38 C A NCER FIGH T ER S THRI V E | sUMMER 20 15
C A NCERFIGHTER S THRI V E .COM
taining a healthy weight—during
cancer treatment, as possible, and
beyond, says Trukova. "Obesity is a
risk factor for cancer," she explains,
"and there's evidence that obesity
increases risk for recurrence."
2
Rachel Winston, MS, RD, Clinical
Oncology Dietitian, who works with
Kiser at CTCA in Goodyear, refers to
guidelines from the American Insti-
tute for Cancer Research (AICR; aicr.
org) linking excess adipose tissue to
an increased risk of certain cancers
as well as other chronic diseases,
such as diabetes.
The AICR's recommendations for
cancer prevention include: "Be as
lean as possible without becoming
underweight" and "Be physically
active for at least 30 minutes every
day." Winston says that these mea-
sures not only help prevent future
cancers but also boost your self-
esteem and sense of empowerment.
Plus, she says, "Optimizing your
nutritional intake can help improve
energy and mood."
3
Trukova adds that cancer can
also have an impact on your body
image, whether that is due to physi-
cal changes like a mastectomy or
colostomy or a changed attitude
toward your body. As a result, she
says, "Maintaining a healthy weight
is an important part of a good qual-
ity of life."
Rhonda certainly felt the impact
of a changed body image. "I was
active before, then couldn't work out
as hard as I wanted," she says. This
not only made it hard to control her
weight but also infuenced how she
felt about herself. "It was frustrat-
ing," she says, "because I didn't want
to be treated like a sick person. I
wanted to stay active to show the
world I'm fne." Before her diagno-
sis, Rhonda explains, "Being ft and
strong was part of my identity."
TIPS FOR KEEPING A HEALTHY
WEIGHT DURING AND AFTER
TREATMENT
Rhonda successfully returned to
a healthy weight by continuing to
exercise, even though she had to scale
back her workouts when she was
not feeling her best. "I stayed active
within my current capacity," she says,
explaining that she would adjust her
routine with changes such as walking
instead of running.
She also set goals. "I was deter-