Any "fuller figure (or former) " warrior survivors out there?

DesignerMom

Glad-  The recipes in the Sonoma Cookbook are so good, no one will ever know they are healthy.  I have dinner parties and people rave about the food, not knowing it is healthy.   Even my 12 YO likes it.  I think you can google the recipes.  Some of my favorites are the Chicken hominy stew, Figs in port over yogurt, curried chicken, and balsamic shrimp, cherry tomatoes and basil over spinach.  Congrats on the 15 pounds!

barbe1958

Congrats!!! on the 15 pounds!!! And thanks for the links...I'll study them.

Sable43

Hello to all!

I'm so glad that I found this thread! I'm 5ft 8 and a thick 197 pounds! I've been very disgusted with myself lately and want desperately to lose this weight! I'm 44 years old and feel like I'm 90! Admittedly I haven't been exercising with as much vigor as I should. I can't walk for long periods due to the stress it places on my knees. ( Chemo. left me with neuropathy and arthritic pain that still resides in my joints!) I have a mini trampoline and I can bounce on that for a good 30-45 minutes, though I usually do just 30 minutes/ 2 miles ( according to my pedometer) and I also do kettlebells about twice a week. I also suffer from PCOS and hypothyroidism. I was starting to lose hope until I read what some of you have managed to accomplish.

 I've been lurking and checking out the wonderful links you ladies have provided and can readily admit that my diet needs a major overhaul. I'm a Southerner and love just about anything and everything fried. At one point I severely cut down my carb intake and the weight did come off. So I can't give up without first taking a long hard look at myself!

May God bless each and everyone of you.

janicemarie3

Hello everyone

I am so glad that I have found this tread.  I am 5'4 and weigh 184 pounds.  This is the most I have ever weighed and it is just really bothering me.  I have been working out on the treadmill an hour a day 5 days a week.  It is hard for me to stay motivated all of the time.  I will just be happy when the warm weather comes, so that i can go hiking and walking outside.  My true weakness is potato chips.  My goal weight is 140lbs i am so glad that you ladies are all here for support.   Hope that all of you are having a great weekend.

TMarina

Hi Sable!  We are about the same size.  Before my first cancer dx (feb '09) I weighed 210.  Then chemo knocked off about 18.  I kept about 14 off until my bc dx (April '10).  I have been creeping back up through chemo for bc. I think since there wasn't as much nausea, I ate more.  And of course a lot of things taste terrible, so I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted.  Now I weigh between 196-198. I have to keep in mind that I lost 2.5 pounds when they took my left breast, so I weigh that much more---they may as well have just moved my breast to my tummy! I have an underactive thyroid also, and even with the meds, my metabolism is slow.  I don't eat as much as you'd think; but I do need to make better choices.  Exercise is the real key to losing weight for me though.

Someone asked about exercising to lose weight  (was that this thread?).  Any exercise is beneficial to your mood, joint pain, stamina etc., but to really lose fat (esp. belly fat like me), you have to get your heart rate up and keep it up for at least 20 minutes.  This should be done several times a week.  Alternating weight lifting with aerobics is great, because muscle boosts your metabolism, so you burn more calories even while sitting!  If you are at risk for LE, just be careful not to strain your bad arm--start with light weights and slowly work your way up.

We have so many experts on this thread, maybe some else knows more specifics about the aerobic exercise?  It seems things are always changing as to how much aerobic exercise is needed.

Have a great Sunday!  Getting ready for church, and it's supposed to start snowing heavily here soon, so we'll be snug at home the rest of the day!

TMarina

Hi Janicemarie3!  Welcome!!

VickiSam

Hello All ----

Well after completing 16 consecutive weekly treatments (no time off for good behavior), of TCH, 8 major surgeries (including - bi-lateral mastectomy & reconstructions) .. 1 year of herceptin .. My Oncologist labelled me with chronic fatigued - and sent me to PT.  My wonderful blue cross insurance ran out, and I found myself  ..  fluffy, puffy and huffy. 

I started to walk 5 houses per day  seriously, it took everything I had to walk that far .. now I've increased to 1/2 mile every other day.  On days that I do not walk ..  I try and climb my stairs 12 to 20 times per day.  OK .. I am moving .. but I just CAN NOT stay 'motiviated' with regards to what is going into my mouth. 

