Anyone give in to maybe some not so healthy habits
I am not focusing on the "why me" aspect of this. What I find myself often thinking is "what the heck. BC found me regeardless of my clean living." So I rationalize (with guilt) and think I am going for it. I am going to enjoy some of those not so healthy pleasures of life: ice cream (B&J!), chocolate (what a feel good delight!), donuts, spend a few days a week working on that summer tan (dermatologist would have a coronary), and Guiness Stout!
Then when I am diving into these indulgences, others (family) might comment "You should know better! Stay out of the sun! " Yes, I should know better. But, I feel it may not matter really. The sun feels so good on achy joints, and the "tocins" I get from these pleasureable but maybe not so healthy habits seem worth it to me.
I know I am rationalizing. I just wonder if any of you all do the same.
Annie
Comments
-
Hi Annie,
I also love the sun - living in California it's usually out there! I know that all my docs would say stay out of it but that's not what our lifestyle here is about. I was one of those who thought I was doing all the right stuff prior to my BC dx - non-smoking/drinking, vegetarian, exercised etc and I still got C. My attitude has relaxed a lot now in terms of being so rigid about the things that bring a bit of fun into my life...
Hugs, -
That would be me. Unfortunately I enjoy my wine and vodka tonics more!
-
Yeah, that would be me too. I do the sunscreen but I still like to spend some time in the sun reading...not as much as I would have before, but I still like the sun. And I still like my red wine and my other beverages from time to time. I'm just trying to use moderation. Like everyone else here I did the healthy lifestyle too...and breast cancer came anyway. Some habits are hard to break and maybe we do some justifying and rationalizing, but I also agree that we have hopefully learned not to be so hard on ourselves and not be as rigid as we were before. I'm working at keeping "guilt" out of the equation.
As for family and friends saying we "shouldn't", I just put that down to their worry for us. I haven't heard that from anyone and maybe they think it, but just as I never tell my friends who smoke they shouldn't or it's bad for them, I think they respect my choices and decisions as well.
SC -
Add me to the list. I definitely drink more wine now; I'm just careful to take my folic acid pill every morning. And since reading that only an extremely low fat diet helps lower the risk of BC (and knowing that I'll never be able to sustain such a diet), I now an less careful at avoiding certain foods with high fat content, particularly cheese, which I love. I still try to maintain an overall healthy diet, but like you, I figure that since BC found me anyway, why take extra precautions to avoid BC? I also figure that I since I don't know what the future holds, I might as well enjoy myself now!
Cheers! -
Everything in moderation. But, I don't I don't pass on curves or double yellow lines. I don't speed (too much), or drive drunk. I look both ways when crossing, stop on yellow lights.
Everything else is Wide open! -
Add me to this group. I had a healthy, active lifestyle before cancer. I did yoga, aerobics, drove the jetski every week, in other words, at 50 years old, I was playing and having a blast. I was also on a constant diet and thought about everything I ate but I worked at staying a size 4.
Now, one year post cancer (and 2 weeks out of thyroid cancer) I say sc*** it! I was so careful and look at the good it did me. Now, I'm not so concerned about what I eat ... if I want it and it tastes good, IT'S MINE!!! Add wine and fruity martinis to my list of pleasures. I'm a solid size 6, gave up and bought new jeans a few months ago and am going my merry way!!
Thanks for this thread. I am so glad not the be the only guilty one. Karen -
Absolutely, go for it
I say
the Time is NoW
Dr. Bernie Siegel says
Eat your chocolate cake
Last nite: I had a
double chocolate ice cream
on a stick.. Haggen Daas I believe
yes fattening... but I dont do it
every day
also, had some blue cheese this week
another of my indulgences
Very allergic to sun
Enjoy each minute.... ) -
No sun, smoking or liquor for me, but I eat what I want within moderation. I try to keep to beef only once or twice a week. Only live once.
-
Well, I always think... wouldn't it be a waste if I denied myself that wonderful piece of chocolate cake, left the restaurant and got hit by a bus crossing the street!
I would be so mad at myself for not eating my cake!!!
So I do indulge. I keep it in moderation because I don't want to balloon out like a giant and then get sick from something else. But I do indulge. I want a joyous life afterall.
Wendy A -
Count me in. I remember my mother's saying "A little of what you fancy does you food." Well, it certainly makes me feel good.
And then again I don't overindulge as I used to; my thoughts are that I can have what I want if I want it, so the pressure to eat that chocolate cake is not there. And sometimes I do indulge.
Don't sunbathe - too fair and burn, so I do love to sit outside on a sunny day in the shade, by my little pond and read. -
AAArghh! The dreaded typo - does you good!
-
Actually I enjoyed that typo, I think that might have been a Freudian typo.
