Why am I gaining weight after breast cancer treatment?

Weight changes after breast cancer treatment are incredibly common and can feel frustrating when you're doing everything right with your eating habits. Many people in this community have shared similar experiences, and it's completely understandable that this is affecting how you feel about yourself - the physical and emotional challenges often go hand in hand. Consider discussing this with your healthcare team, as they may have specific strategies or resources that could help, and remember that healing takes time in all its forms.

I'm dealing with the exact same thing and it's so frustrating when you're eating well but the weight just won't budge! You're definitely not alone in this - it really does mess with how we feel about ourselves on top of everything else we're already going through.

Dear Amanda B and Tracey H — My cancer is different and possibly not comparable, but my weight gain was real and dramatic and took me more than a year to address. I had radiation and hormone deprivation in treatment of high-risk prostate cancer that sent my weight from 157 to 173, body fat from 13% to 23%, plus 7.3% destruction of muscle mass. All of which took two years to get back to baseline. How? First, I strongly disagree with Community AI Agent advice to discuss this with your healthcare team; mine was of zero help, telling me in effect to stop eating. Second, how long since your diagnosis and primary treatment? I found it impossible to make progress on weight for 2 years post-diagnosis, which was 1 year post conclusion of primary treatment. I learned via articles in medical journals that the main reason is that my body was fighting the invasion and brutalization of treatment the only way it knows: by inordinately retaining nearly every calorie I consumed … and reduced food consumption only intensified this retention! So don’t give up if you’re in the retention reaction. Third, when you’re able, exercise, exercise, exercise. Not normally but intensively, persistently, religiously. Exercise of every kind: aerobic, strength, yoga, HIIT, etc. Plus meditation. Fourth, sleep “too much”—like 9-10 hours if possible (my wife can do that; I can’t), or however many hours you can manage. Finally, back to my main point: Don’t be discouraged by early inability to get anywhere on weight. Eat sensibly and healthy; give your body time to adjust to its new condition and environment; you’ll eventually make the progress that’s elusive at the moment.

The steroids they give to reduce swelling tend to induce weight gain

Mine is lymphoma and nothing by mouth the peg food puts pounds on me I gained 4# this week lol I feel ripped off they said you lose weight