Weight Loss

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  • Mikemetz
    Mikemetz Member Posts: 465 Member
    #22
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    My weight loss/gain and eating
    I was about 30 pounds overweight when I started my chemo+rads. I lost nearly 60 pounds during and after treatment, until I was able to eat more and different foods. Most of my taste came back, but I still can't eat anything too spicey (not a good thing for a competitive chili and salsa cook!). Like many others I started with a combo of tube and oral food intake, and gradually could eat enough orally to get rid of the tube. I've had three dilations, but happy to report that the time between them has grown substantially, and have no indications that the next one is coming any time soon.

    I gained back about half of the weight I lost, and am at a healthy weight now--the silver lining in my BOT cancer cloud. From the saying, "Living well is the best revenge," I came up with my Cancer Revenge List of things I wanted to get back in my life that cancer took away. One of those was to participate in two running events in Atlanta each year. I missed both events in 2009 (my treatment year), but ran both of them in 2010. Believe me, both were very emotional experiences. I ran the first event in 2011, but had to miss the second one due to my HBO treatments. So, both are back on the Revenge List for 2012.

    My point is that it's possible to go beyond just wanting to survive cancer. Gradually most people will regain control over things like what they eat, how much they can work, how much they can exercise, and other things that determine one's quality of life.

    Mike
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #23
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    arndog64 said:

    My husband lost 80 pounds.
    My husband lost 80 pounds. He was over weight going in to battle and came out 80 pounds less. His taste is still shot and things get stuck in his throat and very little saliva.
    He basically eats, grilled sammies, cupcakes and some pasta dishes w/out meat. He can eat hamburger meat, any other meat just gets stuck in his mouth. He is sick of soups. He hates smoothies, loves milkshakes. It's really geting hard to find things to cook for dinner. He tries to put on weight and cant seem to get past 132.

    Milk Shakes
    If he likes milk shakes use Ensure or some other high calorie product. If you use Ensure + and a cup of real ice cream that is about 700 calories, add some Naturade Weight Gain (2 scoops is 240 calories and it is pretty much tasteless) and you are at 940 which is pretty good for a 16oz serving. I have gotten used to having an Ensure milk shake (strawberry Ensure with strawberry ice cream) in the evening and now that I can eat more regular food I need to start watching my caloric intake so they need to be eliminated.
  • osmotar
    osmotar Member Posts: 1,006
    #24
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    arndog64 said:

    My husband lost 80 pounds.
    My husband lost 80 pounds. He was over weight going in to battle and came out 80 pounds less. His taste is still shot and things get stuck in his throat and very little saliva.
    He basically eats, grilled sammies, cupcakes and some pasta dishes w/out meat. He can eat hamburger meat, any other meat just gets stuck in his mouth. He is sick of soups. He hates smoothies, loves milkshakes. It's really geting hard to find things to cook for dinner. He tries to put on weight and cant seem to get past 132.

    Protein
    My neice who belongs to a x-fit facility in PA called one of her trainers for me , he said to add more protein to my diet to maintain muscle , he suggested I start to drink a whey protein shake 3xs a day, I like the the choc flavor and mix it with 8oz of 1% milk, he also suggest fish oil for the omegas and vitamin D..I picked the adult gummy kind. I have lost most of my taste so I do understand the frustration of tryong to eat the same things day after day...but know that food is fuel, and I need that fuel to heal.

    Linda
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #25
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    WAS Happy with Weight Loss
    I was obese when treatments started. Lost 70 pounds - this put me at a good weight. I've regained 45 pounds - yikes - need to get that off. For a while, I was afraid to try to lose weight because I wanted my body to have plenty of fuel to use to boost my immune system. I'm thinking it's way past time to start the weight loss program.
  • RayTodd
    RayTodd Member Posts: 187
    #26
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Loss 42#
    Unfortunately like you, having regained all of my saliva and taste, I have also regained that 40#.

    So now trying to make sure to eat better, exercise regularly (more than just fishing, LOL)....and lose the 40# I put back on over the last two plus years....

    JG

    Saliva
    How long did it take you to get saliva back. Oh and proper taste
  • RayTodd
    RayTodd Member Posts: 187
    #27
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Specks and Trout....
    Hey, you are in my neck of the woods (I'm near Tampa Bay)....today has been the only cold day so far.... But the wind has been a biotch this last month or more....

    But, when it's cold I can fish freshwater for Specks (Crappie), or Trout...I'm just not really a fan of eating trout.

    Not sure how far out you are, but it has taken me all of 2 1/2 years to regain all taste. Like you sweet was the very last...I only (unfortunately) regained the ability to eat ice cream and not lose the flavor after the first or second bite.

    Saliva has slowly came back to the point that I only dry out at night while sleeping.

    More than likely you'll continue to improve...

    Best,
    John

    weight loss
    For the first time in my life I am being told told eat and put on weight at the moment if I do not use cream, butter etc. to excess I loss weight I have to over eat to hold where I am which is not bad except no saliva sucks or not not sure as can you suck food with no saliva hehe. Taste buds are weird a month back had my first coffee since this all started Black espresso no sugar and it tasted for real like latte' with sugar. The wort now is my ham and eggs I cannot eat sometimes as it tastes like its been pickled in brine.
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #28
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    RayTodd said:

    Saliva
    How long did it take you to get saliva back. Oh and proper taste

    Green Eggs and Ham
    Hi ya Ray....

    For me to regain nearly 100% of both taste and saliva, nearly two years.

    But I started getting a little of both back within a few months..hopefully you'll be the same.

    John
  • RayTodd
    RayTodd Member Posts: 187
    #29
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Green Eggs and Ham
    Hi ya Ray....

    For me to regain nearly 100% of both taste and saliva, nearly two years.

    But I started getting a little of both back within a few months..hopefully you'll be the same.

    John

    better than
    green ham and eggs LOL thanks for the poitivity My major love is cooking and of course eating it hehe
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #30
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    My recent cancer made my weight drop like a stone
    Between obstructing my swallowing and hyping my metabolism, I lost 30 pounds in not much more than six weeks. I've been eating everything I can on chemotherapy, since I've gotten ahead of the cancer, and I can swallow again. My weight is back up almost 20 lbs in the last two months, despite being on carboplatin! Figure I'm going to loose a bunch during radiation, but for now i'm packing on all the pounds I can.

    The oncologist told me yesterday that I should "eat all the carbohydrates I possibly can." Now there's a diet!

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