Am I the only one on this website who has actually GAINED weight since being diagnosed with LC 3 years ago?
I know I am not eating as healthy as I used to....I've had to eliminate so many veggies from my diet.
I make salads for my hubby and drool......but don't dare eat any. I used to eat oatmeal everyday, and legumes but they are also something I've given up. I very rarely eat nuts anymore too.
So how is it that I've put on 10 lbs while everyone else with MC seems to lose weight? I am a diabetic, and it's not easy to lose weight, but thus far in spite of having to deal with LC, I still manage my diabetes with diet and exercise. I am not overweight, but would love to lose these extra pounds I've put on.
So has anyone else put on weight .....or is this another "side effect" of MC that only effects me!!!
Issy
Weight and MC
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Weight
No my dear, you're not alone.
I've put on 15 lbs in 7 years.
But then, I used to rock climb, white water kayak, snowboard, run marathons and triatholons and on and on.
Can't do that anymore, can you imagine getting out of a climbing harness fast.....stripping off a wetsuite or snowboard pants ---even if a bathroom is nearby (which they never are!) Lol
These days if I can make it from the studio to the house, it's a miracle.
But try this...and it's only a suggestion.
Get some blueberries (frozen or fresh or even dried) and have a cup in the am and the evening - it gives me some relief if I stay away from the salads, spinach and other green leafies. Not a cure - but I find it helpful.
A
I've put on 15 lbs in 7 years.
But then, I used to rock climb, white water kayak, snowboard, run marathons and triatholons and on and on.
Can't do that anymore, can you imagine getting out of a climbing harness fast.....stripping off a wetsuite or snowboard pants ---even if a bathroom is nearby (which they never are!) Lol
These days if I can make it from the studio to the house, it's a miracle.
But try this...and it's only a suggestion.
Get some blueberries (frozen or fresh or even dried) and have a cup in the am and the evening - it gives me some relief if I stay away from the salads, spinach and other green leafies. Not a cure - but I find it helpful.
A
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
hard to say ...
I lost weight during the chronic diarrhea pre diagnosis stage
i have always battled with my weight given hormonal issues and ligament issues and struggling to do lots of exercise
Since diagnosis and while i have been having minor flares, my energy levels are quite low so i have not been doing as much exercise and have not been as active.
at the moment i am probably a happy medium between pre MC and what i was when i had chronic D
which is good as my current wardrobe fits well, some things are a bit loose but rather that than tight.
with years of niggling health issues (namely digestion) i work on the theory if my digestion is happy and my clothes fit - ALL GOOD.
I dont own a pair of weighing scales and dont care about weight persay.
I lost weight during the chronic diarrhea pre diagnosis stage
i have always battled with my weight given hormonal issues and ligament issues and struggling to do lots of exercise
Since diagnosis and while i have been having minor flares, my energy levels are quite low so i have not been doing as much exercise and have not been as active.
at the moment i am probably a happy medium between pre MC and what i was when i had chronic D
which is good as my current wardrobe fits well, some things are a bit loose but rather that than tight.
with years of niggling health issues (namely digestion) i work on the theory if my digestion is happy and my clothes fit - ALL GOOD.
I dont own a pair of weighing scales and dont care about weight persay.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
I won't even mention how much weight I have put on. It's too embarrassing, and a little more than those who already commented. 
As someone who has always had a struggle to keep my weight down, I find the struggle just continues. Losing some low GI foods and the high GI of the GF replacements hasn't helped.
For example, I used to do well with oats for breakfast. But GF cereals or porridges leave me starving and nibbling during the morning. I am finding that if I have at least two eggs and some vegies it helps. (I zap silverbeet, mushies etc, then add eggs and zap more. Gotta save time in the morning).
I also find that since I have to fill my work cupboard up with GF goodies it is a real temptation when something goes wrong at work (when doesn't it!). Of course, this same behaviour was a problem for me beforehand, just now it is harder because I can't leave the cupboard bare. If I leave it bare, I end up with a grumbling tummy if the day goes downhill and I can't get out of the office at lunchtime. Can't just run downstairs and get a sandwich anymore. So I pig out for the rest of the day. Emotional eating is a doozie of a habit to kick.
And of course, I reckon there is an element of eating more just to make up for feeling deprived when I can't have what I really want. More emotional eating.
And if I do eat something I shouldn't, I get the fuzzies so make poorer choices, and automatically eat more to deal with the tummy discomfort.
So, Issy you are not alone!!
Don't forget overweight can be a symptom of gluten intolerance as well as being underweight. When I feel like blaming something external, I blame the theory that poor digestion means not enough absorption of the nutrients so I get hungry because my body is seeking those nutrients. Surely that is at least partly to blame. It can't all be because of the emotional eating thing....
