Anyone Doing Chemo and Trying to Lose Weight?

Giggalump

Those who know me, this is nothing new. Those who don't, I've gained 70 lbs since having surgery and starting chemo two years ago for Stage IV colon cancer. I'm desperately trying to get at least the weight gain under control. Chemo week is next week and I'm curious what others eat to keep themselves on program while also controlling the week-long nausea that accompanies the treatment? Usually mashed potatoes and other high carb comfort foods are what I'm drawn to.

What do you do?

2hobbit1

Have you talked to your oncologist about nausea control meds. There are a lot of good ones out there and if the one you are on is not working there are others that can be tried. You should not have to be nauseous for a week following your treatment! Some times it can take a combination but it can be done.

moreORless50

my sister had chemo last year and also gained weight i rly dont have an aswer for you on that one but to help with the sickness she ate anything ginger , ginger snapps and ginger cookies which seemed to help the sickness

jeme3

My son is undergoing chemo right now for Hodgkin Lymphoma.

As 2hobbit1 said, there are great medications available for nausea. Talk to your doc.

Also, talk to your doc about the weight. This may not be a time to worry about it.

Depending on what drugs you are taking and which chemo you are getting, there may not be much you can do about the weight until you finish treatment.

I wish you well, and hope your prognosis is good.

bearsmom82

so sorry you are going through this - I haven't, so i can't offer any advice except that I think you should consult your doctor. Chemo is very stressful on your body, and limiting your nutrition may not be in your best interest. Best of luck to you - win the fight with cancer first, then worry about weight!

hellraisedfire

I agree with the above posts, this is something for a doctor to advise you on. You do need healthy nutrients right now, so eating healthy definitely can help, but I definitely don't think limiting calories would be a good idea right now.

Anon4678

Light exercise should really help with some of the side effects of the chemo, and will have the added benefit of helping you change your calories burned to eaten ratio. But, of course, talk to your doctor before you take any of the suggestions on here, please. He/she will be able to give you something to help with the nausea and also might have some other ideas for someone in your situation. Best of luck!

laserturkey

Sometimes I add mashed, cooked cauliflower or cooked cabbage to mashed potatoes. That might give you a little more nutrition along with the potatoes, and I suppose would lower the caloric content per serving.

Would potato soup be satisfying, too? Thinning something out with broth or water would give you more filling food with fewer calories.

Sorry you are having to go through this.

lax75

Different "chemo cocktails" have different effects - do consult your doctor. The first half of my treatment I gained nothing - I'd lose a few pounds in the first half of the cycle, and get back to where I started in the 2d half. As soon as I switched to the 2d cocktail I gained, and quickly. I was taking the same steroids throughout for anti-nausea, which tends to make people retain a lot of fluid (that steroidal puffy-cheeked chipmunk look) but somehow my body reacted differently on the 2d cocktail. I did find it very hard to lose the steroid pounds and that puffy look, but once I managed that I just kept going and lost a few more.

For many weeks the only dinner that didn't taste funny to me was pasta with marinara sauce - now I don't care if I ever eat pasta again!!

ETA - Most chemo treatment facilities have dieticians who specialize in oncological issues on staff to help with this, so see if yours does.

Giggalump

All of your suggestions are great and i have done or am doing every one of them. It probably doesn't help that I had 15 inches of my large intestine removed...as well as having a total hysterectomy at the same time.

I do take nausea meds that help somewhat. I have consulted with my doc, who says I need to lose weight...I was 2 lbs from my goal when this all started. I have consulted with the dietician at the cancer center and her answer was to eat even more than I was...the result was that I gained even faster. My thyroid doc is convinced the chemo has killed my thyroid and I am on a HUGE dose of thyroid meeds...but I can't go any higher because I'm near overdose on that. I get as much exercise as I can...walking mostly, which does help with everything, but on chemo week, getting out of bed is about as much as I can manage...I am hooked up to a chemo pump for 3 days, so it's not just getting treatment for a few hours and then doing what I can to flush the drugs out of my system. I make sure to eat enough good stuff to keep my energy levels up as much as possible.

I guess I have a unique set of challenges. And for those that have gone through or are currently going through something similar, peace to you all and I hope the end result is positive. In my case, my cancer comes with a 95% mortality rate before 5 years, but I seem to be doing better than most. My doc says I stand a good chance of being in the 5% that actually beats this...I've gone into remission twice already. There is, however, no cure. Chemo is a reality for me for at least the next several years. I can't afford to gain another 70 lbs in the next two years...carrying too much weight only increases the chances of cancer...and this is my second cancer. This month is my 5-year anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. I don't need a third cancer!!!

Thanks to all for your responses. Feel free to friend me for added support! I've been told time and time again that I've been able to inspire others to fight to achieve their goals. I'm here for you!!!

kerrymh

What does your Med Onc say? I wouldn't try to lose wt unless encouraged by your Med Onc...usually 10% wt loss while on treatment has a negative prognosis...now if you are already obese..your doctor might be encouraging but I would seriously not do anything with out medical supervision right now.

VelociMama

ETA - Most chemo treatment facilities have dieticians who specialize in oncological issues on staff to help with this, so see if yours does.

^ This.

Try to find one and make sure you get your thyroid levels checked. Chemo had the opposite effect on my family members who underwent it. They all got very thin and sickly as their treatment continued.

My thoughts will be with you no matter what, and I hope your prognosis is the best it can be and that your treatments are effective. *hugs*

02tods

Hi Giggalump. I've had one cancer from which I am still recovering. It'll be 3 years in Dec since my breast ca diagnosis, and I totally understand the weight concern since I am told to err on the underweight side to prevent recurrence as I'm high risk.

Anyway, the steroids were brutally brutal! A lot of water gain with that, and just from the chemo itself. Something I did was really watch my protein and water intake. You need a lot of protein right now as your body is going through so much and needs to repair. Water for flushing the system after those nasty chemo drugs and being careful not to dehydrate. I also had times of nausea, and at one point was unable to eat for almost a week despite being on good anti nausea meds.

The week after your chemo, I wouldn't worry too much about anything other than nourishing your body with good healthy foods and lots of protein and water. After that, you may want to watch your sugar and carbs to get things under control. I found if I had adequate protein the carb cravings just kind of slipped away.

Of course, please check with your MO and Dietician before incorporating any changes.

My very best to you, and keep up the good fight.

:flowerforyou:

That_Girl

My dad smoked weed to control his nausea.

He had no appetite though.