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Weight gain

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molly1957
molly1957

hi guys hope every one is as well as we can be with this pmr. I am currently on 10mgs of pred having dropped from 15mg after 3 weeks and so far no pain or stiffness , I have been on this dose for 13 days and I have noticed the sweating isn't too bad but the lack of sleep still the same, I have been awake since 3am today so my brain is definitely feeling foggy today. The main thing I am worried about at the minute is the weight gain I have struggled over the last few years with my weight it is an on going problem but I have put on quite a bit since starting pred as I am constantly hungry and never seem to feel full, I am a lot more active since starting the pred as I am able to do so much more but because I don't sleep I am up longer so eat more , I need your advice my friends as this is starting to get me down .

thanks best wishes to you all Molly

0 likes, 19 replies

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  • Silver49
    Silver49 molly1957

    Posted

    Hello Molly. I can empathise as I have the same problem although my sleep pattern has improved now and hopefully yours will. The weight gain is a problem for many and the advice appears to be to cut out the carbs. I try but along comes the appetite and the easy and tempting option is carbs. The

     awful weather here doesn't help either! Someone on this forum suggested cucumber. They keep it in tinfoil in the fridge. I've done that but it's still there!!😢 I have decided to be more resolved as clothes are now a problem. Good luck with this. Perhaps when the sleep settles it will help.

    • molly1957
      molly1957 Silver49

      Posted

      Hello silver yes you sound just like me I have a fridge with celery in it and lots of fruit which I had every intention of filling myself up with when I get the munchies but as you say the weather does not help and it does not help my appetite, I start every day with determination but it's the evening that's the problem I am trying to be as active as I can but we have to relax sometimes don't we. 
  • gillian_25383
    gillian_25383 molly1957

    Posted

    Hi Molly,I sympathise with you as my weight gain was horrendous.As had heart attack last year have had to come off the pred.Am now on painkillers and methotrexate.Hopefully when the methotrexate kicks in I can reduce them.Last time on pred I knew all about it being a false hunger signal and was extra vigilant about what I ate to no avail.However once I stopped pred have managed to lose a bit (like you weight has always been a problem).If you can stick in there as you will lose the weight.Good luck
    • molly1957
      molly1957 gillian_25383

      Posted

      Thanks Gillian there is nothing false about these hunger signals lol I've never been as hungry as this before and I clear my plate so I am a bit worried as my clothes are becoming tight , I do not want to buy bigger clothes as it won't stop there , when does the hunger stop !!!! 
    • gillian_25383
      gillian_25383 molly1957

      Posted

      Hi Molly,have no idea when the hunger will stop;mine never did and although the doctor did tell me steroids cause a false hunger signal to the brain as you say it feels real but as it is still there after eating it is false as it seems to stop any feeling of fullness .Also some people get weight gain and others do not;it is just sods law.LOL
  • Silver49
    Silver49 molly1957

    Posted

    Yes. I agree with you Molly. Like you, I find it's the evening that's the most difficult. Perhaps a lock on the kitchen door would help!!😳 A bit drastic. If you find an answer I'd be very interested and if I come up with something I'll let you know. You're doing well with with your reduction. I'm still on 12.5 but reducing this week to 11 although list from GP said 10. I had a flare up with too quick a reduction from 15 so I'm a bit wary! I hope you continue to do well with your reduction but caution seems to be the word when reducing from 10 so please take care.
  • EileenH
    EileenH molly1957

    Posted

    You'll find a lot of discussion on this forum about weight gain and our standard advice - which seems to have worked well for a lot of people - is to cut carbohydrates drastically. No processed carbs at all and restrict rice, pasta, potatoes and other starchy vegetables - and also fruit which does, unfortunately have a lot of sugar in it. If you must have fruit berries are best. 

    Pred changes the way our bodies process carbohydrate and it can lead to deposition of excess fat in specific places as well as general weight gain. I don't eat processed foods at all as I am allergic to wheat - try avoiding that in processed foods! - but it wasn't until I consciously cut out the carbs I did eat that I was able to lose weight. As soon as I eat more carb than usual I don't lose and even put a bit of weight back on which happens whenever I'm away from home where I have iron control of my diet. If you eat carbs - whatever they are, low GI, high GI, wholemeal or fine ground refined - they cause an increase in your blood sugar level and an insulin response which makes it fall quickly and often too far - you crave carbs to replenish the body's perceived lack. Over time this can lead to pre-diabetes and even diabetes due to the pred. Cutting your carbs also helps avoid that. 

    I fill up on salads and leafy veggies - there are plenty of sites with good advice about changing the way you cook to avoid carbs and allow you to eat the acceptable ones. Over the last 3 years I have lost about 18kg of pred-induced weight gain. I'm stuck at the moment - we've been away from home for a lot of the last 2 months and it was difficult to tell your hosts "I don't eat that..." But it'll go once I get myself home and organised for a month or so.

    Exercise does help a bit - but PMR doesn't help exercise! I walked for hours sightseeing during our 2 week trip in China but there is a limit to how much you can walk in the day without that incentive! 

