Weight loss

ccasper

Hi ladies

just if anyone else had experience in losing weight during chemo. I did alter my diet to be as healthy as I could through this process but the only thing I have cut out is refund sugar and processed food. I just felt as I have enough chemicals going through my body I don't need the extra chemicals (this also goes for beauty products and cleaning household products).

from the stress of being diagnosed I lost about 5kg pretty quickly but since starting AC (which I finished yesterday.. Woo hoo!!), I have lost about another 5kg. The social worker was talking to me about it yesterday but was not too concerned. She was just making sure I wasn't losing any muscle. I walk 3 times a week and do yoga twice a week so I have remained pretty active. 

Just st curious if anyone else has had a similar experience as I thought I may of put on weight. I did have baby weight to lose still so I didn't start at a light weight. Thanks in advance ✌

melclarity

Hey!

Well everyone is different, they do say generally you put on weight with Breast Cancer Treatment, but I guess there are alot of factors to it. I was always slim and I put on 5kg through Chemo and I wasnt even eating really but I was very ill. Im 9 months and cannot get it off, exercise is still very difficult due to side effects. I also put it down to being thrown into menopause for me as to the weight gain as well and inability to shift it. Either way they say it will stabilise itself again. So I think you will even out.
Melinda xo

Nadi

Hi. Congratulations on finishing AC!  I am very overweight. I lost 5 kgs before chemo thanks to stress but also changing my diet to the pre chemo diet for HER2+ patients because I was told I would most likely put on weight during treatment. As predicted I put on 7 kgs during treatment mostly I think from the steroids I was given as I always puff up quite a lot on steroids but also possibly due to the fact that I was thrown into menopause. But then I lost 10 kgs in 6 weeks after getting really ill thanks to inflammation of the oesophogus from radiation and other side effects. Now I have added more exercise and changed my diet again to an anti inflammatory diet because of painful joints since chemo and have lost another 5 kgs. From my heaviest during treatment I am down 12 kgs but from my weight before breast cancer I am only down 10 kgs.  So I have been all over the place but hopefully I will lose more if I stick to this diet.

Afraser

I lost about 10 kilos during chemo. Was never sick but lost my taste buds on taxol, and that really has an impact when everything tastes of cardboard! I put back a bit after I finished chemo, but have worked hard to get back to and keep at my post chemo weight as it's better and I feel much fitter. Staff monitored my weight loss but were satisfied there was nothing amiss, blood tests etc were all fine. There has to be some pluses out of chemo, losing a bit of weight was good for me!!

primek

I guess if you cut out refined sugars and processed foods that would account for the losses. I gain weight when stressed so following my breast surgery /recon I gained about 5 kg then on chemo AC gained another 5...then on taxol gained another 9. Although I managed some regular exercise my incidental exercise was much less and I couldn't stand vegetables. I lived on toasted sandwiches on AC. I craved salty foods and had far too many milky coffees. Steroids didn't  help much either. As long as you are eating regular healthy foods with plenty of protein and small amounts of carbs I wouldn't stress. Thankfully I love veggies again and have lost 6kg since finishing chemo 8 weeks ago. Goodluck with your next part of chemo. Kath x

ccasper

primek said:

I guess if you cut out refined sugars and processed foods that would account for the losses. I gain weight when stressed so following my breast surgery /recon I gained about 5 kg then on chemo AC gained another 5...then on taxol gained another 9. Although I managed some regular exercise my incidental exercise was much less and I couldn't stand vegetables. I lived on toasted sandwiches on AC. I craved salty foods and had far too many milky coffees. Steroids didn't  help much either. As long as you are eating regular healthy foods with plenty of protein and small amounts of carbs I wouldn't stress. Thankfully I love veggies again and have lost 6kg since finishing chemo 8 weeks ago. Goodluck with your next part of chemo. Kath x

Well done kath. Hope you are feeling well x

ccasper

Thanks for the replies. I just had a freak out moment when I was asked if I had been losing weight. They said they will get a dietician involved if it continues but I feel fine I will just add a few more calorie dense food like cheese and smoothies into my diet.
hope everyone is going well x

LITHGOW1950

Hi, I lost weight during chemo. I was 63kgs and I'm now 56kgs.  I'm only 152cms and the dietian said my weight is ok but I feel I would like to put on a few kilos but I can't seem to be able to.  I finished active treatment back in April. I lost the weight back in Jan 2016.  I do walk as often as possible and have a set of exercises to try and build up muscle loss. My husband said I'm not eating as big a meal as I used to but I feel like I'm always eating.  
Seems we are all different. Wonderful you have finished chemo, do you have to have Radiothreaphy? Take care,
Anne-Marie 

primek

If you like avocado. ..great way to add in some extra calories and healthy oils.

ccasper

Avocado is one of my staples @primek

Brenda5

Post chemo I did continue to lose a little more weight but then one day as my appetite returned it reversed and started going up.