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

Hi ToriGirl!

I'm glad that you are putting your energy into making positive strides in your life. You can do it! Be extra patient with yourself, and don't be surprised if your energy drops during rads. Walking is a great place to start. If it is too cold where you live, you can use your local mall to burn up some calories. Dr. Oz (Oprah's doc she features) says the best approach for exercise is what is easiest for you, with the least hassle. For him, it is a stationary bike at home that he can just jump on.

My son has a Wii system, and the WiiFit is really fun, and so encouraging. You have virtual characters cheering you on, and the exercises last a few minutes at a time, and there are lots of fun activities. I also am using Netflix that has workouts that stream online (you don't need to wait to get mailed the DVD). That service is great, is less than $10 a month, and you don't need to hassle getting to a gym, or getting out in cold weather.

I hope this helps!

Hi Girls!  I would like to join in.  This thread is exactly what I am looking for.  I have been trying to eat all natural for the last month and I have lost 10 pounds so far. I would love to find other people who are trying to do the same to keep me motivated.  I am 10 down, but have a long way to go. 2 people who were going through treatment at the same time as me have got their cancer back and 1 is not going to make it. So, I  finally found my motivation to begin. I am overweight and am high risk with  being HER2 positive. My breast surgeon reccomended a book called Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman early in my treatment and  I am now trying to eat similar to Dr. Fuhrman's diet.  But, I also read the research on this link: http://cancer.ucsf.edu/_docs/crc/nutrition_breast.pdf

Basically this a summary of what I am TRYING to follow:

* Eat 8 to 10 colorful fruit and vegetable servings daily

* Two to three pieces of fruit

* One cup or more of vegetables with lunch and dinner

* Consume 30 to 45 grams of fiber daily

* You will likely meet your fiber goal if you eat 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables plus one

serving of beans/legumes or at least two servings of whole grains daily.

* Avoid processed and refined grains/flours/sugars

* Keep WHITE off your plate: bread, pasta, rice, cream sauces, cakes, and more.

* Limit meats and whole milk dairy products(I am trying to not have them at all)

* Include healthy fats like cold-water fish, flaxseed, walnuts, soybeans, olive oil, avocados

* Eat 2 Tbsp ground flax daily

* Limit alcohol consumption

* Drink 1 to 4 cups of green tea daily

* Maintain serum 25 (OH)-vitamin D levels above 35 ng/mL

* Drink plenty of fluids, water or non-caffeinated beverages, daily to help meet fluid needs

* Engage in daily physical activity to help achieve and maintain a healthy weight

I

 would love to find tips and motivation to stay with it!!!

Thanks!

Lisa

Hi ladies. I heard an acronym that can help remind you what is healthy when shopping.

It is: Vernon Watches N F L Sports

V : veggies

W: whole grains

N: nuts

F: fruits

L: legumes

S: seeds

Another tip is to shop the outer perimeter of the grocery store first, where the fresh stuff is.

I know what you mean about the costs of eating healthy. The cheapest, most nutritious meal I have found that makes a lot is a crockpot of pinto or red beans, made into chili or New Orleans style red beans and rice.

The chili is extra nutritious because you can use diced tomatoes (they have cancer fighting lycopene) and use either ground turkey or extra lean beef (or just veggie).

My easy chili:

A bag of dried red kidney beans. Sort on flat surface for bad beans and tiny rocks. Rinse and soak overnight. VERY IMPORTANT or you will have tales to tell on the Queen of Gas Contest thread!

Cook slowly in a crockpot with a little salt. Beans will expand so use enough water.

Add large can of diced tomatoes that say "for chili" and add ground meat (or not) when beans are about 3/4's done. (brown meat on stovetop first)

Taste test and adjust as needed with basic spices. (It's usually good to go.) You can top with light sour cream or light cheddar cheese.

Cheap fruit: bananas, and the bags of fruit, like apples, rather than picking singly.

Salad tip: tear up lettuce and store in large ziploc bag (can add shredded purple cabbage or carrots). You'll be more likely to eat it if it's easy.

Diet tip: Celery is the only food known to actually burn more calories digesting it than the actual calorie count!

Hope this helps!

Hi ladies, I too would like to join this group, I am 5'4 and weigh 178 big fat pounds. I can admit it because it's my own fault that I got this big. I love food, I love everything about it, from buying it to cooking it. I can go to a grocery store and spend a couple of hours easily just roaming around looking at everything. I have at least 50 cookbooks and I browse through them like a man drools over a playboy magazine. I can't seem to stop  thinking about food either. Food and my love of jewelry that I buy from the shopping channels is just about my only real happiness. I have depression over my weight but I am not about to add anymore pills to my daily life so I try my best to cope. I do exercise by walking outdoors or getting on the treadmill just about everyday. I tell myself if I'm going to eat it then I'm also going to walk it off. It's how I get to pig out and not get any heavier.

