I had a bit of a shock when I decided to weigh myself this morning. I've got a Wii fit game, which monitors progress over time, so I actually have a graph on there monitoring my weight over the last 4 years.
Just before I decided to quit the steroid creams, I had managed to lose almost 2 stone in weight. I was working out every day, doing plenty of aerobic exercise like zumba and dance. I was eating healthily and I was very active. On the Wii fit graph I can see that my weight was at an all time low in November, just before I stopped the creams.
Of course, once I quit the steroid creams, the first thing that hit me was the extreme tiredness, due to the adrenal glands suddenly having to cope with the major drop in artificial cortisone that I had been pumping into my body through the skin. For the first few weeks of withdrawal, I was confined to the settee, too exhausted to do even basic activities. Exercise was definitely out of the question!
Even when the tiredness had passed, my skin felt so tight and uncomfortable that I didn't want to move around and get sweaty. My natural inclination was to rest....and eat...
If you have ever read the book "the hungry caterpillar" you will have some idea of my eating habits during withdrawal. In fact, it is a very common symptom of withdrawal to have an increased appetite. I think this may be due to the demands on the body to heal itself. The body wants lots of vitamins, minerals and proteins to help rebuild the skin, a bit like builders demanding raw materials for renovating a building.
The problem was, I supplied a bit too much in the way of raw materials. Over the last 6 months I have chomped, chewed and gorged my way through mounds of food, not all of it healthy. I also had cravings for sweet stuff. I think this may have a link with the adrenals, as they produce cortisol, which helps regulate and process blood sugar.
Yesterday evening was lovely and sunny and I decided to take a walk with the family. We played football on the field by our house and walked over some hills nearby. We were out for about an hour, but I was quite out of breath by the end. I realised my fitness levels had dropped dramatically, as I have always been someone who walks everywhere.
So that led me to weighing myself this morning. I had put almost a stone on since November when I stopped the steroid creams.
Ouch.
The combination of tiredness and sore skin, as well as the fact that I have been a lot less active (and comfort eating for Britain), has led to me becoming a little more well-rounded.
Methinks it is time to take action, get active and stop eating those delicious....sugary...irresistible....and FATTENING snacks.
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