Hi everyone!
I would be interested to know of anyone who has been successful in LOSING weight whilst on Tamoxifen and how they have managed to do this.
I am 53, have been through chemo and radiotherapy and have been on Tamoxifen for three weeks now. I am probably about 2 stone overweight anyway and do NOT want to gain more over the next five years.
I have started going to the gym and swimming too, I also do a lot of walking. I still work full time.
Any advice out there?
Thanks!
Hi
I too am taking Tamoxifen, its been nearly 3 weeks now. I am 51. Last year I lost 38.5 pounds doing weightwatchers only to find out in Fenruary this year I had breast cancer…Darn !! I think the thing to do is just watch how much you are eating and do as you are doing and keep the exercise up. Obviously I found WW worked for me. If I start to put the weight back on I will go back. Are you getting really bad hot sweats at night ? I am its terrible ! I get a few during the day too. Good luck with your journey x
Yes…me AND my daughter!
No diets involved as I do not believe in diets…!
We both put on about a stone whilst on chemo etc i think due to the steroids and also comfort eating of choccie bics and anything else that could relieve the misery…like cheese!
No tamoxifen and all its friends (except those bloomin steroids what cause water retention) don’t MAKE you put on weight…they possibly alter the metabolism to make it harder to lose…I dunno coz I’m not an expert…
However we have found that the way to lose weight is to exercise and I don’t mean a couple of times a week I mean dragging the aching body out come rain or shine and walk…and walk…and walk…and cycle…and walk etc. Means you don’t just lose weight you feel better and get fitter…and it helps with all the aching too believe it or not!
Combine this with watching exactly what you put in your mouth…stick to under 2000 calories a day and make most of it fruit n veg…just normal healthy eating!..no low fat stuff, no ‘diet’ stuff just small portions of good food.
I can guarentee you will feel good, see the locality (all that walking!)and lose excess pounds!
I am not a stick insect, I weigh ten and a half stone and am 5’6 my daughter weighs 9 stone and is 5’10 we both look and feel good and we are both on tamoxifen and herceptin.
Now I will get shot for saying all this but its true…you are what you eat…!
I’m not on Tam - I’m on Femara - but I have lost 3 and a half stone in 10 months since finishing chemo. I echo a lot of what lif says - plenty of vigorous walking, lots of fruit and veg. But I’ve always done that and have found it very hard to lose weight - what really worked for me this time was cutting out anything sugary and any white carbs, but eating plenty of wholegrain carbs, particularly brown rice. Cutting out sweet snacks immediately stopped the urge to snack, and that was the key for me. I have also cut right down on alcohol and cut out cheese.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
finty x
Hi,
I have lost 17lbs since november on the intermitant diet from the genasis web site. I found this suited me because you only followit rigidly fro 2 days per week. I am trying to be careful the rest of the week but it is easier because I dont feel like I am on a diet. We are advised to have a veggie day each week as part of a healthy diet so I am putiing a tick in that box as well.
Good luck
Jane x
I don’t believe the Tamoxifen causes weight gain or loss, it’s other lifestyle changes, some of which are a result of the BC diagnosis, which cause it. I have lost about 20 lb since I was diagnosed with BC last July and started on Tamoxifen in August (plus Zoladex since September) but I attribute that to the fact that I was very overweight (=fat!) in the first place, and that I have now got out of the habit of having a bacon sandwich most mornings. No, I’m not joking, that’s what I used to have on a regular basis, but convinced myself that it was OK. The one big bonus the BC has given me is that I’ve stopped that and have a banana and yoghurt for breakfast instead.
It’s too easy to take the “poor me I’ve got BC” attitude and give in to eating rubbish food in large quantities, although it’s very tempting (and enjoyable).
Sarah x
Hi
Before I was dx last October I took my health for granted although I had lost a stone & half over the 12 months previously by just changing from biccis & crisps snacking at work to taking fruit instead.
This worked quite well as I dropped a dress size; but then the dx and in pre-op tests I also have type 2 diabetes. I’ve kept my diet as it was just before dx as GP & dietician thought it was healthy enough; but he did say swimmimg once a week is not enough. I needed to to 30mins of exercise 5 times a week. I thought I’d never find the time as I work full-time.
In mid April I got the nod I could start swimmimg again after RT completed and I also joined my local “curves” centre which is designed for ladies and I have found it such great fun (only gone for 2 weeks so far; early days). They do a weigh/measure session for you personally (& privatly) and help set your goals. I hope to lose another half stone as this would take me into the healthy weight range for my height.
