When you have colitis, a chronic inflammation of the colon, often part of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Also known as ulcerative colitis, it doesn’t just cause diarrhea and cramps—it can wreck your appetite, mess with nutrient absorption, and make gaining or losing weight feel impossible. Many people with colitis lose weight because their gut can’t absorb calories properly. Others gain weight from steroids like prednisone or because they’re eating bland, low-fiber foods just to avoid flare-ups. Neither outcome is healthy long-term.
Crohn’s disease, another form of IBD that can affect any part of the digestive tract. Also known as Crohn’s, it often causes more severe malabsorption than ulcerative colitis, making weight loss even more common. But weight gain isn’t rare either—especially when you’re on immunosuppressants, medications that calm the immune system but can increase appetite and fluid retention. Also known as steroids or biologics, they’re lifesavers for flares but tricky for your waistline. The real challenge? Finding a balance. You need enough calories to heal, but not so many that you pack on fat. You need fiber to feed good gut bacteria, but not so much that it triggers pain. And you need to avoid the trap of eating only white bread and cheese because it’s "safe"—that’s how you end up nutrient-deficient and sluggish.
What works for someone else’s colitis might backfire on you. One person loses weight because their body can’t digest food. Another gains weight because they’re on daily steroids. Your treatment plan, your flare history, your medication mix—all of it shapes your weight journey. That’s why generic diet advice fails. You need a plan built around your body’s real needs, not internet trends. Below, you’ll find real-world advice from people who’ve been there: how to track calories without obsessing, which foods actually help healing, how to talk to your doctor about weight changes, and what meds might be stealing your metabolism. No fluff. Just what works.
