Exercise and well being during chemo and radiation

Jackbirdie

I am assuming you mean March, not February, since I personally observed the acheiving of several miles in front of my very eyes 48-72 hours ago!

ksusan

Yes, I'm apparently living in the past. Edited.

Moondust

Last week I totaled 46.6 miles and 122 floors. I went snowshoeing on Saturday. I'm starting to up my weight training and last night I did five real pushups!

pboi

Nice job Moondust!

As usual, you rock ksusan!!!

My exercise this past week has been derailed by a stomach virus, me and all 3 kids! I think the tons of laundry I had to do should count as some exercise. We're all on the mend now and I'm back on the treadmill this morning. For me it always seems to be two steps forward one step back...but I'm going forward yet again! Just wish the rain would let up a bit...I miss the sunshine!

PB

ksusan

I'm sorry you've been sick. I'm looking forward to a little less rain and a little more time.

littleblueflowers

nice work, ladies! I have been slowly ramping up after the half marathon- getting back into two a days at least on some days. Up to lifting 15 lb dumbbells, so only 10,lbs until back to normal! You guys are so inspiring, you are keeping me honest! Any chance we could talk about healthy food here too as well as exercise, ksusan? Because I have been eating lasagne like I was Garfield, and could use some healthy inspiration. What do you think?

Italychick

I'm with you, I am so tired of being fat, fat, fat. I have really got to get a grip on myself. I haven't gained since chemo, but 20 pounds on chemo, only 8 pounds of that lost has me in a funk. Rode my bike tonight, thinking how much easier it would be if I didn't have this spare tire around my gut. Losing weight after menopause sucks.

Best thing that works for me is to cut out processed carbs, pasta, rice, chips, all that yummy crazy stuff. I just have to get disciplined again, but it's so hard to do

octogirl

I am finally starting to lose a little weight, but just a little. I am finding I have a bit less of an appetite and that obviously helps. I was heading in this direction before dx, which I figured at the time was due to age and leaving sixty behind...(Sure hope it wasn't the cancer, since it is happening again...). However, during treatment I felt hungry all the time! And only wanted to eat things that packed on the pounds: mashed potatoes, gravy, mac and cheese, ice cream, cookies, pasta...yummm.....I blame a combo of stress and steroids!

Unfortunately, while I am happy to have lost a few pounds, I am struggling with exercise this week. Part of that is just that work is crazy busy....but the bigger problem is that my knees are hurting to the point that walking is almost impossible. At MOs suggestion I am going to go off Arimidex for a few weeks. If that helps he will switch me to another AI. Hope it helps. Today, for example, I only did 2600 steps, and even that hurt. Sigh...

Octogirl

ksusan

Yeah, let's talk about food, too.

Moondust

Octogirl, sorry your knees are bothering you so much. When I was having knee issues (including surgery) I learned in physical therapy that to help the knees, you need to strengthen your glutes. It doesn't seem obvious, but it works. I still do the glute exercises I learned there, including weighted donkey kicks and glute bridges. I still have to baby my knees a bit, but the exercises really helped. Right after my surgery 5 years ago, I swam at the public pool for exercise until I could hike again.

I played hooky today after my rads and went hiking. The poppies were everywhere in the canyon!

Congrats on being back up to 15 lbs Littleblueflowers! I lifted the 15's this morning too and did some rows with a 20 lb dumbbell. I don't want to push it too much, but I don't want to lose more muscle either. Too hard to get it back at 61!

Pboi, laundry definitely counts as exercise!! Anything involving standing and moving counts. Sitting is the enemy.

littleblueflowers

Quote of the day there! And my new mantra. "Sitting is the Enemy!" Love it! I hope to be consistent enough with weights to be up to 20 lbs by next week. Lymphedema is always a worry. Its hard to get strength back at 34, too. OK, Food. Im trying to cut sugar, and go to a more paleo type diet. I'd love to go back to being a vegetarian, but since cancer, I seem to have wildly elevated protein needs. Anyone else?

pboi

Sorry Octogirl your knees are bothering you so much. I have the joint pain on Arimidex too, but have found in time maybe as my body got used to it, the pain lessened. I do try to keep moving as I've heard that could help the joint pains.

