaps they can offer other options.

Do you have problem with ALL fruits/veg? Does it make a difference if they are blended, juiced, cooked or canned? Does something like v8 or similar juices cause you issues?
 
Budesonide won't cause as strong of a systemic effect as prednisone but it will still definitely contribute to involuntary weight gain.

What it all comes down to is calories in and calories out. You need to write down portions and meals and figure out how many calories you are really taking in each day.
 
I only seem to be ok with potatoes without skin, a small amount of carrots, two or three portions of fruit and veg over 4-5 days seems to set me off.
 
katy said:
I only seem to be ok with potatoes without skin, a small amount of carrots, two or three portions of fruit and veg over 4-5 days seems to set me off.
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Potatoes are a good start - they are quite nutritious (unless you slather them with butter and cheese! :eek:). Are you ok with sweet potatoes? They are better if you have to choose one type.

Are you ok with higher serving amounts when it's canned/cooked fruits/veg? That helps to really breakdown the fiber, so if fiber is the issue, that should help a bit.
 
Even if you aren't eating a lot/don't have an appetite, steroids cause water retention. The key is to drink plenty of water and to eat a low sodium diet. This should flush the water weight out of your system. Also you said you eat lots of veggies and whatnot. Consider low residue/low carb foods. Cauliflower is low carb and also won't cause you as much pain as high fiber broccoli will. The skin from an apple my cause some pain. Maybe stick to pineapples fresh or in water not syrup. Soft bland foods like mashed sweet potatoes. Get Greek yogurt and salmon. Pay attention to your portion sizes. And if food still doesn't cut it you can always resort to juicing fruits/veggies and smootbies

Try the elimination diet first to determine which foods exactly cause you more harm than good. Then build your diet off of that.
 
TexasCoach -- Not sure what the intention of your comment was? Many people with Crohn's struggle with being over weight... As stated above, absorption is a huge issue especially when there's scarring or surgical resection; delayed motility/peristalsis causes excess fat/calories to be absorbed; the need to avoid high fiber/raw foods and stick with more carb rich foods when pain is too great; periods in which fatigue and pain make it impossible to work out; complications/comorbidities such as adhesions, fibromyalgia, arthritis, migraines, nausea making it hard to burn as many calories as you're taking in... Yes, while many people with crohn's have issues being underweight due to the behavior of their disease, many others with crohn's struggle with being overweight too!
 
TexasCoach said:
I have never seen a chubby person with CD.
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You obviously haven't met a lot of people with Crohn's then. What a ridiculous comment, we come in all shapes and sizes.

I go to a Crohn's support group and have about 15 friends with IBD, we range in size from underweight (6-7 stone) to overweight (about 15-16 stone)

Personally I'm in the middle, just at the top end of my healthy BMI, so to some I might be a bit "chubby" but that's just my size and I'm safer there because if I do have a serious flare up and lose weight quickly I won't go underweight.
 
Another one here who has worked hard at weight control for YEARS. At the time I was diagnosed, I'd managed to lose 2 kg with a fair degree of effort (BMI just under 25)... And then they put me on full dose then gradually reducing steroids, and handed me pamphlets on "Crohns and Nutritional Status", "Maintaining your Nutrition with Crohns", etc, etc...
4 years later with a lot of effort BMI is just over 25 (Crohns in remission, off oral steroids)
I think TexasCoach could possibly benefit from reading more widely, and developing a broader information base..


HD
 
Absentminded said:
You obviously haven't met a lot of people with Crohn's then. What a ridiculous comment, we come in all shapes and sizes.

I go to a Crohn's support group and have about 15 friends with IBD, we range in size from underweight (6-7 stone) to overweight (about 15-16 stone)

Personally I'm in the middle, just at the top end of my healthy BMI, so to some I might be a bit "chubby" but that's just my size and I'm safer there because if I do have a serious flare up and lose weight quickly I won't go underweight.
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Actually I have met a lot of people with CD. And I clearly stated that I had not seen many over weight CDers in my life. Not sure what's ridiculous about stating what I have seen. However, yes I am not traveling the world on a CDer tour having a meet and greet with Cders. I am very aware that people come in all shapes in sizes, however I stated that I meaning me, had not been in contact with Cders that had a high BMI index.
 
ellie said:
Another one here who has worked hard at weight control for YEARS. At the time I was diagnosed, I'd managed to lose 2 kg with a fair degree of effort (BMI just under 25)... And then they put me on full dose then gradually reducing steroids, and handed me pamphlets on "Crohns and Nutritional Status", "Maintaining your Nutrition with Crohns", etc, etc...
4 years later with a lot of effort BMI is just over 25 (Crohns in remission, off oral steroids)
I think TexasCoach could possibly benefit from reading more widely, and developing a broader information base..


HD
Click to expand...

