Well that is how I feel this morning. Ever since I saw those big digital numbers come up on the doctor's scale I feel horrible! My belly disgusts me. I put clothes on and rip them off trying something else to hide my belly.
I feel like what is the use of this dieting and walking? The doctor says it is the prednisone- it doesn't matter what I'm doing. I guess if I don't diet and exercise I will blow up to the size of a house?
I feel like going somewhere and lying down and being very quiet, all alone.
I guess I'll go to work.
Bleeh
OMG Pred makes you eat more OH NO! I'm doomed! no wonder lately I have had such a big appetite dang!
My dear wannabe, I understand your feeling but look around your not alone by any means, what matters is not the outside but your spirit inside, I am reminded of that lil heavy actress that was in the movie (shampoo was it) she was also on Dancing with the Stars, she is over weight and look at her great attitude, she embraces the love of life, with the attitude "so what if I'm heavier then the rest of the people on Dancing with the Stars I am just as good as they are if not better.
What I am trying to say is Pick your self up, Brush your self off, and Look at the bright side of life!
We are each different and just think how boring it would be if we all looked exactly alike!
I'm with you! Prednisone is the pits......
Much hugs to you, wannabe!
Yeah... it is the pits! I felt really crappy when my weight went from 167 to 176 in less than a months time, when I started the blood pressure meds.
I am to the point of prednisone now that I can control my cravings for sweet stuff, but only if I am taking my normal dose of 10mg. Anything higher than my normal dose I just crave sugar and hungry and drives me nuts!
I do not diet, for me diet is not to eat junk. I do not really exercise, because most times I am still swelled and limited ROM from the swelling. But I do try, might not be what real exercise, but hey it is more exercise I was going to get laying around in pain, swelled & stiff at home. So... I go to wal-mart and make a lap around the store. Sometimes I can make it, other times it is seek the bench as soon as I get in the door.
I never look in the mirror. My face is too fat for my liking.
Some days I get digusted with my pred belly, but most days I just do not even worry about it. Because I do not think my weight is from pred, but inactivity.
I'm feIeling your pain. Somedays I just want to lounge in PJ's (used to be hubbys until I grew into them) all day and hide my face under a pillow. It is such a horrible struggle. Wish I had answers but I don't just excess belly fat and a nice round face! I am just glad that they make bigger sizes in clothes, now when I can just convince myself to buy them! The only thing I hate more than gaining weight is exercise! Maybe that new exercise pill they are working on will pan out!I felt so discouraged today that I'm here in my office taking my full hr. for lunch sitting on my butt. I talked myself out of my 1/2 hr. walk because I just don't feel like it. I'm very tired and sad and it's hot. Yet I know if I went for my walk- exercise usually improves your mood and gives you more energy. Yeah and it should make you lose weight too- but the dr. says that's not going to happen either because of the prednisone- PHOOEY on it all!
I do get so mad at myself about caring so much about my looks. I know I don't care what other people look like- I see their hearts- that's what is important to me about other people. My heart has not changed just because my belly got big....but I hate myself.
Wannabe, you need to listen to some Raggie (sorry sp?)
Don't worry Be Happy!
LOL- Hey slohand- you must know me! I'd love to be on a Carribean beach right now listening to reggae!Hey Wannabe,
Don't be discouraged. Good for you that you are trying. Eventually your good works (diet and walking) will pay off. I know that it is such a slow process just as gaining is. Don't let anyone tell you that "if you are taking prednisone there is nothing you can do about weight gain". They are full of delicious bologna. Calories consumed, minus calories burned equals either weight gain or loss, it's just that simple. We cannot breathe fat. Also remember that every pound reduced removes four pounds of pressure on your lower joints. If you want to eat more, just burn more. I'm rooting for you and I believe that you can lose those unwanted pounds, keep up the good work.
LEV
Excellent advise Lev!!!
Lev's right. OMG, did I just say that? I was on Pred for over 4 years and yes, I gained weight but I also know that if you eat sugar sandwiches, high caloric and high fat foods then you're going to gain weight. Pred. causes cravings and the only way to fight it is to make sure that you have low calorie, low fat foods to munch on. It is the only way to keep from gaining the so-called Pred. weight. An anti-inflammation diet helps your whole body, including your brain and combats the Pred. weight gain. One of the most difficult things to stick with is exercise but I look at it this way....if I don't diet and exercise I might be back on Pred. and believe me that's the last thing I want. I wish there was a magic way of dieting but there isn't. The less strain on our joints the better off we are. LindyThanks Lev! That was very encouraging!
I have been trying for a good 3 months now. First I was eating just fruit and salad for the first part of the day and my regular dinner. I really don't eat sugar sandwiches and when I have a little something sweet- it really is a little something. 2 mini bars of candy- or 1 cookie.
I have also been walking that long- but not very fast. Honestly 30 mins. 3 x per week though.
I was always starving and nothing came off so then I started eating just enough calories to maintain the weight I want to be which is less then I am now, still walking. Calories include any treats I have and I usually have an egg or a sm. groc. store bagel for breakfast. A sandwich with just a couple slices of meat no cheese and a serving size of WOW chips for lunch. Then my regular dinner. I feel much more satisfied.
