Hi..I am new to this site. Joined because I really need advise and support on how to get the pounds off. My kids are really supportive and my husband...well, he is crazy..."loves me just the way I am"....lier!!!...lol
I was diagnosted with Ulcerative Colitis 10 years ago and have just gone through a bad flare up. I am on steriods to get things under control and of course another ongoing med that is supposed to help keep the flare up under control for years to come. The second drug I am on is supposed to make 90% off women feel very full and lose great amounts of weight....I am fortunate enough to be the 10% that is hungry all the time....just my luck!! Anyway, with Colitis you are also supposed to be on the slimmer side....not I!!! During this past flare up, as terrible and painful as it was, I was very happy inside because I did lose 27 pounds in just a few weeks.....sick eh....for being happy I mean!! The sad part was...not many people even noticed that I lost the weight. Anyway, the steriod has made me gain 12 pounds back however I am trying so hard not to gain anymore and just keep losing. Of course being healthy is very important and that is also why I need to lose this weight. Anyone have any advise or thoughts?

I also have Ulcerative colitis. I was diagnosed at age 13, and I'll be 23 in January--so it's been almost 10 years for me as well. My UC is pretty mild, and my really bad flares tend to only last a few days at a time when they happen. If I'm having symptoms (bloody stool, mucus, diarrhea, etc.), they usually aren't debilitating and I'm on Asacol to keep myself in control and in remission.

When I was 13, they put me on Prednisone to combat the symptoms and I gained 30 pounds in a month (from 180 to 210), and I was devastated. After I changed doctors and my new one (who said that steroids should be a last resort) took me off them, I went on a diet to lose the 30 pounds I gained. I was still an overweight teenager, but I wasn't an obese one anymore.

I didn't lose weight again until I was 21, and I've lost another 30 pounds--so I'm right at 155 right now. I want to lose about 20 more pounds.

UC hasn't hindered my weight loss, but it hasn't helped it, either. A flare doesn't cause me to lose or gain...it's just one other part of my life that is what it is. I'm sorry that you're on a steroid...all steroids did for me was mask the symptoms and make me gain weight. When I got off of the steroids, the symptoms of UC came back...and I ended up having to control them using other medications (that didn't have all the crappy side effects, by the way). Steroids didn't fix my colitis problem...and unless your symptoms are so bad that you have to be hospitalized during a flare (I have a friend who has had to be), I might consider seeing another specialist for a second opinion about the steroids... There are a lot more options for UC cases than there were 10 years ago.

Good luck with your weight loss goals. UC sucks, it does, but as long as you're determined to do it, it won't stop you from making your goals.

--Kim (Azure)

Hi Kim...thanks for the reply. I have been hospitalized for this past flare up and the one before this one. I was so ill and could barely stand that I was forced to the hospital as the last opion. They ended up keeping me for 10 days and on the Prednisone IV for the entire time. It was the only way to get the situation under control. I was also on the Asacol for years however, I found so many side effects to that drug as well. The main one...hair loss! Not a good thing! Did you find that? I am 36 and my new specialist whom I met during this last flare up is excellent. He unfortunately does believe in the Prednisone but, if that is all there is when you are in that state..you take what you have to..to get better.
Congratulations on doing so well on your diet and how did you do it and how long has it taken you?

I do find with the Asacol that I get more hair loss than normal...Unfortunately, I chalk it up to something I have to deal with. I've tried other oral medications (including Pentasa and Colazal) and found that Asacol seems to work the best for me. I may speak to my gastro the next time I see him about trying one of the others again, now that my symptoms are under control--I'm not a fan of hair loss, either. I'm sorry to hear that your U.C. is so severe...I feel very fortunate that I have a mild case and that I keep it under control most of the time. I've recently changed specialists myself (the one who took me off the Prednisone, and told me it should be used as a last resort was a pediatric gastrointerologist). I like my new doctor a lot--he's very kind. It sounds like your colitis was so severe that it was a "last resort" kind of situation!

Well, I started when I was 21 this time around for the weight loss (it's been a year and a half at this point, since I started). I lost about 20 pounds in the first 4 months on South Beach Diet Phase I, and then I decided to count calories and eat a more "balanced" diet, higher in carbs for almost a year. I ended up yo-yoing up and down 5 pounds and making no progress. I then turned to Atkins and lost 10 pounds over the summer. I got away from Atkins and starting my old yo-yoing up and down 5 pounds habit again...and I'm re-starting Atkins to lose the rest. I've found that I lose weight the easiest, and am more satisfied, when I eat a low-carb diet. It doesn't seem to adversely effect my colitis, either. It's really strange, but I find that eating a higher-carb diet--especially if those carbs are refined (white flour, sugar, corn syrup, etc) that it irritates the colitis symptoms for me. It's an issue of overcoming my junk food binge-eating habits for me...and I'm ready to kick it and finish up my weight loss this time around!

Feel free to drop me a PM anytime! Living with UC isn't easy, even for those of us who have mild cases...so I completely sympathize with you. Take care!

--Kim