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How to lose weight with UC?

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Posted 12/14/2011 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone.

It might sound like an odd question since most of UC sufferers lose a great amount of weight due to flares.

I have been quite regular with my weight all my life. Ive always been a little curvy and ive range from a size 14 US to now a size 10 or 12 US.
Even thought im not on the fat side, I think i should lose a bit as i think it would help my colitis.

Im wheat free already and have very little dairy. But I cant help the fact that I always feel bloated even though i dont eat much during a meal. I feel my belly area is always congestioned and it has an impact on my energy.

Anyone of you have some tips?
Im already on fiber and probiotics.

stefanie
Posted 12/14/2011 6:01 PM (GMT 0)
Exercise, drink more water and restrict calories. A better measure of your weight relative to your health would be to check your BMI. From your description, you and I sound a lot alike. My BMI is 23, which is normal, and I'm fine with it. Would I like to be in a size 8 dress rather than a 10? You betcha, but I'm not going to get worked up over it. I have been exercising a lot more since January of this year and I think my body shape has improved even if my weight is stable.
Posted 12/14/2011 6:06 PM (GMT 0)
Eat more food, regularly. stay off artificial sweeteners and carbonated drinks.

What are you eating in a day? and drinking?

ARe you eating any candies or chewing gum? if so..what kind?

When are you taking the probiotics and what fibre supplements are you on?

q
Posted 12/14/2011 6:16 PM (GMT 0)
thanks for your answers.
I take probiotics (liquid) on an empty stomach in the morning.
I take spyllium husk in capsules twice a day.

I never drink any juices or sodas i just mainly have water and one to two coffees a day.
I rarely have refined sugar as I cook everything from scratch. Even i do my own spelt flour bread.

I used to go generous with butter and cheese but cut down on those as well.
Im a big lover of meat though lol and would have chicken, beef, lamb every day for supper.

I eat vegetables maybe twice a day and dont indulge much on fruits. Im a housewife at the moment and i moved less than when i was working as a retail merchandiser.
Since i moved to london i wake up everynight around 3 am wich i never did before. This happens around 5 times a week so its been working on my moods and i feel tired and intoxicated.

I think i might have lots of toxines in me now.

My BMI is around 26 so i could lose a bit to lowered it down. Lucky for me ive always had a very proportionate body (hourglass shape) and i lose and gain weight equally so i barely look overweight lol.
But its mainly for energy and confort.
Posted 12/14/2011 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
One of the hardest things to do is lose weight when you're not sleeping enough. In the middle of the day when you're tired you will reach for a snack to get a bit more energy, when what you really need is a nap. Try it out: I set my wrist watch alarm for 10 minutes and will take a little snooze, even at work, to get refreshed.

I'm sorry you're waking up so early in the morning. I don't know your age, but if you're in your late 40s or early 50s like me the insomnia is probably a feature of perimenopause. It'll be with you for a while if so. {{{{HUGS}}}}
Posted 12/14/2011 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
awww bless.

well ive had the reputation to be that girl at the party who fell asleep on the couch. Meaning im used to rocked those nicghts with deep undisturbed sleep. I used to fall asleep in a matter of minutes.

I immigrated 2 months ago to the uk (from canada) and since then i wake up once during the night and we all know once we wake up the colon does as well. Im really stressed over this as its so unusual! And i feel it influences everything... mixing that with starting the BC pill... what a gradation of moods!

so im only 35 to answer your question.
Posted 12/14/2011 6:42 PM (GMT 0)
Two things make me lose weight: more activity and fewer carbohydrates.

Your body weight/type also sounds very similar to mine and I have been size 14 in flares, currently size 12 with dips lower ifI'm very active.
I could not care less about my weight if my UC is quiet and tell myself again and again Do not buy new clothes under size 12 lol because it rarely stays there, home weight size=12.

I and my husband (non-UC) lose weight on vacation because we are so active all day, no sitting and internet-surfing haha.
In 2010 we each lost 10-12 lbs on 6 week driving vacation.

I also agree that getting more sleep will help you regulate your body.
Also take a look at carbs in your diet, wheat-free means you might be eating other types of pasta or a lot of fruit. Try eating nuts to replace the carbs. Recent health articles state that doing this would eliminate a lot of weight gain.

BTW I eat fairly high fat with olive oil, butter and meats. Fat is not the enemy. Sugar and carbs are.
Posted 12/14/2011 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Tournevice, perhaps the midnight wake-ups are just a remnant of the excitement and stress over living in a new place. I hope that as you continue to settle in you will also find your sleep habits return to normal.

I'm also the girl who falls asleep on the couch at parties. My friends count on it, LOL!
Posted 12/14/2011 8:28 PM (GMT 0)
Cut out sugar, carbonated drinks, wheat, gluten, and dairy except for yogurt and small amounts of cheese.

Other than diet and exercise... there's really not much else you can do. Do NOT go on crash diets or take diet pills, those will wreck your already delicate system.
Posted 12/14/2011 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
ahah yeah kazbern it seems our friends couches are very comfy!

I never had problems with meat fat and vegs on the digestion side of things.

Im a gardener i agree we tend to focus on weight when uc is active especially the lovely and how romantic bloating! I can look pregnant in an hour if im bloating.
I think we feel inside very fat because of hte bad elimination and uc symptoms.
Good idea with nuts and so on. Im all about protein whatever form they come into.
mmmmmmmm steak
Posted 11/18/2016 3:21 PM (GMT 0)
I want to start by saying that i love the tone of this board, you all seem earnest and caring and its sch a breath of fresh air to me.

Im new to "all this" diagnosis from 2009 was proctitus, now colitis and in between it jumped to khrones. I'm in a stressful job and am very seditary and now have started humira. I reduced dairy, and cant seem to get away from the evil sugar in my american diet.

I constantly feel bloated and carry my extra weight in my lower stomach.

I sleep on average 7hr a night but exercise is difficult for me due to horrid psorisis on the bottoms of my feet (no running, biking without pain).

Do you have any diet specific foods other than nuts that you recommend as substitutes- i cant stand kale or avocado even when blended or lightly baked/ fried.
Posted 12/7/2016 1:47 PM (GMT 0)
@Beckey, I'm wondering the same thing - what are some go-to healthy foods/recipes (mostly veggies) that are "safe" for everyone? I know we all respond to food differently but I am curious. For me, most fresh veggies are disastrous when I'm flaring.
Posted 12/7/2016 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
This is a very old post from 2011. Generally speaking, we loose weight like anyone else does. It's all a matter of calorie intake versus burn. So, we increase our exercise levels to burn more calories, and make careful healthy food choices that reduce our calorie intake. Weight loss is a challenge that requires a lot of time and patience to show slow results over time.

Our weight can be an extra challenge with ulcerative colitis. We can dramatically drop weight during flares and rapidly gain weight thanks to steroids like prednisone. I regained at least 8 pounds thanks to pred and have joined the local planet fitness to try and burn some of it off. I expect it to take months, especially with holiday food being an ever present temptation.

Good luck!
Posted 12/8/2016 5:26 AM (GMT 0)
When I was feeling better I used MyFitnessPal to track what I ate and also ran/walked using couchto5k along with the spin bike at my work gym. After all the steroids, it felt much harder to lose the weight, but slowly and steady I did. I focused more around how I felt versus my scale number moving fast. I allowed treats in moderation and also used that as motivation for going to the gym by bargaining with myself :)

Then of course a flair happened and prednisone again ugh.. now I'm patient with myself since I know the only place I can run to is the bathroom!!
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