What a depressing day🥺🥺

Decided to tackle my collection of clothes truly got of hand .. son coming home from Canada to live and needs his bedroom back. I could 😢 cry. I’ve put on over 3 1/2 stones over 4 years and no matter what I do including starvation works. I had saved most of my clothes thinking on day!!! Even my fat clothes from last year don’t fit. foot wear has had to go too feet a size bigger and much wider heels are beyond me now. Just had to realise nothing will ever be the same 🥺😢

[sylvi]

I wish there was something i could say that would ease your situation darling.xxx

[Lina282]

I have the same problem....I could cry 😢

I have lots of beautiful clothes and I can't wear them as I am just getting bigger and bigger.

Tried to eat vegetables only, tried apple only ....or just eating two times a day but nothing really works. 😏

We could do something together ❤

[Monkeysmum]

I get it - I finally forced myself to do something similar a few months ago, and stupidly made the mistake of passing some of my nicer / more expensive items to my daughter. Now every time she wears them it’s a reminder to me that I will never fit into them again!

It’s not about vanity - I think the weight gain is just a really visible thing that highlights to us the way our bodies have changed since RD landed. Many of the other changes such as stiffness and pain are inside our bodies, and although we feel them, they are not visible in the same way.

On my darker days, I do find this depressing. On my lighter days, I try to think of it as another indication that I still haven’t found the right mix of medication yet, and that when I do, maybe this aspect could change also? Perhaps it could be the same with you?

Anyway, sending a virtual hug .....

[Hidden in reply to Monkeysmum]

Thank you.. we live in hope x

[medway-lady]

Well starvation dieting doesn't ever work is my understanding and so why not when this is all over have a chat to GP and see if they can help and/or join Weight Watchers because one thing I do know is RA is not a death sentence and under control with good medication life is pretty much normal. So don't give up or get depressed as my view would be that they will be out of fashion anyway and its an excuse to buy new ones. Or put in loft and don't look for a miracle but a slow steady 1lb a week. It'll take time but it is doable. That was my GP's advice after a similar weight gain and today I'm back to normal. So there is definitely hope. But it took a year or more.

[Hidden in reply to medway-lady]

I use to be a very fit person good healthy diet and lots of exercise. I reduced my calorie intake when my exercise slowed down . I tried weight watchers it didn’t work for me . One rheumatologist told me to do the 5-2 diet as it worked for her 🙄🙄 tried it . No it didn’t work. started elerzi ( Biologic) in January have gained 11 pounds . I spend most of my time sleeping so I don’t really eat much . If I could exercise with out pain ( walking is painful) I don’t think I would mind as much but quality of life is poor at the moment and I was proud that I looked well for my age ( vain I know) . It’s just something else to add to the list.

[medway-lady in reply to Hidden]

Don't give up its just time to find the right medication. I found Lefludamide wonderful and had a normal life I rambled, swum etc and danced but after a AKI it had to be stopped. I'm now on Azathyoprine which is ok but because Embrel gave me sinus issues its been stopped whilst the crisis is on as its too risky to change a med. without blood tests and has to be agreed by Nephrologist too. I'm not as active as I used to be but with kidneys only working at 24% thats not a surprise. Anyway the point is that from 8% in Oct 2018 to now I feel so much better and do still exercise in out home made gym with a cross trainer and weights. I feel its vital to not loose hope and I also had my foot straightened as twisted I could not walk much but it got so much easier over time. So if I can do it so can you. I've had painful feet and Mortons Nuromas removed twice before the straightening so there are things that can be done. Probably not now but life will get back to normal and thats the time to take action. In the meantime don't beat yourself up and do what you can building up slowly to improve heart rate. That more important than if your clothes fit.

[Hidden in reply to medway-lady]

Thank you x

[Hidden]

I was sorting stuff yesterday and saw things I need to get rid of and like you makes me groan. Decided to leave for a week or 2 as not wanting to face that nemesis 😪

[Mmrr]

I've lost 3 st 3 lb in exactly 1 year.

I've just started on my second year as of 10/4, it is slow going.

But, it is really important to eat, and to eat well.

I keep to around 1200-1300 calories a day, and write down EVERYTHING that I eat.

Everything I eat is fresh and I eat a lot of protein, which is important to try and prevent muscle tissue loss.

I don't eat processed food, or sugar, or alcohol.

If I'm hungry I eat, but I choose well, it just becomes a way of life. Sometimes I stop myself from nibbling and ask are these calories really worth it ?!

Before lockdown I did regularly go out for lunch, had the occasional fish n chips or pizza, but just compensated over the next few days.

I've still got another 1 and a half stone to go but am determined to get there. I've decided not to go for the very slim pre RD weight. Just not to be carrying extra weight.

But it is a long, long haul.

[helixhelix in reply to Mmrr]

Cutting out processed food is the game changer I feel. I still eat cheese and some bought bread, but nothing else that’s heavily processed. Since lockdown started I’ve gain 4lbs, which I need to watch....

