Too much weight LOSS and muscle atrophy

Welcome, Anna
Am certainly not an "expert" - but... I do know that in order to build/re-build lost muscle tissue, you need a LOT of protein in your diet. Which, I trust, the Dietician has already directed.

And, exercise is a MUST. If you're still recovering from chemo, I understand that this isn't easy. Daily moderate exercise - like walking - should help. Start slowly, and gradually progress.

Again, welcome.

Kind regards, Susan

Hi Anna
Sorry you're having a hard time with the weight and muscle issues. My father is facing the same thing as he's fighting esophageal cancer. He's taking a very high protein shake 3 times a day along with his meals. I wish I could remember the name of it. I'll find out and let you know. My mom got the name from the dietician they see. She had to order it over the internet. But it has like 25 mg. of protein per serving, which is really pretty good.

They say to really try to eat as much protein as possible. As for the muscle mass, my dad isn't well enough to do much about that yet. Though he was told to walk as much as he could.

You may want to look into yoga or pillates classes. It's gentler on your body, but definately works your muscles and can be a good start to getting them back to being strong.

Blessings,
Sally

Hope this helps
You have gotten some great advice here. My only other thought was to eat smaller meals more frequently. Your stomach size may be very small now and you will have to slowly increase the amount you are taking in in order to stretch it back out to a normal size. Here is a link for you about a high protein diet for chemo patients:

High Protein Diets for Chemo Patients

"High protein diets for chemo patients - how to add protein to your diet
Utilizing foods from the dairy group is an efficient way to create high protein diets for chemo patients. In addition, meat, nuts, and legumes are sources of high protein that chemo patients might want to consider for their diet enhancement.

Hard or Semisoft cheese

•Use to top sandwiches, starches, meats, vegetables, eggs, or desserts.
Cottage Cheese/Ricotta Cheese

•Use with or on fruits/vegetables.
•Add to casseroles, pastas, noodles, crepes, gelatins, cheesecake, and pancake batter.
Milk
•Use in beverages and in cooking when possible.
•Add cream sauces to vegetables and other dishes.
•Add to hot cereals, soups, cocoa, and pudding.

Powdered Milk

•Add to regular milk and milk drinks, such as pasteurized eggnog and milkshakes.
•Use in casseroles, meatloaf, breads, muffins, sauces, cream soups, mashed potatoes, puddings and custards, and milk-based desserts.

High Protein Diets for Chemo Patients: Commercial Products

•Ensure High Protein, Boost High Protein, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Mightyshakes, Healthshakes, Scandishakes, Resource shakes.

Ice Cream, Yogurt, and Frozen Yogurt

•Add to carbonated beverages, milk drinks, i.e. milkshakes.
•Add to commercial products such as Ensure or Boost.
•Add to cereal, fruits, gelatins, pies
•Create sandwiches with cookies, cake, graham crackers.
Eggs

•Add to casseroles, potatoes, salads, rice, stuffing, sandwiches, desserts, breakfasts. Continue to cook products after adding to avoid risk of salmonella poisoning.

Plant Sources of High-Protein Diets: Nuts, Seeds, and Wheat Germ

•Add to Casseroles, baked goods, fruit, cereals, vegetables, salads.
•Roll nuts onto a banana, add nuts to caramel apple.
Peanut Butter

•Add to sandwiches, baked goods, fruit, vegetables, milkshakes.
Meat and Fish

•Add to casseroles, pastas, salads, breads, tortillas.
Beans/Legumes

•Add to soups, casseroles, pastas, rice, grain dishes, tortillas.

Note: For any chemo patients considering high-protein diets, we strongly encourage you to talk with your health care professional about your specific medical condition and treatments. The information contained in this website is meant to be helpful and educational, but is not a substitute for medical advice."

CypressCynthia said:

Hope this helps
You have gotten some great advice here. My only other thought was to eat smaller meals more frequently. Your stomach size may be very small now and you will have to slowly increase the amount you are taking in in order to stretch it back out to a normal size. Here is a link for you about a high protein diet for chemo patients:

High Protein Diets for Chemo Patients

"High protein diets for chemo patients - how to add protein to your diet
Utilizing foods from the dairy group is an efficient way to create high protein diets for chemo patients. In addition, meat, nuts, and legumes are sources of high protein that chemo patients might want to consider for their diet enhancement.

Hard or Semisoft cheese

•Use to top sandwiches, starches, meats, vegetables, eggs, or desserts.
Cottage Cheese/Ricotta Cheese

•Use with or on fruits/vegetables.
•Add to casseroles, pastas, noodles, crepes, gelatins, cheesecake, and pancake batter.
Milk
•Use in beverages and in cooking when possible.
•Add cream sauces to vegetables and other dishes.
•Add to hot cereals, soups, cocoa, and pudding.

Powdered Milk

•Add to regular milk and milk drinks, such as pasteurized eggnog and milkshakes.
•Use in casseroles, meatloaf, breads, muffins, sauces, cream soups, mashed potatoes, puddings and custards, and milk-based desserts.

High Protein Diets for Chemo Patients: Commercial Products

•Ensure High Protein, Boost High Protein, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Mightyshakes, Healthshakes, Scandishakes, Resource shakes.

Ice Cream, Yogurt, and Frozen Yogurt

•Add to carbonated beverages, milk drinks, i.e. milkshakes.
•Add to commercial products such as Ensure or Boost.
•Add to cereal, fruits, gelatins, pies
•Create sandwiches with cookies, cake, graham crackers.
Eggs

•Add to casseroles, potatoes, salads, rice, stuffing, sandwiches, desserts, breakfasts. Continue to cook products after adding to avoid risk of salmonella poisoning.

Plant Sources of High-Protein Diets: Nuts, Seeds, and Wheat Germ

•Add to Casseroles, baked goods, fruit, cereals, vegetables, salads.
•Roll nuts onto a banana, add nuts to caramel apple.
Peanut Butter

•Add to sandwiches, baked goods, fruit, vegetables, milkshakes.
Meat and Fish

•Add to casseroles, pastas, salads, breads, tortillas.
Beans/Legumes

•Add to soups, casseroles, pastas, rice, grain dishes, tortillas.

Note: For any chemo patients considering high-protein diets, we strongly encourage you to talk with your health care professional about your specific medical condition and treatments. The information contained in this website is meant to be helpful and educational, but is not a substitute for medical advice."

Exercise
I lost some weight during chemo, definitely not too much, but I felt emaciated when looking at my body. It was different than being too thin (I wasn't). I was very weak, uninterested in food, and unable to even walk around the house much for about a month. It was amazing how much muscle loss and stamina I lost in that short time. It's now 2 1/2 months later and I have improved significantly and feel like my old self again. I'm only walking, increasing my distance a little each week. It's hard to be patient, and if you don't improve in a reasonable amount of time, please talk to your oncologist. Chemo is really hard on your body.

Suzanne

savannah7 said:

Talking FOOD for weight gain and muscle rebuilding!
Thank you to All who replied for the information and support. A friend told me
that maybe I am just being too impatient, that it will probably take longer to gain
the weight and muscle strength back than it took too lose them. And even tho I know
beef and other meats are high in protein I just cannot eat it. Just the smell of it
cooking makes me nauseated. But they tell me the combination of Beans and Brown Rice
makes a complete protein so would be very good for muscle building. ...So..ooo,
anyone out there have a tasty Bean or Brown Rice Pilaf recipe?

Thanks Mates!!..No,I am not from Australia..I'm from S. Carolina. Where are
Y'all from?? Anna

Anna .. Our group of loving, caring fierce WARRIORS
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