You Do Not Have to Gain Weight Because of Breast Cancer

I'm sure there will be many women that think this statement is not true. But I am here to tell you that there are no studies that prove that breast cancer and all the side effects and medications that go with it will make you gain weight.

So the question is, why do so many gain weight. Because 99.9% lessen their activity level and do not change their eating to compensate for burning fewer calories. That simple.

Like so much other information we accept it as the truth because we have heard it for years. This gives us an easy answer and we therefore do not have to take responsibility for that 10 or 20 extra pounds.

I did gain several pounds while going through chemo. The anti-nausea drugs really worked well for me and I was able to continue eating about the same as I always had. The difference was that once I started my surgeries and treatments I was running/walking 25 to 30 miles a week. That is a lot of calories not to be burning.

So I had to practice what I preached: Only eat when I was truly physically hungry and eat less. We live in America and we can pretty much get anything we want anytime we want. We don't need to clean our plate and we don't need super-sized portions.

A great book to help you get in touch with eating less and not feeling deprived is "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink. Also google Intuitive Eating.

Also pick up your exercise a bit. Don't exhaust yourself just add a little at a time. It will help your mental well-being too.

Kath

Getting back to exercise after breast cancer
Please visit Confident Clothing Company at www.confidentclothingcompany.com

Fifteen months after my breast cancer surgery, eight months since my last chemotherapy treatment and five months past radiation I still have days when I am very fatigued.
When I finished the radiation in April I had the expectation that I would be back at full throttle in no time at all; running, lifting weights, riding my horses. I made plans to do some road races and even a Ride & Tie race in very hilly terrain. But, I realized that my stamina wasn’t coming back as fast as I thought it would.
Upon my next visit to my oncology doctor I found out that one of the chemotherapy drugs that I needed to take for one year had temporarily damaged my heart. This was quite a shock since my heart tested above normal before I started the treatment. It did explain why my heart rate would shoot up quickly when I exerted some extra effort and why it would take me a few days to recover from an exertion level that, before the chemo had been an easy workout.
This new glitch in my recovery plan caused me great anxiety and depression. I had to rethink how I was going to move forward with this limited capacity. I had to figure out how I wanted to spend my energy. It is a hard realization to discover that you can’t just pickup where you left off.
I’m sure many people over fifty have faced this same dilemma whether they have had cancer of not. Knowing you can’t run as fast or play as hard can feel very defeating, maybe to the extent that you quit doing everything because you can’t participate with the same intensity and results. This also happens to plenty of people under fifty too.
This is when you need to think about what gives you joy. For me it was spending more time riding my horses. By choosing my very favorite outdoor activity I not only helped myself physically but, more importantly my mental attitude improved immensely.
You don’t have to run like you did twenty years ago in order to reap the benefits of regular exercise. Try new activities or think back to what you enjoyed most when you were younger. The important thing is that you participate in some kind of physical activity not only for the health benefits, but for the mental stimulation and clarity that you will derive from aerobic exercise.
There are plenty of days left in 2007 to get out and appreciate the wonderful Santa Cruz Mountains where we are so fortunate to live. Take the time to enjoy your surrounding and boost your physical and mental well being at the same time.

Breast prosthesis

I have got to ask other Breast Cancer women. How often do you wear your prosthesis? Why do they even make nightgowns and PJ's with a pocket for the prosthesis?

Even if you do wear a prosthesis during the day what is the point in sleeping with it/them?

I bought a good quality set of the prosthesis. In the year and a half I had no boobs I only wore the prosthesis three times. They were heavy and uncomfortable to say the least. And lets not forget hot.

There has got to be women out there like myself that choose not to wear the fake boobs. I am all for looking your best during chemo and the other treatments, but I think wearing the prosthesis is like wearing a girdle or corset, torturous.

As we Baby Boomer, and for some our daughters, are facing breast cancer we need clothing that is functional, stylish, feminine and comfortable. Confident Clothing Company has created a line of clothing that fits into today's active lifestyle.

In addition to being great looking Confident Clothing Company's designs are especially versatile, so that you get more bang for your buck. In today's economy that is a necessity. The clothing can be dressed up for an evening out, it can be worn during exercise or just going about your daily activities.

The main reason I designed the Cool Chemo line of clothing was to provide a functional and feminine solution to what to wear immediately after surgery, during chemo and or radiation and after reconstructive surgery.

Being a personal trainer and trying to maintain my phyiscal fitness during my cancer experience I discovered immediately that the prosthesis and wigs were not for me. The only clothing that showed up when I searched the internet for breast cancer clothing was all the pink ribbon stuff. So, I could find clothing to support the breast cancer cause, but not for the women that actually had cancer. How crazy is that!

I would really like feedback from you, as to if you wore the prosthesis or not. Please forward this to other women that you know are dealing or have dealt with this issue and have them also email me at kathy@confidentclothingcompany.com to share insights about what you wore and what you felt was missing.

Confidently,

Kathy Adams

Confident Clothing Company

www.confidentclothingcompany.com