How to gain muscle with crohn’s disease?

Are you tired of feeling weak and flimsy? Do you want to pack on some muscle, but have been struggling due to Crohn’s disease? Fear not, my friends. I’m here to tell you that gaining muscle with Crohn’s is possible! And boy oh boy, do I have some tips for you.

First Things First: What the Crap is Crohn’s Disease?

Before we dive into tips on building your biceps (or whatever), let me give a quick introduction to what exactly Crohn’s disease is. Essentially, it’s an inflammatory bowel disease that can cause a range of symptoms including abdominal pain (mmm…yum), diarrhea (the gift that keeps giving..) and fatigue (because just running to the bathroom wasn’t tiring enough…) It can make everyday life pretty challenging – so why add another challenge by trying to build muscle? Well tough shit because we’re going anyway!

Eat like You’re in Prison

Okay hear me out….Neither one of us has been in prison (winky face), however I’ve read from people who say that they get served small portions which makes them unable to consume extra meals thus leading them being incapable of gains . So take this as if though someone wiser than myself told us…
But seriously guys/dolls/insert preferred pronouns, eating like a prisoner might actually work for us too! Let me break it down for ya:

  • Start every day with breakfast (wow such groundbreaking advice)
  • Split your remaining calories between lunch and dinner
  • Snack on high-calorie foods throughout the day.

But ‘high calorie’ doesn’t mean deep-fried butter sticks or Oreos wrapped in bacon; rather choose nutrient dense-foods such as avocado toast or peanut butter/jelly sandwiches(mmm can taste it already!!).

It might seem counter-intuitive at first, but eating smaller portions more frequently can actually be helpful in alleviating Crohn’s symptoms such as bloating or stomach cramps.

Protein: Your New Best Friend (Let’s Hope It Doesn’t Kill You)

You’re trying to build muscle, right? Well it goes without saying that protein is the name of the game. However for many people with Crohn’s disease, certain proteins (oh hey there dairy and beef) may wreak havoc on their digestive systems. But thankfully nature provides us with a plethora of unsung heroes when it comes to protein alternatives:

  • Fish and poultry
  • Quinoa (if you’ve gotten this far into the ‘healthy living’ fad)
  • Beans

If eggs don’t lead you down belly-trauma paths then consider them your new best friend! I guess the tough part here becomes finding ways to get creative with these sources and avoid getting bored too quickly – maybe try some sriracha sauce if spice isn’t going to cause problems!

Friends Don’t Let Friends Skip Meals

Listen up folks dramatic pause…skipping meals = BAD idea (cue sirens) There are absolutely no awards given out for suffering through hunger pains okay?! Plus if we skip meals on top of everything our system already has going on(that even Sherlock Holmes would find hard detecting), our bodies could start using lean body mass as energy which ain’t what we want…

It doesn’t have “to be complicated either; simply incorporating three healthy-ish meals per day + snacks will do wonders against losing precious gains (and sanity) . Here are some examples:

BREAKFAST:
Greek yogurt mixed topped with trail mix or fresh berries

SNACK 1:
Baby carrots w/ hummus

LUNCH:
Grilled chicken salad w/ roasted veggies

SNACK 2:
Low fat string cheese & an apple

DINNER:
Baked salmon with stir-fry veggies

Sleep, Rest and Nap…It’s All Of The Same Importance

Listen carefully cause this one is important. You might think you can get away with burning that midnight oil everyday, but boy let me tell you potential gains vanishing overnight(can.also.not.be.rules.out).Our bodies require adequate rest to recoup & rebuild our muscles so we better put some vaild effort in allowing them to do just that . So if possible:

  • Aim for at least 8 hours of sleep each night
  • Schedule rest days into your workout routine (just go watch cartoons hun?)
  • Consider adding short naps during the day/week.

Be careful not to overdo it either as too much rest could potentially lead us down another unfruitful path (which I’d rather hope Sauron doesn’t find his way onto).

It’s Time to Get Moving!

You wanted gains right? That means it’s time to get moving! Exercise shouldn’t be torture though people,it should be enjoyable boy aren’t already excited. While weightlifting is definitely an effective way of building muscle mass, don’t forget about other forms of exercise like yoga or swimming. These exercises are known for helping Crohn patients especially:

  • Improve digestion
  • Reduce inflammation (or anything reducing inflammation really)

Plus were all good little humans who need variety in our lives – why stick solely on lifting weights?

Start slowly and gradually increase intensity over time; even starting off taking stairs instead elevators counts towards being active.(yay!) Listen closely though: never push through pain or discomfort (you’re only human)…otherwise,you risk a flare-up which would undo all your hard work currently going on under those skin layers .

So there you have it y’all: a hilarious guide/mockery/advice collection regarding gaining muscle despite suffering from Crohn’s disease. Keep in mind, however, that the quality of life is more important than any number on the scale or dumbbell you lift so if gains go downhill for a bit…shrugs shoulders no biggie..better alive and functional rather than packing those muscles right?

All jokes aside though emphasis falls on listening to your bodies and trusting what it’s telling us. Everyone may have different tips and tricks , but incorporating them into our own lifestyle won’t guarantee success – so let’s stick around until we find out!

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