Weight loss during radiation

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Hi netter, I guess your treatments should all be done by this time: Congratulations!

I began rads on 7 June and will be undergoing treatment roughly through the end of July.

I was diagnosed ER+/HER2- BC in November 2011, lumpectomy December 2011, completed chemo in mid-May. I opted for chemo instead of Tamoxifen because I didn't want to deal with the TMF side effects, but wound up in chemo-induced menopause just the same. Needless to say, I'm furious about this but there's nothing to do about it except wait and hope it's temporary.

The chemo drugs I was given induced a weight gain of some 20 pounds over 3 months. I'm beside myself with frustration, not to mention shame and a whole slew of body image issues (as if BC and breast surgery don't engender their own set of body image issues as it is!), all of which are exacerbated by my onco's insistence I not lose weight during radiation. She says "It's just a few more weeks, deal with it later" but this is hard medicine to take. The rationale, of course, is that rads depletes the body's energy stores during treatment, so if any weight loss does occur it comes from lean muscle mass and not adipose tissue. What's kicking my butt at the moment is that as my mind and energy levels return post-chemo - and, oh, by the way, it's now summer - I want to do something to shift the weight but at the same time not deplete the lean muscle. I'm told that although I have energy now, I'll feel depleted as rads continues. My nutritionist had me sign up here to track what I'm eating, suggesting 1800 calories, 120g protein per day in order to keep on top of things. I'm concerned that that is going to backfire on me and I'll have to buy more fat pants before this is all over. Worse, I'm freaked out that with the menopause now happening my metabolism will have changed and I won't even be able to lose the weight at all.

Who else has been in this situation? What did you do and how did it work out? I'm terrified that I'm destined to be a fat old lady now and don't see being cancer-free as a worthwhile trade for it.

Gorger

Hi there. Don't fret. You will lose the weight.
I'm in menopause and yes, dieting still works. I do notice more- that my skin suffers from the menopause. .. I am starting to get the chicken skin looking kind of neck. I find that using olive oil on my skin at night seems to help a lot and keeps it soft.

I thought the same...that I would be a fat old lady too. I did manage to lose my extra weight. It changed my life.
I went out last night to see live music at a local pub and it was amazing. I had men smiling at me and one even asked me out on a date. Before I lost weight, no man would give me any eye contact or smile back. Now... They can't figure out why I say no to a date. ( It's pretty hard to accept a date when you've had a mastectomy.) I am 55 and the guy that asked me out on a date guessed that I was 35. Weight makes a huge difference. Unbelievable.

Losing weight almost makes me feel normal again. The more weight I lose the less I notice that one boob is bigger than the other.
Claiming power over weight is rejuvenating in a world in which we don't have a lot of control.
Remember that all you have to do is cut back for awhile and then you will be normal again. You don't even need to cut back much on the amount you eat. The secret is... It's what you eat, not how much you eat.
Boil up a big plate of yummy vegetables and eat them 3 times a day. They have no calories. Throw away all the bad food. Soon you will be thin again and much healthier.

Remember this...dieting is very difficult, but only for the first two days. Then you start to feel powerful and have energy and then the weight loss starts happening.

weemuse

..it is covering under my breast as I have a line of blisters there and under my arm where my bra rubs - I am a 44DDD so of course I cannot find any nice comfy cotton bras out there....and I even have a square patch over my nipple....it is a miracle helper....then at night I goop up with lidocaine jelly and Xclair cream.....all I can say is I'm ready to be done and put this behind me....

Did you continue to get worse for 2 weeks after your radiation stopped, netter? That's what they're telling me now. I have 2 left and they said the worst is yet to come. Yikes! I'm already scarlet with at least 2 spots about to break.

SuzieQ430

It's been a while since anyone has posted on this topic, so I thought I would.

How is everyone doing? I have only 6 radiation treatments left and herceptin until next June. I start tamoxifen in November. I am really scared about gaining weight on the taxomixfen. My doctor has warned me that I WILL gain weight! Sigh, I just want to lose the extra weight, not put it back on! What has everyone's experience been with weight gain and tamoxifen? I hope everyone is doing well.