Why Low Residue?

Picture this. It's 2008. After a successful 24 months of diet and exercise, tragedy hits. The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that was successfully "cured" in 1994 is back. Scars from surgeries past have created scar tissue, which in turn creates ongoing abdominal adhesions. The abdominal adhesions were made better with a little bit of bowel rest, but then reality sinks in. The new world order: a low-residue diet. In order to prevent the build-up of roughage in the system and recurrence of partial bowel obstructions, I must simply eliminate the fiber in my diet. What?!

You're joking right, Dr.?! Because you told me this IBD stuff required me to lose weight and I ate endless amounts of sweet potatoes, legumes, and whole grains to whittle away the pounds. And, I produced sweat. Lots and lots of sweat. This is temporary, right?

And, that is how I went from Ms. Fit and Fabulous to Ms. Residue. The woman who'd never met a spin, step, or weightlifting class she didn't like fell in love with romance novels on the couch. Crisp green salads were replaced by buttery croissants and crunchy animal crackers. It would be unfair to blame it all on the IBD. A new marriage and new job could easily pack on the pounds even before getting hit over the head with an old (but painfully familar) diagnosis. However, I beat this once and I can beat it again.

So, what's this blog about? It's about diet and nutrition, exercise, chronic health conditions, and whatever other issues stand in the way of a newlywed young professional and her efforts to stay healthy.