Loosing weight and diet tips

Crohn's Disease Forum

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Are you doing anything already? Any exercise? Any junk food you can cut down on?

I'm trying to lose some weight also, but I haven't gotten a diagnosis yet. Waiting on one more blood test. So right now I'm inflamed and a lot of exercises are not possible without some leakage. Walking is one thing I can do though and it's good for your mood too.

Can you share a little of what you are already doing? That will help people come up with suggestions. :)
 
My daughter gained 50 lbs over the last two years and is now trying to lose weight too. she has active U.C. or crohns but is pushing ahead with her diet. She has eliminated a lot of carbs. She eats mainly whole wheat breads, yogurt, eggs, lean meats.. it is making her feel better and the pounds will slowly come off.

She is 15 and determined to be as healthy as possible.
best to you ladies as well
 
in my experience exercise doesn,t make a big difference to weight loss but its got tons of other advantages i do the gym 5 days a week by the way,its calories in that make the difference and slowly is better than it falling of i have taken 8 stone off in 6 months,way to much and to fast,slowly is more likely to stay off.good luck all the best
 
I've had a weight loss journey that spans over 20 years. I gained weight after I went through a seriously stressful time and also tried to follow a diet based on morality, and not healthful common sense. I tried to be vegetarian, succeeded for almost 10 years, and then went vegan, and immediately knew there was something very wrong. Besides that I had been gaining weight (if you tell this to a vegetarian/vegan, they'll say, you did it wrong - victim blaming)...

I was getting deficient in Omega 3's and vitamin D, this is despite being religious about sunning myself (ignoring all medical advice to the contrary, I've got excellent skin) and using tanning salons. Without Omega-3's I wasn't able to absorb the light well enough to form Vitamin D in my skin, so I became dangerously deficient, and my doctor gave me those 25,000 IU pills to take every week.

Sadly, I abandoned the vegan diet and latched on to the vegetarian "for health" after that! I really didn't get it until I read Dr. Atkins new diet revolution and realized it wasn't as wacky or silly as I expected it to be. Meanwhile, I have tried so many diets. But I'm convinced of a few things now. NOT that what I know is true for you. The first thing I'm convinced of is this:

Everyone is different. maybe some things are true for many people, but nothing is true for every person.

Some things that I think are probably true for most people:

1. People won't lose weight if they're inflamed. There are a lot of diets out there to stop inflammation. The Zone, Atkins, even Fit for Life and Eat to Live claim to stop inflammation. But for most people , it's the carbs that fuel the inflammation fire, so study up on which carbs don't upset your tummy (you're probably already doing that).

2. If you possibly can stand it, cut out wheat. Monash university has shown how much wheat changes the intestinal flora, in fact they used it as their main "FODMAP" in their initial tests when they were developing their low fodmap diet. But there are so many other good reasons to avoid it, such as the effect on the brain (see "Grain Brain" by David Perlmutter). Some people lose weight just by cutting out wheat alone, claims "Wheat Belly" another popular book and about 1000 people online - they can't all be lying.

3. Exercise isn't going to allow you to have dessert while you lose weight, it's not about calories in/ calories out. It's about neurotransmitters, and about insulin resistance and about intestinal motility. In short, there is no single action more essential to your health than exercise. If you're the hyper type of personality, then you'll be bored to death (like me) walking... pick something more fun like swimming, or buy an elliptical for home and see how fast you can get it to go. Walking outside is still good if you have a more complex option. And remember to bring music if you're doing a dry activity.

Personally I think it's better to take meds and exercise and eat right than it is to take less meds and not do these things.

There are other options you might want to research as well. But they shouldn't be undertaken lightly. Such as, I fast regularly, it helps both with control of the intestinal flora and with prevention of weight gain since I'm on a high fat diet (don't let he paleo's tell you it's ok to eat tons of fat, especially for women it will at least prevent weight loss). I also use protein shakes and have gone for months only drinking protein shakes and taking vitamin mixtures. I've lost considerable weight doing that.

The reason I think Crohnies gain weight is because we're exposed to so many antibiotics. And every time we are, the germs gain new skills at breaking down carbs. As the germs get smarter, I think we get more than 4 calories per gram out of carbs. But that would need to be proven by a court of law... ahem... a scientist. here's what makes me think that:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23995682 Meanwhile, the bad germs get stronger...

The "other cited links" branching off form there are fascinating reading sometimes too. I get lost in rabbit holes like that all the time.

I think this book is a great place to start if you're going to give yourself a health/diet makeover. The author's story is similar to mine, except she followed the 80/10/10 diet for a year and she's much younger than me. For all that, she's really wise for a young woman... I'd elect her to public office any day because she has a lot of critical thinking on display.

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Food-Pyramid-Politics-Interests/dp/0984755128
 
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
carolinefaith14 said:
What should I do to loose weight and eat well without flaring
Click to expand...

Hello there!

What does your diet look like now? How long have you been in remission. If you are very well then my main suggestion would be to focus on a clean eating diet instead of processed. Do your best to stay away from fatty, processed foods and opt for fresher, healthier items.

