How Much Weight Loss After Steroids?
Excessive weight gain is a common phenomenon from which many people today suffer. But how much they gain largely depends upon the type of steroids they take, the duration for which they take and of course their diet and their body’s own metabolism. So before we talk about how much and how weight can be lost after steroids, it is better to understand, why weight is gained with the use of steroids in the first place.
Get to Know About Steroid
When we use the word, ‘Steroid’ the image that pops up in the mind is of body builders, weight lifters and of course the notorious athletes. But there are many other kinds of steroids that are all too commonly prescribed by the physicians to their patients.
There are the anabolic steroids, which are used by athletes and body builders because these steroids are aimed at building muscle mass and strength, and then there are the different type of steroids, known as corticosteroids that are prescribed by doctors to treat numerous medical conditions.
Why are Steroids Commonly Prescribed?
The corticosteroids commonly prescribed to patients include, cortisone, nerisone, prednisone and many others of such corticosteroid variety. Numerous diseases and medical conditions are treated with the use of these steroids; these conditions include,
- Addison’s Disease
- Autoimmune Disorders
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Bell’s Palsy
- Organ Transplants
- Post Operative Recovery
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Lyme Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis and many more.
It is evident from the list above that the use of corticosteroids is fairly common. The steroids artificially boost the healing or recovery process and therefore it is administered under the supervision of the doctors for a particular period of time.
How are Corticosteroids Administered?
While some corticosteroids can be given through inhalers or sprays, others can be administered orally with the use of tablets, capsules, liquid medications or applied topically, such as creams, ointments, lotions and eye drops. For someone who suffers from a chronic condition, these doses are usually administered over long periods of time and that easily leads to a lot of commonly witnessed side effects.
Corticosteroids and Side Effects
Some of the commonly registered side effects of Corticosteroids are increased appetite, redistribution of fat, frustration, emotional instability, decreased metabolism and depression. But one side effect which is very pronounced is weight gain.
Corticosteroids and Weight Gain
Consumption of steroids over long term can have adverse side effects over the body’s metabolism and also on how and where the body stores the excess fat. The redistribution of fat usually occurs around the areas of face, back of neck and abdomen.
When the metabolism in the body slows down, the result is that the body starts craving for more food and that is usually translated into satiating carbs and sugary diet. As a consequence, the person starts to gain a lot of weight. Generally the excessive fat is deposited around the area of the belly.
Corticosteroids also cause water retention in the body. This is because they disrupt the balance of sodium, water and electrolytes in the body and that also leads to weight gain.
Weight Loss After Steroids
It is quite possible to lose the extra pounds that are gained during corticosteroid cycles. For some it is easier as compared to others. It largely depends upon how the weight was gained. As mentioned earlier, while some steroids cause a redistribution of fat cells, others simply increase the appetite of the patient leading to overeating and weight gain. And then there are those steroids that cause the retention of water. Therefore, how soon or how much one loses weight after steroids is still debatable and there is no single answer to that.
How Can Weight be Managed During Steroid Administration?
There are a number of things that can be done to effectively manage weight while one is on steroids.
- Control your salt intake during the period that you are on steroids. A high potassium diet also helps. Both these things will help your body limit the water retention. A good way of controlling yourself is by removing the salt shaker from the table and by crossing out processed and packaged food from the diet.
- Watching your diet and controlling your appetite is another effective way of limiting excessive weight gain. The most important step in this direction is realizing that your appetite has lately increased due to the medicines that you are taking. Keep a close eye on the calories that you are taking.
- An increase in physical activity is also going to help a lot in curbing those unsightly fat deposits in the body. There is no need to indulge in something strenuous if your body doesn’t allow it. A simple session of brisk walk or swimming on a regular basis will also help a lot.