I read and I have a broad information base. To clarify, I said I had not seen many, I didn't say it was impossible to have high BMI with CD. I have had CD for 20 years, and I am in contact with plenty of other CDers, and in my circle of Cders I have not seen many. Then again I am mostly around "athletic" Cders. Guess I should get out more :ybatty::ybatty:
 
Everybody relax. I do not think he meant anything by his initial comment. It is true that crohns typically is accompanied by weight loss. Everyone is different and of course there are exceptions, but generally IBD patients will have trouble keeping weight on.
 
Apologies, my post was rather rude. I was just a little taken aback by your statement, as kristihrlene said, I'm not sure what intention your comment had.

You didn't say that you hadn't seen MANY overweight people with Crohn's, you said you'd NEVER seen a "chubby person" with Crohn's, which I (probably in haste) took to mean that you didn't believe that you could be overweight and have Crohn's.

Anyway, apologies again. Let's all be friends!
 
Absentminded said:
Apologies, my post was rather rude. I was just a little taken aback by your statement, as kristihrlene said, I'm not sure what intention your comment had.

You didn't say that you hadn't seen MANY overweight people with Crohn's, you said you'd NEVER seen a "chubby person" with Crohn's, which I (probably in haste) took to mean that you didn't believe that you could be overweight and have Crohn's.

Anyway, apologies again. Let's all be friends!
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oh ok cool no prob. all good
 
If anyone is interested in seeing a fatty with crohn's disease I can post up some pictures of myself :biggrin:

katy said:
I only eat high carb, high fat and high sugar foods. When I try to eat healthier with fruit and veg or porridge etc, I get ill. Plus the lack of exercise and any movement at all really.
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If all you eat is high fat and high sugar foods without exercise then that's the issue right there. You don't have to become a food nut over night, just start paying attention when you buy food at the store and opt for the brands that have less calories, less fat, and less sugar. The more you pay attention to what you consume the better you get about being more vigilant with avoiding junk food.

I say this with experience because I have horrible diet practices and my cooking skills are largely confined to whatever I can heat up in a microwave - but I'm getting better and so can you, as long as you are diligent in seriously wanting to change your eating habits it can be done, just don't expect it to happen over night.

As far as vegetables you really want to make sure they are cooked well. Even a healthy stomach doesn't digest uncooked vegetables very well, but for us its imperative they are thoroughly cooked. Again, I have horrible diet habits but while battling an iron deficiency I became addicted to string beans and continue to enjoy them and broccoli very much. If they aren't cooked, however, my stomach isn't happy.

Also make sure to eat a light breakfast in the morning, this will greatly help you avoid early lunch junk foods. If you are good with Oatmeal this is a really good breakfast because it's pretty filling, and I like to mix in blueberries and/or strawberries, (again, whatever your stomach can manage), and this makes for a very healthy and simple breakfast.
 
I've noticed that when I have a flare and are on the low fiber/low residue diet, taking an awesome multivitamin helps fill in the gaps of nutrients you're missing. It should help you feel more energized since you are actually consuming nutrients you need while on this diet as opposed to empty calories.
Also, has your GI checked to see if you're iron deficient? People with CD can have problems absorbing iron properly which can make you anemic. I am anemic myself and I take a multivitamin with iron. It definitely helps with the energy for me. I do get exhausted easier than before this flare but I can still go to the gym in the morning and have a decent work out.


Noxxia
8 yrs with crohns
 
You mentioned walking is a bit difficult for you? If so, have you tried some bodyweight exercises or getting a set of resistance bands? (They're quite cheap considering the wide variety of exercise they allow) You can give the larger muscle groups some exercise, make use of all the extra calories you're getting from the carbs and it doesn't require you to be a distance from the bathroom.

http://liamrosen.com/fitness.html

Have a read through that. I realise it's aimed toward someone who intends to start lifting with certain goals, but it does cover some pretty straightforward points with regard to diet and exercise without being complicated or impractical.

Only reason I mention that is specific dietary advice and experience seems to vary so much between people with IBD, so I don't feel I've anything to chip in with there. Although I would say to cut out anything processed, since it's usually rubbish... whether somebody has IBD or not.
 
I eat the same diet as you, since surgery fibre is now the devil for me! The way I found to lose weight was instead of cardio (makes me need the toilet) I strength train with weights etc and this has helped dramatically and I lost around 2 stone over 8 months
 
hellokittyabi said:
I eat the same diet as you, since surgery fibre is now the devil for me! The way I found to lose weight was instead of cardio (makes me need the toilet) I strength train with weights etc and this has helped dramatically and I lost around 2 stone over 8 months
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What surgery was that?
 
mmm i don't know the technical description but my bowel perforated and had quite a bit of small intestine removed then had a temp-ileostomy then had it reversed. I have about 2m left and still managed to put on weight haha
 

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