Hi
I was diagnosed 11 months ago, I have never been on any form of diet, always a healthy eater - making everything from scratch, But after diagnosis I lost a stone, stopped eating dairy, didn’t dare eat beef, all fruit had to be organic, If I was out and the restaurant looked like it bought cheap food, I would eat nothing. I never thought that there was anything wrong with me, till I realised that none of my clothes fitted me and everyone I met looked concerned. As a lover of cheese and onion crisps, especially with a chunk of chocolate and a glass of red wine, I have had not one crisp for 11 months. I had a pack today, guilt - yes! but oh! they were nice!
Anyone else reacted like me…must be a term like cancorexic or something, still size 8, my rear has left the building…not a good look!
Hi Techy - Not able to answer you specifically as I have not had this experience (on chemo at the moment and still have a little of what I fancy be it a piece of chocolate, glass of wine, dairy, whatever - as far as I can foresee that’s the way I’ll go on!). Wanted to write though as I hate it when someone posts and doesn’t get an answer for a long time, so this will bring it up to the top again. Techy, the fact that you yourself have called your posting “some form of eating disorder” and say that everyone is worried about you, and also you have come up with the term cancorexic and have lost a lot of weight (you are only little anyway!) does make it seem that actually you are quite worried yourself about whats happening. It’s so incredibly difficult isn’t it, there is SO MUCH advice all over the place about what we should - or more often shouldn’t eat. As so many have written before, if we followed all the advice we would be at risk of eating nothing at all, and I just wonder whether you might have put a foot on that path. We are so wanting to do the right thing for ourselves, and it’s so hard to be sure what that is. Why don’t you go and have a chat with your GP about this and ask him to refer you to a dietician - that way you will get a really decent length appointment and can check that you really are getting all the nutrients you need from your diet (and that really IS important). Perhaps from now you could write down everything you eat, and then you will have something really concrete to discuss. Good luck and I hope you diet gets more enjoyable and less of a worry soon! Sarah xx
Panic over diet is pretty common - you only have to look at the number of questions about what we should or should not eat to see that it is something that grabs people. In many ways it is because they feel that it is one thing they can control and also that there might be SOMETHING in all these claims.
There is no reason why you shouldn’t eat red meat occasionally, there are lots of “healthy option” crisps, a bit of dairy will not kill you, and as for chocolate - dark chocolate has definite benefits; and red wine has proven goodness.
Start enjoying a little of what you like. It’s worth it. I know what you mean about restaurants, I felt the same. Then one day I decided that life was just too boring if I couldn’t enjoy myself and that an occasional meal in a restaurant or cafe won’t do any great harm. If eating out helps your mood, then go for it.
If you haven’t met “The Tree of Life” by Chris Woollams, it is worth getting a copy just for the recipes.
hi techy
i completely understand what you are saying. in my teens and early twenties i was seriously anorexic. i recovered fully and haven’t really given my diet much thought until diagnosed. now, i can feel that i could pretty easily slip back into that state of mind - the obession, the guilt and the overwhelming desire to be in control of life. your term cancerexic is fantastic - perfect!
i think the fact that you are aware of the tendencies is great.
jo
xxx
I lost weight when I was under treatment because the surgeon said I would lose weight (usually the opposite happens apparently) and it put me off my food. I also found I didn’t want to drink alcohol at all.
Four years later I am exactly the same weight as when diagnosed so sadly my thin period is over or should I say thinner period as I am still thinnish
Mole
Hi techy
Just be careful and I think seeing you GP is a good move, just to talk about your rather exteme change in diet. It is a stressful time, take care Alicex