Why can’t I lose weight?

[Suet3942]

Week 3 of Weight Watchers diet (which I have stuck to rigidly) and no weight loss this week. Feel so despondent. Too much fruit perhaps, which is allowed on WW but perhaps not with 8mg steroids a day??

[lesley2015]

Hi Suet

I tried WW briefly but didnt work for me - I was always hungry and I didnt lose weight.

I have just lost 2 and a half stone on Slimming World, I eat fruit ad-lib, veg and meat (i dont like fish), fat free yogurts etc., but I do not have the ad lib pasta rice or potatoes, I think on preds we do not metabolise food the same, so I dont eat that. Occasionally a little wholemeal toast or pasta, but a very small amount or a tiny potatoe but at the most once a week.

It has taken be just over a year and I am now below my pre diagnosis/pred weight and I am still dropping slowly.

But it does take will power, but it definitly is possible and very much worth the effort.

I was on about 12mgs when I started, now of 6mgs of preds - out of interest.

Best wishes

[Suet3942 in reply to lesley2015]

Thanks for your help Lesley 😊

[borednow]

I've tried both Weight Watchers and Slimming World. Slimming World won hands down. Lost just over a stone and a half (pre PMR) which I have neatly put back on again (damn those steroids!!) so am now starting again using an adapted form of Slimming World programme - cutting back hard on carbohydrates, anything sweet and fruit. We shall see ..........

In the meantime, I would stick with WW but cut back on carbohydrates and definitely no puddings or cake or biscuits, also fruit. Maybe give it another 3 weeks and then I would seriously think of giving Slimming World a go. Do let us know how you get on and good luck - just remember you CAN do it. Honest!!!!

[Suet3942 in reply to borednow]

Thank you, was feeling very down this morning especially so because I have a really bad back and have been hobbling around for the last week. Onwards and upwards.

[borednow in reply to Suet3942]

Oh dear that's just not fair. My back's OK but left foot is rubbish - do you think between us we could make one decent (if overweight) person?? Onwards and upwards as they say .......... Feel better soon

[Suet3942 in reply to borednow]

😄😄 hope your foot gets better

[borednow in reply to Suet3942]

It's on its last warning (she says darkly)

[bunnymom in reply to borednow]

Might take more like 6 of us lol.

[jinasc]

pmr-gca-northeast.org.uk/gr... then scroll to Page 4

It might just help you to lose weight, it has for others whether they had diabetes or not. The aim is to lose weight and the talk was specifically for people taking pred and not wanting to gain weight from the start or wanting to lost weight they had gained.

[Janann25 in reply to jinasc]

Hi. I'm so sorry to be a bit thick (Pred Head!!) but which of the newsletters are you referring to when you say to scroll to page four?

Jan

[angiek in reply to Janann25]

Same question please

[jinasc in reply to Janann25]

Summer 2016. 'You are Not Alone' .

Hope this helps.

[Janann25 in reply to jinasc]

Thank you!

Jan

[jinasc in reply to Janann25]

Janann25

There are articles in most of those newsletters, some written by PMRpro. One of the best ones is 'PMR Add-ons'.

[Janann25 in reply to jinasc]

Thank you so much for these links - they've given me so much information. I don't have a support group anywhere near me so this will help so much.

Jan

[Suet3942 in reply to jinasc]

Thanksx

[Janet57]

Hi there, all I would say is don’t give up just yet. I’ve been following the Weight Watchers Flex plan and have lost 41lbs so far. Following the advice on this forum I’ve reduced my carbs too. I’m never hungry and eat a healthy balanced diet, have a wee G&T or wine at the weekends and still able to go out for meals but choose more wisely than before. The pred did put on the pounds for me so was keen to get these off. It really is a personal thing and you need to find a way that suits you too. Good luck!

[Suet3942 in reply to Janet57]

Wow Janet. You’ve done so well, and thanks

[Janet57 in reply to Suet3942]

Thank you

[Pongo13]

I prefer sw to ww. However since PMR I have got back to sw target weight by cutting out sugar and eating good fat, low carbs, gluten free and no caffeine plus I gave up alcohol 3 years ago. No sugar = no night time hunger pangs caused by steroids and I surprise my loved ones by being so disciplined refusing the cakes and choccie. I am sure you will believe me when I say it is not worth the pain, but it is a big challenge.

