I"m with nice cup of trea on the starvation effect. I'm in that now and I'm dreading the next time I have to get on a scale. I could easily lose 30lbs without missing it but no matter whatI do I just can't seem to lose it. On top of the DD, I also have Spondylitis. I'm not fused yet, but my ROM is getting smaller and smaller. I used to be able to put palms flat on the floor, now it'd take a miracle to reach my ankles. When I bed, my lower back stays straight. So, it's very difficult to exercise. Even walking more than a few minutes can be very painful.
Right now, my gut us mediocre, but I have absolutely no appetite. When I feel good, I live to eat. Right now, I eat to live and barely even that. I have to force myself to even get a bowl of soup down. I haven't eaten anything in over 24 hours now and I'm not the slightest bit hungry. Hubby just came in from work and so I'll try and get some soup down, but I'll be skipping the bread or roll. I know that I'm functioning based on my intake of iced tea, because I literally can't drink water and must drink almost continually thanks to med side effects (dry mouth). One might think that by reducing my calories so dratically I'd lose weight - but no such luck. My body is no doubt conserving it's energy and lowering my metabolism because it thinks I'm starving.
"Noy eating, like I am, is not the only way to fall into this "starvation mode". Even when we are eating a good, weel-balanced diet and taking in just the right amount of calories, if our guts are inflammed and not absorbing, our body may think we're starving and lower the metabolism rate - thus creating a weight gain.
This has been a real problem for me over the years. Instead of the weight loss usually associated with CD, I am more likely to have a weight gain. Yet, another reason the Docs scratched their heads when trying to find a diagnosis for me and one of the biggest reasons I have always disliked the Crohn's Disease Activity Index or CDAI. which only measures a weight loss. Although I see now that more up to date versions look at a percentage of deviation from normal weight and doesn't specify amount of weight loss like the old one did.
Weight loss really must be achieved during a period of remission in order for it to be maintainable. Once you get your symptoms under control, I hope you'll be able to get your weight back down. That's my goal too. Before my last bad flare up, I had list almost 30lbs and had to buy all new clothes. I liked than and long to get back into them. Good luck to you.