Fourth of July, Cramping, Weight Gain, and Upcoming Colonoscopy

So Fourth of July is tomorrow (I somewhat wish this holiday was on a Friday or Monday instead of a random Wednesday). For some reason I seem to have cramping almost every year around 4th of July and near Halloween time (not sure why this is). At any rate I have been having some cramping. Last weekend was somewhat up and down. Last Friday I felt pretty tired, Saturday I felt very good (almost no cramping) as I got plenty of sleep and took my Foltx and potassium chloride, and Sunday overall I had some minor cramping. This past week I felt a little tired and cramping.

My diet has been that great either. I probably have been eating things I shouldn't have. My weight has fluctuated a little bit. Within the past couple of weeks my range has been 165-169. Currently, I am hitting near that 169 mark. However, I plan to work out and watch what I eat (last night I had a grilled chicken sandwich with fries and a fudge pecan pie with ice cream-yes it was amazing too). Also over the weekend I had pizza, a burger, a brownie sundae and little workout. Usually I don't have any issue bringing down the weight . Honestly, if I weighed between 160-165 I would be happy (I always like to leave a little room for a dessert now and then-also I like to fit comfortably in my clothes as well).

I recently saw my GI and he said I looked like I was in great shape, however it had been a while since he had done a colonoscopy. Honestly, the last colonoscopy I had was at the end of 2011 (so a little less than 7 years ago). I am hoping the cramping will go away so I can see what my colon should look like when it is healthy and good! The bowel prep is always the worst thing but if I only have to do every 7 years that is a positive thing.

Overall, I don't really have too many complaints. Yes, I have some cramping, gained weight, and a little tired, however these issues can be resolved with hot baths/cold packs, watching what I eat, and some great sleep. Luckily due to the holiday I will sleep in tomorrow and this weekend as well. Hope everyone in the states has a good and safe 4th of July! Be kind to your bowels this holiday.

Recent Weight Gain/Loss

I apologize for not writing in quite some type. Work has been very busy and I have also been studying for a board exam as well. Also I have felt remission free as well so nothing really to blog about. One thing that has changed recently is my weight. No I haven't been losing weight but gaining weight. Most of my life I was always on the lean side maybe 150-165 pounds mostly and I am 5'11. When I was maybe in middle school I was heavier but then when I was about 16 I started working out. I really do love to work out. After working out I always like feeling that burn either from going on the elliptical or using weights. Unfortunately I have been so busy that I barely had time to work out. Also add in the fact that a couple of weeks ago it was my birthday which made it dessert galore (which I almost can never pass up). 

My weight peaked out at 180 pounds which actually puts me in the near overweight category from a BMI metric. I honestly hadn't been paying attention to my weight. The only thing I noticed was it was harder to fit into my pants. I can't believe when I was in the hospital I weighed 125 pounds. When I last blogged about my weight gain was back in 2012 when I was only pushing 162 pounds (even my father made a comment about my weight gain). Something is different about then and now. When I look at myself in the mirror these days I actually look in good shape since I have been working out. Also over time I have spend more time toning my muscles which gives me a more defined physique making me looked more filled out compared to thin frame. 

I have been working out recently to bring down my weight from the 180 pounds to roughly now 176 pounds which isn't a lot but I want to still continue down the path of good health. Also I have been practicing eating healthier and have been buying grapes as a snack food to eat instead of my usual chips and cookies. I think in the long run paying attention to my health will make life easier down the road. Hopefully these small steps now will pay off in the long run. 

Humira and Weight Gain

So recently I have noticed that my weight seems to stay the same (despite the fact that I work out almost everyday). Usually I spend around 30-40 minutes on the elliptical and burn 300-400 calories. When I was in graduate school I was able to work out everyday and burn about 500-600 calories per day and worked out every single day. Also I was walking a mile or two every day to class so that was also working wonders probably. To me it feels like my metabolism is slowing down. For instance, if I work out and cut back what I eat it may take a couple of days for my body to adjust (similar to if I eat a bunch of stuff it takes a while for me to put on the weight). Right now I am about 168 pounds. I would like to get down to around 162 pounds or so. I think I was too skinny before I had Crohn's and enjoy being a little filled out but also like to be comfortable in my clothes. Also I am getting older as well. I turn 28 a couple of weeks ago and maybe getting older is your metabolism slowing down. My internist mentioned that he would prefer I have some extra weight in order to buffer against a flare up. Apparently I am not the only one who has gained weight while taking Humira (an anti-TNF drug) I found this article with others who have gained

Humira is obviously suppose to stop the inflammation due to Crohn's and make me want to eat which is good (at the same time it is nice to feel slim in my work pants). I can still remember when I initially had Crohn's I was down to 125 lbs and came out of the hospital all my pants were too big for me! Most of my adult life I have been probably around 148 pounds-158 pounds. I still remember when I was working out in graduate school up until a few weeks before I went to the hospital and remember getting on the scale and thinking "gee maybe this scale is broke!". Little did I know the scale was actually correct.

Update: So I was working on this blog post the past week and actually started losing a few pounds. As of September 6, 2014 I weigh about 164 pounds (down about 4 pounds or so). I really have been eating well (I feel a little better too). Mainly I have ate salads for lunch and apples after I get home from work.

P.S.-In the picture of have posted for this blog post I think Crohn's looks like the first guy and currently I looked like the second guy (even though mentally I feel like the third guy).