[Wyoming]

To be honest, I have never joined any weight watching group, and I am not good at keeping to this or that diet, trendy, well-researched or otherwise. But on the few occasions I did go on self-styled "cutting back" diets, and some of them really spartan, I found I began to lose weight only after a few weeks. Everybody is different. I commend you on your discipline thus far (I think you are amazing!) and would agree with janet57 to hang in there a little longer. I think you will learn through this process. Even if you find that Weight Watchers is not the best fit for you, it may lead you to the next step. We are all individual bio-machines.

[Suet3942]

Thank you Wyoming😊

[Sheilamac]

It does seem from everything I've read that the only diet that works in counteracting the effect of the steroids is very low, even no carb for a time, high good fats, like avocado, coconut oil, quality butter etc and moderate protein. There's lots of information, tips and recipes online. I'm doing this right now and have lost over a stone in the last 6 weeks. I gained 3 stones post steroids! So it must go! Cutting calories just makes you hungry in my opinion. I'm never hungry on the low carb diet. I did make the mistake of eating too much protein and not enough fats at first and it didn't work, but I'm up and running now. My enormous face is reducing too but that is probably helped by my steroids getting down to 3.5/3mg per day.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[Suet3942 in reply to Sheilamac]

Well done. I’m going to give that a try,

[dillydally1]

hi,

I am doing weight watcher's started 4 weeks ago. I am only losing half a pound a week and I too am following the diet correctly. I take Prozac and amitriptyline which both put weight on you. I have heard it slows down your metabolism. I was on prednisolone for 3 years about 2 years ago and I found it very difficult to lose weight.

my doctor said if weight loss is slow at least you are eating healthier. are you tracking your points on weightwatcher's, I have been asked by the leader to fill in a paper tracker and give it to her to see if I am doing it right. wishing you all the best x

[Suet3942]

Hi dillydally, yes I take amitryptiline as well. I do track my food intake and I’m usually well within the points limit. I can’t walk like normally do, a couple of miles a day, because I’ve got a really bad back. So frustrating isn’t it,

[PMRnewbie2017]

Something I've noticed...........

Like many i ruthlessly cut refined carbs from my diet and have managed to maintain my weight whilst taking pred. I stopped feeling hungry once my insulin secretion stabilised too. Now I'm down to 9mg and feeling good the old habits are creeping back in! I treat myself with a chocolate digestive with a cup of tea. A trip to Pizza Hut, a slice of freshly baked crusty white bread(yummy) you know what I mean. But I have noticed a pattern. If I eat carbs I don't feel at all well. It doesn't feel like a sugar rush like kids get after a can of fizzy pop ( carbs are metabolized to glucose) but I feel buzzy and twitchy inside, out of sorts, irritable,snappy. I start to ache slightly. I'm a deep thinker and am wondering what effects all this junk and processed food has on our bodies. I was a carbohydrate addict before getting pmr/gca and with the suggested links between diet, gut microbiome, health and autoimmune disease I really do wonder if these theories are in fact real because my experience seems to suggest that something happens inside me which my body doesn't like when I eat carbs. The effects are much more obvious now that I'm "detoxed". I feel so much better on freshly prepared meat, fish, veggies with occasional whole grains for variety and texture.

So perhaps when you get frustrated that the weight loss has stalled keep motivated by focussing on the possible inflammatory effects and diabetes inducing effects of those foods we love but are not actually that good for us. Just writing this reply to you has remotivated me, so thank you for posting.

[Suet3942]

Thank your for your positive comments. I have found that since cutting out bread I no longer have the terrible bloating I had been experiencing. I feel remotivated as well.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

I got into exercise with Rosemary Conley years ago - we started a group effort to raise money. But eventually I asked myself why I was helping her bank account - the way her franchisees were treated was rather ... (um, can't think of a printable word). I resent paying to a "club" that then sets me unrealistic goals so they keep the tills ringing. I lost more weight simply by cutting carbs which doesn't cost me anything - the club contribution pays for a load of higher quality foods! My diet is far healthier and there is no enticement to buy "special" products.