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Steroids/Prednisone ok?

dragonfly11

Member
OK, for a week my scale hasn't moved except slightly up. After much frustration, I thought - what have I done differently? I realized that I'm on strong steroids for a terrible ear infection. My ENT said they were fine to take after gastric, but does anyone have any input? Does anyone know if this is what has stopped my weight loss dead in it's tracks (I'm only 6 weeks out!)? :confused:
 
This seems to be a very common question here- I have posted this I found on a few other threads but I will post it again so you can read it more easily.
I found this in my research and think it is very telling for most people. If your medications are not the culprit I would say this probably is.

"A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why.

Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet.

As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored."
 
Dragonfly,

It is extremely likely that the steroids have stopped your weight loss for a bit. They are notorious for making you retain fluids and wt gain is a side effect I believe. The pharmacy should have given you a sheet with side effects. You won't be on them forever since it is an ear infection. Just try to stick with the program and exercise if you can (walking especially) and the weight will come off. You are probably not on a real high dose and you will get off them soon enough. ZZ is absolutely correct about the glycogen. Diabetics taking steroids have a hard time losing weight and controlling blood sugars. Joy
 
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