Fighting back with fitness
I thought I would share my ups and downs regaining my fitness since chemo.
For a start I gained an astonishing amount of weight during chemo, around 20 plus kgs. I had gained 3 to 4 post surgery also before chemo. (Bilateral mastectomy and recon) After chemo with my oncologist blessing around 6 weeks I went on to optifast as I wanted to drop the weight as I was going back in for surgery to finish my reconstruction and I had such awful body image with the gain (and lost breasts). That was successful.
However once again I started gaining weight...I was finally workingg full time (that took 6 months to be fit enough), I was quite stessed about workloads and my brother had a life threatening accident (head injury and 3 spinal fracture) thankfully he came through. I am and always will be an emotional eater.
During all this and my gradual return to work I was trying to recover my physical fitness. Pre treatment I attended the gym 4 days a week and most weekends swam or did aquafit. All I could manage on chemo was walking in a hydro pool which kept some muscle tone. My back hurt, my knees hurt, I had constant muscle spasms and lower sacral /hip pain. I was so weak in the legs if I got on tbe floor I couldn't get up. I did do a cancer exercise group for a few weeks but had to stop as started back at work.
I started back at the gym and zumba then got exhausted and stopped. I was diagnosed with reduced heart function at this time.
I did the encore program and felt pretty good then tried gym work again but felt exhausted again and stopped.
I became fearful of becoming overtired by exercising, more so after being back working full time as I really struggled.
But I didnt give up.
I started with walking again using my fitbit and had got to 9000 steps a day after 3 weeks....then bam...spent a week on the lounge and barely could make it through the day. Plus my knees and sacral pain worsened.
Then I tried gym work. Light cardio. Some weights and stretching. Felt fantastic 3 weeks then bam...on the couch again.
So I have seen an exercise physiologist to help. What I am to do is not workout at 8-9/10 effort now. I'm to work out at 5-6/10. This isn't easy as I feel fine but so far this is working. I've been using that theory in classes also. I also have accepted if I can only exercise 3 weeks in 4 then that's better than no exercise. If I'm really tired I skip it.
I tried to have no exercise days but am focussing on not just resting on these days but keeping busy.
I'm finally feeling like the old me. My holiday week away last week included long walks, bowling etc. I no longer felt like a recovering breast cancer patient but the old me.
My diet. ..well I'm focussed on that too. I've rejoined weight watchers and focussing on nourishing foods. I'm pre planning and packing lunches ahead and even breakfasts (frittatas, pancakes etc) so no time excuses in the morning. I'm down almost 5 kg. Still another 5 before I'm feeling better though.
So something is working. Life is most definetly worth reclaiming.
Kath x
For a start I gained an astonishing amount of weight during chemo, around 20 plus kgs. I had gained 3 to 4 post surgery also before chemo. (Bilateral mastectomy and recon) After chemo with my oncologist blessing around 6 weeks I went on to optifast as I wanted to drop the weight as I was going back in for surgery to finish my reconstruction and I had such awful body image with the gain (and lost breasts). That was successful.
However once again I started gaining weight...I was finally workingg full time (that took 6 months to be fit enough), I was quite stessed about workloads and my brother had a life threatening accident (head injury and 3 spinal fracture) thankfully he came through. I am and always will be an emotional eater.
During all this and my gradual return to work I was trying to recover my physical fitness. Pre treatment I attended the gym 4 days a week and most weekends swam or did aquafit. All I could manage on chemo was walking in a hydro pool which kept some muscle tone. My back hurt, my knees hurt, I had constant muscle spasms and lower sacral /hip pain. I was so weak in the legs if I got on tbe floor I couldn't get up. I did do a cancer exercise group for a few weeks but had to stop as started back at work.
I started back at the gym and zumba then got exhausted and stopped. I was diagnosed with reduced heart function at this time.
I did the encore program and felt pretty good then tried gym work again but felt exhausted again and stopped.
I became fearful of becoming overtired by exercising, more so after being back working full time as I really struggled.
But I didnt give up.
I started with walking again using my fitbit and had got to 9000 steps a day after 3 weeks....then bam...spent a week on the lounge and barely could make it through the day. Plus my knees and sacral pain worsened.
Then I tried gym work. Light cardio. Some weights and stretching. Felt fantastic 3 weeks then bam...on the couch again.
So I have seen an exercise physiologist to help. What I am to do is not workout at 8-9/10 effort now. I'm to work out at 5-6/10. This isn't easy as I feel fine but so far this is working. I've been using that theory in classes also. I also have accepted if I can only exercise 3 weeks in 4 then that's better than no exercise. If I'm really tired I skip it.
I tried to have no exercise days but am focussing on not just resting on these days but keeping busy.
I'm finally feeling like the old me. My holiday week away last week included long walks, bowling etc. I no longer felt like a recovering breast cancer patient but the old me.
My diet. ..well I'm focussed on that too. I've rejoined weight watchers and focussing on nourishing foods. I'm pre planning and packing lunches ahead and even breakfasts (frittatas, pancakes etc) so no time excuses in the morning. I'm down almost 5 kg. Still another 5 before I'm feeling better though.
So something is working. Life is most definetly worth reclaiming.
Kath x