     

    • molly1957
      molly1957 EileenH

      Posted

      Hi Eileen I do like salads but when it's cold I prefer a hot meal , are there any sites you could recommend for low carb meals , I do try to avoid bread as much as possible as I find this makes me bloated, it sounds like I have been eating all the wrong things 
    • EileenH
      EileenH molly1957

      Posted

      Veggies are hot - not spuds, sweet potatoes, parsnip and sweet corn but others like courgette, peppers, asparagus, mushrooms and so on can be eaten in mountains. Meat, fish, eggs are all NO carb. Cheeses have low levels of sugars but vary from type to type. 

      Can't put up specific site links - but just google low carb recipes and you'll find loads. I personally like a blog by a doctor, Steve Parker, called the Diabetic Mediterranean Diet blog - has loads of info and some recipes. Of course, the original low carb was the Atkins diet and in its new form it is far more acceptable - they now allow vegetables which makes it far healthier. It also has a version (Atkins40)  that allows fruit, nuts and grains. If you look at their site there is a whole page of recommended foods for their "Phase 1" - dozens of things you can cook with to make hot meals, look at Phase 1/low carb foods and there is also a recipes section there (with some very nice sounding options I have to say: beef fillet with broccoli and lemon butter sauce anyone?).

      By the way I am NOT endorsing it in any way, but they have good recipes and ingredient lists!

      Once you get the hang of knowing what is starchy and what is not it really is very easy - lots of delicious and healthy meals.

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga molly1957

      Posted

      I wonder if a big thick soup, minestrone style, would help when the weather gets cold?  You can tweak the ingedients to include lots of low calorie foods that require chewing (e.g. green beans), keeping starchy veggies to a minimum.  I find that the longer a meal takes to eat, the better my appetite is satisfied.  So a salad takes me ages to chew through and is very satisfying.  Also make sure you include some healthy fats in your diet as the body really needs those.
    • EileenH
      EileenH Anhaga

      Posted

      That's quite right Anhaga - it takes the "appestat" in the brain about 20 mins to switch from "hungry" to "that's OK" so when you eat at normal modern day pace you keep eating because you still think you are hungry. Really chewy or crunchy food will feel more satisfying to your mouth and take longer to get through - allowing the food to start digesting and get to the blood. 

      Even a single piece of chocolate that you eat in tiny bits, savouring each bit is far more satisfying than half a bar you wolf down as if there is no tomorrow.

      And very often when you feel hungry you aren't really - your body just isn't quite sure if it is hungry or thirsty. So if you get a glass of water or a cup of tea, by the time you have drunk that you may not feel hungry any more. Or get up and go for a walk round the block, or do something else first - by the time you've done it you will have forgotten.

  • lodgerUK_NE
    lodgerUK_NE molly1957

    Posted

    I laughed at Silver, no good keeping it in foil in the fridge, if you don't cut and inch of it and eat it when you feel hungry.

    In the evening try two square of 97% chocolate, that will stop the craving and if you can eat more than two squares, do let us know how you manage it.

    You could also try the 5:2 diet, it has helped some people.

    If everything fails, bag you clothes that don't fit and hide them away.  Then go out an splurge on new ones just for the hell of it.

    I did and 5 years down the line, they were resurrected and the new ones went to the Charity shop. 

    • molly1957
      molly1957 lodgerUK_NE

      Posted

      Hi lodger I am a chocoholic lol and would probably finish the chocolate over the course of the evening quite easily my hubby will verify that . I'm not sure I could manage the 5:2 diet I don't know if I could survive on the 2 days you have to fast on !!!
    • lodgerUK_NE
      lodgerUK_NE molly1957

      Posted

      One:  Try it,  I have yet to meet anyone who can take more than two squares of  70% chocolate and it has a whole load of nutrients that are beneficial.

      Two:  You do not 'fast' on the 2 days  - you just eat less.

      An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a period of 24 hours, or a number of days.

    • EileenH
      EileenH molly1957

      Posted

      Lodger's right - even I struggle to eat more than 2 squares of the really high quality dark sort and I love it - but hand me a piece of milk chocolate and I want more. And more. And more. It's the sugars and stuff that make it addictive. 

      Once you remove starchy carbs from your diet and learn how to make the most of things you will find that the 5:2 diet fast days don't mean deprivation! You can get a LOT of food for 500 calories if you go about it the right way cooking without fat and eating lean meat. And you can have unlimited teas of all sorts (no milk though) and clear broth: a big bowl of vegetable soup doesn't have to be many calories but is very filling and satisfying. You also find that after doing it for a few weeks you have a very different view of portion size. 

      The whole point of the 5:2 diet is the fasting days are not two days together and you know that tomorrow isn't a diet day. Nothing venture, nothing gained. If you really want to lose the weight you will manage a day with less food. I combined the two for some time and although I didn't lose weight fast I was losing it - without any trouble for the first time in my life. And it was going from the midriff mainly very quickly which was very encouraging as trousers got too big and it was obvious to me and others!

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga molly1957

      Posted

      I've found the same as the others here - a square or two of really pure chocolate is more satisfying than an oversweetened commercial bar.
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