Help me or I'm doomed to get recurring cancer, I pray I don't. I know I am supposed to be losing this extra weight but I can't seem to find what's going to work for me. I think I'll start with writing everything I eat down and weighing myself once a week. I'm choosing Wednesday's for me. Thanks for starting this thread, I feel I will be holding myself accountable to all of you and I don't want to let anyone down by failing.

Thanks for your support, this is just what I needed. I'll be checking back in everyday to talk with all the rest of you ladies. We can do this!!!  

I'm joining. I can't jog or run a marathon so the other threads don't work for me. I did go to a dietician for 6 months and my weight each week would vary by 5-8 pounds!! She couldn't believe it.....sigh.

I eat a salad with chicken for dinner 6 nights a week. Healthy lunches and cereal every morning or toast. There is NO reason I should still be overweight!!! I've stopped alcohol entirely the night before my double mast over 2 years ago and it hasn't made a difference. Go figure.

I know some of the meds I'm on keep the weight on. I ate NO carb for 5 months and didn't lose an ounce!!!! My brother lost 75 pounds doing that. Not fair.

I only shop the outer aisles too. I couldn't even eat what is posted above for everyday. That seems like so much food!!

Help me!!!!!

Good morning ladies, I am pretty much going to have to lose my extra 40 pounds by sheer determination and all the willpower I have. I can't afford to join a gym, I can't afford a personal trainer, I can't afford to try Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. I am also home quite a bit everyday all by myself. Myhusband and son went to work for this company and they are gone long hours, so I sit here with my tv, computer and the treadmill. I seriously enjoy getting on the treadmill because it's my only exercise period.

Today I am cooking pot roast in my pressure cooker, I don't eat a lot of red meat but when I do I love it.And I will exercise later today. I have never tried an actual diet, like a low carb, high protein. I will lose weight simply by cutting back portions and adding in more movement of my body. I am not much of a salad person.

Thanks everyone for posting your tips, I need all the help I can get.

I've heard the no soy for ER+, but never heard anything about flaxseed.  I have flaxseed evey day to help keep my cholesterol down.

I think In will join in here too, and after reading txstardust's msg I went out and did my walk first, so thank you.

I fit into the "former" catagory I guess. I lost weight during chemo, but my goal coming out was to keep those pounds off and that is what I have been working on doing. I'll add more later, one part of my plan is to spend less time sitting in front of the computer.

I took my walk/run, and feel pretty good!  The weather here has warmed up significantly, and being out in the sunshine was great.  The best part - I'm done with exercising for the day, and now I can relax!  

Barbe, I went out last night at 10:30 to get some pita chips and hummus - ended up getting that PLUS ice cream PLUS cinnamon rolls...because they just look so darn delicious!  Just remind yourself that change doesn't happen overnight, especially changing your approach to food.  And as long as you can dole out the treats a little bit at a time, it doesn't have to be your downfall.  

Besides, those chocolate covered almonds do have almonds in them - that's healthy, right?  And you get points if it's dark chocolate.

Hi ladies - I am definitely fluffy at 5'9" and 205 pounds. And Tamoxifen is clearly not helping as I have gained five pounds since starting. Joined a gym with my son but he is not very good at motivation, so I am glad to find this thread!

Chicken is good, mayo is bad.  try mixing with a light salad dressing or adding a flavored mustard instead of all the mayo.

It's not hard to change to Lite or Less Fat or Reduced Fat products, once you get used to them you actually enjoy them. Adding a probiotic like yogurt is really good too, but watch out for the sugars in those wonderfully flavored varieties. I was looking at the sugars in the yogurt aisle and the similar size yogurt packs went from 6gm of SUGAR per serving to 30++ THATS SHOCKING. When a diabetic is only to have like 35gm of sugar ALL DAY. One little yogurt pak could destroy me.

Also, it's about metabolism. eating something small, often, is the key to keeping your body burning fats all day liong. I have a problem with eating in the evening. I would rather have coffee all morning and not eat and that's not good planning.  

~Connie

I am the same way Connie, I love coffee, I prefer it to anything else but I can't make it worth a darn. My husband is the official coffee maker in our house. He uses an old fashioned blue speckled enamel perculator and it always taste delicious. But today he left early and didn't make any so I made myself a single cup of hot chocolate. It's cold in here anyway. LOL But I have since already walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill and will do it again later.

I am a stress eater too pejkug# oh hell who am I kidding.............. I eat for any reason.