New Study/Trial - Dana Farber Exercise/Diet

woodstock99

Just read this today - passing along:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2016/06/27/putting-breast-cancer-on-a-diet/?emc=edit_tnt_20160627&nlid=69116029&tntemail0=y&_r=2&referer

ChiSandy

The snark in the comments following the article is staggering. Commenter after commenter, in response to women on AIs who gain or can’t lose weight despite strict dieting and daily exercise, condescendingly says “you’re just not trying hard enough.” Of course, most of these who advocate extreme deprivation (which further lowers metabolism)--preach “calories in vs. calories out” despite the article’s observation that sugar & starch restriction is the key to both weight loss and recurrence prevention, get moralistic, advocate shunning all dairy (regardless of whether it contains hormones or has been filtered to cut carbs in half)--have never been fat (or have lost weight early in life, before metabolism is wrecked) and of course have never had breast cancer. Until body fat and weight can be medically normalized without sacrificing the protections conferred by endocrine therapy, recurrences will happen at the same rate that other immunohistological markers currently predict. It is imperative to develop effective treatment for hormone+/HER2- bc that allows patients to lose weight (or avoid gaining it) without resorting to behaviors that mimic anorexia (extreme caloric restriction, excessive and obsessive exercise). Until effective treatment becomes available that does not impair metabolism and does not cause crippling joint and muscle pain that makes exercise difficult-to-impossible, all this discussion (or recommendations such as in this article) will accomplish is to make some moralistic jerks feel superior, and the rest of us ashamed, frustrated and hopelessly depressed.

newbcny

May I ask how many pounds one typically gains on Arimidex?

muska

Hi newbcny, I haven't seen any studies that would give a "typical" weight gain on arimidex. Women in menopause usually gain weight even if they are not on AIs - most likely because of changes in metabolism combined with less physical activity and same food intake as before.

I have always been close to the upper limit of normal weight and still am after 2.5 years on arimidex. I made some changes in my diet but I am not starving. I almost eliminated breads, pasta and heavy sweets and just watch the portions. Have not lost weight but have not gained any either.

Editing to add that I started watching what I eat long before I was diagnosed with BC, as you can see this didn't help with prevention but it did help with the weight.

woodstock99

Yes comments in article are snarky but for me it was somewhat validating as exercise and diet had never been high on my priority list even though I knew they should be. I work in a high-stress position lots of hours per day/week so exercise was not how I liked to spend free time and food was enjoyment and pleasure.

My BC was a wake-up call on so many levels about my lifestyle and habits so I have made strides in these areas in past 6 months.

I was and still am overweight (was at the high end of overweight almost obese after 1/12/16 surgery but now at lower end of overweight) but I am trying to get to normal BMI range and be healthier overall.

I am not starving myself and lost weight after BMX (although now I have hit a wall & am struggling to lose more) through diet changes and portion control and exercise.

I am motivated that these changes may not only help reduce recurrence risk but that they will improve my health overall in many areas.

Claire_in_Seattle

My feeling is that once you are done with AIs, exercise is the single best thing you can do for yourself. For the record, I did not gain weight throughout my 5 years of AIs. But I did gain a bit when my consulting ship came in about a year ago and I worked 60-80 hour weeks for about 8 months. It is coming back down now that I am in the midst of all the summer endurance cycling events.

Besides the other health benefits, exercise helps keep the brain sharp and reduce stress. It also keeps the heart strong, important because those of us who have had breast cancer are also more prone to heart disease.

The only downside is that you look a lot better in clothes such as those jeggings I have been rocking to show off my nicely toned legs. So very tempting to buy items you don't need.

There is one other thing. It's called "mobility" in medical terms. But for me, it means the freedom to do whatever activities I wish. A lot of women in their 60s have given up things like swimming in lakes and streams, hiking mountains, pitching tents under the stars, walking into the woods to see a waterfall.... I want to be able to do these things as long as possible.

So I plan to keep moving.... - Claire

Bounce

ChiSandy - Thank you for saying so eloquently what I feel.

I continued exercising for a year through pain until I eventually gave up and put on 4 kilos.

And any complaint I have - whichever doctor I go to just shrugs and says it is probably from Tamoxifen and does not offer any solution.

Also - these boards are full of ladies who ate healthily and exercised and still got cancer!

(I am sure being obese is not healthy - I am in no way advocating it.)

ChiSandy - you said it so well:

"Until effective treatment becomes available that does not impair metabolism and does not cause crippling joint and muscle pain that makes exercise difficult-to-impossible, all this discussion (or recommendations such as in this article) will accomplish is to make some moralistic jerks feel superior, and the rest of us ashamed, frustrated and hopelessly depressed."

coraleliz

Perhaps the study will NOT show "losing weight by increasing physical activity and reducing calories improves survival" or the benefit is less than expected. After all, dieting & exercise are being "prescribed" for everything except eating disorders & wear-n-tear arthritis.

Frill

"Some cancer treatments cause weight gain."

Ummm, which ones don't? I guess the part where the cut off my breasts technically doesn't. But then there's months (for me) of steroids. I'd been overweight for 5 years all told before DX and had lost that weight. I've had to literally starve off the weight I've gained between DX, surgeries,.... Now I'm 11 pounds from "normal" just in time for - "Time for Tamoxifen."

It makes me so angry, if that's not obvious. I rode my bike to work before all this, was incredibly active, ..... It's like, get skinny, but let me keep giving you crap that is going to work against you in every way possible. Bullshit