But when I got on the scale at the doctor I have gained 6 lbs since April!
I also used to have a cocktail every night pre RA and I'm not having those calories either!
I just don't understand it!
Oh, boy, do I understand this one! I gained forty (count 'em, forty) pounds in just a few weeks on prednisone. My sister, who hadn't seen me since before the pred, said that it's like I'm wearing a fat suit - it just doesn't look like me. Now I'm tapering off because I just can't take it anymore - the weight, the moon face, the hump starting on my upper back, the sideburns... I'm a hunchbacked moonfaced Elvis impersonator! I hope I don't run into a major flare, but I'm doing the taper carefully, with my doc's supervision, and I'm on lots of other meds.
Never let anyone tell you it's not the pred! It happens to too many people for it to be random. Some lucky people are not affected this way, but I can tell you that my weight gain had nothing to do with being a slacker, and my doc has also told me that there's really nothing I can do until I'm off the stuff.
I've never taken pred and I gained!! The flares of last year and this battle back have wiped me out.. I didnt' exercise at all for a year.. and It shows!!
I'm just getting back to doing some exercising but it's not anywhere near the eliptical and aerobics of before.
don't beat yourself up, wantto.. Keep up the good work.. taking care to beat this disease.. to get healthy ... then your weight will come off again.. mine too!!
WTBF, it sounds like you're doing a lot of right things and it's just not working for you. I sure wish I had other advice but I'm out of the diet suggestions. How much Pred. are you on and when will you be tapering off?
Musician, you may be right that it doesn't affect some the way it does others. I was on 40+ mg. for over 4 years and have just tapered in the last 8 months and am now off Pred. I guess I was lucky because I only gained 40 lb.s in 4 years and it's starting to slowly come off.
All you can do is keep doing what you're doing because at some point it has to turn around for you. Lindy
Thanks for saying that, Lindy - sometimes I just get so frustrated and discouraged that I want to cry, especially when people doubt that the prednisone caused the weight gain. I know that people who've known me for a long time are shocked at the change in my appearance, and I cringe when I think that they must be thinking I've just let myself go. I know that eating food didn't cause my moon face, or the hump on my back, or the sideburns, and the weight gain was so drastic and sudden that I'm covered with stretch marks, plus I've gained in completely different parts of my body than I do when I just put on some pounds from food. I know from cruising RA boards that people react differently to drugs - I got a rash on Arava, and MTX made me lose my hair (not all of it, thank God!), and these things don't happen to everyone, but it doesn't change that they happened to me. I think it's the same with the pred.
Having said that, I think eating a healthy diet and getting exercise are really important, even if they are difficult things for us to do sometimes. I'm trying to focus on the health aspect and not the weight loss aspect - if I make weight loss my goal, then I get incredibly depressed when I put in all that effort and lose nothing, or sometimes even gain anyway. I'm trying not to let the pred weight gain become an excuse for eating "sugar sandwiches" (that expression made me laugh) or sitting around doing nothing, but I'm also trying to respect that it wasn't anything I did that caused the weight gain, and I can't do much to change it right now. I just have to keep believing in the long term health benefits of the healthy habits I'm working on, even if I don't get results like weight loss.
On the bright side, the first time I took prednisone (which was shorter term), I gained fifteen pounds very quickly and then immediately lost it without doing anything as soon as I was off it. This time, I've been on it a lot longer, so I think it will take some more work, but I've tapered down to 5 mg and have already seen 4 pounds come off with no change in my habits! So I am hopeful...
Sorry for the long ramble - just feeling sad and fat tonight and I really related to this post!
Hey guys, I still feel sad and fat. Not as much as 6 months ago but every once in a while. It's going to take me at least 8 months to lose what it took 4 years to put on. That doesn't sound so long in the whole scheme of things but it is.
Musician you made me laugh about being an Elvis impersonator
Here's to healthy eating and getting our marvelous
[QUOTE=wanttobeRAfree]Thanks Lev! That was very encouraging!
Blessed, I LOVE your signature line!
My name is Cindy, and I'm fat and depressed too. I also have high cholesterol and blood pressure. I have started (trying) to eat healthier and if it was 95 degrees out I go out and walk around some. I do stretches in the morning which lessons my stiffness. When I'm not too stiff to do them. LOL That make sense. LOL I'd take my dog a walk at night but she is scared of her leash and the mosquitoes are bad. I have lots of excuses. I realized after my last appt that I need to do something and stick to it for my health. I want to be around for a long time to give my kids and hubby a hard time. It's so difficult, I know but take baby steps. I quit buying chips and soda just so that they won't be here in my weaker times. If they're not here, I can't eat them and I live in the boondocks next to cornfields and gas is too high to go to store just for a junk food fix.
I can so relate. Been fat all my life that I can remember. I'm also big framed and 5'8 1'2 so that doesn't help. I must have been related to the amazon woman in another life LOL
Hang in there!
Well to know I'm not alone in how I feel and that the feeling is so wide spread has really lifted my spirits!
Thanks to all for the good advice, kind words, inspiration and commiseration!
No, trust me Wantto you are definitely NOT alone!!!!
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