# Prednisone and weight gain...... **URL:** \ **Category:** Bones, joints and muscles\ **Tags:** Polymyalgia rheumatica and GCA\ **Created:** [20 March 2016 16:58 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686 "2016-03-20T16:58:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_916582](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/ac8455/32.png) [@nh\_user\_916582](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_916582)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 01:35 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/21 "2016-03-21T01:35:12Z")
There could be another reason for your lower rest HR... The more you are fit, the lower resting HR is... Mine used to be below 40 when I was in top shape... now with PMR it is in mid 50's ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/7cd45c/32.png) [@nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_930288)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 02:51 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/22 "2016-03-21T02:51:49Z")
I cooked one cup of quinoa and divided them into four portions, cooked a lb of button mushroom, mixed veg of broccoli, coliflower and snow pea (cut into small pieces and boiled for a few minutes) all divided into equal 4 with quinoa. I use them for lunch and I hope it is a right way to do. 😀  ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/7cd45c/32.png) [@nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_930288)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 03:17 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/23 "2016-03-21T03:17:58Z")
On the PMR diet the sufferers only allow to have two eggs per week. Try to have fruits in between meals. Want to try breakfast and Pred not later than 8am. One banana at 9.30 going out for a slow walk for at lease half hour. Can go as far as you like on a bus ride or so. Walking is my favourite (I always think do it while you can) I took suppliment between Pred, some PMRpro use vitC but I used Goji berries juice to regulate my blood sugar and cholesterol check (I hope) it helps with my eye sight too. I do 80% gluten free diet. Hard to follow but worth it. (I have food intolerance ) if is not too much to ask can you tell me what you eat during the day (not trying to pray your privacy, don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable ) I am not an expert but I do use natural diet to control myself, always Trial and Arran.  ---
**Author:** ![anon53727290](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@anon53727290](https://community.patient.info/u/anon53727290)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 03:28 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/24 "2016-03-21T03:28:50Z")
The PMR diet? Never heard of it. I'm just asking, but if you have a gluten intolerance why only 80% - the 20% you are eating is still enough to give you a reaction! Also, Goji berries are a member of the nightshade family and particularly bad for people with autoimmune diseases. hmm, hard to say what I eat as I have something different every day - variety keeps me interested and also keeps the number of different foods I eat at maximum. But here's an example. Brekky: a sweet potato and cauliflower fritter with a 'paleo' sausage (or rissole) and some baby spinach and mushrooms Lunch: greek lamb salad: fillet of lamb with baby spinach or rocket and mint, red onion, figs. Lime juice for dressing. Lunch: fresh salmon or barramundi with lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs. A salad - perhaps carrot and beetroot or I might have lemon roasted zucchini. Fruit for a snack if I need it.... water, black tea, kombocha. ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/7cd45c/32.png) [@nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_930288)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 03:34 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/25 "2016-03-21T03:34:28Z")
I agreed with you about the food intake. I believed in listen to your own body. When come to food the mind is like a 'black hole' but I think most pain killer makes you eat. I feel hungry more when I was on painkiller before Pred (maybe is just in my mind?) or maybe I won't want the med to cause problem to my stomach 😀😀 with PMR there is not much of activities we can do but walk and some of PMR sufferers can't even do that. So I have been very lucky still managed to take the routes I used to walk before the PMR with a slower pace.  ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/7cd45c/32.png) [@nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_930288)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 04:23 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/26 "2016-03-21T04:23:44Z")
If you go to website and type in 'diet for PMR' and it shows you all about PMR and you can choose whatever tropic you are interested in. Food to eat and avoid.  Yes I know sound Hippocrates isn't it. The 20% is when I got no choice and suffered the consequences the next day or even before the day is out. It doesn't kills me just uncomfortable. And I do listen to my body. I can't skipped everything and my body is telling me once a while I need the food I don't normally take. So I been working on it for the last 10 years or more.  Your diet looks good but do you snacks in-between?  My breakfast is oat bran porridge 2 tablespoon of oat bran. Banana at 9.30 for potassium, lunch 1/4 cup quinoa with mushroom and veg. Dinner about three tablespoon of cooked rice with grill fish and lots of boiled veg. Sound boring but my stomach feels happy after that. There are food I ate and my body said yeak to it. So is plainer the better.  ---
**Author:** ![anon53727290](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@anon53727290](https://community.patient.info/u/anon53727290)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 05:10 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/27 "2016-03-21T05:10:25Z")
I'm not familiar with Dukan Diet but will certainly research it.  Thanks.  ---
**Author:** ![anon53727290](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@anon53727290](https://community.patient.info/u/anon53727290)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 05:17 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/28 "2016-03-21T05:17:48Z")
I'm pretty sure if you are diligent at watching what you eat while on Prednisone you won't gain weight as it is true if you take in more calories than your body needs it is stored as fat. Maybe Prednisone promotes fat storage somehow though and makes it easier to gain somehow because I did feel it came on ever do quickly. Regardless I guess it's up to me now to get it back off and keep from gaining more.  ---
**Author:** ![anon53727290](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@anon53727290](https://community.patient.info/u/anon53727290)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 05:21 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/29 "2016-03-21T05:21:38Z")
I understand losing the energy to shop and cook! When you are constantly fighting the pain and stiffness of PMR who has energy to plan meals much less cook them.  Sorry about the side effects of eating eggs again!,  ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/7cd45c/32.png) [@nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_930288)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 05:45 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/30 "2016-03-21T05:45:40Z")