[Pippy25]

I too have sadly to say piled on the pounds and I can't shift it. My feet are a constant problem with foot ware and what is comfy one day isn't the next, they vary in size and I now need wide fitting too. I'm not the prettiest chocolate in the box or vain and I don't stress about it, but sometimes it would be nice to feel 'yes looking good,' once in a while rather than ok so what is comfortable and fits me today in my wardrobe. So sending you some supportive wishes x

[Lolabridge]

I have the same problem and it gets me down too. I’m on Prednisolone and I’m sure it’s those steroids that are stopping me losing weight. I can’t do without them especially as my next Truxima infusion has been delayed. So right now there’s nothing I can do other than try not to put on more weight. Not being able to go to my Aqua aerobics class makes it worse.

So you’re not alone!

[Fruitandnutcase]

I developed steroid induced T2diabetes while being treated for inflammatory arthritis and bought a book by Dr David Cavan - Reverse your T2 Diabetes.

Even if you don’t have T2 which I imagine you haven’t or you would have said I think if you got the book plus a blood sugar monitor and did exactly what Dr Cavan advises you to do, I’m sure you will manage to lose weight.

It’s certainly worth a try. Doing exactly what he tells you to do was very interesting - it showed which foods spiked my blood sugar and those were the foods that I was storing as fat.

It was very surprising - some foods that I thought of as healthy spiked my blood sugar and the reverse of that, things I thought would definitely spike my blood sugar didn’t.

Once I eliminated everything that increased my blood sugar, I lost weight.

You e got my sympathy, I stood on the scales and saw I’ve put on 3.5 lbs.

[Hidden in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Thanks I will have a look at this book. I’m not a great one for processed foods and I’ve reduced my portion sizes considerably you never know

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Hidden]

It definitely sounds like you might not be eating enough. The less you eat the harder it is to lose weight which is very tough. If you eat the right sort of things you can actually eat a lot - you just eat different things, you can eat enough food so that you are never hungry and you can still lose weight.

Have you had your thyroid checked out? Could it be under active? That makes losing weight very difficult. If your doctor won’t do all the tests that you need to see how it is doing you can order fingerpick blood tests that you do at home.

The ones I do (I started doing my own when got fed up begging for my GP to do tests that I needed for my thyroid tests be in the right place) cover all the thyroid things you need plus antibodies and vitamins and minerals.

Doctors often say your thyroid is ‘fine’ when what they mean is that your results are within the lab ranges - and not optimal - there is often a big difference!

I hope you’re u can get somewhere with your ur problem, it’s very upsetting when you feel you are doing your best, eating less and less and still not losing weight. Good luck 😊

[benjijen]

Real food only - nothing processed. So no 'ready meals' etc. If you buy packaged food check the ingredients, shouldn't be more than a few. You don't need to cook full meals each day, just batch cook and freeze. At least you'll know what you're eating. Definitely NO sugar!

[Hidden in reply to benjijen]

Thank you for your advice. I don’t buy processed food apart from tinned beans and these I rarely eat they play havoc 😳🤭. I always cook from fresh and I batch cook because my husband and son can reheat a dinner when I’m flaring . Which happens more than I like. A take away is something that only happens in an emergency.. much to my sons disgust

[benjijen]

So you're on the right track. The first couple of weeks of the lockdown I regressed and ate some bread, pasta, pie etc. Put on several pounds and didn't even particularly enjoy them. I'm back on track now. I agree about take aways - very enjoyable on special occasions!

[Stayloose]

At times like these I recommend finding anything comfortable, shutting the wardrobe door, and turning the mirrors to the wall! Clothes dry very quickly in this glorious weather so no variety needed. Eat healthily, give yourself lots of encouragement and look forward to some new clothes when all this passes. X

[Eden1]

My weight has been a roller coaster. I lost 4 stone less than 2 years ago with SlimmingWorld and felt great - then developed RA and put on a stone-but went on a healthy eating regime (very little carbs, no wine, lots fish and veg etc) and lost the stone again. But lockdown happens and hey presto I’m almost back to putting that stone back on again 😢😢. Too much bread, cheese and wine. Feel really annoyed at how quick it goes on. And like you I tried to tackle the clothes - had my ‘fat’ clothes in bags for charity shop but despairing now that I might need them again. Really going to have to try and get my will power back.

[jbzm]

I used the 5;2 diet a couple of years ago when my weight was climbing at an alarming rate. I'd spent teens and twenties actively tring to put weight on, failed, gave up in my thirties . . .

However, this was worrying. Endo checked my thyroid due to fatigue being so huge that it didn't really chime with the adrenal insufficiency (a few months before RA was diagnosed so it was probably partly that!) and it was underactive.

I do still fast at times, and like Mmrr says, have been known to write down everything I eat (need to start again). Using the calorie checker on the original 5:2 site, thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-... to work out how many calories you need each day, even to maintain your present weight, I've found really helpful. I must go back and check what I can eat with doing so little at the moment!

Honestly, what a time to have Easter! I have got a nice egg but I'm trying to ignore it at the moment. a slice of simnel cake is quite enough when I'm sat around

I hope you find a way forward that works for you, back to us all being different.

[Hidden in reply to jbzm]

Thank you 🙏