Weight loss with Crohn's Disease

gill0408
gill0408 Posts: 6 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, Nice to be here! Just wondering does anyone else suffer from Crohn's disease on here? is there any specific diet people think works best? I've been trying to follow the slimming world diet since Xmas and although I lost 10lbs to start off with, it's slowly creeping back on again without changing my diet. Which diets do people suggest? any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks xx

Replies

  • DuckHunter4life
    DuckHunter4life Posts: 1 Member
    I have Crohn's and I too have been struggling, I have finally decided to join weight watchers and also use my fitness pal too. I am down 7lbs in 3 weeks. I like WW because i can still eat what i want, but i am more aware of portion control and helps me pick and choose the better choice. It also helps me when on the road what to order at a restaurant and FF chain if i need to stop there. BUT i still have to watch for signs of my Crohns flaring, like i noticed to much spinach dose not digest the best. And Hummus if a little to spicy is not good either.
  • gill0408
    gill0408 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks. I'm just really struggling. I know I'm not gonna find an overnight cure but I don't think slimming world is the best diet for me anymore
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    gill0408 wrote: »
    Hi everyone, Nice to be here! Just wondering does anyone else suffer from Crohn's disease on here? is there any specific diet people think works best? I've been trying to follow the slimming world diet since Xmas and although I lost 10lbs to start off with, it's slowly creeping back on again without changing my diet. Which diets do people suggest? any help would be much appreciated.
    Thanks xx

    Slimming World's philosophy is that you can eat an unlimited amount of certain foods and still lose weight. That philosophy is wrong which is why you are gaining weight. You aren't eating in a calorie deficit. You cannot eat unlimited lean meats, nuts, seeds, etc. and expect to lose weight. Meat has calories. Nuts have calories. Fruit and vegetables have calories.

    Ditch the Slimming World and focus on CICO (calories in vs calories out). A calorie deficit is all that is needed for weight loss.

    And I have Crohn's disease as well.
  • umayster
    umayster Posts: 651 Member
    You might want to research Ketogenic diet & Crohns. I've been doing a lot of reading on the diet and some Crohns sufferers have said it works well for them. It is a very different diet so is not easy to adopt.

    I don't have Crohns so definitely do your own research!!
  • lirpamc
    lirpamc Posts: 14 Member
    I have Crohn's and also trying to lose weight..and I've been on prednisone since November (down to 10mg! Yay!). I'm doing CICO (calories in, calories out) and it's what works. Some days I can't eat the "healthy" stuff and eat whatever makes my gut happy. And the prednisone cravings are even harder... I'm just starting MFP again since I gained from the prednisone. Best of luck!
  • Fayeworth
    Fayeworth Posts: 60 Member
    edited July 2015
    I'm 27 and have had Crohn's for 11 years. I stay away from spicy food, nuts, seeds, pips, sweetcorn, really green veg like spinach or caggabe, red wine (dammit), baked beans and bananas. These kind of foods make the gut work harder and cause pain, well for me anyway. My diet looks like this - breakfast: porridge, or some form of eggs on toast (bacon also at the weekend). Lunch: salad, soup, sandwich or jacket potato. Dinner: meat or fish with some form of potato (mash or new) and lots of vegetables. I do eat carb dishes like spaghetti bolognese and carbonara because quite frankly, no food is a "bad" food, unless you have Crohn's of course :-) at the end of the day, to lose weight you must burn more than you consume so count very little calorie
  • nickyferg2014
    nickyferg2014 Posts: 1 Member
    Me I'm a crohnie. I had been losing quite a bit of weight on the calories in vs calories out diet until they stuck me on prednisolone which makes me constantly hungry and sore which means I've not been able to work out as hard, so had to cut down calories (or at least try) which is hard with the steroid hunger.
    I'm leaning on foods that fill you up for longer but without the issues beans and pulses bring to the crohns table - the odd baked potato, rye read quinoa and as much lean protein as I can fill myself with.
    Check out the fodmap diet and pick bits and pieces out paleo ..I've found its not only helped my flare ups but helped weight control too
    Best of luck!
  • swiviol
    swiviol Posts: 22 Member
    The foods I avoid are anything fried, chocolate and dairy (I eat it but in moderation - I love my chocolate and pizza), and weirdly, sometimes tea. Bread and meats seem to work best for me.

    I was about 195 lbs (and am 5'5) but now am around 223.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    Check out gut balance revolution. Its a very interesting book. He outlines a triphasic diet and exercise regime to get your gut back to healthy. And explained is why you gain when you eat what you lost losing.
  • anna1066
    anna1066 Posts: 1 Member
    Hello
    Anyone new here ? Like me ?
    I was diagnosed with Crohns a couple of years ago - dropped two stone and now it has crept back. Was thinking of doing slimming world but think eating lots (as I was told not eating enough by a slimming world rep) - is not going to work - -anyone tried?
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    Hi!