They are very supportive and encourage you. I know if I tried the waliking/running route I wouldn’t sick to it. I even have a very good gym type exercise biks at home, so no excuses; I needed something structured to hopefully avoid me getting bored & slipping into my old routine.
Good luck.
Lynne
HI there, best of luck with your weight management - just thought I’d sahre my GP’s comments - cos at diagnosis I was for the first time in my adult life a good weight and very fit - then put on a stone over the year of treatment - when started Tamox I was worried cos of stories you hear about weight gain - she said, no really it isn’t a factor - you just need to eat less and move more…
sounds so simple ! I am trying, and maybe winning a bit,
bw Nicola
What a great thread! All about personal responsibility!
My 2 penny’s worth:
Chemo & Tamox did change my shape a bit, i.e my waist thickened and more potty stomach, but I was pre-menopausal, so felt it was more of an early menopause situation.
I think BC and its treatment can be a bit like pregnancy: “I’m going to get fat anyway, so I’ll just keep eating and make sure I fit the statistics”, type of mentality.
BC is a big message from your body to slow down, look at your life and TAKE REALLY, REALLY GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF. Diet, exercise, rest and stress management. You are allowed to say ‘no’ to others to make time for yourself, ie cooking good food, and making time to exercise. Which for many women, especially wives and mothers, they tend to put themselves last.
You’ll be fine, loads of great info on this site.
Thanks everyone! You have made me feel less depressed about the possibility of the weight piling on because of the Tamoxifen. I am determined to continue to eat healthily, exercise as much as possible and look forward to a (hopefully) same size or even slimmer me!!
Good luck to everyone at a similar stage of their treatment.
ive enjoed reading, as ive been on it 6 weeks now, and have put a few pound on, when i never put any on when on cemo,
but hang on, ive done less excersice in the last 6 weeks due to rads travelling than before,
mmmmmm where are my trainers. lol
xx
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I’m with Lostinfrance, finty and gretchen. You are what you eat. Some famous ‘celebrity’ Yeuch, said that only fat people drink diet coke. Observe and make your own judgement.
Proper healthy whole food, No rubbish faddy diet food, no low fat stuff as it’s loaded with sugar. Did anyone watch ‘supersize me’. Documentry recording what happened to one healthy man who went to McDonalds every day and if they supersized him he had to say yes. His blood was tested regulary to see what was happening to him, He became very ill and I think he put on a stone and a half in a month. It took him 4 months to lose it. Yes 4 months to lose it. Yes it was extreme but some people do eat this way. I’m no angel and have the odd cake, baked by me so I know what’s in it, but healthy eating, really healthy eating is the way and regular excercise too. I do masses of gardening and grow my own veg and bean sprouts. Anyone can do bean sprouts you only need a jam jar.
blimey I’m on my hobby horse again.
One of the unfortunate consequences of menopause (which Tamoxifen worsens) is that you gain weight at fewer calories.
In 2008, before my cancer diagnosis, I lost 5 stone (70 lbs) by keeping an online food diary and calorie counting. My GP had oreviously advised me to stick to under 1,200 calories if I wanted to lose weight. I didn’t intend to calculate calories but had to by necessity and was surprised how little I knew.
By calorie counting, I found out that I gained weight at 1,500 calories (with no exercise - an hour’s brisk walk burns off about ~250 calories).
I gained 3 stone since I stopped counting calories, one of which was during chemo last year. I started my diet again after xmas and have lost a stone by tweeting my #fooddiary this time round.
Exercise is definitely good but you can’t lose weight from exercise alone. I didn’t exercise - I should have, would have felt better and lost weight faster.
I know that calorie-counting or food diarying isn’t for everyone but
I collated tips and recipes which people might find useful.
Top tip: cut right back on anything made with flour. Of all the carbs, bread is the most calorific.
Tips - what’s worked for me: foodconfessional.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/tips-whats-worked-for-me/
Recipes: foodconfessional.wordpress.com/recipes/
Calorie comparison tables: foodconfessional.wordpress.com/nutritional-information/
If anyone thinks that food diarying would help them lose weight, they’re welcome to join the Food Confessional. You’ll need a Wordpress account. Just contact me with your username.
Paola
As I have said on a previous post, some people are just luckier than others as to how the body reacts to Tamoxifen and weight gain. I know a number of girls who completely agree with me. I am now exercising and doing just as much as before diagnosis and treatment but am a stone heavier. I eat very little and watch what I eat so it shows that everyone is different and as i said before,some luckier than others.
hi cheshire cat that as to be a mainecoon cat for your photo
kay