Lyn
As someone who has always had a struggle to keep my weight down, I find the struggle just continues. Losing some low GI foods and the high GI of the GF replacements hasn't helped.
For example, I used to do well with oats for breakfast. But GF cereals or porridges leave me starving and nibbling during the morning. I am finding that if I have at least two eggs and some vegies it helps. (I zap silverbeet, mushies etc, then add eggs and zap more. Gotta save time in the morning).
I also find that since I have to fill my work cupboard up with GF goodies it is a real temptation when something goes wrong at work (when doesn't it!). Of course, this same behaviour was a problem for me beforehand, just now it is harder because I can't leave the cupboard bare. If I leave it bare, I end up with a grumbling tummy if the day goes downhill and I can't get out of the office at lunchtime. Can't just run downstairs and get a sandwich anymore. So I pig out for the rest of the day. Emotional eating is a doozie of a habit to kick.
And of course, I reckon there is an element of eating more just to make up for feeling deprived when I can't have what I really want. More emotional eating.
And if I do eat something I shouldn't, I get the fuzzies so make poorer choices, and automatically eat more to deal with the tummy discomfort.
So, Issy you are not alone!!
Don't forget overweight can be a symptom of gluten intolerance as well as being underweight. When I feel like blaming something external, I blame the theory that poor digestion means not enough absorption of the nutrients so I get hungry because my body is seeking those nutrients. Surely that is at least partly to blame. It can't all be because of the emotional eating thing....
Lyn
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
emotional eating! i have been doing it since i was 4 months old
the habit started via a dummy (or pacifier) dunked in honey!
i didnt realise i had an emotional eating issue until i was 30, i know why smokers have a hard time quitting it is really hard to break a 20 year plus habit.
pre MC i was doing good with it, eating fruit instead of chocolate or lollies if i was stressed.
post MC and no fruit in my diet yet and like Lyn, my diet at the moment is high GI veges
at work if i am in a hurry to get to a meeting and dont want my tummy to rumble i have the GF cereal as a snack (whereas before i would eat an apple while walking to the meeting)
or if i am stressed or upset then i also have the GF cereal which has a bit of sugar in it
to date i have always figured that emotional eating is not as bad as smoking or excess alcohol....
as long as my weight is reasonably stable and doesnt get worse then it is ok
the habit started via a dummy (or pacifier) dunked in honey!
i didnt realise i had an emotional eating issue until i was 30, i know why smokers have a hard time quitting it is really hard to break a 20 year plus habit.
pre MC i was doing good with it, eating fruit instead of chocolate or lollies if i was stressed.
post MC and no fruit in my diet yet and like Lyn, my diet at the moment is high GI veges
at work if i am in a hurry to get to a meeting and dont want my tummy to rumble i have the GF cereal as a snack (whereas before i would eat an apple while walking to the meeting)
or if i am stressed or upset then i also have the GF cereal which has a bit of sugar in it
to date i have always figured that emotional eating is not as bad as smoking or excess alcohol....
as long as my weight is reasonably stable and doesnt get worse then it is ok
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
I seriously doubt that anyone here has gained more weight than I did. I was ignorant about weight gain from prednisone... so ignorant that I thought it went away after going off the drug. I was on it for 3 months and gained 40 pounds. I continued to gain (much more slowly) after going off the drug. I still believe the drug changed my metabolism somehow.
I am not at my highest weight now but neither am I where I should be. It is coming off as long as I watch my diet and get some exercise but VERY SLOWLY . If another doctor suggests I go on prednisone, I may throttle him/her.
Obviously, my picture here is pre MC
Love, Shirley
I am not at my highest weight now but neither am I where I should be. It is coming off as long as I watch my diet and get some exercise but VERY SLOWLY . If another doctor suggests I go on prednisone, I may throttle him/her.
Obviously, my picture here is pre MC
Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
-- Winston Churchill
I also am one of the ones that put weight on with MC. I can remember, before I was diagnosed, eating lots of veggies to fill me up to help me lose weight (I've been heavy all my life). 2 hours after eating it would show up in the toilet, undigested. I still put on weight. The first steriod they used was predisone and I gained even more weight. Then I quit smoking (after almost 40 years) and I gained more. I hit my all time high 2 years ago. I have struggled to lose a very small portion of it.
I have found I can tolerate salads, if I don't eat a hugh one and don't eat one every day. Sometimes I still get a reaction to one, but I have found that 1 Immodium takes care of that. I am chosing now to eat more salads until I can get this next 30# off. And if I need it, I'll continue taking the immodium with it. That is my choice.
