IN NEED OF WEIGHT LOSS COACHING BUDDIES

I'll join in......gained weight over the last year b/c of an achilles injury, then before I was fully recovered from that I was dx'd with BC.  Starting to lose some weight, but................it's very slow.  I'm still having trouble with exercise, walking is still painful and can only walk on weekends and occassionally during the week on a good day.  And.....for the next few days I'm avoiding sweating because my skin is so terribly burned (and painful) from radiation and I want to keep it as dry as possible, except for the lotion so that I don't end up with the nasty blisters and oozing spots.

I know this sounds crazy, but if you don't get enough calories in a day it slows down your weight loss - make sure you're eating enough (of the right foods) for your body.  I also think some of the medications and/or chemo weight is harder to lose.

I have to admit - today isn't a good one.  Maybe having to account for what I eat will help......

AM - 2 slices pumpernickel toast w/fat free butter and grapefruit

Lunch - 1/2 shrimp poyboy (which I didn't finish) and a few bites of potato salad

Hi Barb,

Would love to join you and the others in supporting each other's weight loss and exercise. I would like to lose 5-10 lbs-I've read that a lower body weight is better for nonrecurrence, so I want to do all I can to stay healthy. I got really skinny on chemo, but the weight has been creeping back on. Today I had a piece of toast with a little peanut butter and 1/2 a banana on top. Lunch was a cheese sandwich with lettuce and a little avocado and mayo, and some salad with a little dressing. I had 1 and 1/2 cookies and an orange for a snack. I walked a mile, and plan to take a walk later tonight, maybe 2 miles.

I'm going to a potluck dinner tonight-will try to be mindful of what I'm eating and fill up on salad.

I work out about 3 times a week, and walk on the other days.

There are six boxes of girl scout cookies here at work-I hope I can be strong...

warmly,

Catherine

Oh girls I/you am/are not alone!    I hope you all can appreciate my odd sense of humor, I apologize in advance if I offend anyone!

BTW I have a lot to lose!  

I have to say mine is most definitely an eating thing!  I had many a meeting with Ben and Jerry not to mention Hagen Daz while on Chemo!  Sadly, I think I was in the "if I am going to die I am going out eating ice cream...." mode! (Mine was a very aggressive cancer and went from nothing to boom full breast in short time!)  I was even sort of reprimanded while on Chemo for losing a little weight, little did they know what can of worms they were opening up!  I  really thought when I was done with treatment I would lose it!  Well, it would have been nice! 

I have been told by the Onc's not to diet, HA!  Not working, so I wrote down what I was eating and I am consuming too many calories.  I know if I stay between 1200 and 1300 calories I will lose.  I also know I am too addicted to sugar!  So I need to go cold turkey on that!  I am using software I purchased long ago call DietPower to calculate my calorie's - (Weight Watchers is also a good program to do).   Now here is the deal, I am on AI's so have horrible joint issue's so I will walk 1 hour 2 day's per week up and down hills and ride a recumbent bike working up to the rest of the days, also have a foot thing going!  

I will start full on on Monday, need to get right kind of food plus am working today and Saturday.  Long trip to visit relative on Sunday.  Until then, 3 fruits, lots of veggies, meat/chicken/fish BUT NO SUGAR.  Sort of like a phase in thing I did with Diet Center!

Also, I finished radiation in May of 2009 and it has taken me 9 months to fully recoup from all of my treatment, surgery and Rad's. Just now feeling back to a somewhat normal energy level.

Also, if any of you are still on STEROID stuff they give before treatment it can increase appetite and makes you gain like CRAZY!   I use to joke prior to getting on the scale about how much weight I would gain.  Nice man on Chemo too reassured me it was not only me and he too gaing 2 to 3 lbs.  

OK, I will be back later to let you know how I did today!

Susie

Dear Shanagirl/Barb.

I am older than most of the women on this thread and I think can offer some perspective.  I don't think you are eating enough either, so your body could be in starvation mode.  So you need to mix things up to lose.

I was really worried about losing muscle mass through chemo and knew I would be toast if I did.  This is why I do weights/crunches every week day.  Because I need to keep my metabolism revved and muscle mass does this.

Most women who are ER+ get thrown into menopause whether they want to be there or not.  I got to the other side naturally, and what helped keep things in check was keeping my body muscled and toned.  I also do long distance cycling events.

