Hi everyone, I haven’t done a post before but wondered whether anyone had found weight loss helps their RA? I know it reduces pressure on your knees, ankles etc but did it reduce inflammation generally?
I’m 5-6 stone overweight 😳 and I’ve just started on rituximab (had second dose of first cycle 5 weeks ago) and I’m also on 5-10 mg prednisolone daily. Rituximab has not yet kicked in. I was previously on Benepali which was a miracle for about 13 months but then stopped working and due to the pandemic I was tried on baricitinib but that didn’t seem to work either, though I only tried it for about 16 weeks. Rheumatology nurse said it should have worked within that time so they decided to try me on rituximab. I’m trying to be patient and really hope it kicks in soon 🤞🏻.
I’ve tried so many times to lose weight (and I’m still trying!) but would be interested to hear other people’s experience. I hate the thought that people see me shuffling along and think it’s due to me being fat (so hard to say that word) because they don’t know I have RA. I’ve been working from home since last March but will hopefully be going back to the office in June. At the same time I’m worried about my mobility because I’ve deteriorated so much in the last year. I’m 50 and have been overweight most of my life, just had a brief time in my 20s when I managed to lose it, don’t know how I let myself put it back on again!
Sorry to go on so long!
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Rafandready70
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Hello. I know the problem! When the Rituximab has started to work for you (I’m on it too and found it a life changer) it may be possible to gradually reduce your Prednisolone. Unfortunately the latter can make putting on weight all to easy because of the way it distributes fat around the body and it can give you the munchies too.
I’m sure losing weight will help our joints so I’m trying hard to lose some weight too. Try the Mediterranean diet (recommended for RA sufferers) and avoid all fast food and ready meals if you can. And if it doesn’t hurt you too much try walking more and other gentle exercise.
Yes it really does make a difference to your mobility. And I suspect that you were expecting that answer!
I know how difficult it is to lose weight when you are on prednisolone too. I find that I have no sensation of when I've eaten enough and want to pick all the time whenever I'm on a higher dose of steroids. Personally, I have to write down everything that goes in my mouth in order to control the amounts.
Several people on here have managed successfully to lose weight and I know that lots of people have found support groups helpful too.
I agree with oldtimer. It is difficult but if you focus on the fact that you will be a lot healthier generally as well as with RA, that will spur you on. I think with most people who decide to lose weight the problem is doing it too severely, too quickly and that way it is not sustainable. Just change one think e.g. no biscuits and eat normally the rest of the time, then gradually add in another. Good luck
Hello. I am overweight and put on approx 3 stone in the 2 years since diagnosis as a lot of steroids been taken and now not working doing 19000 steps a day has disappeared.Weight is not good for us with or without RA and after a 2 year battle of RA OA asthma and Fibro being thrown in the mix I decided to take charge of one area of my life I could.
I was not heavily into processed foods as both chef trained in our house but I knew bread was my devil food and all forms of pastry etc.
I joined the 3 month Weightwatchers programme 4 weeks ago and since lost 1st 2lb (not weighed in this week yet and I feel better within myself and more conscious of activity and food I am now doing each day. The app is fab I have to say and makes me so aware of what I am eating.
However you will WANT to lose the weight which I do and commit to it somehow. The app tools to listen too help as well and I make sure every day I now do something re activity from housework to hoovering or a gentle walk. It all helps and each week I step up my activity.
I know it will be a long road and I am not expecting to be great every day but for example I had a cherry scone the other day YES I enjoyed it I put it on my daily intake and moved on. Did I feel guilty no but I knew it was enough.
The private consultant said to me this is the one area you can do it's up to you, as the more weight you put on the more issues you will get. I don't need anymore issues!
Hello Deeb ,Would you recommend weight watchers or slimming world. Before the pandemic I went to slimming world . I see though you go to the weight watchers. I know they do a totally different programme
I have not done SW but heard good as well I think if it helps you lose the weight then what is best for you. I like the WW app and points system and the foods I love, so many in zero points I seem to be eating more and losing weight!
Hi, don't be too hard on yourself. Maybe try your GP and ask for help with your weight/mobility? They might suggest something as it would be related to your wellbeing. I too am on the beginning of my Rituximab journey and would be interested to know how you get on. Hope things start improving for you soon.
Thank you for replies, I’ve tried SW and WW, both work when you stick to them but I’m very lacking in willpower. I agree that weight is the one thing we can do/have control over to make a difference and I get so cross that despite knowing that I still keep eating too much. Meals aren’t so much of a problem, it’s the snacking that I need to cut down on (a lot!). Now the nicer weather is here a more Mediterranean style of food will be a good way to eat. As well as sticking to principles of WW/SW!
Just have fruit and chopped veggies nearby ready to attack and water is a key thing as most of the time its dehydration. The thing I have learnt works for me from WW is when I want to snack I go and do something from clean the shower or hoover for 5-10mins and the snack attack moments seems to go most days.I am a pick eater but been really strict to have meals and also my snacks planned too so I don't feel I have nothing and the big one if not in the cupboards I cant eat it!!!
