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Weight management-no slim young thing here!

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cagfire

Is there anyone else who puts weight on with crohns?

When chronically ill early on my weight plummeted. I lost 10kgs in 10 days at one stage. Over the last few years though my weight has increased even though I've had major non obstructive flareups and had a fairly recent resection.

I've never had an issue with weight loss and wondered if anyone else had expererienced this as all I ever seem to read about is how people can't put weight on.

Weird, I know. But there it is. Oh my god, another admission!

Lisa
 
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ReeRee

Guest
Boy Howdy! Up untill I was put on Methotrexate injections, I had a really horrible problem gaining weight or maintaining a healthy weight. That went on for 20-24 years. I stayed too skinny and unhealthy as a consequence. Then a year ago I went on the Methotrexate injections and I've gained over 100 lbs in a year!!! This is the heaviest I've been since 9th grade...lol. That was many many moons ago.

Anyway, now I'm fat...
...and my doctors love it because I'm getting healthy finally after all these years, but I have back and spine problems too and the extra weight is killing me. My fragile skeletal system isn't used to packing this weight around anymore like I did in my teenage years.

I'm glad I'm not the only chubby wubby here..lol.
 
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ReeRee

Guest
Nope you're not alone....in fact, there's enough of me for 2 people....lol!

I hate being this heavy, but every time I go to one of my doctors they all say the same thing: "You look FABULOUS!!!" lol. And hey, at least I feel better this way than way too skinny! I can EAT! YAY!!
 
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cagfire

Exactly!!!!! That's what my doctors say as well...although the tummy may not look the best and the hips may be spread further than the jeans would like, at least when you have a bad, bad, bad trip you've got the weight to live off, we could almost be eskimos storing food away for a long winter...lol.

It does get depressing though when the 'typical/average' crohns person has weight gain issues and here you are putting weight on. Sometimes I almost think that people don't believe I'm ill because of the weight.

I haven't been this heavy since high school over 20 years ago...not pleasant memories.

I guess weight = reasonable health instead of it falling off. sigh. big sigh. bloody big sigh.

My wardrobe is chocked full of clothes that have about a 4 size range. I'm afraid to throw stuff out in case I lose weight again (fat chance of that happening). When it doesn't fit I just pack it away and when I lose weight I bring it out again. Nothing goes to 'waist' here...lol
 
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ReeRee

Guest
Sometimes I almost think that people don't believe I'm ill because of the weight.
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UGH I get that all the time. Well you LOOK fine. Well you LOOK healthy. And you just know they want to add "so you Must be cured now". Makes me wanna scream!
My wardrobe is chocked full of clothes that have about a 4 size range. I'm afraid to throw stuff out in case I lose weight again (fat chance of that happening). When it doesn't fit I just pack it away and when I lose weight I bring it out again. Nothing goes to 'waist' here...lol
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Me too! In my closet I have anything from size 8 to size 22 and I can't get rid of any of it. I got rid of my "fat" clothes once, only to regain the weight and have to buy more clothes. THEN I lost all of it again and went back to the skinny clothes. So now I keep everything because I know I'll be back in it any time now..lol.
 
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Donna

Guest
**Raising hand....me me me ...!!! I am also a very big chubby wubby!!!

I alwaysssss get the " you can't have crohn's...your fat!" Or, "maybe if you changed your diet, you wouldn't have Crohn's and you wouldn't be fat!" UGH!

I weigh 310 pounds right now, thank you very much prednisone (and have the confidence to tell you my weight. I figure if I can tell someone that I shit my pants, hell, my weight wont surprise them any further!). I had weighed in at 270+ before I was diagnosed, then dropped down to 220 when I got sick. I gained it all back with the first round of pred. However, this second round, I didn't eat when I was on it ...it just put the weight on. I was told by the docs that the weight is what is keeping me from getting sooo much sicker during flares, because as Cag said, it can keep us going. But...the extra weight takes up my extra energy. I am losing now since I am off the pred, and hope to go back to 240 for now.

Here is an interesting thought too. When I asked my doc how a person can gain weight with constant diarhea, his reply was this. SOME people with Crohn's tend to digest the "bad" calories faster than the "good" one, and that is why they gain weight. For example. I eat a healthy salad with 1000 island dressing. The salad part sails right on thru me, leaving little to be digested, yet the high fat dressing hangs on and is digested.

My doc is also not into diets for Crohn's patients. He says it doesn't work. What works for one, wont work for another. You just have to find your 'flare foods' as he called them. Other than juices, sometimes eggs, and always chocolate, I haven't found a "flare food". It ALL goes thru me! So I eat what I want, when I am actually hungry, which isn't very often.

Ok, enough rambling. Like you guys said, us chubby wubby's need to stick together! The bigger we are the more there is to love!!!

