I’m glad I found this website - I hope I can get some help here…
Let me start off with some background information:
I am 22 years old and back in my high school days (4-5 years ago) I was very athletic. I played varsity football/varsity tennis. I wouldn’t say I was ever ripped, but I was always nicely toned and strong for my weight. I am 6’1" and back then I weighed about 165-180…depending on which sport I was playing at the time.
During the beginning of my senior year I came down with an illness that took over 6 months to diagnose correctly. At first I had horriffic pain in my left foot (docs thought it was another broken bone…had done it before), so I was put in a cast for 3 months and came out worse, then about another 3 months later the pain/inflammation moved into my shoulders/neck/spine/tailbone and went away in my foot. It has been there to this day.
I was diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis, a pretty rare disease with similarities to advanced rheumatoid arthritis…and there is no cure
The background is necessary to understand whats going on, but to get to the point:
In the first year of being diagnosed my weight dropped down to as low as 145lbs and you could see the bones, etc in my shoulders and surrounding areas. So I was put on Prednasone (sp?) for a short while to help build up some muscle and finally decided to move ahead with my chemo-therapy treatments.
My QUESTION is for the last few years I have bordered the 195-205lbs range and have been almost unable to lose weight or gain much muscle, especially in my shoulders/chest/upper back.
I have tried training for months at a time, eating good, weight lifting as I used too (regardless of pain), tons of cardio…but I am just not burning off any fat and getting no muscle. I have tried this time and time again…I know what it takes but its not working and its really starting to get to me. I have been so frustrated that I have almost looked into getting fat removed surgically…which I never want to resort to…I have also “considered” the use of steroids to help, but don’t know enough about them.
I will do whatever it takes, whatever anyone could recommened, because I am just not getting anywhere. Could be the meds, the chemo, who knows…but if anyone has any ideas what-so-ever I would greatly appreciate it if you would share them.
I don’t weigh that much, but I feel fat and look fat to myself, I have hardly any muscle you can see and I can’t take it anymore.
Sucks going from 28-30 waist to 34-36 and having a gut vs defined abs.
As I said above, there is nothing I won’t try so don’t hold back, please. I still have a ton of joint pain because of my disease, but I can handle that…its the least of my worries. With the chemo its nothing like it used to be.
If you need any other information please ask, I will provide anything necessary. I know there are people here with a lot of expertise and that is why I have come here.
Sorry for the long post and thank you for your time.