How to GAIN weight with IBD’s, Crohns, Colitis, and IBS
Do you feel skinny? Embarrassed of your appearance? Wish you could gain some weight to look normal? You’re not alone as so many people who suffer with IBD’s feel scrawny and embarrassed. Are you wondering how to gain weight with IBD’s, Crohns, Colitis, and IBS?
I remember being a walking skeleton that could not stand my own reflection, from a fit dude to a skinny unattractive bone rack. I avoided looking at myself in the mirror so I didn’t have to think about my appearance. My self-esteem was too low to post pictures on dating sites, or to talk to women in person. When I was out with my friends people would make comments about how much weight I had lost. It got to the point that I simply just avoided being in social situations as I could avoid thinking about my appearance.
I was able to heal my IBD and this period did not last more than 12-18 months. As I healed, tweaked my way forward, the weight came back and my confidence was restored.
HOW can you GAIN weight?
There is no 1 pill magic cure, or 1 food that miraculously makes you gain your weight back. Gaining weight will be gradual and will increase as you heal your gut. To keep this simple weight gain ultimately comes down to these 2 things:
- Healing the Gut lining (wall)
- Balance and Optimize Hormone levels
Heal the Gut Lining (Wall)
If you currently have an IBD then you have a compromised gut wall or what other people may call a Leaky Gut. To gain weight you need to heal your gut lining first as you can only absorb what you digest. You can eat all you want but if it’s not getting absorbed efficiently then your not going to get the nutrients to put on extra body weight.
Balance and Optimize Hormone Levels
What do hormone levels have to do with gaining weight? Think of a teenager going through rapid growth spurts during puberty, or a pregnant woman who gains weight during pregnancy. The increase in growth is not merely due to caloric increase. It’s the body’s way of using hormones to increase body weight when the conditions apply. Early in my healing journey I thought I could simply double or triple my calories and I would gain weight. This approach was mostly unsuccessful as it put lots of stress on my already compromised gut. I ended up feeling worse, and my symptoms usually flared up.
Eventually my gut healed and my weight normalized. I noticed that I would gain weight quickly when I ate nuts, yogurt, and olive oil. I experienced more energy, and felt happier. This video made me understand why these foods helped me gain weight.
Cholesterol, a major player in your health
- Is the precursor to the creation of every hormone in your body
- It’s used to create your cell membranes, without it you would be a tub of goo!
- 20% of Myelin (the insulation layer around nerves) is made of cholesterol . Get in the way of this process and you threaten the brain and nervous system (memory loss and MS)
- Synapses in the brain are created via cholesterol
- Is a healing agent in the body
- Bile is made out of cholesterol and is essential for absorbing fat soluble vitamins A, D, K, and E
Cholesterol is one of the most vital substances in your body. You can not overcome your Autoimmune disease without it. If you are interested in more info about cholesterol please see this article.
The easiest way to to optimize cholesterol in your body is to consume these foods:
- Cod liver oil
- Cold water fish
- Eggs
- Butter & Ghee
Give these suggestions a try and make sure to let me know how they are working out. This is a healing collaboration and we’re working together to make the best simple resources for people to overcome their IBD’s and other Autoimmune Diseases.
If your looking to improve your IBD and change your life, check out my free healing guide.
