Ever Try Dieting While On Steroids?

A friend and I had plans to diet. She had already started, and then it was my turn to start. Yet, lo and behold, my asthma started acting up and I needed a steroid pack. I decided I wouldn’t let steroids stop me from starting my diet.

Have you ever tried dieting while you were on steroids? Well, it’s challenging, to say the least.

Steroids ruin my diet

Steroids affect each person differently. For me, the main side effect is insatiable hunger. Additionally, the kind of stuff I crave is not good for me. Or, worded another way, the stuff I crave is not on my diet. For instance, I crave a nice, juicy hamburger and fries. No--better yet--I crave nice, juicy bacon and swiss cheeseburger!

Yep! That’s right. One time I was on steroids I went out to eat. My friend and I both got burgers and fries. When I was done eating all mine I started eyeing his. When he was done eating, he said, “Do you want the rest of mine?” My steroid-filled body did not hesitate to grab them. I ate them all.

Steroids affect everyone differently

For me, the main side effect is I eat all of my food and then all of your food. Unfortunately, this type of behavior usually results in weight gain. Well, right now I’m about as heavy as I’ve ever been. I work out, so I’m not in the worse shape I've ever been. But, I’m close to that point. Still, I’m at one of those points in my life when I say, “Self, you got to lose some weight.”

We all (or most of us) have these moments in life where we feel the need to get healthy. I think that’s a normal thing to want, and I think my asthma perpetuates this desire in me.

I started feeling asthma symptoms. Funny, I don’t feel like I have a cold. I don’t feel like I have allergies. It’s just in my chest. It’s just asthma. I mean, it could be an infection. But, I found I was using my rescue medicine more frequently than I usually do. So I decided to call my doctor. He started me on--you guessed it--steroids.

So, here I am, dieting while on steroids

Not fun. And, making matters worse, is my kids get to eat all kinds of food. So, while I'm eating an apple for a snack, I’m dishing up Oreo ice cream for my son. Doubly not fun.

What about you? Have you ever tried dieting while on steroids? Or, are you like me and usually end up gaining weight? Please share your experiences in the comments below.