Weight Watchers had worked for me in the past .. so I am hoping that WW and this thread will help me decrease in size .. 

Help .. how do I stay motivated daily ?  any idea's or suggestions ?

Vicki Sam

barbe1958

Crap, I shouldn't have logged on to this thread. I'm sitting here eating rosebud macaroons!! Why oh why do I sabotage myself like this?????

....still eating......sigh.......

VickiSam

Barbe ...  I call is 'rewarding' myself .. LOL .. Why do I feel the need to reward myself, daily?  Or is it a habit .. that needs to be broken?   pondering pondering

Vicki Sam

barbe1958

Well, I put away the macaroons!........and opened the wine gums!....sigh. I only do this when I'm feeling anxious. At home I don't eat crap at all.....rarely....but at work I need something to chew. I'm at work!

VickiSam

Barbe .. What about gum .. or a hard candy .. like the jolly ranchers .. sour apple, cinnamon  or ?  I don't think there are many calories in 1 piece of hard candy, right?

May I ask .. what you do at work .. on a Sunday ?  or is that too personal?

barbe1958

I work in sales. It's slow right now. I have an office with a desk drawer, that's my down fall...sigh. So, I finished all the macaroons, and am chewing gum. I always chew gum as my meds make my mouth dry. When I chew gum I don't normally "snack" but I was out of gum and had to go to Walmart. Hey, at least I walked to Walmart!!!

VickiSam

I like Walmart and Target for those type of things ..  I hate to pay full price for anything, which includes ..gum.

slow out there ..  still recovering from 'everything', and I must admit that out here in California -- that there are .. very little people in the stores during the week ... as I tend to gravitate to the malls when it rains, so I can walk indoors.   I see people walking, but there are not carrying merchandise.  I don't believe our economy is recovering as quickly as  our President and elected officials like us to believe.

Vicki Sam 

DesignerMom

Here is what I do when I am tempted to eat things I know I shouldn't.  I look at the clock and tell myself I have to wait 15 minutes.  If I still want it then, I can have it.  These cravings shift in a very short time.  Nine out of ten times I don't want it 15 minutes later. 

Even though I lost 40 pounds a few years ago, I need to loose 40 more.  I am 5'7"  and now weigh 185. My goal is 140.  I've got a fabulous Norma Kamali dress hanging in my closet that I will wear to celebrate the day.   Ladies, I know what we have survived with our BC treatments.  We can do this!  We can get to our healthy, ideal weight.  I don't want to be thinking about this weight for the rest of my life.  I want to LIVE the rest of my life!  Now I better get up off this couch and move.

Glad2BHere

Hi everyone.  I got on the scale and am down 2 more pounds for a total of 17. Whoop, whoop.  It hardly shows though because I have so much to lose. I see my Oncologist again at the end of March and want to wow him after the kind lecture I got from him about my weight last appointment.  I tried a creamy broccali soup last night with almond milk.  My family wouldn't go near it because it looked a lot like baby food.  But, if you can get past the consistency, it tasted pretty good.

MissBianca  I explored the Dr. OZ website and  it was kind of nice to see he is a fan of the diet I am somewhat following "Eat to Live"  I read an article in my Dr. office about roasted tomotoes, but couldn't find the same recipe.  But, I did find this recipe to go along with your posted anticancer foods:

http://bakingbites.com/2010/07/roasted-tomatoes-with-olive-oil/

Barb- at least you are still on here and being accountable.   Don't be too hard on yourself.  It is just part of the journey. At least now you have figured out that work triggers it. You can do this!!! 

Sable43 welcome!  I know what you mean about feeling old.  I am 46 and feel like an 80 year old.  I have had nothing but complications.  Right now I have a blood clot because of my Tamoxifen and  can't get my reconstruction still.  I also have mono so can't exercise.  Everyone around me including myself is sick of all my medical drama.Ha, ha

 Hi JancieMarie it is nice to be able to come on here and get support from each other.  It is kind of like a mutual daily blog with information sharing. It has really helped me.Chips are my downfall too!!

