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When will these chipmunk cheeks go away?...

Posted , 6 users are following.

marthatidbit
marthatidbit

Just curious...  As I reduce pred, at what dosage might I expect these chipmunk cheeks to go away?  Or am I stuck with them for the duration? I'm currently at 10mg. 

Martha

0 likes, 16 replies

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  • EileenH
    EileenH marthatidbit

    Posted

    Depends - mine started to go at 15mg but I was being VERY strict with diet: very low carb, which allowed me to lose about 38 lbs of pred-gained weight over a couple of years. The very low carb diet encourages your body to burn the excess fat - in our case the hamster cheeks, buffalo hump and the stuff round your middle that pred has laid down as storage fat. Some did low carb from the beginning and say they avoided chubby cheeks and weight gain altogether.
    • linda17563
      linda17563 EileenH

      Posted

      May I ask Eileen, did you cut out every type of carb from your diet, or did you leave any in at all....sometimes I`m confused about different types, I don`t eat bread, but love rice for example......thank you for any tips!...
    • EileenH
      EileenH linda17563

      Posted

      I eat non-root vegetables and salad with meat/fish/eggs/cheese - very rarely fruit. As soon as I eat any quantity of carbs I don't lose weight and when I binge (as at a conference the other week where the cheesecakes were to die for  redface ) I put on weight; a good 4 lbs plus in 10 days! It went just as quickly though when I got home, thank goodness.

      I don't refuse to eat carbs - almost no rice, potatoes, pasta, bread and cakes as a general rule. But if it needs to be I don't have a hissy fit, I just go back to normal for me asap.

    • EileenH
      EileenH linda17563

      Posted

      Because most root vegetables contain a fair bit of carbohydrate, just like potatoes, and it is very easy to end up eating a larger amount of carbs than you think if you just consider all vegetables are OK and pile your plate with them!

      And before anyone tells me that it is wrong to demonise a food group/vegetables - I'm not. I am pointing out that some healthy foods contain quite a bit of carbohydrate and if you decide to try limiting carbs you have to reduce the amount of them you eat. I do still eat some root veg, especially carrots for example, but not in the vast quantities in which I eat leafy veggies and salads!

    • linda17563
      linda17563 EileenH

      Posted

      Thanks for that...will start seriously  tomorrow!
  • caroline83483
    caroline83483 marthatidbit

    Posted

    Martha, mine started to go at 7mgms. 

    Iam now at 5.5mgms and they are barely

    noticeable. I know how you feel, I was so

    despondant before they started to go.

    Caroline 💐

    • Silver49
      Silver49 caroline83483

      Posted

      I live in hope. I am reducing to 8.5 ,have just started cutting carbs and in 3 days I have lost 5 lbs. I feel so much better than I did a year ago when I had just been diagnosed. I have done lots of gardening in the last 2 days and some housework. There was no way I could have achieved so much and felt so good this time last year. I even managed some steep walking last week all be it slowly. I am hoping that this is the light at the end of the tunnel. The chipmunk cheeks are still here but this forum gives me hope that they will go. The weather has been glorious and I am wondering if it helps the PMR??Thank you to all you wonderful people out there for your sage advice.

       

    • EileenH
      EileenH Silver49

      Posted

      I'm sure good weather helps - at the very least we don't notice as much. Bit like having a glass of wine...

      The chipmunk/hamster cheeks are not all bad - when they go you have wrinkles again rolleyes

    • Silver49
      Silver49 EileenH

      Posted

      Just had half a bottle of red wine for the anti inflaamatory properties, of course. Had a our evening meal al fresco. It is still really hot here and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. 😀🍷
    • EileenH
      EileenH Silver49

      Posted

      Al fresco was last night - and we grilled on the balcony! A big thick veal chop and it was GORGEOUS! Today - it has pee'd it down most of the day. And is relatively chilly...

      Bah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

    • Silver49
      Silver49 EileenH

      Posted

      It must be unusual for it to be so hot here in Scotland  and chilly-ish in Italy. It was lovely yesterday too and I think it is to be the same tomorrow. Rain forecast for Tuesday but hopefully will pick up again on Wednesday. A relative is just off the phone and was saying it is cool where they are in England. It makes a change for us to be feeling the heat. I hope this is how our summer is to be.
    • EileenH
      EileenH Silver49

      Posted

      Um - relatively chilly did mean about 15C  wink   and I do live at the same height as the top of a munro...
    • Silver49
      Silver49 EileenH

      Posted

      I didn't think it would be 8C (chilly) like it would be here but 15C is positively balmy in Scotland. This little corner has been lovely compared with other parts although the N West of Scotland has had the best weather. I am enjoying what I think is Summer and it's supposed to last. 😄☀️
  • Sheilamac_Fife
    Sheilamac_Fife marthatidbit

    Posted

    I still have my huge cheeks, moon face and the 2 stone plus that I have gained! I am currently starting to reduce from 5.5 to 5mg using DSNS method. Had my first 5mg today! So chuffed to be on my way to 5mg. Sooooo hoping that the fat will melt away over the next 5 or 6 weeks. 

    Back on low carb diet again so I hope that will help. I 

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