I am glad to hear that you have managed to manage your diabetes with diet and exercise. Hopefully you will be able to add some of those foods back that you used to eat as you continue to heal.
Jan
I have found I can tolerate salads, if I don't eat a hugh one and don't eat one every day. Sometimes I still get a reaction to one, but I have found that 1 Immodium takes care of that. I am chosing now to eat more salads until I can get this next 30# off. And if I need it, I'll continue taking the immodium with it. That is my choice.
I am glad to hear that you have managed to manage your diabetes with diet and exercise. Hopefully you will be able to add some of those foods back that you used to eat as you continue to heal.
Jan
While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart. - Saint Francis of Assisi
Hey Guys,
Thanks for your remarks.....it makes me feel better and to know that I'm not the only "different" one with MC. I was beginning to feel like the "odd" man out on here!
Artie, since I developed MC, my days of running are over. Though I only ran short distances.....2 or 3 miles at a stretch.....I can't take the chance that I might have an attack while running outdoors. Even though I've switched to a stationery bike and elliptical trainer I still have not been able to get my weight back to what it was pre MC.
Lyn, I didn't know that being overweight could be correlated with gluten intolerance. That is new "news" to me! I just thought maybe it was too much unhealthy carbs.
Gabes, have you ever tried the "Baking and Pancake Mix" by Pamela? I make some up and store in my refrigerator for when I need a little gluten free snack. The first ingredient is brown rice.....so I don't fee too guilty whenever I eat one.....but I try not to eat them everyday. This mix is far superior to some others that I have tried and actually even my hubby prefers them to the traditional pancake (wheat) mixes. And I haven't had any trouble with D whenever I eat them.
Jan, I'm like you.....if I take an Immodium before eating any high fiber foods.....then I'm ok.....but if I don't.....oh boy.....I literally run for the bathroom within 15 to 30 minutes of eating the food.
One GI I saw suggested that I either take Entocort or continue to take Immodium for the rest of my life if I wanted to eat these "danger" (ie high fiber) foods.
I know that Entorcort can be a godsend for those who have serious issues, but ....for me.....unless it is a matter of life and death.....I prefer not to take any steroids. So I have opted to take Immodium.......and restrict the high fiber foods that cause D.
I really miss my morning oatmeal and my salads at lunch and dinner.....but for now.........since I am generally dealing with diarrhea once or twice a week (at most) sometimes even less than that.....this is a huge improvement from my earliest days of dealing with this.....shall I say....."crappy" illness.......lol
Shirley, glad to hear that you are going steroid free. I have a friend who was put on Prednisone several years ago (not for Mc) and she ballooned bigger than a house and also got the "moon" face. However, after she went off it....(and you have to wean yourself off any steroid very slowly)...it took her awhile to recover.....but she did.....so hang in there Shirley.....I'm sure your weight will come down too.
Issy
Thanks for your remarks.....it makes me feel better and to know that I'm not the only "different" one with MC. I was beginning to feel like the "odd" man out on here!
Artie, since I developed MC, my days of running are over. Though I only ran short distances.....2 or 3 miles at a stretch.....I can't take the chance that I might have an attack while running outdoors. Even though I've switched to a stationery bike and elliptical trainer I still have not been able to get my weight back to what it was pre MC.
Lyn, I didn't know that being overweight could be correlated with gluten intolerance. That is new "news" to me! I just thought maybe it was too much unhealthy carbs.
Gabes, have you ever tried the "Baking and Pancake Mix" by Pamela? I make some up and store in my refrigerator for when I need a little gluten free snack. The first ingredient is brown rice.....so I don't fee too guilty whenever I eat one.....but I try not to eat them everyday. This mix is far superior to some others that I have tried and actually even my hubby prefers them to the traditional pancake (wheat) mixes. And I haven't had any trouble with D whenever I eat them.
Jan, I'm like you.....if I take an Immodium before eating any high fiber foods.....then I'm ok.....but if I don't.....oh boy.....I literally run for the bathroom within 15 to 30 minutes of eating the food.
One GI I saw suggested that I either take Entocort or continue to take Immodium for the rest of my life if I wanted to eat these "danger" (ie high fiber) foods.
I know that Entorcort can be a godsend for those who have serious issues, but ....for me.....unless it is a matter of life and death.....I prefer not to take any steroids. So I have opted to take Immodium.......and restrict the high fiber foods that cause D.
