Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I'll be starting my chemo (TCH) as soon as my last drain is out and healed. I've gained a lot of weight since my diagnosis and surgery as I was an avid jogger/runner/hiker beforehand. When I found out I was going to have the bilateral, and wouldn't be able to run my 1/2 marathon I was training for in February, I just gave up and didn't give a rip about much (depression, too much wine after work, etc). I can't even fit into my clothes anymore and I'm wearing yoga pants to work now!

I've really been cutting back and watching my intake since Paula's email (thank you for that great reminder and every new post keeps it going) and wondering what your experience was in terms of weight loss or gain during chemo. Maybe I shouldn't be trying to lose so much weight right now if I'm going to lose some anyway?

I've never been a big eater and lean towards healthy anyway, and when I don't feel good, I generally lose my appetite big time. But I don't want to use chemo as a time to starve myself either.

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I was told that while on chemo I would gain weight due to the steroids. Didn't happen. I lost weight. I lost about 10 pounds between diagnosis and the start of chemo (too sad to eat) and another 5 to 7 pounds during TCH. I tried to eat healthier during chemo but truly I just ate what I could tolerate. Everyones experience is diffferent tho. I wish you the best.

Leah

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I was about 123 lbs to start and lost 12lbs during chemo, I was extremely sick to my stomach, plus the stress of diagnosis was a factor aswell
I have since gained it all back :)

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

forgot to add...you have a lifetime of healthy eating ahead of you. Don't worry about the few months in chemo. I was always a healthy eater but during chemo I ate whatever I could stomach, especially since I was losing quite a bit of weight. Some days that was just a big 'ol bowl of ice cream

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

Thanks for the info. BTW, your pic on your blog is adorable! You're probably one of the few people who can wear short hair really well. Thanks!

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I lost my appetite during chemo Not nauseous just not hungry Lost weight and my onc cautioned me it could affect my chemo schedule if I keep losing. I was encouraged to eat whatever I wanted including burgers and shakes ( you don't often hear that from doctors!)
I kept a lot of easy to snack foods around. Cheese and crackers, yogurt, ice cream, Ensure drinks. Like Roz says, this is not the time to go on a health food diet but of course be as mindful as you can But your body is going to tell you
Keep the faith

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I lost about 20 pounds during my treatment as I was not eating same amounts of food as before diagnosis.

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I lost 28 pounds with chemo. Now on Tamoxifen it's a bit tougher. I was very overweight going into chemo. I have about 15 more pounds to lose.

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I lost almost 40 lbs but gained back 20 over the last few years. I was very nauseous and could hardly eat. I had (at that time) an 8th grader and a 10th grader at home so I would eat with them but I could hardly eat a yogurt or an oatmeal pack for breakfast. I wouldn't have eaten at all if I didn't have the kids around but not eating would have scared them so much more than they already were.

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

Me too. Lost weight. Nothing tasted right. And I started to pay attention to fat intake. Then again I needed to lose some. Still...

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

After I was dx'd I assumed the one perk undergoing chemo would be weight loss...not so much. My onc told me that most patients gain, not lose weight while on chemo. Of course, I couldn't prove her wrong, so over the course of the next year and a half I packed 30 lbs on my already pudgy body. Fortunately, after I finished with treatment I joined Weight Watchers and took off the 30 I gained plus 35 that I needed to lose before all this began.

I agree with the others. Eat what sounds good but make it as healthy as possible. If you gain weight you can worry about it after treatment is over and you are in recovery mode.

Take care,

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I gained about 30 pounds. I was always hungry.

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I was among the weight gainers during chemo and herceptin. I gained 12 pounds. Since August I have been watching my calories and increasing exercise, and I've lost 20 pounds. Pamper yourself during chemo, and eat what tastes good.

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I just finished my 3 TCH (out of 6) and I lose 4 or 5 lbs the first week, then gain it back when I start feeling like myself again.

Very little tastes good to me except chocolate (yea!) so I do indulge myself but try to eat healthy.

Janis

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I gained about 10 - 15 pounds on chemo/Herceptin, probably because it seemed all I could tolerate was carbs - bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc.. Gained another 30 while on Femara - not easy to lose.
Studies came out recently verifying that chemo basically knocks out our metabolism... and mine wasn't great to begin with.

all the best
caya

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I was always underweight whenever cancer was diagnosed. During chemo I would gain about 13-15 lbs which I attributed to eating well and resting/exercising more.

My weight has been very steady since my teenage days. (I've always been sick, so always underweight! :)

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I too was under weight but still lost another stone despite the Onc saying I'd pile on weight and not lose it, I found it hard to eat and had to force myself to eat little and often, just snacks I could tolerate rather than meals. Good luck!

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I am one who gained about 20 lbs. I still haven't gotten it off :( I would lose in between chemos a little, but then when treatment was all done (chemo), that's when I started gaining. Weird.

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I gained 45 pounds...and am still hanging onto 35 of them for dear life. They seem to like me very much, and just don't want to leave me! :)

Re: Did you lose or gain weight while on chemo?
 

I lost some after diagnosis, maybe 7 pounds, then another 7 or so during the first two weeks of TCH, then things settled down for me, stress-wise, and I started eating again and put the 7 back on and then another 8 or so, which started after the fourth round. This seemed to be all fluid retention.

I've lost maybe 4 since my peak. I still have some fluid retention but it seems to be slowly coming off. I still need to lose about 30, as I was quite overweight to start with.