Good advice from others here too. Also try drinking more water generally but especially between meals as it may help you reduce the snacking. We can often mistake thirst for hunger unfortunately. If I feel the need to snack I choose veggies as Deeb suggests or a handful of nuts.
I have struggled with my weight all my life, being over fed by my mother to show her love. She is now 84, wheelchair bound and has Alzheimer’s. I vowed, long before I knew I hadRA not to become like her. Yes I’ve done them all but SlimmingWorld is the most sustainable. Do it for yourself and your old age. I have osteo too and maintaining my weight is helping me hang on to my knees, though both could be replaced, I’m getting by just fine with injections and physio. I can’t do it alone, never have been able to. I was told after my steroid injections that they would make losing weight difficult. I had no problem thanks to SW. Get support. I wish you luck. I’m 62 with one replacement hip.
Pred does put on the stones! I put on three stone in the blink of an eye and can’t blinking get it off. It puts more pressure on your joints so more pain I’m afraid🤔
I was a normal weight before RA, put on 5 and half stone over a short period of time immediately pre and post diagnosis.I've now shed the 5 and a half stone again and am back to my pre diagnostic weight. The weight loss has not helped my RA directly, I'm still poorly controlled, but it has helped my sense of wellbeing and my mobility a lot, my indigestion has gone ...100% gone.
The first thing I would say is not to diet....all the recent evidence suggests it doesn't work, and often leads to yet more weight gain in the long term. Healthy eating of fresh food, freshly prepared is the suggested way to go, being mindful of calories but not necessarily driven by them. I eat around 1200 - 1400 a day, still do to keep my weight steady. I weight myself every morning, I recently put on 1 and a half pounds, due to decreased mobility (I slipped a disc). 4 days of being very careful of what I ate and it is back off.
No low fat or low sugar foods, diet type food at all.
I use olive oil, butter, eat carbs daily, love cheese, eggs and have a latte and a scone most days. I have a soup maker and make soup most days too, it is very healthy and low calorie so I can binge as much I want if I'm on one of those days where I feel I need to eat lots (!). (Red pepper, sweet potatoe and tomatoe soup; broccoli and stilton soup; butternut squash and carrot being my favourites, with a sprinkle of smoked paprika or chilli to taste).
Slow and steady does it too, it took me around 20 months to get the weight off, and I'm keeping it off. I always eat when I'm hungry, but I choose well and enjoy the occassional fish supper, curry, pizza ...whatever, it doesn't make any difference if overall my eating is healthy.
Tim Spector gives a very good account of why dieting and processed foods makes people obese.
I've changed my eating times too, consuming all my daily food between 9 am and 5 pm (I'm retired so can do this). The 'fasting' between 5 pm and 9am, cups of tea excepted, has been an enormous benefit too, I'm not bloated and don't feel full going to bed. I wake up hungry and really enjoy a bountiful breakfast. Yummy. (I wasn't a breakfast person before).
Once you get established with a new eating pattern, it just becomes a way of life and you don't really think about it anymore. But it does have to be individualised to suit you and your lifestyle.
Love Tim Spector. I was fascinated with his cheese experiment.
Did you see the recent programme on tv about processed food and how something in it changes your brain to crave it. Like addiction. Terrifying really.
I can’t talk as I’m shocking. I go through phases of batch cooking etc...then go through another can’t be bothered phase and deliveroo is my friend. Not good. I don’t understand it as I’m very disciplined except when it comes to food for some reason. Grrrrrr.
After diagnosis I lost around 3 stone, and it made a huge difference. Not just to my joints but I really thing changing my lifestyle helped me tolerate the drugs and made them work better. Sadly there is quite a lot of research that shows that people with RA who are overweight have much worse outcomes and are less likely to achieve stable remission. So worth another go.
I didn’t “diet”, but as Mmrr says I altered my eating habits. Unfortunately I can’t persuade OH to have dinner before 8pm but would very much like to have a better daily pattern. And I also would encourage anyone to read Tim Spector’s books!
It’s tough, so good luck.
During confinement my weight has crept up a bit, so I need to get out more too!
They do all sorts of mini campaigns, I recently did their eat 30 different fruit, veg, spice, nuts, seeds etc...in a week. It’s a Tim Spector challenge. It was fun. I even bought a flipping celeriac. I may not repeat that purchase!
We have a male matron in our RA Dept and he is very obese...he wouldn't mind me saying that. At one of our conferences he said that his back has been really bad for years and is very painful but the only thing that has helped him is when he lost a lot of weight. However, he hasn't been able to sustain that and his pain is back. I don't know if that helps, but thought it was worth a mention. Weight loss is difficult to achieve for some people, especially if they are limited in the exercise they are able take.
If you would like support, information or just someone to talk to, our NRAS helpline is open every week day from 9.30am to 4.30pm nras.org.uk/helpline/ 0800 298 7650. Or have a look at our website nras.org.uk.
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