Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

2012 has been a terrible year for diet and exercise. I just can't seem to easily make changes like the past. Until 2012 I exercised every day, walking for up to an hour, lifting weights, hiking, etc.

I keep switching on meals to make what is most convenient, not necessarily what is healthy. I feel since chemo that meal planning and making meals that are complex is just so hard. Before cancer treatment I could have several days of meals planned out in my head. Now I can barely plan 1 meal. Argh!

I want 2013 to be different. I've spent the last week cleaning the house and organizing. I'm ready to make changes!

I've made an appointment at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine for an evaluation on January 7th. I'm going to see if they can help with the weight loss and to get off the blood pressure medicine. I think I need a baby sitter to get me back on track in the new year and am hoping an enthusiastic acupuncture student will be the catalyst I need.

I'm looking outside at the beautiful San Diego weather, and you know what? I think I'll go for a walk.

Love you ladies!

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

This link is to a lecture by a university prof talking about the value of exercise relative to lowerig risk of recurrence, as well as feeling better during treatments. It is very encouraging!


http://www.dundee.ac.uk/externalrela...2/campbell.htm

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

Happy New Year! :)

I listened to the lecture while I worked, Evergreen--thx. Thanks too for the links all who contributed to that. If we see a link or resource that will encourage others with healthy habits, let's share away.

'Lizbeth and MJo--glad you are here and ready for progress!

Everybody,
This year really and truely can be different and loaded with lots of progress with whatever healthy habit YOU want to make progress on. If it's the area of losing weight, pick a plan that works good for you--it doesn't matter what anybody else is doing. This doesn't have to be about food at all though--jump right in with your written goals for fighting cancer with lifestyle changes and how you plan on accomplishing them and let us know how it's going.


Here are my written goals for this week that I am tacking up on my fridge and will track my progress:

I am exercising a minimum of one half hour every single day this week. It feels GREAT to move my body and get my metabolism revved back up to an efficient fat burning furnace, melting away the excess!
T
W
T
F
S
S
M

A "Food Curfew" helps me tremendously and I avoid a heap of snacking temptations by having my mind made up ahead of time that supper is my last food of each day. That's what I am sticking to this week!
T
W
T
F
S
S
M


I am going to feel fantastic when I get back in my ideal weight range and am healthy, lean, and fit again. I feel better already having my plan for success. Today and every day this week I am fueling my body exclusively with plenty of nourishing, nutrient dense, unprocessed foods that build my body up. My body thrives when I eat lots of raw fruit and vegetables. Whether it's raw or cooked, I choose food that promotes vibrant health and energy. If I want to sweeten something, I am using fresh fruit or stevia to make it sweet. I am eating until I am pleasantly satisfied and then I am stopping. I am not eating anything I will regret later or that will tear my body down!
T
W
T
F
S
S
M


I am drinking at least half my body weight in ounces of water/caffeine-free herb tea each day this week. Good hydration makes everything work better!
T
W
T
F
S
S
M


God always has His help available to me in every detail of my life and knows all about my struggles with overeating. I am asking for and accepting His help!
T
W
T
F
S
S
M

I am keeping track of how each day goes. If I mess up I plan to get right back on target. Today I am recording my weight and measurements (chest, waist, upper arm, hips, upper thigh) and will have one of my kids take my photo front, side, and back in fitted clothing . I will repeat these periodically and watch myself shrink.

Today and all of 2013 is a brand new, fresh beginning, full of good things God has for us.


Paula

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

I made it 3 days so far with no sugar. Brutal...just plain old brutal. Friday I start swimming and I have signed up for yoga 3 times a week.
This is going to be tough but I'm determined. My goal is to lose 15lbs. I lost 28 during treatment. If I lose the additional 15 lbs, I'll be at my ideal weight. And I would be able to fit into those skinny jeans that have been collecting dust in my closet.

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

Atta girl, Europa! Those skinny jeans are shouting your name--go get 'em! It definately gets easier IMHO once we get the sugar and junk out of our systems...kinda like a "detox" of garbage in our systems.

I have two great days under my belt (YAHOO!) and it sure feels wonderful to be following through on my goals for this week. I felt like snacking tonite and nearly did a couple times but stopped myself because of tracking my progress on my goals up on my fridge. I had already checked it off that I stuck to no food after supper and didn't want to X it off. Cravings always pass when I don't give into them.

I am so ready to lose my "fat suit" and be healthy, slim, and fit again.

How's everybody else doing on their goals? If not so good, put it behind you and begin fresh. We can do this together and get where we want to go a day at a time.

Paula

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

This challenged and encouraged me me this morning:

"If it matters, you make the time.
If it doesn’t, you make excuses.
Standing in an imperfect place is just the perfect place to begin, and everyday offers the hope of Day 1."

Quote by Ann Voscamp http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/...daily-planner/

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

I will exercise today. My food is not good. Will try again tomorrow.

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

MJo: What are foods you tend to crave? I wrote a recipe book turning cravings into healthier dishes. Like Mac n' Cheese. I would be happy to post the recipes.

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

Sweets. Carbohydrates
I literally feel weak and ill if I try to eliminate sugar/carbs. I have to find some kind of balance.
There are diabetics in my family but my numbers are ok so far.

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

Good thread. Eating healthier and more of the rainbow is a goal for me. Along with getting back to my walking exercise as much as I was doing before treatment began.