Welcome VickiSam- Has your doctor monitored your heart functioning?  I had issues with my ejection fraction dropping due to the Herceptin.  I think just coming on here helps me to stay motivated.  It is the accountability I needed.

dualgate

Hello everyone, I was so excited to see this topic!! I need to loose about 75 lbs and I know the extra weight contributes to the chances of reoccurance but I havent been able to kick my butt into doing something about it. I am home all day, I have a home daycare and I watch 6 kids 11 hours a day mon-fri. I tend to handle the stress of my job by going into the kitchen and grabbing a cookie or 6. It does relieve stress for me but it is soooo unhealthy. I know I need to do all that is in my control to prevent the cancer from coming back and I really think this link will help me. I have all the tools I need I just need motivation. Since being dx My husband and I have changed our lives in many ways. we went on that vacation we always put off, we bought a Harley and are planning a trip to sturgis this summer, (Kinda out of our character, but we joined a motorcycle group of people our age) and I was amazed how great everyone is. We cant be waiting around to live our lives we need to live NOW!!! I want so badly to loose the weight and now I have a group of ladies that Im sure can help me. I will post weekly updates on how Im doing and look forward to hearing all the tips and progress reports from all of you. This may very well save my life, and I thank you all for that:) Jamie

barbe1958

I knew I had to go to Walmart to get milk. So all morning I thought about what "treat" I would buy myself when I got there. Normally I would avoid this aisle, but today, hey, I was doing work! I was going out for milk!!! So that 15 minute thingy lasted about 4 hours today, but I know what you mean. Usually I have apples and oranges on hand for my sweet tooth. Just glad I'm not into salt as I haven't had salt in the house for 17 years due to high blood pressure!!!!

MissBianca

Hi everybody!

Tori, I think you had asked about walking, and if it was enough. It is considered an aerobic exercise and increases the amount of oxygen used and improves our cardiovascular system. I think there are people here at various levels of fitness, as well as recovering from the debilitating effects of tx.

I found an article about how to maximize your walking workout from    http://exercise.about.com/cs/walking/a/walking.htm

Here are the main tips:

Your walking checklist:

•Pump your arms. Keep your elbows at 90 degrees and swing your arms back and forth in a natural motion to add intensity.
•Shorten your stride. In her article "10 Walking Mistakes to Avoid", Wendy Bumgardner says, "All of the power of your walk comes from pushing with the back leg and foot." When you increase your speed, take shorter, quicker steps.
•Stand up straight. Are you slumping? Good posture helps you breathe easier and you put less stress on your back, shoulders and neck.
•Walk briskly. What is brisk? It means walking fast enough to cover at least 3.5 miles in an hour. To figure it all out, walk a mile and time it. If you make it in 15 minutes or less, you're on the right track.
•Monitor your intensity. Pretend as though you're late for an appointment or hurrying to catch a bus. That should be your pace throughout your workout.
•Walk long enough. Your walk should be between 30-60 minutes.
•Spice things up. How about adding some hills, speed-walking or even jogging to boost intensity? This is no time to stop and smell the roses (although you can enjoy their lovely color as you whisk by).
Walking is an excellent way to meet your cardio needs as long as you work hard enough. A leisurely stroll certainly has its place but, if you're going for weight loss, save the strolls and pick up the pace.

I know that after chemo and intensive hormone tx, I was very debilitated and I could not walk far or fast. I actually exercised with a tai chi video, which is a form of martial arts that has very slow, controlled, languid movements with deep breathing. This got me moving off my bed and recliner. I was able to successfully do this in a poor condition, and all the deep breathing increased my energy. Then came surgery and radiation, and my energy took another big hit, and my daily stamina is still not normal. I am working on it though, but it has been incremental steps to improve my condition. I really like to dance to a Cardio Salsa workout on Netflix, and it is fast paced, but it has taken persistence to build up to this.

Congrats on all your daily successes! This process is so incremental, built on tiny steps of good choices and consistency. I think that a good motivator would be to find something in our closets that fits a little too tight, but that we really like. We can have a short term goal of fitting in it. I think this would be a great way to see progress. Muscle is less bulky than fat, so inches lost, which we can monitor by how our clothes fit, is more encouraging, I think, than watching the scale slowly move down by a number.

VickiSam

DesignerMom ..  Waiting the 15 minutes is a great idea .. that is how I quit smoking ... 17 months, ago.  Cold Turkey !   