Now me, I wasn't saintly before BC, I guess I did everything wrong - postponed childbearing, ate red meat and greatly enjoyed it, smoked, drank, and did a few other things.
After BC, well I still smoked for a while after the first round but gave it up, still eat meat but less of it, still drink but insist on better stuff, still hate exercise but walk more to avoid using the car (I'm ecological).
Maybe I caused my BC, but I doubt it. And for sure I didn't have to deal with the "why mes". There is something to be said for NOT having lived a blameless life. -
no "why me" or "what if I had or hadn't done something different".........stuff happens in our lives.
I've never wondered what I did or didn't do that caused me to have bc--no family history.....luck of the draw...bad things happen to good people????
I have done all the requisite things--surgery, chemo, radiation, follow-up visits out the wazoo, Tamoxifen--just finished the 5 years of that crap!
I still love a good grilled steak; I drink what and as much as I want (BUT, I DON'T DRIVE, or ever cross the double line!!) and I still smoke--but working on that one! And, I love my sun--I do try to stay out of the hottest times of the day, but there is just nothing like sitting in the warm sunshine, sipping on a cold beer, and having a smoke!
I'm gonna be the classic slider into home plate with a beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other, yelling--"Wow, what a ride"!!!!
big hugggssssss to all!!!! -
Quote:
no "why me" or "what if I had or hadn't done something different".........stuff happens in our lives.
I've never wondered what I did or didn't do that caused me to have bc--no family history.....luck of the draw...bad things happen to good people????
I have done all the requisite things--surgery, chemo, radiation, follow-up visits out the wazoo, Tamoxifen--just finished the 5 years of that crap!
I still love a good grilled steak; I drink what and as much as I want (BUT, I DON'T DRIVE, or ever cross the double line!!) and I still smoke--but working on that one! And, I love my sun--I do try to stay out of the hottest times of the day, but there is just nothing like sitting in the warm sunshine, sipping on a cold beer, and having a smoke!
I'm gonna be the classic slider into home plate with a beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other, yelling--"Wow, what a ride"!!!!
big hugggssssss to all!!!!
HI JUNIE! GREETINGS FROM LAS VEGAS! HEY GIRL, I'M WITH YOU.
NEXT TIME U VISIT, I AM GOING TO MEET UP WITH YOU ALL. SORRY I MISSED U LAST YEAR..
WHEN I LIVED IN SOUTH AMERICA, TRAVELING ETC, GYPSY GIRL,
I WENT TO THE BEACH, AT 11, FROLICKED IN THE SUN FROM 11 TILL 4PM EVERY DAY, WENT TO WORK,(4HRS IN THE EVENING, ONE SHOW ONLY) WENT TO EAT AND DRINK AFTER, PARTIED, WHEN TO BED AT 5AM. GOT UP ABOUT 1PM NEXT DAY, AND STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN. LOVED LIFE, LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL SO.AMERICAN MEN, NEVER THOUGHT OF HEALTH ISSUES, SORE MUSCLES FROM REHEARSALS, BUT THAT WENT AWAY, HEALTHY AND HAPPY. SO GLAD I LIVED LIKE THAT FOR MANY YEARS, TWO STEAKS A DAY AND LOTS OF VINO..
LIVED LIKE THERE WAS NO TOMORROW, DON'T REGRET A THING.
WHEN I GOT B/C AT 63, I DON'T BELEIVE FOR A MOMENT IT WAS CAUSED BY MY LIFE STYLE OR WHAT I ATE OR DRANK.
I WORKED IN A LAB,(PHOTOGRAPHY) AROUND SOME VERY HOT CHEMICALS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND TOOK HRT, (PREMPRO, POISON) FOR 6 YEARS, IF ANYTHING, THESE THINGS WERE PROBABLY BEEN A FACTOR IN GETTING B/C.
I TRY TO LIVE MY LIFE ONE DAY AT A TIME, WITHOUT FEAR, AND STILL AM FIESTY AND DO WHAT I WANT TO DO.
I SAY GO FOR IT! (I AM TRYING TO QUIT THE CIGS THOUGH) LOL -
Well, I am with Junie on this one. Did a lot of the "bad" things before breast cancer and do more of them now. The sun helps me make vitamin D, the cigarettes help to take the stress out of my life and the alcohol makes me laugh. I have resigned myself to possibly having a shorter life than I always thought I would, and I am just making sure I enjoy what I have left....
-
I've never had a weight problem always been a sz 4-6, so I ate whatever I wanted before BC. After being diagnosed I was petrified of everything I ate or drank for a couple of months, thinking something I did caused my cancer.
