For those who have been NED for a long time. What did you change?

toyfox said:

The changes we have made

Mu husband has been ned going on 4 years

We have made the changes listed below

Diet - We eat Organic raw/cooked vegetables, fruits, whole grains
occasional organic meat or fish. We juice fresh vegetables 
every morning
Food based vitamins, vitamin d3, garlic and turmeric 
No sugar or processed food
Exercise - We spend time at the YMCA
Use the treadmill, pool, sauna and other exercise equipment.
Just go on long walks.
We use cleaning and personal care products
without harsh chemicals.

I did a major look up of what people have done and the number one thing is a positive attitude. I know that sounds corny but that's what they say. Every list of suggestions mentions it. I'm not sure it can make someone life longer but I bet it can reduce the life of someone who is miserable.

but I am probably less healthy in my behavior than I was before I got cancer.  I can't eat too many fruits and veggies without my digestive system going nuts, and I can't exercise anywhere near as much because of my joint problems.

I guess I drink less, because I don't host many parties these days..

oh, I'm fatter than I was before.  Yay?  Boo?  I'm not sure.  But I've been NED for almost three years, after a pretty nasty stage 4 dx, so I'm ok with it all.  I admire those who use their cancer dx to get motivated to run marathons or something!

I eat the same as I did before cancer, not healthy and fast food.  I like to walk but dont do that often either.  2 1/2 years NED.  Yes, like you AA I am more fluffy. 

maglets said:

fluffy

Hahah I love that...."fluffy"...yup me too.....several pounds heavier since chemo and surgery.  Just over 5 years NED for me after serious stageIV threat.  Nope I have not changed a thing.  I made up my mind during the fight that cancer was not going to rule my life.  I have always eaten really well.....fresh fruit, veg, very little red meat and No prepared food, or take-out.  At almost most 70 years of age I go to the Y at least 3 or 4 times a week and I still enjoy a glass of wine.

I try not to dwell on why I got cancer in the first place.....It just not make sense to me that eating this or that is really going to change my outcome so I pretty much go on as I did before. .......like AA no marathons for me but I surely do admire all the folks who do.......

mags

I should add that I've never been a fast food eater and rarely ever eat processed foods. I don't like them plus the IBS wouldn't do well with it. I also don't eat things like pastries or doughnuts or chocolate bars other than occasionally, I never have.

All three of my doctors said it wasn't anything in my diet that caused it.  Guess it was more heridity than anything but my Aunt who had it didn't get it until 74 and she was the only one we know of.  Mine was diagnosed at 50.  My eating was relatively healthy but I'd still eat fast food, candy, junk, beer, but tons of vegetables everyday and very little fried food.  Only ate steak about 2-3 times a month, but now it gives me constipation but still eat it.  My diet hasn't changed at all.  Always did the treadmill and walking outside if possible.  My diet hasn't been an issue so I've left it the same.  I'll enjoy every pleasure I'm craving but with ice cream I'll only take about 3-4 bits and that's it, but that's how I've always done it.  A little bit of sweet is enough but I'll do it often.  Hope you find a happy medium without having to give up your loved foods.  I've always commended people that would give up everything that was one thing I'd never do.  Love food and living too much to restrict everything in my life.  While others swear by it, there are people on this board that have been vegan, vegetarian, and limited meat eaters and still got colon cancer.  May your heart and mind guide you in the right decision for you because we all travel a different one, but don't ever regret what you decide because you must still live your life to satisfy you and what you want, not what maybe science tells you "what it could possibly be."  Eat that steak, have that beer, eat a birthday cake, eat eggs, pancakes, chips (yummy), just be aware that you don't consume 5,000 calories of those things all in one day.  Be smart and enjoy.  That's what I've done everyday from diagnosis.  I'll live life to make me happy while being alive because if you have to give up pleasures, it's kind of not worth eating again.  

I was Stage 4 and have been NED for almost 6 years. I had mets to the liver and lymph nodes. I had 10 rounds of Folfox + Avastin and my mets disappeared. I developed the following program to prevent recurrence.

1. Exercise 3 hrs/day

2. Mediterranian diet. Avoid sugar, refined grains, red meat. Eat lots of fruit, vegatables, green tea, and tumeric.

3. Supplements- aspirin, fish oil, resveratrol, grape seed extract, multivitamin, vit. D3, curcumin, and Co-Q10.

4. Avoid stress

5. Prayer

6. Visualize my anti-bodies attacking my cancer cell.

I plan to continue this program indefinitly. Two added benefits are that I don't get sick and I don't get fat.

