35 pounds gained in 5 months! Help!!

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aprilcrompton
aprilcrompton Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
I am a 43 year old stay at home mom to 5 kids ranging in age from 23 to 3. I was diagnosed with Lupus after the birth of my 3 year old which has been quite a life changing time. I'm on a regular dose of 60mgs of Prednisone daily along with Lyrica and Neurontin which all cause weight gain, problem is my blood pressure is now skyrocketing because of all of the weight gain. I know I need to watch what I eat but it is sooo hard having kids and goodies that come along with them around. I weigh 161 right now and my goal is 130-135 please anyone with any advice I would totally appreciate it. April

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  • 30Purple
    30Purple Posts: 252 Member
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    prednisone sucks... keep a log on here, and update everything that goes in your mouth and hopefully that will help counteract :) good luck!
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
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    Keep the goodies out. You and the kids can make healthy snacks.

    Can the 23-year old help? Maybe they could watch their siblings for an hour so you can exercise (however much your doctor says is okay).
  • aprilcrompton
    aprilcrompton Posts: 2
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    Your right Prednisone SUCKS! As far as the 23 year old she is on her own going to college and managing a bank right now and has had the weight gain without the meds! I am going to start getting my butt moving tomorrow in the middle of my living room by doing some exercising to some dvd's that I have that have never been opened! LOL! I just wish it would leave as quickly as it was gained which I'm sure everyone here feels too. :)
  • Lexi507
    Lexi507 Posts: 79 Member
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    I think the first thing to do is realize that you have a lot stacked against you. It isn't fair, and it is going to be very hard to beat it, but if you take is slow & don't get too discouraged, you will be able to become more fit. I would rely on your MFP friends to help you stay realistic about your progress. If you are looking for more friends, feel free to add me.

    You may want to check with your doctor as to how long the weight gain will last. I had a friend on Prednisone for chronic fatigue and she had a lot of the steroid puffiness for the first couple of months, but then it seemed to slow down. So your doctor may be able to give you an idea of how long it will be super hard to lose the weight as opposed to just plain old hard. She also had a lot of tiredness, so thinking about what type of exercise seems to make the most sense for you today (you can always change as you feel better/worse). So you may want to see how you feel with longer duration, lower intensity vs. high intensity, shorter duration workouts. Good luck with your changes and I hope you find what works for you!
  • Lifting_Knitter
    Lifting_Knitter Posts: 1,025
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    Keep the goodies out. You and the kids can make healthy snacks.

    this^^^^ i was thinking the same thing. I have a 3 yr old and I keep goodies in the house but she loves my stuff. Dried fruits and veggies. Also, airpopped popcorn. I got a bowl for the microwave and it is great. I only add a little butter and salt and sometimes I don't add anying. Great snack. Cereal too. I would change over snacks. And it is healthier for the kids too.

    Also, logging is great. You can make room for snacks and have snack time with the kids. :)
  • moxette
    moxette Posts: 104 Member
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    My sister has lupus. She was diagnosed at 38 after the birth of her 3rd child. She was able to drop her flares from 3 weeks to 1-2 days by getting really careful with what she put in her body. She says the cleaner she eats the better she feels and the shorter her flares. She doesn't avoid any whole foods (she eats gluten, sugar, all animal proteins, dairy...) But for her it was the preservatives that seemed to cause the biggest problem. She will still eat junk on occasion but if she starts to feel a flare coming on she stays away from "anything that comes in a wrapper. "
    Educate yourself, talk to your doc, join an online support group. It will all help you understand what makes your lupus grow and go dormant.
    Good luck!
  • momstudent
    momstudent Posts: 2 Member
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    Wow, we are very similar. I am going to be 43 in March and I too have 5 kids ranging in age from 25 to 3. I just weighed myself today and weigh 159 and want to get down to 137. I don't have lupus though and I know the prednisone can make you gain weight. I would say keep trying to eat right, and excercise everyday, even if it is just a walk. I have high blood pressure too and I hope to not need blood pressure pills after I get to my goal weight. Keep reaching out to others and keep trying to control the eating and excercise.:happy: :happy:
  • melly3100
    melly3100 Posts: 2
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    Keep a log on here and you will find little things you can switch out that will make a huge difference. For me it was peanut butter...I was having it on toast and found that the jam I had in the cupboard was 1/3 of the calories and tasted just as good.
    Another thing was the balsamic salad dressing was actually worse than the poppy seed...
    Little switches will help.

    Also, take a water bottle with you where ever you go - it is surprising how much you can drink due to thirst where you would just be thirsty when out and about in the past...

    lastly, stick around this site for all the support you need :)
  • ChristinaR720
    ChristinaR720 Posts: 1,186
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    I have lupus and gained weight due to prednisone, too. Eat as healthy as you can and increase your protein and water intake to help curb hunger. It may be helpful to eat small meals every 2-3 hours. Make sure you don't overdo it when you exercise, and be sure to listen to your body. Take rest days when you need them.

    It's not going to be easy, but you can do this!
  • cathylou26
    cathylou26 Posts: 1 Member
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    Hello from a fellow Lupie ! I was diagnosed 10 years ago and remember eating anything smaller or slower than I was for the the first couple of months on Prednisone. About 30 lbs too! I think it's just finding comfort while trying to deal with a disease that's just so hard to explain to others around you. I now know a couple of things that help out. After a while (2 yrs) I was slowly taken off steroids. When I needed to get back on a steroid to help me back to health after a major flare...I watched my sodium closely and didn't balloon up the next time. Steroids do help.. it's true.. and now with MFP maybe you can watch sodium to alleviate the side effects a little. Just know that you will find balance with your lupus. The old you will return to the mirror. Stay strong!

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