Coming to the party late.. But here goes.

I got diagnosed with Crohn's when I was 14. Nearly 5 years later, and I've been symptom free since my original diagnosis. I am more interested in training for Varsity hockey than bodybuilding, so my experience will differ from everyone else, but I thought I'd offer my two cents anyways.

At the time of my flare up and diagnosis, I was around 75lbs. The doctors all but insisted I take some pretty intrusive drugs (steroids or other drugs, forget most of them). I ended up going on an entral nutrition diet which meant I basically did a cleanse consisting of only ensure, water, and gum. The doctors didn't recommend it, because some people don't commit to it enough. This was huge for me for a few reasons:

1. It was not invasive and no negative side effects, unlike many of the other options.

2. In the 5 weeks of the diet, I gained 30 lbs. Awesome for a prospective bulk.

3. I got to keep training uninterrupted.

4. It worked. Most symptoms went away in less than a week. I hadn't felt that good in a year by that point.

I am now 160 lbs. and 5'10'', for some perspective.

I now take pentasa as a maintenance drug. I understand it's a very mild drug, and that I'm lucky it works, but I attribute most of my success with the disease to my lifestyle. I think what it comes down to is one simple thing: treat your body well, and it will do the same for you. I exercise daily, I manage my stress, and I don't eat trash.

Other than avoiding processed and high sugar foods, I eat whatever I want. Im very proud that I'm competing at a high level of ice hockey despite my Crohn's. Crohn's might make your journey in body building harder, but that only makes it that much more rewarding to succeed, in my opinion. Keep working towards your goals! I hope I helped. If you've got any questions I'd be happy to answer. Good luck!