Helen321 said:

Your diet sounds like my old

Your diet sounds like my old one minus the beer and I would eat sweets all day instead of food if life let me.  I'm a candy/junk food addict.  Although I grew up on the healthiest diet ever, as soon as I got my first job I started to eat candy like crazy.  I still ate healthy foods but there was always candy, cookies or chips daily.  I've improved my diet vastly but there are days where I just want a Twinkie.  My diet caused a big hoopla in my family recently since my sister can't seem to let go of what I said while I was sick which was "this family eats nothing but junk constantly" which is true.   We weren't allowed very much as kids so I think we all overcompensate.   My sister took it to heart as a personal insult.  Now every time I so much as eat one doughnut, oh look who's talking I thought we all ate junk food?!?!!  Aren't doughnuts junk food?!?!?  I gave up massive amounts of junk food with my improved diet and sometimes I just want a doughnut so I have one, that doesn't mean I want to be criticized when I do.   It's just starting to get under my skin and I almost lost it recently.  I wanted to just say shut up and stop being a jerk about things but I kept my cool and said I only eat this every few weeks, my point was that this family eats junk daily and we need to come up with some alternatives especially when we go out to eat or at parties.  We have enough dessert at parties to feed a small nation, none of it healthy.   Recently though I fell off the wagon and binged an entire box of twinkies, two pans of brownies and some other not so fine choices. That was right before I posted this question, I was feeling a little unaccomplished.  I recognize my addiction and am doing pretty well most days beating it.  I am now back to sunflower seeds, raisins and almonds and I'm not cringing every time I see a banana since I took a break, at some point I was eating them daily to help with cramping, they became something I was starting to hate.  I pop grape tomatoes and cucumbers as a daily snack.  I haven't been to the vending machine for chips and have no desire to go to it.   I'm also eating caramel apples since they only come out once a year for a month and I figure it's better than straight caramels and they won't be available after this week.  Cancer or not I think the addiction I had was unhealthy so I wanted to change it.  At this point though, my sister is on my nerves and I'm looking for balance.  She is now the food police and I want it to stop, my comment wasn't personal, it was coming from a place of desperation when I said it.  I'm trying to figure food out.  That's why I asked because I notice people are saying that they are healthy all around but then when you friend them on Facebook you see them sitting at a table at a party eating cake and snacks (no judgements, I was just surprised since it wasn't my definition of healthy eating) so I was wondering what "eating healthy" meant to each person or how everyone truly viewed food.  My one friend who really did eat healthy still didn't make it.  The friend who was sitting at the table exercised daily and ate some junk and didn't make it.  Some of my vegetarian friends who exercise have gotten cancer.  I only know one person who became vegan after diagnosis but has always exercised (hers was Uterine or Ovarian, I forget which) and she still had a recurrence.  I'm glad there are people who are NED who do eat some junk, that's what I was wondering.

I am definitely slightly "fluffy".  lol  Love that phrase.  I used to be an exerciseholic then I got overwhelmed by life for a few years so I stopped.  I'd love to become that person again.  I've tried but I am not the same person mentally anymore.  I have to push myself to exercise.  It's not addictive anymore, it's a chore.  I also sit at a job for 8-12 hours a day pretty stationary.

I can see why people turn to food when the chemo stops working, you have to keep trying something until something works and food is hope. I am trying to get on a similar path to prevention since I had one reccurence before I did the drastic step.  Thanks for the input.  It makes me stop thinking that if the cancer comes back it was the box of Twinkies (and the brownies and the rest, oh my!).  I mean it could very well be or it could very well not be.  For now, I'm done with boxes of twinkies.  I am focused and making some permanent life changes just for general health.  I'm finding that raisins are a great sugar fix.  I'm proud that I got to this point and I'm enjoying my trailmix.  I'm going to have to have a talk with my sister when we're not eating about the place I was in when I said that and how I feel about improving for general living without being fanatics.  If I go for a doughnut every other month then I go for a doughnut.  Finding some balance, even at parties, would be nice.  I'll be the one bringing the fruit platter or the healthier alternative snack.

After reading your response to mine and reading what I previously wrote I wanted to clarify that by eating junk, fast food, candy etc. was something I did and still do, but not very often, although I do have about 4 chips a day (my big weakness).  A small bag of M&M's could last me three weeks as I'd only have 3 every couple days.  I was never a sweet eater and maybe having only ice cream maybe 5-6 times a year.  I just meant I never restricted myself if I wanted those things because I'd really rarely eat them anyway.  My diet is healthier than most people I know.  I'm a big vegetable eater preferring a tomato over a cookie.  I'm glad you don't eat the boxes of twinkies anymore as I'm sure that you only did it out of frustration at times.  It's hard when you have a food police person always harping on you.  It's like an x-smoker to a smoker and telling them how dirty it is.  It's like you mind your own business and I'll mind mine.  I'm sure your sister means well but tell her that you appreciate her concern but would appreciate she keeps her commets to herself.  I'm always watching my weight as well so when I put on a pound or two I'm immediately on the treadmill more often.  Glad you are eating heathlier as you will feel better as well.