I really miss my morning oatmeal and my salads at lunch and dinner.....but for now.........since I am generally dealing with diarrhea once or twice a week (at most) sometimes even less than that.....this is a huge improvement from my earliest days of dealing with this.....shall I say....."crappy" illness.......lol
Shirley, glad to hear that you are going steroid free. I have a friend who was put on Prednisone several years ago (not for Mc) and she ballooned bigger than a house and also got the "moon" face. However, after she went off it....(and you have to wean yourself off any steroid very slowly)...it took her awhile to recover.....but she did.....so hang in there Shirley.....I'm sure your weight will come down too.
Issy
IssyW123
Thanks Issy, but I should have mentioned that I was on pred in 2004. I really do think it changed my metabolism somehow because I continued to gain (at a much slower rate) after I weaned off pred and it is a struggle to lose even now. I'm probably about 16 pounds down from my highest weight but I'd be happy to drop another 40. I was never overweight before I took pred.
I had the "moon face" too. I felt and looked like someone had blown me up with a bycicle pump. HaHa
Love, Shirley
I had the "moon face" too. I felt and looked like someone had blown me up with a bycicle pump. HaHa
Love, Shirley
When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber"
-- Winston Churchill
-- Winston Churchill
-
Olivia-Micro-Colitis
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 119
- Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:51 pm
- Location: Fallbrook, Ca
i gained 20lbs in 2 months. Then when i started to flare up even more i lost weight from dehydration. I'm still struggling to keep my weight down and my appearences since i'm currently an "overweight" Marine. we have very high weight standards in the Marine Corps. i've never been over weight til the disease took hold of me. now i'm "light duty" which means i can't run with others incase i have a flare up during the run. i've been doing the eliptical and i joined Curves but i still have trouble loosing weight. I really don't think my prednisone is going to help either.
MC seems to have some effect on hormonal production, and that can have a significant effect on metabolism. For example, hypothyroidism, (low thyroid hormone production), causes weight gain, and thyroid issues are common with MC.
Tex
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8332
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Further to this ...
i was talking to my dear friend yesterday who is a naturopath (and she has IBS)
She was at a seminar the other week where they talked about adrenals, nervous system and impact on the body
long story short, people with conditions like auto immune conditions, their bodies are in a constant state of stress, ie their body is constantly in a mild state of fight or flight and dont return back to calm base level.
in this state the body will store fats & sugars, long term the digestion is not 100% effective and the state of stress exacerbates inflammation (sound familiar??)
each time we react or are stressed (either work or a flare, or family situation, anything) we never quite return back to calm state.
the next time there is a situation again we never return back to a totally calm state, each time the base level creaps up.
For many many years people react two ways to stress/nerves, some loose weight, and others gain weight (or can not loose weight) why the difference they are not sure. along the lines of the digestion and metabolism and thyroid reaction to the adrenal hormones.
the lecture and post discussions talked about impact of stress inflammation on the body and digestion health. I will get the name of the author and put the link up for any articles regarding this in the article section
we are tweaking my herb/vitamin treatment to start treating the adrenals.
I am very lucky she is giving me samples of some of her vitamins etc so i can test them and ensure i dont react to them before i buy bottles of them.
the forum also discussed why some people no matter what they do, struggle to loose weight. the theory was to treat adrenals, encourage people to meditate and embrace various relaxation techniques, ensure they are having sound sleep in relaxed state not in exhausted state.
i was talking to my dear friend yesterday who is a naturopath (and she has IBS)
She was at a seminar the other week where they talked about adrenals, nervous system and impact on the body
long story short, people with conditions like auto immune conditions, their bodies are in a constant state of stress, ie their body is constantly in a mild state of fight or flight and dont return back to calm base level.
in this state the body will store fats & sugars, long term the digestion is not 100% effective and the state of stress exacerbates inflammation (sound familiar??)
each time we react or are stressed (either work or a flare, or family situation, anything) we never quite return back to calm state.
the next time there is a situation again we never return back to a totally calm state, each time the base level creaps up.
For many many years people react two ways to stress/nerves, some loose weight, and others gain weight (or can not loose weight) why the difference they are not sure. along the lines of the digestion and metabolism and thyroid reaction to the adrenal hormones.
the lecture and post discussions talked about impact of stress inflammation on the body and digestion health. I will get the name of the author and put the link up for any articles regarding this in the article section
we are tweaking my herb/vitamin treatment to start treating the adrenals.
I am very lucky she is giving me samples of some of her vitamins etc so i can test them and ensure i dont react to them before i buy bottles of them.
the forum also discussed why some people no matter what they do, struggle to loose weight. the theory was to treat adrenals, encourage people to meditate and embrace various relaxation techniques, ensure they are having sound sleep in relaxed state not in exhausted state.
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama