Loosing weight after Prednisone? Please help me!?!

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Question: Will The Weight I Gained While Taking Prednisone Ever Go Away?

Weight gain during prednisone therapy is common. The weight gain is typically due to a combination of factors: fluid retention, increased calorie consumption, and decreased physical activity.
Answer:

Prednisone causes the body to retain sodium (salt) and lose potassium. This combination can result in fluid retention, weight gain, and bloating. Measures that can be used to avoid fluid retention in the first place are eating a reduced sodium diet and increasing potassium intake through potassium-rich foods (such as bananas, cantaloupe, grapefruit, and lima beans).

Higher calorie consumption is also typical while taking prednisone because the drug can cause an increase in appetite. Some tips to avoid gaining weight include decreasing calories consumed each day, decreasing fat, and eating several small meals a day instead of 3 large ones.

Many people are taking prednisone due to an inflammatory condition or a chronic condition. These conditions often make physical activity difficult. When possible, physical activity can help prevent or lessen the weight gain from prednisone.

Prednisone can also cause the redistribution of fat, which makes even a small amount weight gain more intolerable. The weight tends to be located in the face, back of the neck, and the abdomen.

The good news is that this side effect tends to reverse when the dosage of prednisone is taken below 10 mg/day. The fluid retention and increased appetite will decrease. Any weight gain, however, will not reverse itself. Sticking to a healthful eating plan and getting regular exercise will be needed to take off the pounds. It will be easier to do both of these things when the underlying condition for which the prednisone was prescribed is resolved, or under control.

Your physician can recommend the best diet and fitness plan that works with your particular lifestyle and any medical conditions. Unfortunately, there is no easy road to weight loss, which is why so many diet plans and pills that promise a quick weight loss.

The best way to lose weight, however, is still through a healthy lifestyle: reducing calorie consumption and getting regular exercise. Weight loss should be slow and steady to give the best chance of losing the pounds permanently

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/od/prednisone…