At my :) weight again
Deanne
Member Posts: 2,163 ✭
I was diagnosed in May 2013. After treatment I had put on a few kilos and was concerned about starting Tamoxifen. Would I be able to lose the chemo weight? With a gradual return to pre-cancer activity and being very careful with portion size I did lose those extra kilos. Changes to my lifestyle (for the first time in my life exercise was actually enjoyable) resulted in further weightloss while I continued on Tamoxifen. I was very happy and relieved to have some control over my life and body again.
After 2 years on Tamoxifen it was decided that it was best for me to lose the ovaries and switch to Femara. After some bumpy times adjusting to the aches and pains I continued along with no weight gain. I have just passed the 2 year mark on Femara now.
A few months ago I managed to catch the flu while overseas. For one reason or another this took a lot to shake off and I was relatively inactive for a couple of months. The longest period I have been unwell since chemo. Couple this with a bit of comfort eating and on piled a few kilos!
Not happy and concerned about whether I could lose the extra padding and get back to feeling at my best. At first I struggled. I increased my exercise and curbed the eating but nothing happened! Then I started to take note of my Fitbit info. It estimates the calories that I burn according to my activity and heartrate levels each day. There were many days where although I diligently did my exercise, I was not very active for the rest of the day. I was simply not burning enough calories most days to lose the weight.
So for the last few weeks I have been really trying hard to NOT sit down much. My Fitbit buzzes if I don’t move enough each hour and that has helped too. AND I have done it! I am back to my happy weight again.
Breast cancer and treatment made me feel like I had lost control over my body and my life. It has been a great feeling to claw back some of that control! I have reversed osteoporosis through weightlifting and now lost a little weight again.
After my mastectomy and partial axillary disection my oncologist gave me some fairly devastating statistics. Without chemo and hormone therapy people with similar pathology to me had a 33% chance of making it to 10years without a recurrence. I was only 47. Next May will be 5 years clear I hope. So I know that Femara is very important to my chance of staying clear but so is quality of life. With a bit of stubbornness I am mostly managing to achieve that too
After 2 years on Tamoxifen it was decided that it was best for me to lose the ovaries and switch to Femara. After some bumpy times adjusting to the aches and pains I continued along with no weight gain. I have just passed the 2 year mark on Femara now.
A few months ago I managed to catch the flu while overseas. For one reason or another this took a lot to shake off and I was relatively inactive for a couple of months. The longest period I have been unwell since chemo. Couple this with a bit of comfort eating and on piled a few kilos!
Not happy and concerned about whether I could lose the extra padding and get back to feeling at my best. At first I struggled. I increased my exercise and curbed the eating but nothing happened! Then I started to take note of my Fitbit info. It estimates the calories that I burn according to my activity and heartrate levels each day. There were many days where although I diligently did my exercise, I was not very active for the rest of the day. I was simply not burning enough calories most days to lose the weight.
So for the last few weeks I have been really trying hard to NOT sit down much. My Fitbit buzzes if I don’t move enough each hour and that has helped too. AND I have done it! I am back to my happy weight again.
Breast cancer and treatment made me feel like I had lost control over my body and my life. It has been a great feeling to claw back some of that control! I have reversed osteoporosis through weightlifting and now lost a little weight again.
After my mastectomy and partial axillary disection my oncologist gave me some fairly devastating statistics. Without chemo and hormone therapy people with similar pathology to me had a 33% chance of making it to 10years without a recurrence. I was only 47. Next May will be 5 years clear I hope. So I know that Femara is very important to my chance of staying clear but so is quality of life. With a bit of stubbornness I am mostly managing to achieve that too
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Comments
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Well done Deanne. I lost a lot of weight after chemo with lots of hard work. However once back to full time work I found I was tired all the time so much less active again and craving carbs for energy. Fortunately that has mostly passed now and I am back attempting to recover my fitness and move more. I've just rejoined weight watchers as I hate counting every morsel but by at least recording my food choices is keeping me accountable and the weight is coming off again now. Aramatose inhibitor or not it can be done. Kath x
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Yes Kath it is hard but it can be done. I think the thing that affected me the most was stamina. It was very difficult to rebuild the ability to get through the day after treatment and that had happened again after I got sick this year. I just needed to sit more and then the weight crept on again. It is a bit of a vicious circle that I had to really push myself to get out of again. Today I pulled on my smaller size exercise gear and felt really good heading off to weightlifting. I then lifted the heaviest weight I have ever managed! That makes it all worth it!
I am sure you will get there too. Weight watchers is a big help. I have had the help of a dietician, exercise physiologist, weight coach and my wonderful family who encourage me always. I could not do it without support. 1 -
Congratulations Deanne. It is hard to imagine you actually sitting down as you seem to be always on the go.
Glad you are keeping well.
Summer 1 -
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Thanks @SoldierCrab @Summerhill38 and @Romla. We all inspire each other through this network. Life after a diagnosis is tough and we need to support each other through the highs and lows. I think this quote that I saw on the Gawler Cancer Facebook page is a good one.
xxx2
