Fast Food Addict

Hi my name is Lisa . I am 32 yrs old . I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at the age of 9 years old .

Some more about me:

I work in a busy primary care Doctors office . I love helping others. I love to eat and that’s one of my biggest problems with UC. I live in Long Island and spend most of my time playing with my amazing snuggle puggle . I love watching movies and just relaxing after a rough day at work .

Symptoms:

I am suffering right now with pains and cramping on my left side , major bloating after i eat almost like a pregnant woman , diarrhea with blood and fatigue .

Fast Food Addict

At the age of 9 years old , I used to throw up 10-15 times a day and no one knew why. I was brought to many Dr’s and was told I was allergic to sugar and salt. I was referred to a special food store and I was sent to some office , where I would get some type of iv treatments . I was sent to a psychiatrist.  I guess all the doctors thought I was nuts.

I used to cry and beg my dad to let me stay home from school . Then one day my lips turned blue and my dad threw me over his shoulder and rushed me to the hospital , where I almost died . I had 2 blood transfusions and I was admitted for about 6 months until finally I had a colonoscopy and I was then diagnosed with UC.

I am hoping the new round of steroids and diet helps me . I’m suffering so much and I don’t really have anyone to talk to about it because I have no friends with UC nor have I ever met anyone who suffers from it . I’m always in the bathroom . Sometimes I wish I had an RV . The bathroom is my castle sad but true . I am so thankful for this site. I love Adam and I think he’s pretty awesome for helping all of us who are struggling with this nasty condition. I am currently taking Asacol HD , Omeprazole, Librax, Folic Acid, Prednisone, Anusol Suppositories and a Probiotic , yea I think that just about sums it up . Does anyone else suffer from extreme bloating after eating ? It’s been happening to me since Dec 2013 and I can’t take it anymore .

written by Lisa C

Ask Adam:

“Hey Adam , how do I fight the cravings I have for fast food . I love eating out and I just don’t know what to eat anymore . I want to be in remission so bad . I went gluten free but I lost 10 pounds and felt so weak . I went back to breads and sauce cause I couldn’t take it . I’ve had this disease for so long but find myself stuck when it comes time to eat … Guidance please !”

Dear Lisa,

Thank you so much for writing.  I wish I was somewhere near Long Island right now cause I’d figure out how to get control of you and we’d have to do some cooking.  I’d give you a big friggin hug to on behalf of all the UC Brothers and Sisters who are wanting to do that right now too:)

So for fast food.  Great great question.  Everyone loves fast food right.  Everyone wants fast food right?   Well, that’s not actually true.  I’m OVER it.  And have been for several years now.  It’s somehow gone from a great idea in my brain (five six years ago) to a bad idea in my brain.  I could be driving in a car down a street with all the fast food places lined up and not even for a second do I get any urge to look at those buildings much less think about stopping.  That whole side of eating is just turned off right now.  I used to love the “Whopper”.  And hard tacos from Taco Bell.  And Big Macs.  And the list goes on and on.  But I’m over it.

So…What have I done to get to this point?

That’s the real question right?

I’ve realized that my good health has mainly been a result of me being in control of the food that goes in my mouth.  There’s things I eat and things I don’t eat.  And I don’t think anyone can really tell you the true list of ingredients inside a McDonald’s Big Mac.  Or exactly what is in a beef taco from Taco Hell.

So, with seeing positive results from changing my diet, and by cooking my own foods and seeing and knowing exactly what’s going in them, I just trusted my own cooking more than outside cooking.  It very quickly came to the point where I didn’t trust fast food joints as well.

What else…

One thing that probably also helps is that I don’t watch TV.  I watch shows on YouTube from time to time and just started getting into the RedBox DVD deal, but no TV unless I’m out somewhere that has it.  So what does this mean….NO COMMERCIALS.

Come on right, watching the Burger King commercials or whatever else…that is a tuff battle if you’re trying to kick fast food.  So I just stopped fighting that war completely by cutting it out.

So what to do right?

What are some alternatives?

If I was you, (and I worked in the medical field for three years so I have a pretty good idea of what its like to work in a Primary Care doc’s office since I was visiting several per day…).  I would definitely make your own meals and bring them to work. Put them in the fridge and beat any co-workers over the head to snoop in your lunch bag.  Being from Long Island I’m sure you could scare off any food theives(unless they’re from there too:).

But yeah, that’s what I’d be thinking about, especially since workers in doctor’s offices are notorious for having some less than UC healthy food options thrown at you daily.  How many times have you seen the doctors near you porking out on coffee and donuts to start their mornings?  (Is that really even considered a breakfast?)

You wrote that you went “gluten free” and lost ten pounds and felt week. And that is a serious bummer and would for sure discourage most people from altering your diet radically.  But, if that happened to you, I’m guessing that there’s a pretty good chance that grains make up a pretty big part of your caloric intake.  You are like so so so so many others with UC who make diet changes, heck you are like I was back in the day.  Finding other types of foods to give you the calories you need instead of getting them from things like grains is key to success.  And guess what too….it’s for sure possible.  I’m living proof and you can be too.

I think you could benefit from reading the recipes I have in the cookbook I wrote so I’m going to send a copy of that over to you along with my other ebook from the colitis package.  Read them and you’ll know alot more about me and what I’m up to in terms of my diet.

I wish you the very best Lisa, and happy snuggling with your puggle,

-Adam