Heck, if that worked for me with smoking, it should work with me and my 'open - mouth', eating disorder.  LOL

Vicki Sam

barbe1958

...sigh. .....if I could walk "briskly" for 30-60 minutes I wouldn't be overweight!!!!!

MissBianca

Lol, I think we were all posting at the same time! Thanks so much, Glad, for the roasted tomatoes recipe. I became a fan of Dr. Oz with the first feature I saw of his, which was research on centenarians around the world, and "Blue Zones", where there were large clusters of people living over 100 years old. He was so excited about this research. The diets of these cities around the world are basically the natural diets we are talking about. One of these Blue Zone cities is Sardinia in Italy, which is a good example of the Mediterranean diet. The book on this is called "The Blue Zone" by Dan Buettner.

ToriGirl

WELCOME to Sable43, janicemarie3, VickiSam, and  dualgate!!  It's great to have you join!

I know all too well of the lack of "motivation" in all of this.  It's frustrating as all get out to say the least!  I go see my onc tomorrow and I know he's gonna fuss at me...

But, I feel confident as long as we keep checking in here...keep sharing the things we learn about exercise and nutrition (thanks MissBianca) keep on feeling free to vent about it, keep on cheering each other on..we can accomplish something great!

DesignerMom--LOVE your idea of waiting 15 minutes too!  I'm gonna try it and report back in!  I'm also gonna check out the Sonoma Cookbook...the meals you spoke of sound yummy!

VickiSam---I just got an invite to WW in the mail yesterday...how did they know and how did they find me???

Here's to "lighter" and healthier days!

peace and prayers,

Tori

DE COLORES! 

DesignerMom

Miss Bianca-  Great tips on power walking, my exercise of choice.  Living in NYC, I walk everywhere.  Sometimes I get off a bus or subway a stop early, just to force myself to walk.  Years ago I went to a spa and an exercise physiologist tweeked my walking.  Who knew there was a better way to walk!  The key is that your arms lead your pace.  If you keep your arms bent and pump them faster (like pistons on a train), your feet can't help but follow.  So if you want to pick up your pace, get those arms pumping.  It works!

barbe1958

I caution you this will be a long post. It's an email sent by my brother in Vancouver, nothing personal, just a general funny email:

 A WOMAN'S WEEK AT THE GYM
                      
                                               This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine
                      
                        Dear Diary,
                        For my birthday this year, I  purchased a week of personal training at the local health club.  Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.
                      
                        I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.
                      
                        Friends seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.
                       ________________________________
                        MONDAY:
                        Started my day at 6:00 am. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god-- with blond hair, dancing eyes, and a dazzling white smile.  Woo Hoo!!
                      
                        Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines.. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!
                      
                        Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around.
                      
                        This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!!
                       ________________________________
                        TUESDAY:
                        I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it!  My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile.
                        His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!  It's a whole new life for me.
                       _______________________________
                        WEDNESDAY:
                        The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it.  I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals.  Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.
                        Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.
                        My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster.  Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators?  Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life.  He said some other shit too.
                       _______________________________
                        THURSDAY:
                        Asshole was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl.  I couldn't help being a half an hour late-- it took me that long to tie my shoes.
                        He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom.  He sent some skinny bitch to find me.
                        Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine-- which I sank.
                       _________________________________
                        FRIDAY:
                        I hate that bastard Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic, little aerobic instructor.  If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it.
                        Christo wanted me to work on my triceps.  I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the damn barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

                        The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher.  Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?
                       ________________________________
                        SATURDAY:
                        Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today.  Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel..
                       ________________________________
                        SUNDAY:
                        I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over.  I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun-- like a root canal or a hysterectomy.  I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

hbcheryl

Oh Barbe, I am on the floor laughing, tears streaming down my face, I am definately going to copy and paste that one an send it on - it's priceless!!!!!

mscal02

barbe: This is too funny!!! I had been telling my DH that I wanted to get a personal trainer, but this has given me a lot to think about!

barbe1958

HAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHA

mumito

Barbe that was very funny and probably true for alot of us.I am famous at my gym for walking out on exercise classes when they starty doing too many squats.My arthritic knees just cant take those.

TMarina

Great one Barbe!!  Thanks for sharing!

dualgate

Barbe, That was just what I needed this morning, thanks