Bruce’s Challenges With Ulcerative Colitis
A big thank you to Joe Rogan for having Shawn Baker on this podcast. This was a massive on my decision to change my diet and hopefully my life.
I have tried all kinds of diets and treatments and I wish I knew then what I know now and I might have avoided surgery.
I’ve had Ulcerative Colitis since 18 years old in 2005, and after medications all failed, that caused me to lose my colon.
I now have an ileostomy and I was told to avoid meat and fat throughout my entire life of this disease. Even after the ileostomy, I was told to avoid too much meat and eat a balanced diet, but the interesting part of this, was I also should avoid roughage due to its difficulty to pass through the small intestines and out the ostomy (This should have been a red flag right away).
If it’s so difficult to digest, why are we eating it at all? Especially in my case with an inflamed colon which brought me here to this ileostomy.
After eating poorly with an ileostomy, I decided to take control of my weight and diet. I attempted the keto diet and lost 70 lbs or so, but that diet consists of a lot of dairy, and allows for some nuts and insoluble fiber.
This fiber tends to be a problem for people with an ileostomy due to the fact that it doesn’t really break down at all. I now only animal fat and meat and it’s a delight. The output of the ileostomy is simple to manage. It’s all liquid with little to no by products from the food I’ve eaten.
I do not eat any dairy either. This is mostly due to the excess cravings that dairy tends to cause in me. Anyone that wishes to debate how red meat doesn’t digest well, can come with me to the restroom and I’ll show them that the only output I have is bile and water. The meat and fat are fully absorbed by the time it reaches the end of my small intestines.
Finding Freedom with the Carnivore Diet
The biggest change I’ve experienced on a diet of this restrictive nature, is the freedom, not the shackles. I control my appetite, I have no cravings for poor food choices, and I don’t find myself yearning for the next snack or meat.
I also think that this diet has revealed that I am a food addict, and I was chained to the drug of sugar. With most studies on addiction complete removal is usually the best medicine.
I plan to keep this up for the foreseeable future, and I hope to see how low I can go in terms of body fat, waist size, and weight. I’d like to maintain strength, but I want to know my limits.
The numbers:
- 5 months (Starting on Dec 31)
- Lost 14% body fat (56% to 42%)
- Lost 100lbs (385lbs to 285lbs)
- Lost 6-8 inches in my waist (48-50 pants to 40)
From the video
Beginnings: A Life in Pain
From his college days, Bruce was already grappling with the chains of ulcerative colitis. Every flare-up brought not only physical agony but also emotional turmoil that only those with chronic conditions could truly understand. Year after year, he sought relief from various specialists, hoping that one of them could provide a definitive solution to his suffering. They would offer medications, therapies, and even diet changes, but his relief was always fleeting.
The repeated failures of traditional treatments weighed on him. By the age of 30, Bruce was desperate enough to agree to a life-altering surgery – the removal of his colon. In his mind, he pictured a life free from the agonizing bouts of colitis, thinking the operation would be his salvation. However, post-surgery life brought its own set of challenges. Bruce found himself wrestling with complications from his ileostomy appliance. This, coupled with blockages and discomfort, seemed like yet another insurmountable obstacle.
The Dietary U-turn: carnivore diet
2018 marked a turning point. January of that year saw Bruce take a path less traveled: diving deep into the carnivore diet. It was a bold step, especially since it required him to consume foods like ribeye, bacon, and eggs, which had previously been marked as red flags by his healthcare advisors. Within days, he began to notice a change, not just in his physical condition, but also in his energy levels.
The weight loss was profound. From a worrying 390 pounds, Bruce began to shed the excess weight. As the days turned into weeks and then months, the benefits became more evident. Bruce’s energy wasn’t the only thing soaring; his self-confidence began to skyrocket as well. The scales tipped in his favor, and he found himself 135 pounds lighter. But life isn’t without its challenges. Despite the positive momentum, Bruce had to confront his emotional eating habits, which saw him gaining back 80 pounds.
Ileostomy on The Carnivore Diet
A significant change Bruce observed was in his ileostomy output. With a red meat-centric diet, his output morphed into a clear liquid or bile, showcasing efficient digestion. This allowed Bruce an unprecedented control over his routines, as he could predict and plan his restroom breaks post meals.
On an average day, Bruce feasted on generous servings of bacon, eggs, and ribeye steak. His dedication to this regimen played a pivotal role in his weight loss journey. To accelerate his weight loss after his brief setback, Bruce combined his carnivore diet with intermittent fasting, sometimes refraining from food for up to five days.
satiety on the carnivore diet
Even as Bruce sang praises about the carnivore diet, he was candid about the hurdles he faced. The biggest of them all was emotional eating. There were times when he sought comfort in the sugary allure of donuts and other treats. Bruce learned the hard way that such indulgences, even when on a meat-based diet, could still lead to weight gain and emotional turbulence.
One of the unsung heroes in Bruce’s journey was the sensation of satiety he derived from the carnivore diet. Unlike the uncomfortable fullness he’d experienced with other diets, this newfound feeling was liberating. Consuming red meat and fat gave him a satisfaction that was profound and fulfilling in every sense.