I love that too, must remember it "Sitting is the new enemy"

Saw on the news yesterday that a high carb diet or eating foods with a high glycemic index can potentially precipitate lung cancer...sigh...not sure of the details or accuracy of that, but guess it's yet another reason we need to decrease the carbs. Problem is....I love carbs!

PB

ksusan

YES! I'm a protein fiend now.

I finish teaching for the quarter today (though not grading or spring term planning), and although I'll be stuck in the house with construction guys for the next couple of weeks, I've pulled the weights out and I'm looking forward to actually cooking rather than grabbing/snarfing while at work.

littleblueflowers

Yeah, sometimes I forget I'm a werewolf now and crash when I'm out and have to get an emergency fast food burger. Need to plan better and not waste valuable stomachs space on bad stuff! And I've been reading that fat is bad for triple negatives....which I was. Not now though! That nasty is gooooooone. What do you guys like for quick pick me up foods?

ksusan

• Spoonful o' organic peanut butter.
• An apple.
• Low-carb, non-soy protein bar.
• Tiny nut/dried fruit packets (i.e., trail mix/gorp) from Trader Joe's.

octogirl

and my favorite afternoon snack is a spoonful of organic peanut butter spread on an apple....

pboi

I snack on fruit (organic apples, bananas, berries) and nuts (pistachio and almonds)

Ksusan...what brand of protein bars do you eat? I have a hard time finding ones in the store that have no soy.

PB

littleblueflowers

I love fruit too. I wonder if there is a no addative peanut butter out there? Wish we had a TJs in Montana- closest one is 6 hrs away. What about jerkey and smoked fish? High protein, low fat....hmmm. I know you can starve to death if you don't have any fat in your diet. I wish my hospital dietician wasn't so worthless.

Italychick

my treat, when I am being good, is fat free plain Greek yogurt with some berries and nuts mixed in. Feels like I'm eating granola pudding, love it. I stick to mostly berries when on plan, because I have a hard time regulating the sugar content of the other fruits.

I think even skippy makes a plain peanut butter with no added sugar, etc.

Last night dinner was baked brined chicken with a pot of steamed cabbage, broccoli, onions and red potatoes. Easy on the red potatoes. That is a meal that for me is on my regular eating plan. So easy, I just soak a chicken in a pot of salt water, and then split in half and bake for about an hour.

Another staple meal is goulash which is free range organic ground beef or ground chicken, with onions, garlic, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, celery, and whatever other vegetables I have on hand, with oregano, basil, pepper and some chili flakes. Super easy and I can't find anything in it to make me feel guilty.

Littleblue, when I give in to the hamburger urge, I either get lettuce wrap, or else I only eat the bottom half of the bun. You would be surprised, the bottom is just enough bread.

And omelets stuffed with veggies and some cheese

ksusan

Jen--Adams. Also, some stores have a grind-your-own peanut butter option.

My snack bar is Power Crunch. Example here. It has soy lecithin, but all of my docs have said not to worry about that--it's not a soy concentrate like soy protein isolate, but a byproduct.

littleblueflowers

Damn you, bagles! Why do you have to be so delicious?????

ksusan

No bagels is depressing. One bagel with schmear a week is probably fine. The Buddha advocated for the Middle Way.

littleblueflowers

yeah, I bought 6....already eaten 2. They were still warm...what could I do? I did resist for almost a whole week. Sigh. Moderation in all things, even moderation.

ksusan

What's important is not to eat all 6 at one time since "I already blew it," yes?

littleblueflowers

lol true true. I'll put them in the freezer. Meanwhile, exorcise the bagle demons with exercise! Hahahahaha

ksusan

Do the Bagel Wiggle?

pboi

...craving an onion bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese this morning...so hard to be good...seems like all the really good things to eat are not good for us...

...my 10 year old wishes that ice cream and not broccoli was healthy for us...so she could eat it every day...me too!

PB

ksusan

Moderation! A bagel a week isn't going to kill anyone. Thinking "I can never have a bagel again" leads to distress and bagel binging.

pboi

Absolutely I agree ksusan! I indulge once in awhile on favorite foods...just wishing it could be all the time...hahaha!

PB

ksusan

Well, sure! I'm eating an apple with cinnamon, but I'd rather be drinking a malted milkshake.