Introduction

violingirl2603

Hi! I thought I would introduce myself, and mostly, my problem. I'm sorry if this is too long.

I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when I was a freshman in high school. Crohn's is a digestive autoimmune disease that causes uncontrollable weight loss, joint pain, anemia, and tons of other problems. I am 5' 4.5" and have never been too skinny by other people's standards, except when I was sick. When I got sick, I went down to 115-120 lbs. I can't look at a picture of myself at that time because I hated the way I looked and felt, since not only was I very sick, that weight range looked terrible on me.

After treatment, I went back to my weight of about 140-143. I wasn't happy at this weight either, as I felt it was just a slight bit too heavy for me, so I started exercising more regularly since I was feeling better. However, my weight started creeping up when I started to exercise. At first I thought it was muscle gain, but the pounds didn't stop. Soon, they stopped at about 157ish. I found out at this time that my medication, Remicade, causes uncontrollable weight gain in Crohn's Disease patients, ultimately leading to obesity in many cases. There is nothing the doctors can do, and many don't recognize that there is even a problem. It is better for Crohn's patients to have some extra weight in case of going out of remission, but this was ridiculous. I can not go off of this medicine.

I started extreme exercise measures recently (P90X), and it added more weight, pushing me up to 165, where I am now. While there was a great change in the tone of my body during P90X, I didn't lose any of my weight. In addition, due to my joint problems from Crohn's disease, P90X really hurt my knees, so I decided to stop it (though I still use many skills from the program, including the ab workout). During this time, I didn't really watch my calories closely, as this is difficult due to Crohn's (it is actually healthier for me to eat a cookie than many fruits and vegetables due to the fact that many produce items can get stuck in the intestines). I am hoping that, through watching what I eat and exercising in a smart way (elliptical training, walking, and swimming, along with other activities that are better for my knees), I can continue to keep extra pounds off (which I have for awhile, luckily) and eventually lose a few.

It is very helpful to see the progress I make at the end of the few days I have tracked my calories and exercise, especially the "where I will be in five weeks" part. I know I will probably not reach that in five weeks, but if I could just lose one or two pounds by then, I would be overjoyed. It would be nice to fit in my clothes again.

Nomomush

Welcome to MFP. I hope this site helps you with your health and fitness journey. Good luck to you!

Butterfly310

Welcome to MFP...you will find an overwhelming network of support here. I have a very close friend who suffers from Chrone's since she was 7 years old (she is in her 30's now) so I understand, through her, some of what you deal with. Wishing you the best of luck!!!

vitacat

Hello and welcome to MFP I hope it helps you achieve your goal!

melanienj

Welcome! You will find the support that you need here!

My daughter was also diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. It causes her weight gain as well. We control it with a gluten free diet that does not irritate her stomach, etc...he weight stays down and she is getting better. Also try drinking lots of water, at least half of your body weight in ounces. So for you that would be 10- 8 ounce glasses a day...

HTH...Melanie

violingirl2603

Thanks to all, and especially for the water tip: I know I can drink that much, especially on days before treatment, like today ("plump day," I have really small veins that don't work well with needles). Now I just have to work on drinking that much every day