Oral Steroids

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Tina1957
Tina1957 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Side effects nobody really mentioned

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  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    I was on steroids for many years. The side effects are no fun. I have skin that tears pretty easy now.
  • Tina1957
    Tina1957 Posts: 4 Member
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    I maintained a strict diet - same as I had been on for 8 weeks - and completely stopped losing weight.
    1200 cal/day and actually I was able to increase physical activity but I went from losing 1 - 3 pounds/week to losing 2 pounds in 5 weeks.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    The steroids have no calories. So it is either you are having a little water retention which is masking your fat loss or your appetite has kicked up a notch and you may be eating more and not realize it. How accurate is your calorie counting? Do you use a food scale to weigh everything? Do you pick the right entries from the database.
  • Tina1957
    Tina1957 Posts: 4 Member
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    Suddenly, 4 weeks after ending the steroids I've started to lose weight again. I know about plateaus in dieting, but this was very extensive and unreasonable for the amount of calories in and out. In retrospect and with the help of my fitness pal I can see that the plateau started the day after I started the steroids and that my net calories actually decreased during that time. I read that steroids can make you gain weight but they attributed it to increased appetite and increased eating. I didn't increase my calories at all.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    It was not fat you added but extra water in your muscles. Our bodies like to hold on to water. Glad you are better.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    My cousin was on steroids for awhile. He experienced a lot of water weight/bloating. That shows up on the scale. The bloating plus not feeling well made him fatigued so he was a bit less active and rested more, so he was burning less calories.

    Regardless, I'm glad you're off them and back on track.
  • Tina1957
    Tina1957 Posts: 4 Member
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    I believe I was very accurate in my calorie counting - at least as accurate as I had been for the prior eight weeks! I try very hard to pick the right entries from the database and I weigh everything that isn't individually packaged. It MIGHT be bloating, but to just plateau, not suddenly gain 5 or 6 pounds, does not indicate water weight. I think I gained muscle and/or was more efficient - (like starvation mode) with calories. The number of calories I was eating, for my age, should not have triggered starvation mode calorie efficiency. I believe that effect was the result of the steroids. I swear I was so close to the diet I was already on I could have been a lab test for this: Without changing the diet, I ceased losing weight on a 1200 cal/day diet while taking steroids. The effect lasted 4 weeks AFTER I took the steroids.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    What are you asking? The water weight you gained was temporary. Some people freak out if they gain 5 or 6 pounds and then they throw the towel in, so to speak. But you did not. WTG!

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