If you have not been eating fiber much because of a flare I would warn you to gradually re-introduce high-fiber foods back into your diet as too much too soon can be a bit uncomfortable.

When I feel a bit irritated by diet, I resort to juicing once or twice per day to give my digestive system a chance to rest from breaking down solids and still absorb more essential vitamins and nutrients

As for exercise if you haven't done any for a long time due to a flare start off gradually. Find things that you feel physically comfortable doing that are not too high intensity. Walking, swimming, ellipticals, yoga/pilates and light cardio are good ideas. Gradually increase more intense exercises when you feel comfortable doing so but always listen to your body and don't push too hard too fast especially in the beginning stages of remission.

Maintaining your treatment plan is also important in trying to keep in remission. Keep up with your regular doctor appointments, get lots of rest and maintain a stress-free environment to the best of your ability.
 
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Too Many Bum Steers said:
1. People won't lose weight if they're inflamed.
Click to expand...

I just wanted to briefly address this. When you have inflammation going on in your intestines you won't absorb any nutrients where the areas are inflammed. While diet and medication can help reduce and prevent inflammation generally people lose weight when they have active inflammation. Not only will you lose weight but can also become deficient in vitamins and nutrients as well.

"When the small intestine is inflamed -- as it often is with Crohn's disease -- the intestine becomes less able to fully digest and absorb the nutrients from food. Such nutrients, as well as unabsorbed bile salts, can escape into the large intestine to varying degrees, depending on how extensively the small intestine has been injured by inflammation. This is one reason why people with Crohn's disease become malnourished, in addition to just not having much appetite. Furthermore, incompletely digested foods that travel through the large intestine interfere with water conservation, even if the colon itself is not damaged. Thus, when Crohn's disease affects the small intestine, it may cause diarrhea as well as malnutrition. Should the large intestine also be inflamed, the diarrhea may become even more extreme."
http://www.ccfa.org/resources/diet-and-nutrition.html

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vitamin-deficiency-anemia/basics/causes/con-20019550
 
Thank you for clarifying that, Jennifer. You're right that the word inflamed and inflammation is used differently in different contexts. In my post I was referring to full-body low-level inflammation, not intestinal inflammation, though they can sometimes occur together for me.

For some reason in my body, I get both kinds of inflammation and I still gain weight. But my disease has not yet progressed to the bleeding stage yet. Except for one bleeding event. I hope it never does. It might be that at some future date, the inflammation in my gut will cause weight loss, but that has not yet happened to me, so my view can sometimes be skewed.
 
Too Many Bum Steers said:
1. People won't lose weight if they're inflamed. There are a lot of diets out there to stop inflammation. The Zone, Atkins, even Fit for Life and Eat to Live claim to stop inflammation. But for most people , it's the carbs that fuel the inflammation fire, so study up on which carbs don't upset your tummy (you're probably already doing that).
Click to expand...


That first sentence, like the rest of your post, is based on your own experience with Crohn's. Personally, I think its quite irresponsible. It's likely based on your own experience, which no doubt differs to every single person diagnosed with Crohn's.

Last autumn I spent 2 weeks in hospital, having 2 laparotmy's, a partial hemi colectomy and a temporery loop ileostomy. 36 hours prior to the surgery i was lifting twice my bodyweight and running in 45c outdoors. The surgery removed a mass from my intestines which led to other tedious incidents.

The point I'm making is Crohn's differs between every single person that it affects, so what works for you is just as likely as it is likely to not work for the person said advice is passed on to.
 
fastfourier said:
That first sentence, like the rest of your post, is based on your own experience with Crohn's. Personally, I think its quite irresponsible. It's likely based on your own experience, which no doubt differs to every single person diagnosed with Crohn's.

Last autumn I spent 2 weeks in hospital, having 2 laparotmy's, a partial hemi colectomy and a temporery loop ileostomy. 36 hours prior to the surgery i was lifting twice my bodyweight and running in 45c outdoors. The surgery removed a mass from my intestines which led to other tedious incidents.

The point I'm making is Crohn's differs between every single person that it affects, so what works for you is just as likely as it is likely to not work for the person said advice is passed on to.
Click to expand...

I totally agree that different people are different. I make that point all the time. The only part I will disagree with is the "irresponsible" comment. I think the only irresponsible thing to do is to stay silent and say nothing because you're discounting your own experience as too unimportant to help someone. My first sentence may have had more than one interpretation, but it's far from irresponsible. I take full responsibility for not being clear, as you can see from my previous post.

As for not losing weight while having full body low level inflammation. That's something many people experience, not just me.

http://chriskresser.com/how-inflammation-makes-you-fat-and-diabetic-and-vice-versa

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/diets/the-anti-inflammatory-diet.htm

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/13/new-science-weight-loss-introducing-anti-inflammatory-diet/

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/anti-allergy-diet

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/04/gut-microbiome-bacteria-weight-loss

The only irresponsible thing, I think, is shutting people up so that others can't find the truth.

