My Rheumatologist put me on lipozene for weight loss and she says it helps with my lupus also

There are 2 simple things that actually work. Water and sugar-free chewing gum. Feel peckish? Drink some H20 & chew. Drink a glass or 2 or H20 30 minutes before a meal. Pop in some gum. Drink more while you are eating. It takes the stomach 20 minutes to get the signal it's been fed. Water puts something in it and gum sends signals it's being fed. The appetite is diminished. Try using smaller plates so your eyes see full plates. It's about tricking your senses. Start with a cup of soup or pile of greens (bulk) as a salad. Minimal calories, filling in the stomach. Small portions of main course on a small plate. Take it slow. Stomach will start sending full signals. Always have something that's a treat for you. Don't deprive yourself or you'll feel your missing something. Love desert? Compromise. Average pie about 8 slices. Cut to 16, etc. Cut the carbs down on other meals. For me a cup of oatmeal & milk in the morning. 1/2C cottage cheese & a slice of toast or 6 Triscuits for lunch or yogurt & some fruit. 1/4 - 1/2C (max) of rice/potato,starch, salad/large pile of greens, 3-4 oz of fish or meat for dinner. Or, a cup of pasta w/sauce for dinner or beans and such. Then my treat. With the water and gum, my appetite is so reduced, I really don't get HUNGRY anymore. It takes 3 weeks/21days to retrain the body into new habits. Went to a great burger place. Decided to have a splurge. Could only eat 1/2 of it and 4 fries. Gave the rest to my husband. But I enjoyed what I ate. No weight gain. Back to the usual. Lost 30lbs in 4mos. Average 1,200 calories a day. No a struggle. No discomfort. Make sure when you do eat, it's a what your body really needs. Junk food and fatty or sugary foods out for snacking. But have your treat. Make it smaller. Remember it's the first bite that give the satisfaction, the AH!, then the taste buds are used to it and the "thrill" is over. Play with ready made things like salsa, kimchi or spicey sauces to spike the meal. If dealing with cortisone, you have to watch what you eat. But it can be done.

Was on a keto-type high-protein diet years ago - diets go and come back - low calories, restricted eating diet, and NO CARBS. Did lose weight, but ate only as a medicine, because everything I enjoyed was banned. I love fruit - bananas, apples, peaches . . . .and berries, but reduced to only berries, not satisfying. Must have some fruit. Love bread, toast, scones, muffins, rice, pasts, etc. All out, not satisfying. I can reduce and limit - a slice of a really great bread like walnut levain toasted keeps me happy. Don't need 4 or 5. Rice, potatoes, pasta, etc. I can limit to 1/4 or 1/2C a day. Oatmeal cleans my sluggish system. The high-protein diet that kept me in ketosis cost me my gall bladder. Lupus seems to like to attack the kidneys and my doctor is always checking the protein readings in my blood tests, so I doubt a high protein diet would be good for me either. My cousin is on a no whites diet which cuts out all carbs and sugars. An extreme Weight Watchers program she joined years ago. Same food plan the Keto diet lists. Except she has to weight and measure everything. Must have 22 oz of vegetables with her meat for dinner. Weighs and measures even in restaurants with her scale at the table. Not even a drop of sauce or gravy. For her, eating is maintenance, like brushing her teeth. No pleasure. And, of course, no drinking. At home, we rarely drink, but when we go out to a great restaurant, we enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine with dinner. For me the key was to diminish my appetite so I wasn't hungry. Then, cut my carbs way down and upped the veg. The protein sum from my meals & snacks runs between 40 - 50gs. I tend to be potassium deficient so I eat a banana and supplement. I love berries, but in season, I'll eat a peach or apricot and melon. I eat not drink my fruit. And a small piece of my daily desert treat. Because I haven't forbidden myself from enjoying carbs & sweets all together, I'm pacified by my limited amounts. If I go to a birthday or celebration, I will enjoy a glass of champagne and bit of cake. Plan isn't ruined. Just pick up again tomorrow. As Colette said above, moderation, movement and not expecting the fast track is the key. Exercise, if you're able and eating should be enjoyed as part of your life. Shedding weight slowly at only a pound a week is 50 pounds a year. Lupus puts enough of a burden on our bodies. Don't make weight loss another one.

Is the Keto diet similar to Adkins? Personally, I gained 30 lbs over a year and a half... I have done Adkins with high success in the past but my kidneys would ache terribly. I do feel MUCH better on a low carb diet, but not that strict of one. I’ve been pushing myself a little more each day to “exercise”- up and down the stairs, walking out to the mailbox, doing some yard work. Cutting back on portion size and limiting sweets is also on my new regime although hard because I crave sugars ( not diabetic). I’ve only lost 6 pounds but it is a start. Each day I remind myself I’m doing my best and I look to the “longer term”, rather than short term /rapid results. I’m not a person who drinks sodas, juices, or sugar in coffee, and I actually LIKE plain water HaHa. I think for us it’s gotta be about moderation, movement, and mentally knowing it’s not a fast track like it may have been before. Best Wishes.

Try to see if the MD will decrease your prednisone, try to walk 15 minutes a day. I personally think Keto is horrible for our bodies. It is very hard on the kidneys, and the menu is mainly high protein and fat, which will increase your chances for high cholesterol and stroke and heart attacks later. Try the plant based diet. There is an easy to follow menu plan on "The21DayChallenge" website which was set up by physicians and has a simple recipe and meal planning format. Bottom line is to eat more fruits and vegetables, you can really eat a lot of greens and not gain weight. The increase in fiber and fresh foods will fill you up better than the calorie dense processed foods.