SED Rate Graph shows ups and downs

ptolemy, I am now at 300 pounds.  I would say maybe 100 of that I'd blame on the prednisone and all my other troubles and meds.

Debbie, in reading your post my heart just Breaks for you!! Please don't be so cruel to yourself. There's enough stranger's to do that for you! You are dealing with all kinds if things most people will thankfully never have to. Be kind to yourself and get well. We're here for you.😉

We have a recreational place that has classes weekly, and I've been thinking of doing Chair Yoga or Sit and Get Fit each week and build up to twice a week.  Their pool is not heated very high, but I might do that next summer.  Thanks for your interest.

i would say your doctor was negligent.  Rather than blaming you for the weight gain she should have done what she could to help you curb the gain, which is 50% more than you were at the beginning of this awful journey.  As the others have said there are things we can do.  It's that first step which is the hardest.  About eighteen months ago a gentleman in his eighties who sometimes posts here was virtually confined to a wheelchair because of his loss of fitness from PMR.  By starting with a very simple thing, one five minute walk a day, he surprisingly quickly began to recover his former fitness and the following winter was back teaching ski classes!  

If you can steel yourself to give up all carbs from grains, and some would add root vegetables as well but let's not get carried away to start, just give up all grains, then you may find in a week or so your craving for the fattening foods like bread and sweets may diminish.  Add a short spell of exercise every day, rain or shine, hot or cold, a walk in the open air would be great.  What is that old saying?  A journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step.  And it continues with the second step the next day, and a third, until one day you realize you can do ever so many more steps every day!  You can do it.  Don't let an unhelpful doctor, who should be caring for you, get you down!

Hi Debbie, I can completely relate to your weight gain of 12lbs as I too have gained 13lbs in 2+wks (maybe more now, not sure as I'm afraid to get on the scale ). I've never had a weight problem and have a fairly balanced diet so I've gotta believe this is 100% prednisone related. When I hear people say to cut my carbs, I kinda "bristle" as now I'm sposed to change my diet (along with cope with the pmr/side effects) as well?? JEEZ! I'm not diabetic (thankfully) I'm not a sugar freak, I just enjoy a normal amount of all food types. Cutting carbs I S NOT EASY....especially when that's not been a problem before! Hang in there deb as I will try to do as well!

I know what you mean.  Some people say if you eat anti inflammatory foods you will feel better, but I don't think that's been proven???  Has it been proven, except for Eilleen, that no carbs helps pred. fat?  But I know people do lose weight on that diet.  One time a doctor, not this one I have now, told me to check the carb on whatever I eat and keep it below 15g for each single thing.  I did lose 30 pounds that time.

Anhaga, I love the British saying of "ever so much more" or 'ever so many".  Sounds so cozy like a British mystery, ever so cozy.

I don't have an answer for cutting the carbs (other than what I've read on this forum) as I've never had to worry about it before. I'm really struggling to wrap my head around a new life style. I'm afraid I'm going to fail miserably at it as eating great meals is such a social thing with my family/friends!

There are a lot of people who have found it works. There are a few on this forum and a lot on the HealthUnlocked forum - go there and ask if you think it is just me. I assure you it isn't. If it were only me I wouldn't go on about it - I talk about it a lot BECAUSE I know loads of others it has helped. 

I rarely eat more than 45g of utilisable carbs in a day in order to lose weight, not just 3 portions. I'm probably fairly extreme and that is, perhaps, my bad luck. But I don't crave carbs - I don't refuse to eat them, if I want an icecream I have one, I live in the land of the gelato after all. But I have ONE scoop and it is an occasional treat, not a daily indulgence.

I suppose it may feel as if " now I'm sposed to change my diet (along with cope with the pmr/side effects) as well" as Lynda puts it. But the change in diet IS part of the coping with the pred side effects. It also helps reduce the risk of developing pred-induced diabetes - which is far more of a problem than just being overweight. And many people also find cutting the sugar and grains in their diet helps the inflammation and pain/stifffness of PMR. Not enough to stop the pred altogether but they are better able to reduce the dose - which in turn helps the side effects of pred.

I do appreciate how difficult it is for people living in the USA - your diet, especially eating out, tends tto be very carb-based. But a hamburger without the bun is a massive amount of carbs saved. As a European I go out to eat great meals that are meat/fish (no carbs) with vegetables/salad (low carbs) and still have a great meal. :ast night I had mussels with a yoghurt sauce and used a small slice of bread, about the size of the palm of my hand to wipe the bowl clean. Then I had panna cotta as a treat - I wouldn't normally eat dessert. But it too was in a small jar about an inch and half square. It isn't just carbs - it is about learning portion control too.

Hi Eilleen, sorry I said what I did before.  I guess I get upset at myself for being so sweet-toothed that I can't seem to say no.  I'm trying to eat veggies for my meals with some protein and very few carbs.  If I try to go without carbs, I feel sad.....haha.