It's more common for people to lose weight when they're having cancer treatment, but some people put weight on. Your doctors and dietitian will keep a close eye on your weight and they can give you some helpful advice if you are gaining a lot of weight.
chemotherapy
- can stop your body from using up all the nutrients you eat so you end up storing some energy as fat
- can make your body hold onto water. If you notice that you're getting swollen ankles and wrists let the nurses know
- can make you feel too tired to do very much exercise
steroids
- give you a bigger appetite so you'll want to eat all the time
- make your body store fat more easily
Hormone therapy can also change the way your body uses up nutrients.
what can help?
- Read the section on nutrition for some helpful tips on how to control what you’re eating.
- Bring your stress levels down by doing something you really enjoy or maybe try using complementary therapies.
- Do stuff to take your mind off food like reading a book or going for a walk.
- Ask your hospital dietitian for some advice.
- Try doing some exercise. If you don't exercise at all for a while then you can put on weight. On days when you're not feeling so tired try to do some gentle exercise to burn some extra calories. Don’t push yourself too hard. It’s better to do a little bit every couple of days than to wear yourself out once a month.
- It's best not to do any fad or crash diets. Your body really needs all the different nutrients it can get from your food to get through the treatment.
When you've finished treatment, it should be easier for you to return to your normal weight so try not to worry about it too much. Remember, when you’re on treatment, some weight gain is better than weight loss because it gives your body the energy reserves it needs to get through treatment.