Donna ;-P
 
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ReeRee

Guest


My doc is also not into diets for Crohn's patients. He says it doesn't work. What works for one, wont work for another. You just have to find your 'flare foods' as he called them.
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That's what my doc says too, and I believe it. We are all so vastly different it's unreal.

oh my god...were we separated at birth? we must have an invisible umbilical cord somewhere in the ether!
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LMAO! I wouldn't doubt it..LOL!

I alwaysssss get the " you can't have crohn's...your fat!" Or, "maybe if you changed your diet, you wouldn't have Crohn's and you wouldn't be fat!" UGH!
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Those are the worse!
 
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Donna

Guest
When I told someone once that I had just been diagnosed with Crohn's, they looked at me and said, oh sooo seriously....oh yeah? Wow, my dog had that once and it killed him! You must be one of the lucky ones!

I just rolled my eyes and said oh how sad.
 
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ReeRee

Guest
Wow, my dog had that once and it killed him! You must be one of the lucky ones!
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I'm so glad you didn't have a brick in your hand at the time...*chuckle snort*.

If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?
 
marcia

marcia

Since I have been diagnosed, I have had weight issues as well. When I have flare ups I loose so much weight that my bones stick out like I am beyond an axorexic. Then all the meds push my weight up some 50 pounds and then when I taper off the meds I have a hard time maintaining a weight. It cannot be good for your body to go up and down by 50 pounds. I am trying to work out more to help but it does help to have the extra weight on when I do go into a flare.

Marcia
 
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ReeRee

Guest
Marcia, I do the same thing and I've wondered that too. I'm either gaining or loosing and I'm never consistantly one weight for any length of time. Presently I'm heavier than ever.
 
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Mozam

Guest
When I was younger before my stoma, no matter what neds I was on I was in pain. Cramps like never before etc. I also had major weight problems. I was hungry, don't get me wrong - I'd see some clown come into the ward with a pizza, and the smell was knockout. Problem was, I subconciously associated eating with pain, so I just didn't do it. So as an early teens guy, my weight was something like six and a half, seven stone. I've said somewhere before that I'm no good with conversions, but I reckon seven stone is something like 98 pounds. Pretty underweight for someone who's 14 years old.

Nowadays, my weight is steady. I'm about 10 and a half - 11 stone (140 - 150 pounds), which for my height and frame is spot on. Appetite is fine ( I have NO problems wanting food ), however at times of stress, like when I split from my partner, I wasn't eating as I should. But on the whole, things like my weight/whatever are good.

In answer to your question though Cagfire, when I was ill in my younger days, my weight plummeted. Which seems to be the ususal crohns symptoms, although I''ve learned more about this shitty disease on these boards than I ever did from my consultant, and what I've learnt is that everyone has different experiences, stories, symptoms etc.
 
cookey

cookey

Mama Crohnie
I'm sure if I didn't have Crohns, I would have been twice the weight I am now. I have managed to stay at about 120 to 130, it's really not the way I wanted to feel healthy, but it's out of my hands.
 
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cagfire

Wow, it just goes to show how varied and yet similiar we all are with our crohns.

I'm also not a big believer in diets, although I did see a dietician for a while to figure out what foods set me off and that was a huge help. Getting someone to help me with foods that might be causing trouble such as nuts, seeds etc made a lot of difference to my quality of life.

When I was on prednisolone my weight went through the roof and I became so sensitive to pressure that I had to buy new clothes that were loose and baggy because I couldn't tolerate anything restrictive.

Donna, I'm really interested in what your doctor had to say...I find that some foods go right through me as if I'm a direct route to the loo, yet other foods stick in my system and I feel like I'm choking. I reckon he might be onto something there. I've never found a 'flare' food but as my crohns progresses after a resection I find I can tolerate fats less and less. I know that some foods, like hard nuts, vegies etc can trigger an obstruction but I've never had a flare food trigger.

When I was at my absolute worst I couldn't eat any food with fat in it and I had the most intense craving for fish and chips which if anyone lives in Australia or UK knows is just chocked full of fat. Well...although I knew it was going to 'kill' me with pain I just couldn't resist...arhghdkahskahdf...I paid for my moment of weakness I can tell you, hours of agonising pain. Last time I did that little trick. lol.

After my first resection I lost so much weight I couldn't find a bra to fit me I was sooooooo small!!!!! Ha, now I still can't fine one to fit properly and it ain't because the buggers are too small now!
 
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samantha

Guest
Well I am not a skinny minny by any means grrr wish I was at least a couple of stone lighter.
Sam xx
 
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scottishgirl

Guest
i lost so much weight with crohns, im really tall and was down to 7 stone at one point. i have been on codeine for two years and its put the weight plus a bit too much extra back on! without these my weight would just drop again.
 
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Kate

Guest
i have never had the problem of being under weight except when i was really ill and since ther pred i havent been able to loose all my extra weight (although i have lost most of it) but ild be happy to lose another 2-7 kg lol and once im there i can maintain it easily
 
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