Ok this is my deal..
I was sick in October and put on a steroid and antibiot for my throat. Then 3 weeks later had to do this again and the. 2 weeks ago I did a zpac for a virus..
I have gone up from 124 to 132 in that time and have not changed my eating one bit.
I have had my thyroid and t3 t4 checked. All good
I am 44 and eat about 1500 cal a day and was losing. Now every single day I am heavier. Dr said I need to cut calories and work out. I don't know .. I am hungry already at 1500!
I'm still up. Working out and went up more. Depressed
Its the steroids. I use to have to take them on and off for asthma and every time I'd be on them I'd gain weight.
Your metabolism has slowed down due to too-low calorie intake. So you aren't burning what you take in as you were before. 1500 calories is not a lot but it depends on how you are taking them in and what they are made up of. Are you avoiding fats, for example? You'll be hungry all the time. Are you loading up on simple salads? That's going to wear off easily because your body isn't getting nourished.
The rest is drugs. Steroids and everything else is messing with your body. Z-pack for a virus? Who gave you an antibiotic for a virus??? You need to find a new doctor - that's irresponsible and ineffective!
Working out does boost the metabolism and build muscle, which in turn burns calories/fat. But you can't do that if you're still feeling sick.
At 44, you may be undergoing hormonal changes too.
I think you're overmedicated and with the wrong things. You can work on immune system support and general strengthening. But if you feel the best way to do this is to keep going through one regimen of drugs after another, or if you have a doctor who is the type who likes to write prescriptions to get rid of you or because he doesn't know what to do, you're kind of in a vicious cycle. I'm not anti-physician or anti-medication, but I think you are just bouncing around from one to the other.
I work in immune system support and I see all kinds of people on this negative health cycle. I was on a "sick cycle" all the time with throat, sinus, and especially bronchial issues for years. If you have a genetic predisposition to this, it can be even worse. But it's really not genetic in the sense of it being written in stone in your DNA. The epigenetic factors - what controls your DNA and the way it turns on and off - are controlling all of this (illness and weight gain). I'd emphasize cellular nutrition - if you aren't familiar with that, let me know. The idea is, what you consume isn't as important as what is actually absorbed and utilized right into the cells.
Steroids put on weight. I don't know what a zpac is. I suggest that your illness and meds could be causing your body to hold water. Illness can result in an increase in hungry feelings as your body tries to heal. Illness can also change our chemistry so that we may gain weight. Could it be possible that you are paying closer attention to your weight than you did before becoming sick. It is normal for our weight to vary as much as 5 lbs due to water retention.
Now that the extra weight is there you will need to make sure you're eating less and exercise more to get rid of it unless it's water weight.
A) Stop weighing every day. The only fluctuation you're seeing is water weight, at that point. Not fat.
B) You retain water when you're sick. Your body holds onto it to help you fight illness. And yes, you can absolutely be holding onto 8 lbs of water weight.
C) You're 44, which is the right time where your system slows down and it becomes harder to take it off and keep it off. You're doing great eating the 1500 cals/day. I'd stick with that. Working out will help...and don't increase your intake with that. Now might be the time to start looking at what your 1500 cals include during the day. Fruits/veggies/lean protein?
I'm finding that as I get older, I need to "eat the rainbow" to keep weight off, focusing more on veggies, less on carbs and gluten. I still eat those things, but far less frequently.
Finally...do you drink? Keep in mind you need to keep track of calories you drink, in addition to what you eat. It all factors in. That glass of wine, that latte...all of it adds into your daily intake.
I suggest you work with a nutritionist instead of your doctor. I say this for a few reasons.
1) at 5 ft 7inches (previous post) you have a very healthy bmi at 130 lbs. You need someone to look at your diet to help you maintain not lose.
2) you will probably have the best luck at maintaing your ideal weight by closely looking at what you eat and how much you exercise not just how many calories you take in.
3) I don't have confidence in a doctor who would prescribe a zpack for a virus and who apparently doesn't take seriously the weight gain that comes with steroid prescriptions. I find it ridiculous that he would put you through 2 courses of steroids and then tell you that your weight gain is because of your eating/exercise habits.
Please work with a nutritionist on health (including getting back on track from the steroids) not weight. Good luck.
The older you get the less calories you need. I swear we can live off of air and still gain weight.
Steroid. That's every bit of the issue. Google how to deal with steroid weight gain. I fell and ruptured a disk in my neck and was on the highest steroid I could be on. I gained 100 lbs and still have it.
If you are not working out that may be the problem. You can only restrict calories so much and then your body rebels.
Hi R.,
The steroid messed up your system. It ALWAYS does...Doctors don't bother to tell you and explain it is a hormone and it works just like one. It may take some time....
M.
If you are 5' 7" and 132 you are at a healthy weight, actually at the low end of a normal BMI.
Why do you feel you need to lose weight?