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

MJo: For something sweet try making fruit leathers. Take a bag of frozen strawberries and toss them in a sauce pan with a 1/4 cup of water and some lemon rind. When they have been simmering for about 10 minutes, remove from heat, remove rind and using a handheld mixer, puree to a smooth thick liquid. If you need more sweetness, add a tablespoon of honey. Heat your oven to 180 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour mixture on top. Spread so there is a uniform thin layer on the pan (but not so thin that you can see through it). Bake for 5-8 hours. So, make it in the morning because it takes a long time. It will be done when the fruit leather has lost it's shine. Let if cool and cut into strips. I store mine in parchment paper rolls. You can make this with applesauce, apricots, raspberries...etc.
For carbs, try some of the Gluten Free breads and pastas. They are fantastic.

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

So how's it going with 2013 healthy lifestyle changes, guys?
Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. Little positive changes add up to big progress. What can you do this week to promote a healthier you?

Paula

Paula

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

I've chosen to try to follow a Her2+ diet. The biggest challenge for me is to reduce/eliminate avocado. My parents have an avocado farm and I've been eating them daily most of my life, and I love them and they are generally healthy. But apparently not for Her2+ BC. Since reading this diet, I have not had any red meat but I've cheated a little and had margaritas (alcohol) on New Year's Eve. Here is a link if you're interested:

http://foodforbreastcancer.com/artic...rvivors-eat%3F

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

Replacing the words, "trying to" with "Learning to" helps me learn new habits. AND, for me, (emphasis on me) most things are a decision and a commitment. I find it helpful to be 100% committed to learning something new. What I mean by that is I make a decision, such as, I will walk 20 minutes every day. It is something I re-commit to each day, even if it is just two 10 minute walks. Once I've made this decision, this commitment, I know it will happen. It is not an option, not something I am trying but I make up my mind that it is something I am learning to do by actually doing it everyday - also called a practice. Not everyone likes this method, I am sharing it because it really is about being present, and every day CHOOSING to practice or learn a new behavior. At least in this regard, (how my mind works) once I've tried something 100% I can better decide if it is for me. Glad to see people reaching for health, and looking for ways to support your bodies, mind and spirit.

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

Bumping this up because I love it !!!

This is a very nice app for tracking food/exercise:

MyNetDiary (9.99)

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

"No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are
still way ahead of everyone who is not trying."
(Unknown)


IrvineFriend, what an interesting article/website on the Her2 diet and other subjects! Thank you for sharing it. I plan to look it over more carefully when I have time.

SoCalGal, I like how you substituted "learning to" for "trying to". I was going to say "I think I'll try that" but am re-phrasing it to 'That's a great new tool for me to learn too". :)

"Lizbeth, how did your Jan 7th eval go with the College of Oriental folks? Hope you find some good help there.

MJo and Carlatte--hope the Weight Watcher's plan is going great for yas!

Karen, that's neat that you've found an app that is working so well for you. :) I don't have a smart phone but I bet your sharing that resource with be a help to others here. Anybody else giving it a whirl?

Europa, your fruit leather sounds yummy. I make mine raw in a dehydrator --just blended strawberries with a dash of stevia set on a low temp. My family likes it a lot and so much better for us than fruit roll ups from the store.

You mentioned healthy recipes you've put together. When you have time, I'd love to glean from your ideas for healthy substitutes when I feel like something crunchy and junky (like chips) when carrot and celery sticks aren't what I'm in the mood for on the crunch part. I like Nori seaweed wraps for the salty chewy texture. Thanks in advance for ideas on beating salty, crunchy type cravings. A glass of water, praying, and getting out of the kichen and going for a walk instead of prowling my cupbards does help me in the cravings department when I do it. :)

One of my favorite ice cream substitutes is making the healthy stuff with frozen bananas and frozen berries by either putting them through a Champion Juicer with the blank on or whipping them up in a Vitamix (high powered blender than I use nearly every day for smoothies, soup, etc). It comes out like soft serve ice cream and you can make all sorts of delicious varieties.

Welp, my good news is that I met my first goal: I'm five pounds down from Jan 1st and now I'm going to build on that. I slipped up on some on the goals I shared for this past week but see overall progress. It's a relief to be getting the garbage out of my system and am ready to "fully detox" from all junk food (and hopefully residual chemo chemicals will exit too).

I . Paula O, am hereby officially stepping off the crazy rollercoaster of yo-yo weightloss/gain. Been there, done that too many times and I have had more than enough of working hard to take weight off then putting it back on bite by bite with poor choices. The fleeting enjoyment of the taste of junk that tears down my health instead of building it up is not worth it. I have a hard time stopping with two M & Ms and since I seem to have difficulty with moderation when it comes to sugar and chocolate, I truly am better off with the first bite, lick, or taste of it. I admire people who are completely satisfied after one Dove chocolate but that's not where I am at, at least at this time of my life so best for me to accept that and press on to where I want to go getting back into shape and fit and trim again and make this body as UN-inhabitable to cancer as I can. I've read that sugar wrecks havoc on our immunity and considerably lowers and I want mine strong. This is a weak area for me and I am asking God for strength.

This is an excellent article about weight loss, weight maintenance, and goal setting:
http://www.dwlz.com/alsessays/alessay02.html
Anybody want to talk about it after you read the article?

Paula

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

Started back at the gym on the treadmill and have the Cook this, Not that cookbook out. I'm on my way.

Discovered my blood pressure was through the roof and have banned sodium, sugar and alcohol from the diet.

Okay ladies the year is just started. So excited and serious about losing weight, eating better and getting exercise!

Re: Fighting Breast Cancer With Healthy Lifestyle Choices
 

ugh....ate some frozen chocolate cake. I get weird cravings on treatment days. Not sure why but I felt a little off. After a little cake I felt better. But overall I have been doing well and have been sticking to my goals. I poured a whole container of salt on the rest of the cake as to prevent another relapse. Ugh.....so sad, so sad indeed. It was a very good cake.