If my advice is off the mark for you, that's ok. We're not in the same place in our disease. I urge you to post your own weight loss tips that are more appropriate for people who are more advanced in IBD, because as you say, we are different, and as I already said, my disease is not as far advanced. There is no need to call me irresponsible though. I obviously can't speak for those who have different disease states than myself.
 
The irresponsible part wasn't directed to your views, more that your views came across as that you were saying them as a fact.

Just for info. If you are going to say anything as factual, and is not commonly known, it would be best to back it up with links that reference studies (peer based if possible). This way we can see that it has been scientifically checked and not just experiences, which can be woolly at best.

If it is just experience, then please be clear that it is :)

Thanks
 
Too Many Bum Steers said:
But my disease has not yet progressed to the bleeding stage yet. Except for one bleeding event. I hope it never does. It might be that at some future date, the inflammation in my gut will cause weight loss, but that has not yet happened to me, so my view can sometimes be skewed.
Click to expand...

There is no "bleeding stage." Not everyone has textbook symptoms of Crohn's. Some never have any blood loss and some only deal with it rarely like yourself but symptoms can always become more severe or minor to none at all depending on the how bad of a flare you're in vs clinical remission to actual remission.

I hope your symptoms don't get worse as well. My point was thought that not everyone has blood loss and not everyone has weight loss either and many other symptoms typically associated with Crohn's disease. You may never experience weight loss from Crohn's which is a good thing. The more inflammation you have/the more severe your flare, chances are you would experience weight loss even if you haven't before. Again though I do hope it never gets that bad. :)
 
I kind of assume that I haven't been diagnosed, despite numerous tests and drinking gallons of barium... and scopes.... and numerous ER visits... because I don't bleed regularly and because I am constipated. But no GI doc has called it IBS in years now. It's always IBD when we talk about it. They just don't specify or get serious about diagnosing it. I can't decide if that's a serious issue or not since I can eke by on diet and fish oil for now.

About personal experience and all that...

So are you saying that it wasn't common knowledge that inflammation (the full body type) leads to weight gain? Because I'm pretty sure every media outlet is screaming it right now, and has been for years. I can provide studies for it also, but I'm never sure if I should go for studies, or more readable things. I'm an egghead, I can read studies all day, but most people get to the point of reading "cytokine" and their brain freezes.

It honestly never occurred to me that it wasn't common knowledge that inflammation is being blamed for obesity right now. I'm completely perplexed why I would need to especially publish studies for such a statement. And you're even asking for peer review. That's laughable to me. Are people really too inept to google something?

google "pubmed obesity inflammation" please

So if I say anything now, you want me to add peer reviewed studies to back it up? This is now a community of research paper writers?

Yeah, enjoy oblivion.
 
Too Many Bum Steers said:
So are you saying that it wasn't common knowledge that inflammation (the full body type) leads to weight gain? Because I'm pretty sure every media outlet is screaming it right now, and has been for years. I can provide studies for it also, but I'm never sure if I should go for studies, or more readable things. I'm an egghead, I can read studies all day, but most people get to the point of reading "cytokine" and their brain freezes.

It honestly never occurred to me that it wasn't common knowledge that inflammation is being blamed for obesity right now. I'm completely perplexed why I would need to especially publish studies for such a statement. And you're even asking for peer review. That's laughable to me. Are people really too inept to google something?

google "pubmed obesity inflammation" please

So if I say anything now, you want me to add peer reviewed studies to back it up? This is now a community of research paper writers?

Yeah, enjoy oblivion.
Click to expand...

actually In UK it's not all over the media. I'm also sure it isn't in other countries either.

Remember this is a forum for everyone, even for people who cannot use the internet as well as yourself. Are you going to deny them something that could actually help them due to them not being internet savvy?

In the scientific community it's always the person who comes up with the information to prove it's correct, not others to prove it isn't. Using this analogy please can you give some credible source to prove the information rather than others having to look (if they can) to find the info.

Cheers
 
For what it's worth, I think you took Too Many Bum Steers out of context. Didn't he say: "Some things that I think are probably true for most people:" ?

So isn't that a clear statement of opinion?

Wow this is a tough crowd! :(
 
Hi Caroline,

I have struggled with my weight a lot on my journey with crohn's. I am a lifetime member and employee of Weight Watchers. When my weight goes up due to med changes or being sick, I sometimes feel like I set a bad example for my members. However, I have to keep in mind that my overall health is way more important than any number on the scale.

Every one is different and our bodies all react differently to diet, medications, and exercise. If you are well at the moment, I would agree with the above statements about eating as much fresh and non-processed food as possible. I tend to over eat, so I like to eat as many high protein meals as possible. Not only do they fill me up for longer, but I don't have to eat as much food to be satisfied.

Just listen to your body. If you're trying new foods, don't try too many at once so that you can identify any triggers.

I would also recommend finding and trying new ways to stay active. Don't do something that bores you. It's hard to stick with boring! My new favorite thing is group spin class!

Best of luck to you!
 

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