Kim

Helen321 said:

Your diet sounds like my old

Your diet sounds like my old one minus the beer and I would eat sweets all day instead of food if life let me.  I'm a candy/junk food addict.  Although I grew up on the healthiest diet ever, as soon as I got my first job I started to eat candy like crazy.  I still ate healthy foods but there was always candy, cookies or chips daily.  I've improved my diet vastly but there are days where I just want a Twinkie.  My diet caused a big hoopla in my family recently since my sister can't seem to let go of what I said while I was sick which was "this family eats nothing but junk constantly" which is true.   We weren't allowed very much as kids so I think we all overcompensate.   My sister took it to heart as a personal insult.  Now every time I so much as eat one doughnut, oh look who's talking I thought we all ate junk food?!?!!  Aren't doughnuts junk food?!?!?  I gave up massive amounts of junk food with my improved diet and sometimes I just want a doughnut so I have one, that doesn't mean I want to be criticized when I do.   It's just starting to get under my skin and I almost lost it recently.  I wanted to just say shut up and stop being a jerk about things but I kept my cool and said I only eat this every few weeks, my point was that this family eats junk daily and we need to come up with some alternatives especially when we go out to eat or at parties.  We have enough dessert at parties to feed a small nation, none of it healthy.   Recently though I fell off the wagon and binged an entire box of twinkies, two pans of brownies and some other not so fine choices. That was right before I posted this question, I was feeling a little unaccomplished.  I recognize my addiction and am doing pretty well most days beating it.  I am now back to sunflower seeds, raisins and almonds and I'm not cringing every time I see a banana since I took a break, at some point I was eating them daily to help with cramping, they became something I was starting to hate.  I pop grape tomatoes and cucumbers as a daily snack.  I haven't been to the vending machine for chips and have no desire to go to it.   I'm also eating caramel apples since they only come out once a year for a month and I figure it's better than straight caramels and they won't be available after this week.  Cancer or not I think the addiction I had was unhealthy so I wanted to change it.  At this point though, my sister is on my nerves and I'm looking for balance.  She is now the food police and I want it to stop, my comment wasn't personal, it was coming from a place of desperation when I said it.  I'm trying to figure food out.  That's why I asked because I notice people are saying that they are healthy all around but then when you friend them on Facebook you see them sitting at a table at a party eating cake and snacks (no judgements, I was just surprised since it wasn't my definition of healthy eating) so I was wondering what "eating healthy" meant to each person or how everyone truly viewed food.  My one friend who really did eat healthy still didn't make it.  The friend who was sitting at the table exercised daily and ate some junk and didn't make it.  Some of my vegetarian friends who exercise have gotten cancer.  I only know one person who became vegan after diagnosis but has always exercised (hers was Uterine or Ovarian, I forget which) and she still had a recurrence.  I'm glad there are people who are NED who do eat some junk, that's what I was wondering.

I am definitely slightly "fluffy".  lol  Love that phrase.  I used to be an exerciseholic then I got overwhelmed by life for a few years so I stopped.  I'd love to become that person again.  I've tried but I am not the same person mentally anymore.  I have to push myself to exercise.  It's not addictive anymore, it's a chore.  I also sit at a job for 8-12 hours a day pretty stationary.

I can see why people turn to food when the chemo stops working, you have to keep trying something until something works and food is hope. I am trying to get on a similar path to prevention since I had one reccurence before I did the drastic step.  Thanks for the input.  It makes me stop thinking that if the cancer comes back it was the box of Twinkies (and the brownies and the rest, oh my!).  I mean it could very well be or it could very well not be.  For now, I'm done with boxes of twinkies.  I am focused and making some permanent life changes just for general health.  I'm finding that raisins are a great sugar fix.  I'm proud that I got to this point and I'm enjoying my trailmix.  I'm going to have to have a talk with my sister when we're not eating about the place I was in when I said that and how I feel about improving for general living without being fanatics.  If I go for a doughnut every other month then I go for a doughnut.  Finding some balance, even at parties, would be nice.  I'll be the one bringing the fruit platter or the healthier alternative snack.

Enjoy life.

Eat healthy, and then have your treats. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Birthdays, Anniversaries, holidays (vacation). There is nothing wrong with enjoying your treat days.  I try to keep Thursday's as a treat day, but it doesn't always work. I guess you could say, it's a work in progress.

I've  just spent five weeks in England, and every day was a treat day.  Time for me to get back to normal(ish).

Don't beat yourself up.

Sue - Trubrit