Landyjhm

[landyjhm]

Having been diagnosed with PMR a year ago and despite a flare last year, have managed to get down to 8.5mg. I have been tapering by 0.5mg every 3 weeks which seems to be going well so far. I have recently been made aware of weight gain (despite cycling most weekends) and wondered if this was normal? I have seen that reducing your carb intake can help. I do eat a fair amount of bread and rice, but what can I substitute these with? Any advice would be gratefully received!

[SnazzyD]

When it comes to diet, Pred is a bit of a special case and for many, just healthy eating doesn’t stop increase in blood sugar, insulin output and weight gain. This is because it makes the liver produce extra blood glucose from breaking down its glycogen stores. Your body doesn’t like it so puts out insulin to get it out and into the cells and you lay down fat. Also, with Pred no matter what you do, your fat is distributed to around your middle and around your face and neck. So you can look like a stick everywhere else but have a round face. If that is how you are judging your weight, it’s not reliable.

So, if all this is going on before you have eaten and then you eat carbs, particularly refined, you are just adding more glucose into the system. Some of us have to practically cut out all carbs but others can add a little more. As for replacement, I never did, I just ate protein, and decent amount of fats (pref plant based) and veg/salad. I ate loads, but just not bulked out with any pasta, bread, rice, etc. I ate loads but just without any carby bulking foods. Even being off Pred in Aug 2020, I don’t miss it particularly which is just as well because my metabolism has changed. It may have happened anyway.

[landyjhm in reply to SnazzyD]

Thank you SnazzyD, that is really helpful. Yes, my weight gain is mainly around my face and neck. I only really noticed it when I tried to put on a dress shirt last weekend!!

[SnazzyD in reply to landyjhm]

Ah yes, fact of life until you get to lower doses. It does go.

[landyjhm in reply to SnazzyD]

Phew, thank you!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Snazzy has explained - it is quite common but cutting carbs does work to reduce the effect,

And a plea - please don't use your user name as the title for your post or question, that appears automatically. The title is to give an indication of your question or comment - and triggers related posts for you.

[landyjhm in reply to PMRpro]

Oops, sorry!!

[Koalajane]

hi, it can be a problem. I have found I eat one slice of bread for breakfast ( wholemeal sourdough toasted with peanut butter on. I eat lots of salads with chicken , fish and cheese. Eggs are good. I don’t eat pasta or r ice but if you do brown is best.

At the start I drastically cut my carbs, especially as after 3 months of diagnosed PMR I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (probably steroid induced) I lost over 3 stones and put my type 2 into remission.

Good luck to you.

[landyjhm in reply to Koalajane]

Thank you for your reply Koalajane, that's great advice.

[Pixix]

have you looked at the FAQs? Or searched on low carb diet? There’s a lot of info on this forum you can access, as this topic affects so many of us (I’ve put on 3 stone…but have been on steroids for other things before I got PMR). Something there may help you, too! S x

[landyjhm in reply to Pixix]

I shall look at that, thank you. I was really just wondering what everyone else found that was best to avoid?!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to landyjhm]

I think it can be summed up as Carbs: especially processed carbs, added sugar and certain fruits and root veg.

[landyjhm in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you.

[Pixix in reply to landyjhm]

Look up the Keto diet, you don’t have to follow it, but it’s all low carbs! I did it for six weeks and lost a stone. Sadly, I’ve another 3 to lose, but it works. There’s sugar in so much. I don’t buy any processed foods, or ready meals, I cook everything from basic ingredients!

[jayemmemm]

Rice, potato, pasta, bread and alcohol. All of which make life so worthwhile. But it has to be done unless you actually want a 44 inch waistline! Best of luck to you

[landyjhm in reply to jayemmemm]

I had no idea alcohol counts as Carbs!!

[jayemmemm in reply to landyjhm]

You are right about pure alcohol. But most of us use alcohol with mixers and that's where the trouble starts.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to landyjhm]

Actually, spirits such as gin, whisky and so on are carb-free - but as jayemmemm says, the evil is in the mixers. Sweeter wines with lots of residual sugar and beer can be real carb bombs ...

healthline.com/nutrition/ke...

[DogAgilityObsessed]

I put on about three/four stone after going on pred in 2020 (blamed it on pred but OH put in even more). But then I did the Fast 800 diet for 12 weeks and lost it all and more. The diet is largely low carb (andTRE - time restricted eating) which I’ve stuck with and continued to lose on. I also check my blood sugar regularly.

[landyjhm in reply to DogAgilityObsessed]

Thank you, I shall investigate!

[tangocharlie]

It also matters WHEN you eat. For me any carbs in the 3-7 hour window after taking the Pred made my blood sugars shoot up and stay elevated. For more info see my posts on what I learned from doing the Zoe programme. Exercise after eating als helped lower bs, s did eating vegetables before

[landyjhm in reply to tangocharlie]

Thank you tangocharlie.