Now I have eased up on myself some, I do try to limit the red meat and sugar and eat more fruits than I did before, but I no longer obsess about it like I did for several months. I now follow the 'everything in moderation'.
And I admit a good looking juicy steak still turns my head!!
Linda -
I'm right there with you Annie. I want some fun and enjoyment in my life-- I don't want to feel like I'm in a metaphoric healthy lifetstyle prison.
-
Post deleted by Sierra
-
Quote:
I'm a solid size 6, gave up and bought new jeans a few months ago and am going my merry way!!
The fact that anyone my age is STILL a size 6 is cause for a major depression. I'm gonna ignore the being overweight linked to increased recurrence studies and have some of that comfort food, AKA banana cream pie, I've been eyeing since my husband brought it home.
YUM! -
Count me in..I enjoy a good steak and some wine to drink with it. I don't smoke but do endulge on social drinking on the weekends. That's what I did before bc and that's what I'm doing now. It's my life and I like it. However, I am trying to exercise more and eat better. I take vitamins daily which I never did.
-
FOR GSG..
PLEAS EAT THE BANANA CREAM PIE ! AND HAVE AN EXTRA PIECE FOR ME! -
if you were closer, biondi, i'd invite you over right now and we'd finish it off together.
i started taking daily calcium only AFTER i discovered there's such a thing as viactiv (heavenly little DELICIOUS, chewy chocolate squares of calcium, Vit K and D). I've never been so excited to learn of something in my life.arimidex schwimidex. guaranteed, if calcium had only been available in those big honker pills, my bones would be brittle as glass.
-
OH MAN!!! Now I want some banana cream pie! Thanks GSG.
Karen -
GSG, THANKS FOR THE INVITE! NOW HERE IS A RECIPE FOR A QUICK,EASY AND GOOD FOR YOU BANANA DESERT. I WOULD TOP IT WITH NUTS AND A DRIZZLE OF DARK CHOCOLATE SAUCE..
Cocoa-Banana Frozen Dessert
Description
The flavors in this simple dessert remind us of beach fare frozen bananas on a stick coated with chocolate. This is a healthier version that you can whip up in no time. It contains no added sugar or dairy and is very versatile. Improvise by adding different flavors. Make this a few hours before you plan to serve - it's best when just frozen. Any leftovers will keep for a couple of weeks in the freezer.
Ingredients
4 very ripe bananas
2 tablespoons pure unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
Instructions
1. Peel the bananas and place in a blender or food processor along with the cocoa powder.
2. Add the vanilla extract and the maple syrup.
3. Blend till very smooth. Pour into individual custard cups or small bowls and freeze until just frozen.
Serves 6
Nutrients Per Serving
Calories: 118.1
Protein: 1.4 grams
Fat: 0.7 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.3 grams
Monounsat Fat: 0.1 grams
Polyunsat Fat: 0.1 grams
Carbohydrate: 30.0 grams
Fiber: 3.0 grams
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Vitamin A: 82.2 IU
Vitamin E: 0.3 mg/IU
Vitamin C: 9.2mg
Calcium: 13.7 mg
Magnesium: 39.4 mg
7 -
ooh..I'm going to make this tonight!
-
bionde--sending you a PM! Some of us ARE coming back to Las Vegas in November---hey, if anyone is interested, there is a post on the get-together thread. Dates are Nov 8 - 11, give or take a day or so......PM me if interested!
Big hugggsss! -
Yum, I'm going to try the recipe too! My grandkids will be coming in a couple of weeks and this would be a healthy treat.
I have an unhealthy banana recipe.
Shirley -
Annie:
Meant to post this yesterday:
READ THIS VERY SLOWLY... IT'S PRETTY PROFOUND.
Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because
they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule,
didn't know it was coming, or are too rigid to depart from their
routine.
I got to thinking one day about all those people on the Titanic who
passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut
back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.
How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't
suggest going out to dinner until after something had been
thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?
How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while
you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?
I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about
going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gas up and stammer, "I can't.
I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known
yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain." And my personal
favorite: "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch
together.
Because we cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our
headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves
when all the conditions are perfect!
We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve
toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.
Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter,
and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken,
and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to,"
"I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."
When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to
adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her
enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and
you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and
skip an elevator for a bungee cord.
My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's
just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a
spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I
would have died happy.
Now..go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not
something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had
only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you
say? And why are you waiting?
Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent
this to you.
Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to
the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight
or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred
chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it
tomorrow. "And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?
When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened
gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the
music before the song is over.
"Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here, we
might as well dance!"
(sent to me by a pal)
) -
I have a seize the moment friend and love to be around her! I sent her a copy of this, and sent it to all my other friends as well. Thanks
-
I'll drink to that!
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team