So I would strongly suggest strength training, but check with your medical team first.  Mine was fine.  Strength training is also protective against bone loss.

I also got the "don't diet" message.  However, that is not the same thing as "feel free to eat the entire loaf of pumpkin bread you just made". - Claire

Hello all,

checking in-had 1 slice wholegrain toast with a little peanut butter and 2 cups of coffee with 1/2 and 1/2 and sugar. Then a half hour beachwalk, and a snack of 1/2 cup lowfat yogurt and 1/2 cup strawberries. I plan to have veggies for lunch.

I read that you will feel good after eating to relieve hunger, but will feel overfull and gross after eating out of emotional hunger. I find this is true for me, so I'm trying to be mindful of how I feel before, during and after eating. I find myself looking for a snack when I'm bored.

Have a good, healthy day everyone! 

i love almonds, almond milk and linzertorte

I adore grapefruit, but my onc told me that it interferes with many of the drugs that that we take (tamoxifen.. maybe femara).  I am so dissappointed about this..  Grapefruit is truly my favorite fruit.  I see Femara is not on the list and I will bring it up in the hormonal section.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1566396/why_is_grapefruit_dangerous_to_those.html

Barb....

I couldn't live on as little food as that.  For one thing, need a lot more protein.  I am continuing to slowly lose weight while on Taxol.  I suspect because of all the exercise, especially the training ride I did yesterday.  (Saturday my friend and I got stranded in a small town at the end of the bicycle trail and were rescued by two guys on motorcycles.  One went back to his place and got his truck.  Drove us and bicycles back to my car.  Chivalry isn't dead!)

So it's strength training to boost metabolism and then enough cardio to burn fat.  I gained weight from the divorce and stress of starting a new life.  But need to keep it off henceforward.

The other critical thing is it's hard to get enough of the nutrients you need with a highly restricted diet.  So far today, I have had (frozen local) berries with yogurt and granola, a sandwich, soup, and tea at chemo place, some pate/crackers and pumpkin bread (homemade pate and bread), more tea, a huge pear. 

I need it as still burning calories from yesterday where I did a 26 mile group training ride w/some hills.

Dinner to follow after I take bicycle to shop....mile walk each way.

Anyway, good luck. - Claire

gosh Claire.. when i was a serious biker ate 10 BigMacs in one day. .. 1000s of calories daily.  (that was the most big macs i ever ate.  there was kind of a McDonald's mistake and a group of us ended up with 20 or so extra big macs - ha, they were all on diets... I just loved those things.  now I wouldn't touch them with a pole - i would eat a McDouble with no cheese tho).

Hello Ladies,

I just stumbled across this thread and thought I would stop in, maybe offer some tips .  I am a nutritionist, and I too gained weight during chemo...10 lbs only but on my small frame it was noticable.  There are many reasons we gain weight during treatment; comfort foods, sedantary, steriods and of course hormonal changes.  When chemo finished in January, my husband and I decided to take a punta cana vacation and I wanted that weight off!  However, because I was scheduled for Mastectomy with IGAP reconstruction in Feb, my PS told me not to lose any weight till after the surgery.  I am 3 weeks post op and went into work today to weigh myself, and back to 125!

In reading some of your food journals, I'll say you are making some 'healthy' food choices...but as Claire stated, not eating enough...certainly not enough protein.  I consumed 100 grams of protein a day to get the weight off, with atleast 3 vegetable servings, 2 fruit servings and 1-2 high fibre carb servings.  Watch out for hidden fats, even healthy fats!  Almonds and avocados are great but both are packed with fat.  Infact, 1 cup of avocado has 22 grams of fat!  Beverages are also important.  You should avoid 'drinking' calories.  Enjoy water with lemons and herbal teas...and be sure to get at least 8-10 glasses a day, even more to help detoxify all the poisons that have been put into your body through treatment.  And no salt!  A favourite treat of mine is a sliced up apple with a "dessert yogurt" used as a fruit dip....it takes a lot longer to eat than a handful of cookies, fills you up (not out) and provides your body with nutrients :-).

Try to count your protein grams for a day or two and you would be surprised how little you are getting, then try to get at least 1/2 gram per pound of body weight ( I do 1gram per pound when working out).  Keep the carbs to a minimum and make sure you choose whole grains rather than empty 'white' calories....unless you have the calorie expenditure that Claire does!

 Good luck to all of you, it's certainly not easy but be proud of every little change that you make towards a healthier you!