    I have had Crohn's for 13 years, and I'm on a low carb autoimmune paleo diet. I cook all of my vegetables and fruits, and I try to make sure I have homemade broth on hand for days when I'm feeling crummy. I am actually trying to gain weight, but low carb in general had really helped with my digestion.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    I'm a crohnie too. There seem to be quite a few of us. I was diagnosed almost 2 years ago but ignored symptoms forever.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    Hi I was just wondering why it is hard to lose with chrons? I had always thought those with chrons struggled to keep weight on? I am just wondering because I have a relative who I thought could have chrons but she said there is no way since she is not underweight. Just curious how common it is to struggle with losing weight with chrons.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Reasons: 1. Prednisone 2. Prednisone 3. Prednisone 4. Depends where you start from. When you're in a major flare you usually lose but not always. If you are obese to start there's a long way to underweight. Also the doctor usually prescribes a steroid (see #1-3) when flaring. When stable or in remission generally you can maintain a normal weight. Also I found when I started absorbing nutrients again I gained up to BMI 20 super fast. It's a common myth that all crohn's patients are underweight.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    JamesStumbled wrote: »
    Disease states affect fat cell regulation. My friend has this. Calories do not exist.

    Calories do exist. When flaring malabsorption can happen which means you don't digest all the calories but not everyone experiences malabsorption as there are many who are relatively stable or get their flares caught early and go on the devil's tic tac
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Oh you are being tricky. I should have known it was you again
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    singingflutelady wrote: »
    Oh you are being tricky. I should have known it was you again


    Oh he is making his rounds to every thread tonight.
  • Hamsibian
    Hamsibian Posts: 1,388 Member
    Worst Halloween joke ever.
  • epicstapler
    epicstapler Posts: 10 Member
    edited October 2016
    I've had Crohns for ten years and have only gone into remission over over the last two years and what did it for me was going on a doctor-monitored, in-hospital fast for 40 days and then slowly easing onto a low-residue/low-fibre diet.

    From a general health perspective at first it scared me because I am told to stick very carefully to a diet high in refined carbs but being in remission is so, so, so, so worth it.

    Weight wise i managed very easily to keep my weight stable even when I am on prednisone as it doesn't seem to affect me too adversely so I can't honestly say much from that perspective, but as for the best diet, the one above is definitely the one which has worked for me.
  • wwkwag
    wwkwag Posts: 60 Member
    I don't have Crohn's but do have Ulcerative Colitis which is the other IBD (the sister disease, I guess you could say). I was diagnosed about 13 years ago. I have been in complete remission now for a little about 3 years and am LOVING being able to eat fiber and all vegetables again.

    When I was in a flare, losing weight was so hard because I couldn't digest any leafy greens or raw vegetables. That was hard because there are a lot of veggies (like spinach) that I love raw but can't stand cooked. Dairy also was something I had to watch. I seemed to be okay with cheese but milk would put me in pain.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    epicstapler wrote: »
    I've had Crohns for ten years and have only gone into remission over over the last two years and what did it for me was going on a doctor-monitored, in-hospital fast for 40 days and then slowly easing onto a low-residue/low-fibre diet.

    From a general health perspective at first it scared me because I am told to stick very carefully to a diet high in refined carbs but being in remission is so, so, so, so worth it.

    Weight wise i managed very easily to keep my weight stable even when I am on prednisone as it doesn't seem to affect me too adversely so I can't honestly say much from that perspective, but as for the best diet, the one above is definitely the one which has worked for me.

    Me too. I was on tpn for a little over a month. I also didn't gain on Prednisone but a lot of people do do that's why I mentioned that. I am on low residue low fiber indefinitely as every time I try to reintroduce fiber I get really sick.
  • amrluvarr
    amrluvarr Posts: 52 Member
    I too have crohn's and I'm also on the Autoimmune paleo diet. It has done wonders for my crohn's and my weight loss. I started with about 100lbs to lose. It is a myth that all crohn's patients lose weight. I never did but then again I've had steroids every year. I've lost 30 lbs on the autoimmune paleo diet. The weight loss is starting to slow down even thought I struggle to get 1200 calories in (the diet can be restrictive) but I'm still making progress. I feel amazing, the diet has done wonders for my crohn's! I can't wait to trick or treat with my babies tonight and not be worried about the next bathroom trip!
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