Losing weight on prednisone

Posted by frenchfrank51 @frenchfrank51, 6 days ago

I know weight gain is supposed to be the norm with prednisone but has anyone found a way to keep it from happening while you're on it?

My weight all my adult life has been around 76 kilos (167 lbs) but about 6 months BEFORE being diagnosed with PMR I shot up to 80 kilos. No rhyme or reason. Then started to feel really ill, again, before the diagnosis, and went all the way down to 69 kilos (152 lbs) within a few months. Again, I've no idea why the loss. No PMR or prednisone at this point. For someone who has never fluctuated much in weight my whole life, all this was worrying.

My weight then went back to 76 kilos once on prednisone, but is now at 82 kilos (180 lbs), which I hate. Not only is it uncomfortable, it's also adding extra weight that my arthritic knees are now having to carry.

But, what, if anything, can one do to lose weight on prednisone? I've got to do something because this looks like it's not going to stop. And exercise is very limited at the moment because of lack of strength and pain combined.

Any suggestions would be truly appreciated. Thanks.

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jeff97 | @jeff97 | 6 days ago

Prednisone is difficult to deal with in regard to weight. I found that it really changed my metabolism, so that my body stored burned less energy and stored more fat. My normal weight before I got sick was about 131 pounds. I lost 4 pounds when I was sick with PMR and GCA, and then gained 8 pounds back on the prednisone. I got up to 135, which I had not weighed in 30 years or more. For me prednisone made it really difficult to judge how much and what to eat, so I managed my weight with portion control of foods. When I ate I would remember the size of the portion I used to eat, and then I would cut back some from there. It did help me that I was at least able to walk 75 minutes a day, and also run some and lift weights. As I tapered the prednisone down to about 7 mg a day, the extra weight I had gained faded away.

A lot of people manage their weight by cutting way back on carbs.

pdxmac | @pdxmac | 6 days ago

I have been able to more or less maintain by practicing a low carb diet just two days a week. I'm super careful on those days and then don't have to be so strict the other days. I'm also fortunate in that I've been able to do resistance training again lately. Not at the level I did it pre-PMR, but I do what I comfortably can.

katrinabradley | @katrinabradley | 5 days ago

I an active and strong 60 year old female cyclist. A the beginnning of August, I was diagnosed with PMR and started prednisone initially on 35mg for a few days, then 20 mg and lowering over the next weeks down to 5mg for a few weeks now. Yesterday I started on 4mg and cycled 70km today. My longest spin in 9 weeks. Tired and a bit stif.f,f but not bad. My inflammatory markers for my blood have dropped significantly. My doctor has never seen the drop before. In early August, ESR was 40 and at on Sept. 18th was 11. Also CPR was 47 and now is 5. Determined not to put on weight, I weighed 73kg and the start of August and now at the end of Sept. I am down to 66kg. How? Protein only, no sugar or carbs. I am now starting to introduce some carbs just now as it is dangerous to stay too long on protein only. Breakfast consists of two tablespoons of milled chia seed, one tablespoon of milled flaxseeds, some frozen blueberries, a tablespoon of good quality yoghurt, sunflower seeds and water. Mix all the ingredients with some water. Add a teaspoon of a natural sweetener. This is will keep you going to lunchtime. Make some seed crackers and follow a Keto plan with plenty of veg and protein.