Hello Marla0415 don't get yourselves down. Looks like PMR is happily settling in one's life but we don't want them to think they are winning. Looking for other interest is to forget the pain. Cooking is the best solution to me. Don't let PMR gets you.  ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_916582](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/ac8455/32.png) [@nh\_user\_916582](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_916582)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 05:54 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/31 "2016-03-21T05:54:30Z")
I try to encourage people not to rely on diet alone, since what really changed with PMR is that our activities are reduced. The right way to fix the problem is to increase the activity, not to diet. The only exception to that is if you have real, legit reason that you cannot walk, like injury ( Achilles tendon for example). Otherwise there should not be excuse not to start doing something.  In addition, if you diet, you are losing fat and muscles, not just fat. At our age, we don't have much muscles to lose and it is much harder to get them back. As I pointed out in the other post, percent fat is much better measure how "fat" you are. During the process of diet muscles are replaced with fat, which is lighter per same volume. So it appears that we are losing weight, while the percent fat is going up!   ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/7cd45c/32.png) [@nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_930288)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 06:11 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/32 "2016-03-21T06:11:58Z")
You are right about activities. If one put on too much weight and restrict the walking activities. So both diets and activities should work together. I do get tightness at the back of my leg when walk although the pain on both hips subside. The journey I used to walk normally took me twenty minutes and now it took me 30-35 mins. But it hasn't stop me. So I hope all PMR sufferers please take a walk round the block or town centre. Helps to loose weight and strengthen the legs capability. Bad days I walk short round. Good days I can 'fly' oops. 👍 Thumb up for walking Nick? ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_12898](https://community.patient.info/user_avatar/community.patient.info/nh_user_12898/32/1979_2.png) [@nh\_user\_12898](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_12898)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 09:51 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/33 "2016-03-21T09:51:29Z")
Sorry, don't agree guys, calories are not just calories and there is work that shows it is possible to eat more calories without putting on weight if you eat non-carb ones. It is also to do with the pathways. As long as you are eating loads of carbs you use them for energy and any excess is laid down as fat, that is perfectly true. Reduce the carbs enough and your body starts to use up the fat stores by ketogenesis. It doesn't mean you can eat unlimited fat and protein but you can eat more than if you eat carbs. There is also the aspect of reversing insulin resistance - that won't happen as long as you are triggering insulin production by eating carbs. No/very low carbs - no insulin production. ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_12898](https://community.patient.info/user_avatar/community.patient.info/nh_user_12898/32/1979_2.png) [@nh\_user\_12898](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_12898)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 10:13 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/34 "2016-03-21T10:13:12Z")
It's just another of the low-carb eating plans that makes a fortune on the back of it by selling "special" prepared low carb foods. Which all contain all sorts of stuff - preparing meat/fish/eggs/cheese dishes with fresh veg and salads is easy and far better for you. ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/7cd45c/32.png) [@nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_930288)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 12:15 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/35 "2016-03-21T12:15:20Z")
Not really. Is just a recipe you have to prepare from scratch. And is free download from App Store.  ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_843256](https://community.patient.info/user_avatar/community.patient.info/nh_user_843256/32/3586_2.png) [@nh\_user\_843256](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_843256)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 14:04 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/36 "2016-03-21T14:04:33Z")
Nick, there are diets and there are diets.  I think what most of us here are referring to when we talk about changing our diets is not so much calorie restriction (although that is a real issue for some) but alterations in the actual foods we consume.  As Eileen says, you can get just as many calories from a diet rich in whole foods but light on carbohydrates (especially the grain-based carbs and highly refined foods).  In my case I really can't afford to reduce calories bu must cut back on the carbs and simple sugars.  So I eat a lot of nuts, and high protein foods and don't cut out the fat (healthy oils) ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_843256](https://community.patient.info/user_avatar/community.patient.info/nh_user_843256/32/3586_2.png) [@nh\_user\_843256](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_843256)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 14:26 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/37 "2016-03-21T14:26:53Z")
Well that won't work for me as I've been eating two fried eggs for breakfast ever since I had to give up my big bowl of cereal!  That and 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds and a cup of tea with milk.  Can't face the thought of having to prepare anything.  Has to be easy. ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/7cd45c/32.png) [@nh\_user\_930288](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_930288)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 14:35 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/38 "2016-03-21T14:35:23Z")
Hi Anhaga you still can have a bowl of oat bran porridge with milk. Can make it in the microwave in two minutes. And break an egg in if you like and it taste good. (No sugar)  ---
**Author:** ![anon53727290](https://community.patient.info/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@anon53727290](https://community.patient.info/u/anon53727290)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 14:37 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/39 "2016-03-21T14:37:56Z")
HI Lee. Thanks for the encouragement.  PMR does get me down there's no denying that but I don't stay that way for long and just keep moving forward the best I can. Good days, bad days I realize that's just how it is living with this disease.  ---
**Author:** ![nh\_user\_843256](https://community.patient.info/user_avatar/community.patient.info/nh_user_843256/32/3586_2.png) [@nh\_user\_843256](https://community.patient.info/u/nh_user_843256)\ **Post date:** [21 March 2016 14:47 UTC](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686/40 "2016-03-21T14:47:14Z")
The thought of an egg in a bowl of oats is rather offputting.  I like oats as an occasional bedtime snack.  I do not have a microwave. [Previous page](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.patient.info/t/prednisone-and-weight-gain/503686.md?page=3)