Posted 12/21/2014 5:44 AM (GMT 0)
For the third time in my PC journey of 6 plus years, I am under the care of an Oncology Dietician. All I will say, there is no magic dietary cure for slowing down or stopping cancer growth by diet. While there are good reasons to be on a heart smart diet for your general health, and cutting down calories for weight loss when needed, there is no magic formula out there.
The real trick, is a balanced, sensible diet, with all things in moderation.
Sugar is, and has always been my weakness. With my severe weight loss problem, still unsolved/undiagnosed, having lost now almost 105 lbs. without trying and without exercise in the past 12 months, I am still trying to cut back on the sugary junk foods that I love, but as the dietician has told me, everything we eat, turns to glucose in one form or the other, and cancer cells eat the same thing that good cells eat, and there is no way to segregate their appetite via any possible type of diet.
So this is coming from someone (not me) with a doctorate in oncology dietician background, with loads of experience with patients dealing with either advanced breast or prostate cancer in particular.
This was the same advice I was told by two other oncology dieticians I have seen over the years. Different experts, same opinion.
Right now, I am trying hard to keep from wasting away into a dangerous position. The clock is running. Still no answers. Went from a waist size of 44 to 28 during the past 12 months. A bit scary. For the first 2 months after my major oral surgery, it was starting to slow down and almost convinced me that it had bottomed out. But not the case, in the previous 72 hours, I managed to lose almost 5 lbs., despite force eating a bunch of high calorie food, plus all the sugary junk I could cram down my mouth. It's like my body is now shutting down even when food is introduced, and I still have the total lack of appetite. With the sugar part, my only thought, was calories are calories, but that plan isn't working either.
Dietician said I needed a min. of 2,500 calories per day just to maintain what I am right now. Most days, not counting when I give in to the sugar demon, I am lucky to put 600-900 calories into my body. The forced eating backfires with me every time, as the cramping, stomach pains, back aches, and worse, aren't worth it to me.
It's like being in an endless loop, and one issue creates a cause and effect of a new problem. And when one sees how limited their choices are when you don't have a tooth in your head, and sore gums all the time, it just makes the problem more difficult.
So going back to the OT, get your self on a heart-smart balanced diet, and exercise modestly, even if its just taking a walk everyday. You don't have to be a gym rat and go to that extreme to get some benefit.
Been reading articles about weight loss in general, for those wanting it on purpose (not what's happening with me), and its really more about really cutting back. Most of us need so far fewer calories then we eat, and if you should keep an eating diary. We often fool ourselves about what we are not eating, when you have to account for it every day, you might be surprised at the surplus of calories one intakes without realizing it. That's the one part of Weight Watchers that I can say I could agree with, the intake diary/log.
Good luck. Whatever you eat, make sure it's healthy calories. A good example that was told to me was with hamburgers. Here in the US, land of super-size everything, people have gotten use to thinking that having a hamburger out means having to have one that's at least 8 oz. or even more. Dietician said that even the standard quarter of a pounder is actually too much for most people's need. A standard size, i.e., McDonald's Single regular sized is all you really need, but who would actually eat just that?
Then if you load it down with cheese, bacon, mayo, etc., you just created yourself the classic heart attack maker. Same with salads. I learned a long time ago, to eat salads with no dressing, not even oil and vinegar. Many take a healthy salad, then destroy the health benefits of eat by adding sometimes 1,000-1,500 calories with a high fat dressing, and to add insult to injury, go nuts with adding bacon, or some other high fat meat, tons of cheese, croutons, etc. Kind of defeats the purpose, imo.
And finally, pay attention to serving sizes. I was shocked, i.e., what a recommended size for breakfast cereal really looked like. Typical is 1/2 to 1 cup at the most. Doesn't look like much when you pour it into a bowl.
There are things anyone can do to improve the quality of their diet, but quantity is still the best starting point.