HOW DO I LOSE THE WEIGHT I GAINED ON STEROIDS OR ANTIDEPRESSANTS?

Starting a round of steroids can leave a person feeling bloated and irritable–with an increased appetite, weight gain, water retention, and/or acne.  The good news is that steroids are usually just short-term, a bridge until another medicine takes effect. 

On the other hand, those on antidepressants often have an increased appetite and they often gain weight quickly. The problem is that antidepressants may be needed for a longer time which means even more weight gain.

Losing the weight

In both situations, losing weight can be difficult, especially if you're not feeling well. But there are tricks and tools to help:

• Use smaller portion sizes and eat from smaller plates
• If you want extra helpings, only have vegetables (potatoes don't count)
• Use as little oil as possible when cooking – and avoid fried foods
• Hold off on bread, pasta and rice until you've lost weight—make sandwiches using lettuce as a wrap
• Fill up on water or a (low salt) vegetable juice 20 minutes before a meal and at the beginning
• Have more of a conversation at dinner or read if you're by yourself so you can slow down—it takes 20 minutes to begin to feel full. If you eat slowly, you won't eat as much.
• Fiber will fill you up, so you're not as hungry. Increase your fruits, vegetables and beans.
• Have crisp, crunchy vegetables as your snacks.
• Substitute milk with almond milk; soda with sparkling water (like La Croix); full fat dairy to nonfat (cheeses, yogurts, and milk); peanut butter to powdered peanut butter; etc.
• Enjoy a smoothie of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables with a little ice to get the consistency you like. You can also add chia or flax seed so it's more filling.
• Exercise daily. Aim for at least a 20 minute walk. Try to gradually do longer and more active exercises if you're up to it. If you can't go outside, turn on yoga or Zumba on the television so you can participate.
• Reward yourself for following these instructions—but not with food. Carve out time for doing activities you love like reading, going to a park with your family, getting a massage, planning a game night, etc.