Lifestyle changes moving forward after diagnosis and/or treatment

[missmore]

Hi p

thank you for posting,  and can I also add,  you sound incredible.  Your motto is a good one and I am just so sorry that you are still dealing with this wicked disease

women are very often made to feel guilty about having breast cancer when you read reports that we are overweight,  didn't breastfeed,  had children in our thirties and drink too much alcohol and don't exercise

Breast cancer, doesn't really seem to discriminate in my humble opinion

wishing you all the very best my friend

xxxxx

[pussy]

Hi 

i got breast cancer in 1995 came back 2010 i have 4 dogs who are walked daily i also cycle 5 mile a day and swim 25 lengths at my local swimming pool every week and it has not stopped me getting cancer in the first place or stopped it coming back i am now back fighting in the last 5 years i have had chemo twice and three different hormone tablets as i am er+ and her n 

i do not smoke or drink and being on the hormone tablets have put on a just over a stone with all my exercise i watch what i eat use a nutri bullet to mix raw veg and fruit, nuts and seed  have the occasional chocolate or cake if out with friends i have also cut down my plate size when having my main meal 

my motto is this we do not know how long we are here for why deprive your self a little bit of what you fancy does you good do the things you enjoy and enjoy the time you have left (which i hope is a long time )

[Jobey68]

We got a golden retriever puppy a month before I was diagnosed and yes she is shedding but we love her to bits so don't care! We lost our 10 year old just before Christmas so I'm used to endless hoovering! She has been an absolute godsend to us these past few months and we love her too bits 🐶😍

[kbmd]

I dropped more than 20 pounds between diagnosis and surgery which was almost a year - having done a naturopathic regimen to begin with, then work issues, etc.  I've been on Tamoxifen for almost a year now and gained same 20 (ok, 23) lbs but I was quite thin from the stress of everything so I'm back to a good/healthy weight.  Last year I did Dr. approved fasting (5-7days), cut out nearly all sugar (everything white) and lost my taste for meat so was eating mostly veges.  After surgery I needed to gain weight so the 'diet' went out the window for awhile but I'm back to a more moderate version --- keep sugar to a minimum -- but not sweating a splurge now and then. I'm not big on carbs so I don't mind giving up pasta, rice, potatoes, etc.  Lots of cruciferous veges (broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, spinach) and meat in moderation.  Dark chocolate and red wine have anti-cancer properties too so it's not all bad!  There is a great, easy read book called "Food to Fight Cancer" by Richard Beliveau, Ph.D and Dr. Denis Gingras, Ph.D.  Also, "Healing Spices" by Bharat B. Aggarwal, Ph.D.  Ultimately, for me, the most important thing I do with respect to diet is eat real food -- it's the chemicals in the processed stuff that can really wonk up your system right down to cells and DNA.  Of course I'm not perfect --  but I always think about the consequences of my choice which helps me limit the bad and keep up with the good.

btw... I'm all in for a gin and tonic occassionally (and I know the tonic has gobs of sugar!!)  Be happy with your choices whatever they are. 

[Blondie223]

Hi Matty, sorry to hear about your walkmate, lovely to hear about your new arrival though, as well as walks it will keep you occupied. We got a puppy ealier this year, I can't believe how much more often the hoovering needs doing, and he doesn't shed any hair, it's just that he seems to be a magnet for mess and bits from the garden which then drop off him onto the carpets!

I'm definitely taking the exercise route, I bought a bike the year before last, went out on it quite often but then last summer it didn't even make it out of the shed. Don't think I'm safe on roads on it at the moment with my mind wandering, but I'll get there. Will maybe take it out on the fields for now.

[Matty2]

I lost 56lb of weight then found 'the lump' they say if i hadn't lost it it would have been harder to find.

I used to walk a lot but my 'walkmate' died the week I was diagnosed. Now i am feeling well again the bit of weight I have gained I hope will come off - reason am getting a dog again - going to see her today

I was very strongly recommended to walk/exercise and keep the weight off by the BCN as the best way to help prevent a recurrence

The future is beginning to look brighter - I hope it is the same for everyone

Beryl 

[Blondie223]

That's interesting RoadRunner, and yup - I think exercise is the way I'll go. Alcohol isn't going anyway, lol - and I did used to smoke until Stoptober 2013 when I just gave up altogether and have never looked back, so in hindsight I s'pose that's already one change I've made.

Kim, we have a dog too, he's going to be getting his legs walked off, he'll be thrilled.

[RoadRunner]

Exercise!  This has been shown both to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer in the first place but also to reduce the risk of a recurrence.  So not only is it good to try to prevent weight gain, it's also something everyone of us should be doing for its own sake.

[catokitty]

I just have a very occasional drink now on a special occasion and have lost about 20 pounds. I hope to lose another stone.  I walk the dog every day and do lots of work in the garden.  I am trying to be more active and spend less time on the sofa.  For me BC was a wake up call that I had let myself go a bit weight and exercise wise and I am determined to be fitter and more energetic.    Mainly though I am determined to be more positive and enjoy life to the full.  If I am unhappy about something I don't just put up with it.  

[missmore]

Hi ange

I've lost a stone since surgery only by walking and eating smaller portions

wanted to lose weight ahead of the game as I will be taking tamoxifen soon and have read that it is likely to cause weight gain. As for giving up the wine.....nope lol

sheena

[Jobey68]

Hi Blondie,
I've always been pretty healthy and always walked miles due to having a dog, we don't drink much or smoke but I still got cancer so I'm not a huge believer in changing my habits for fear of keeping it at bay, after weeks of not wanting to eat when first diagnosed and losing 1 1/2 stone I'm enjoying having an appetite again, I'm on Tamoxifen and was told it can make you gain weight but I think it's more down to feeling better after treatment and just eating again! I've put on about 6lb but needed too, I won't be drinking any green goo anytime soon that's for sure, give me a G&T any day!! Xx

[Blondie223]

Hi ladies, I've seen mention of nutribullet and dietary changes, cutting down on alcohol, getting more exercise etc, was just wondering what - if any - lifestyle changes people were making, prompted by cancer diagnosis?

So far I'm thinking of making more effort to exercise in future - for example more walking and cycling, but the main driver for that really is that I'll be eventually taking Tamoxifen, so I want to keep any weight gain in check. I guess hand in hand with that will be watching what I eat. I'm not planning any strict diet, but just perhaps making healthier choices where I can, and not eating out so often!