I lost a total of 33 pounds in the first two months after I began to experience symptoms of UC (No, this is not an endorsement for a weight loss program and was rather unpleasant). As an athlete I was already slender and perhaps a little underweight to start with. This large amount of weight loss left me feeling weak and frail, as much of the weight lost was muscle mass.
For this reason, I have kept a close watch on my weight and use it as an indicator of how well I am controlling my UC. There have been a number of fluctuations in my weight and it has been difficult to determine whether it is due to improvement/worsening of my UC, medication side-effects (particularly with steroid therapy), dehydration from UC or training, or just a result of my training.
My weight has rebounded about 15 pounds in the past two years and is about 15 pounds away from my pre-UC weight. I expect that I am near a plateau in my weight gain and would feel that I have successfully controlled my UC if my weight maintains its current level. It has been very difficult to gain weight and my weight has often taken sudden shifts making the process seem like one step forward, two steps back.
Triathlon training has certainly had a large impact on both the gain and loss of weight, but I also contribute the rebound in weight to being disciplined in my UC treatment such as watching what I eat and taking Asacol regularly.
For this reason, I have kept a close watch on my weight and use it as an indicator of how well I am controlling my UC. There have been a number of fluctuations in my weight and it has been difficult to determine whether it is due to improvement/worsening of my UC, medication side-effects (particularly with steroid therapy), dehydration from UC or training, or just a result of my training.
My weight has rebounded about 15 pounds in the past two years and is about 15 pounds away from my pre-UC weight. I expect that I am near a plateau in my weight gain and would feel that I have successfully controlled my UC if my weight maintains its current level. It has been very difficult to gain weight and my weight has often taken sudden shifts making the process seem like one step forward, two steps back.
Triathlon training has certainly had a large impact on both the gain and loss of weight, but I also contribute the rebound in weight to being disciplined in my UC treatment such as watching what I eat and taking Asacol regularly.
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