Keto vs. Chemo: A Short Rant

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KSkier
KSkier Member Posts: 467
edited August 2019 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

Most of the time, I enjoy avocados, spinach, all sorts of salads and fresh vegetables. I could be the keto queen and easily loose the ten pounds I've gained since turning 50. But then there's the chemo week; when it's all about comfort foods: Carbs, breads, juice, beer and chronically hungry or at least always feeling like if I put something in my mouth I will feel better. Ah, just one more thing on the list of things that cancer keeps me from being on track with.

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  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 1,632
    edited March 2019

    First of all, congrats on being 10+ years since diagnosis! I love my carbs also.

    Our local BC support group had a dietitian speak at a meeting earlier this week. She said we often eat when we are actually thirsty and should drink (water) instead...

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  • JFL
    JFL Member Posts: 1,947
    edited March 2019

    It definitely can be hard to eat a stellar diet (and exercise) on the days or stretches of time when we feel low or out of sorts from chemo or if chemo is impacting our digestive system. I do eat more comfort food than I would like and much more than I would usually eat as I have had trouble the last few years eating the healthy, more difficult to digest foods at every meal. My diet is good but used to be excellent. I then feel guilt for eating anything other than healthy foods as I worry they are not helping the cancer situation. Oh, the vicious cycle. Just do your best and don't beat yourself up (which I haven't been so good about doing). Unfortunately, we have intervening urgencies due to the life of living with MBC that can take precedence over eating healthy at a given meal.

    What chemo are you on now and do you take steroids with it? Not sure if you do take steroids but those give me a raging appetite.

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  • Kanga_Roo
    Kanga_Roo Member Posts: 333
    edited March 2019

    Hi Kskier,

    I think we all jump to carbs for comfort. I’ve started a topic thread called ‘Keto’ - I thought it would be a good place to support each other and share info.

    Cheers,

    Jackie

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  • pajim
    pajim Member Posts: 2,785
    edited March 2019

    KSkier, chemo is hard enough without beating yourself up over what you eat. If you're gaining a lot of weight it would be one thing, but if you're the same or losing [anyway] then comfort is comfort.

    Same as JFL I wonder if you're on steroids a lot of that week? If so can you cut them back a little?

    My advice is to do the best you can and not worry. I can't believe the cancer cares whether you ate kale or fruit. [Yes I know epidemiologically speaking a healthy diet is better for getting and getting rid of cancer but that's on a population level and not an individual level.]

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  • KSkier
    KSkier Member Posts: 467
    edited August 2019

    Yes, you are all correct about the steroids being problematic: I have an old (2009-2011) relationship with steroids and the fact that I refused to take them. There was a switch to a different facility and different nursing staff that "snuck" them into an infusion without my knowledge and I had to rage and insist that I DO NOT NEED THEM and the staff all had to reconvene and go through my paperwork. There's a whole other problem with steroids that I discovered in addition to appetite: I discovered that is was the steroids that mostly was causing my "hangover"; NOT the chemo! Ok, rant about steroids over.

    No, I am just pretty active and I really like to eat!

    KS

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