That DARN Prednisone Belly

Hi, so I am fairly new on this site, but I need some advice about after prednisone use. I've seen other posts on here regarding it as well, but I didn't know if anyone current was dealing with it.

My name is Megan, I am 21 years old, and I have Ulcerative Colitis. I was put on Prednisone back in May of last year after a flare up. I was on a pretty high dose for about 2 months and then tapered off 5mg a week, and I finally got off of it the beginning of September, 2013. I think I'm extra sensitive to medication because I was on Abilify before this to help me sleep, and it made me gain about 30 pounds without changing my diet of exercise. Now that 30 pounds was okay because I was underweight and needed to gain anyway. Didn't like how I gained, but you can't pick and choose I guess... Anywho, I then gained an extra 30lbs+ (not sure, too scared to check my weight and had blind weigh ins, but when I checked after getting off prednisone I was about 30lbs more). I didn't change my diet and I actually stopped eating because of the weight gain and I began to panic. I exercised like crazy and barely ate, yet I continued to gain. It was the worst time in my life. I had the HUGEST face and belly and looked like a giant marshmallow. I kept demanding blood tests for my hormone levels but my doctor and dietician just told me nope, you're eating too much sorry. WHICH I CLEARLY WAS NOT because as ashamed as I am to say it, I have a history of restricting calories, and this was one of those times.

Fastforward to a little over a year later of being off the prednisone. I have been careful with my diet (not eating too little but not too much) and am VERY SLOWLY losing the prednisone belly and booty (I gained in the booty and thighs too is that normal?). Like snail's pace. It seems though that as I am on this weight loss journey, I'm losing weight other places before the belly and booty! Like the boobs. Or the arms. That's not what I want! I know one can't spot reduce, but should the belly be gone by now? It's been a year of being off it. I've been careful with my diet, and I major in Kinesiology, so I am a very active student. I keep feeling really bad because some people I have asked are all well I didn't gain on prednisone, or I gained but it came right off after so you're just eating too much. I'm SICK of those answers. I have re-evaluated my diet so many times, and I count and weigh food and pick the best things and eat exactly where I need to be to lose.

This was just more of a rant I suppose. Sorry, I just hate feeling alone on this journey. I know no one can tell me what I want to hear, that it'll just go away tomorrow, and I know all I can do is have patience and keep eating healthy and exercising towards my goal, but what I'm really looking for is anyone that has had this type of experience? Anyone been on prednisone before, and it took a really long time to get back to where you were before? I hate this process is so slow