Learning one day at a time!!

[Msmith2010]

Hello everyone,

My name is Miranda and I was diagnosed with Crohns a little over a year ago.
I was overweight when I was diagnosed so I sort of tried to put a bright side twist to it and think hey this will help me lose the weight!
Boy was I wrong, after the initial diagnosis and being sick for almost 6 months before diagnosed, I did lose about 40lbs, but between steroids and different treatments I gained it back and some.
I am now the heaviest I have ever been in my life, a disghusting 275lbs
I stress myself out over my weight, but when I try to diet and "eat the right things" my Crohns flares up and I remember that I can not eat the fruits, veggies, etc...That is always suggested as a healthy balanced diet.
I know stress causes flares ups also, and between gaining the weight and my husband leaving me for another woman in the middle of my struggle I stay stressed.
I work a lot and love my career but even that has been in jeapordy lately due to the flare ups and how sick I have been.

Anyone have any good ideas on how to lose weight and maintain stress when diagnosed with crohns?

Hope to hear back from you soon,

Thank you

Miranda

 

[Nyx]

Sorry I don't have any advice for you, but welcome to the forum. There are tons of folks on here for support and advice...also, you may want to take a peek in the food section of the forum, might be something there.

Good luck!

 

[MisB]

Thank you for posting this. I know how you feel. I've had the same problem, just didn't quite know how to put it out here.
I'm 40 pounds overweight and wondering how to safely lose it. My current flare started April 7th and since then I have lost about 10 pounds, but that's it. I'm still on liquid diet, slowly transitioning to solids. I'm trying to find things that won't hurt and help lose weight, but it's hard. I've actually thought about staying on mostly liquids for a while, but don't know how healthy that is. Hopefully someone has some ideas.
I'm sorry about your husband. I thought getting fired from my job while in the hospital was bad enough. I can't imagine my husband leaving. My prayers are with you.
Good luck!

 

[Regular Joe]

Hi Msmith,

One of the things that really worked wonders for me at first, before my flare began, was the Weight Watchers "Core Plan". That diet is a tried and true healthy way to change lifestyle habits, and to lose weight in a healthy manner - about 2lbs per week. That's just what it did for me. Weight Watchers has been around for ages, and EVERY physician I've met will always give it the green light. I was on the Core Plan from November 2008 until June 2009 when my flareup began.

The flare has taken over, and taken the place of the Core Plan. Crohn's has changed my eating habits and lifestyle to a place where they've never been. I used to love food - guess I still do - but Crohn's Disease has made eating about the most fearful and miserable experience in life. Most often, my appetite completely shuts down. I lost almost 30lbs on the core plan. Since I've been in the flare, I've lost almost 50 more ponds. Right now I'm taking Entocort, but it doesn't seem to have any effect on my appetite one way or the other.

Saturday night, I decided to eat at the Longhorn Steak House. I ordered a modest dinner with a cut of sirloin, because of the lower fat content. Fat sends me off into severe cramping. I decided to take a chance with a salad. I took two bites, and suddenly my stomach and upper GI decided to shrill. It was only a couple minutes, but I broke out into a sweat, and the pain was stabbing. I immediately lost my appetite. The pain went away, but I had no more desire to eat, even though I'd been very hungry beforehand. It was over. I took the food home in a box. The fun of eating out is gone, and I never know how I'll feel whenever I do eat out. I used to wonder why my girlfriend would never want to go out for dinner. Now I know.

The absolute biggest key to me losing weight and keeping it off from the Core Plan is to recognize your body's "cues" to hunger. I grew up in a family that tended to overeat, and that was how I learned to eat. For almost 50 years I thought you were supposed to eat until you feel "full". Wrong.

The Core Plan was easy for me because I'm not "addicted" to food. I don't eat for emotional reasons. I don't think I ever did. I just ate because I felt hungry. Many people have psychological reasons they overeat, which would make even the Core Plan difficult. But I've always known that people are overweight because they consume more calories than they burn. Just simple math. I was overweight because I ate too much - which is the reason most people are overweight.

I learned from the Core Plan that "normal" eaters eat only up to the point where they don't feel hungry any longer, which is a notable difference between that point and feeling full. Learning to find this point of not feeling hungry was pretty easy. I just took pauses and breaks when I sat down to a meal. Sure enough, I wouldn't be hungry after I finished about 1/2 of what I served myself - this was all "Core Plan" foods, too - which you can eat any amount you want. For my whole life, I had the whole thing wrong. So it became easy to logcally re-learn the "normal" way to eat.

This brought a great benefit that applies to Crohn's disease and this flareup. If I eat until I feel "full", I'm guaranteed to get a horrible bowel response no matter what I eat or how I'm feeling beforehand. If I eat only until I'm not hungry, this keeps me in a much safer "zone", even when I start getting symptoms. For me, it was a "lifestyle change" that just happened pretty much as a change in habits at first. But that change became more than a "lifestyle" thing that I could change back. Now eating this way is survival.

The other BIG factor that the "Core Plan" taught me was that I can very easily get around the need for sugar. I found that I could eliminate that without much effort. But as soon as Crohn's kicked in, a diet high in refined sugar is our worst enemy. Lucky for me, I learned how to change that beforehand. So the Core Plan has been useful both before and after Crohns disease.

 

[Awbrey]

Welcome I too stress about my weight, I have found that stressing about it makes me gain more. I gave the scale away and instead of feeling like im gaining i think positive, like these pants feel a little looser today. I really think if you cut down your portions and think positivity things well be better. No more negativity. My boyfriend left me as well, I was a complete mess. I also have a harder time working out because i get tired so easy. I joined Jazzercise and love it see if there is one where you live. Just a suggestion wish you the best <3

 

[belle1999]

Miranda, I am right there with you on the weight thing. I, too lost a lot of weight and was happy about that. But then it all came back and then some. I think part of it had to do with the meds and not getting to eat fruits and veggies for a while.
I am still trying to adjust and learn what I can eat in terms of the stuff that is good for you. Perhaps you can start adding fruits and veggies back into your diet slowly, once you are feeling better. I have found that I can handle some fruits and veggies (only if cooked). I just have to learn to control my portions better and get back on track.
Exercise is so hard when you are so tired. I still haven't been able to get that in. I keep thinking I am at least going to jump on the Wii Fit once in a while, but am just so fatigued, I can't do it.
Maybe a small walk to start with?

 

[Astra]

Hi Miranda
and welcome

Can't help you with the losing weight thang, even tho I've put weight on myself (bloody Pred!!) cos I'm just glad I'm eating well and feeling really well, the weight is the last thing on my mind! It'll come off when it's ready, it always fluctuates, but I'm a grazer, little and often, which helps with gas and bloat, and I don't consume too many calories during the day by grazing.
good luck
xxx