Methods for losing prednisone belly fat

[GrandMary]

What is the best way to lose prednisone belly fat now that I am prescribed only 7mg?

After being on 80mg. eight months ago, I was gradually tapered down to this amount.

Any suggestions?

[Omil04]

Hi GranMary. I like yourself have put weight on around my middle, due to predinsone. At the moment we are trying to get the medication right due to Flare ups . I myself are trying to eat sensible and take control of my condition which is GPA. I feel that I cannot take to many things on at the same time,as I tend to lose my positiveity . So you take care regards lorraine

[woollysox]

I put on three stone when I first started the pred two and a half years ago. It gave me diabetes so I've had to change my diet and cut down drastically on my beloved carbs but this has caused me to lose 2 stone in the last six months. I'm sure that reducing the pred (on 9mg now) is also contributing as my hamster cheeks are also going. I've been substituting zoodles for pasta, quinoa or buckwheat for rice or potatoes and eat a slice of raisin Ryvita when I crave something sweet - which isn't very often now. At this rate I'll soon be able to wear skirts and trousers again. I've had to wear tent dresses all this time with nothing underneath as size 10 hips and size 18 belly aren't conducive to keeping elastic around your waist :/

[Helen2222 in reply to woollysox]

Hi,

I have the exact same problem, I have size 6 hips but a size 18 waste, it looks horrendous and it is really making me depressed 😢 my diet is good and I only weigh 6st 4lbs at my heaviest. I really don’t know what to do anymore. I get so bloated too. I was supposed to have a ct scan on my stomach on the 22nd April but they have postponed it due to the Coronavirus😔 do you have any suggestions? Xx

[woollysox in reply to Helen2222]

Hi Helen,

I really feel for you, but apart from cutting carbs and, of course, sugar and exercising if you can, it looks like we'll just have to wait to come off the Pred. I managed to get down to 5.5mg and got back to my starting weight, albeit still barrel shaped but then relapsed, had to increase the Pred and put on a stone again, despite the fact that I was eating exactly the same. 😒

After 5 years, I've now got used to looking odd and my son and my friends still love me despite it, so I'm accepting it and looking forward to a time without the icky drug and hopefully looking relatively 'normal' again.

[Helen2222 in reply to woollysox]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply, unfortunately I’m on 20mg of hydrocortisone a day for my Addisons and I am unable to reduce the dose😔 I don’t have any sugar apart from in fruit and a little in my half tin of baked beans a day. The only way I can stick to my current weight is to eat the same foods every day. I find it very hard to do any exercise because of my numerous health troubles. Suppose I am stuck with it!! Hope you are well and stay safe xxxx

[woollysox in reply to Helen2222]

Oh dear, that's crap, isn't it?! I have the same problem with a limited diet and exercise, so appreciate how hard it is. Now that it's getting warmer, there will be more fresh, non starchy veg available, so that'll help.

You take care, xxx

[Helen2222 in reply to woollysox]

It is!!! Worse now with this coronation because I have to rely on my husband to get my food and doesn’t always come back with what I need. You too😘xx

[PMRpro]

After cutting carbs drastically I lost a total of 35lbs - and it was the fat around my middle that went first, slowly but noticeably. I'd lost about 2 inches and my trousers fell down after just a couple of months and while I was still on 15mg of pred. Obviously I lost weight all over - but even when I had to go back to 15mg for a flare last year I didn't get the moonface back or gain a significant amount of weight.

[Chela16 in reply to PMRpro]

What was your typical day of food that you ate? What about the weekends? How many carbs a day? Did you count even vegetables?

Thank you for any tips.

[PMRpro in reply to Chela16]

My normal day of eating is multiple mugs of tea for breakfast - no food, never been a breakfast person! Lunch is typically a big bowl of salad leaves, tomato and maybe a bit of cheese with olive oil and vinegar dressing or a boiled egg and small piece of wholemeal rye bread. More tea. Dinner is 4oz of meat or 6oz fish (often salmon) with salad again or a pile of roast veggies and a glass of wine. During the afternoon I eat a small handfull of nuts (unsalted hazelnuts and almonds bought from the bakery department). Weekends are the same, always have been. To lose weight I need to be well under the 30-40g of carb a day where I maintain weight fairly easily. I do eat the occasional bit of dark chocolate and if I want an icecream or pizza or eat out I do - but once, not every day, and low carb is fairly easy for eating out.

And yes, you have to count everything that has carbs - I don't count strictly, I know now what I can eat. But you can't go back to stuffing carbs once you have lost the weight - you can only add carbs until you stop losing. Keeping weight off is a lifestyle adjustment and for life.

[Chela16 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you, I’ll give it a try. I had a kidney transplant in 2016 and must take 5mg of prednisone daily. The first 6 mos I actually lost weight and ever since it’s been something I’ve never seen on my body. My stomach is greatly effected. Just odd food can cause me to bloat up horrible and the weight easily comes on. Apparently it doesn’t matter for dosage. If one is on it long enough they can experience weight gain.

I get very depressed at times and think well I’m alive and not on a machine so be grateful! That keeps my spirits up for awhile. Then my mind goes back to my unfitting stomach. Literally my size in clothes is ridiculous on fluctuation. I’m on this drug for life.

Again, thanks for responding and your detailed advice. I also really need to do cardio daily. Per doctor.

[PMRpro in reply to Chela16]

Is protein intake an issue now? Shouldn't be should it? But when I cut carbs and subsequently lost 35lbs of pred weight, the first place it went from was around my waist but I only realised when a pair of trousers I was intending wearing for my daughter's wedding fell down when I tried them on!!!! They'd fitted a few weeks before and it was too late when I found out, the wedding was the next day!!!! I'm on 15mg pred again and have never been below 7mg for long but I still have a waist

[Melon]

Hi. I am not sure whether the redistribution of fat caused by prednisolone is counted as visceral fat but I saw this program a while ago. Might be worth trying. It seems like a healthy thing to do anyway. 😀 youtu.be/V5a9MX2DXcA(Not working as expected?)

[Honey46311]

I came across this article the other day. It's geared more toward pregnancy "baby fat" but it may still help with losing weight around the center. There's still research being completed. I plan to try this myself. Thanks for the info Melon. Hope this helps

npr.org/sections/health-sho...

[jayf]

Hello GrandMary.

My past year has been almost identical to yours.

This is what I do/did: Started my day with a glass of room temperature water and the juice of a whole lime. It kick starts the liver and metabolism.

I steadily reduced my sugar intake to almost nothing.

I put an app call pedometer on my phone and walked 10, 000 steps a day.

I planked for one minute in the morning and for one in the evening on a yoga mat. I increased my protein and GREEN vegetables radically. Mainly mackerel tuna tinned salmon and chicken or turkey. With say broccoli or green beans and the like.

I bought a resistance rubber band attached It to a door handle and did abdominal work for 5 to 7 minutes a day.(Check out YouTube. There are lots of resistance exercises to watch).

There are pressure points under the rib cage (3.finger below) and massage for 5 mins in bed before bed.

And believe it or.not I massaged my belly whenever I remembered. Usually in bed at bedtime.

It takes time to shift. But it does and can with some application be

radically reduced. As can moon face.

Oh and lots of water.

Good luck.

All best!

Jay.