My Experience with Weight Control and with ADT and Advanced Prostate Cancer

[diamondrn]

I am 5 feet 7 and weighed about 210 pounds 5 years ago. I weighed about 150 at the end of high school. I have always been an athlete (gymnastics, long distance running, basketball, football and tennis) and lifted weights, including bench presses, until it began to cause problems with my shoulders.

About 4 years ago I took all of my weights and equipment, except for a couple of 5-pound dumbbells, to the Goodwill, after requiring surgery to repair rotator cuff and acromioclavicular, or AC Joint (collar bone), injuries to my right shoulder.

I saw a picture of myself at a family reunion. At 72 years of age I still had muscular arms, a thick neck and broad shoulders, but I had added a noticeably larger gut to the picture.

I went on a program to lose weight 3 or 4 years before I found out about having Advanced Prostate Cancer.

After a lot of research I determined that the cause of my problem was too many calories.

My solution was to quit eating 3 squares a day. I started eating 6 or 7 small meals a day instead; and then, only if I was hungry.

I have never taken any diet medicine of any kind; neither prescription nor over the counter.

The weight came off gradually until I got down to about 169 pounds at the time the prostate cancer was discovered.

After the diagnosis I got down to 149 pounds.

Since starting ADT, my weight slowly went back up to 165 pounds and has stayed there for about a year.

I will be sticking with my program as long as it keeps working for me.

According to the article below, weight gain can be a big problem while on ADT.

This is the link to a 2019 article “Fighting weight gain from hormone therapy for prostate cancer in” Prostate Cancer 911” by Dr. David Samadi >>> prostatecancer911.com/fight...

[Lyubov]

Kudos! Thanks for sharing your own experience, and link to article.

🥰

[Hidden]

Thin is better for the heart! 👏🏼👏🏼🕺

[London441]

This is great! Except for the part about getting rid of your weights because of shoulder surgery. You need the weights more after that, not less.

You say you were ‘always an athlete’. I hear this a lot from old guys. I trust you are still an athlete, since it’s a lot more important now than it was then.

. Please tell me that all the great work to change your diet has been accompanied by plenty of exercise!

[diamondrn in reply to London441]

I still exercise with light weights and walk as much as I can, London441.

[London441]

Good. I would try to up the frequency/intensity/weight if I were you-the ADT saps strength dramatically as you know. Yearly Dexa scans to track composition and bone density is a also good idea. Strength is a huge quality of life component as we age.

A lot of guys focus on their weight, but the scale can be misleading.. Many men gain substantial fat but relatively little weight on ADT. due to the sarcopenia.

However, you have already accomplished what I think requires the most diligence and discipline, especially on ADT-changing your relationship with food-and that is impressive.

[Hailwood]

I needed to do the same thing with a torn rotator cuff and severely arthritic knees, but like you I changed from the three squares to a light breakfast, only a snack at lunch if hungry and a meal in the evening. So far on Lupron and Erleada weight is stable at 184lbs at 5' 10"

[Hidden in reply to Hailwood]

Yeah I just ate a snack instead of a normal lunch after coming back from the gym. I do that 3 times a week. Managing one's weight when older is a challenge whether on ADT or not but ADT adds to that challenge for sure. Less muscle means lower metabolism.

[2dee]

Just eat 1/2 as much. Push that1/2 full plate away. Simple.2Dee

[Hailwood in reply to 2dee]

Sounds so easy, but at times my willpower is lacking!

[Hidden]

Congrats surviving over five years with pc . I started this six years ago at 53 young years old and 233 mostly muscular lbs . With double adt and imrt I did two days fasting each week of treatment . I went down to 165 . My old high school weight . I went into a clear status with pc . But my muscle are non existent now . Also My ct joints in shoulders and all of my joints have gone south into a painful zone . No signs of pc but no more strength or stamina . No t over six years for me . I hope that your shoulders feel better . I came back to 195 which is ok for me . I’m basically skin and bones .😳

[j-o-h-n]

Follow this diet if you can: 1/2 bagel (with sweet butter) and a cup of coffee for breakfast and for lunch. Dinner a tin of tuna, or sardines (in olive oil) or salmon (in it's own oil) in a salad (no dressing - use olive oil from tins). NOTHING ELSE except fresh fruit for dessert. (Apple, Pear, Orange or so forth). No food after 9 PM. Drink plenty of water. Try this for a month and see how much weight you've lost (NO cheating and don't eat the tins). It's mind over matter......

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 10/07/2021 2:44 PM DST

[33Ford]

I read a lot of weight gain issues while on ADT. I decided wasn't gonna happen. Started out at 195 (5' 8"). Went down to 145, but dietitian wanted my weight up a little. Currently 160. Switched to mostly plant based diet.

[j-o-h-n]

Planters included?

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Friday 10/08/2021 10:11 PM DST

[binati]

I can add a few comments which might be helpful since they are based on my own experience. I started ADT on Jun 2019 and had RT in Nov/Dec 2019. Since then I am on ADT and doctor wants me to be on ADT for a total of 36 months. Initially I put on some weight on the stomach. Since I was prediabetic (family history of diabetes in father, grandfather and both siblings) I have always been careful of weight especially with diet care and exercise. Post ADT I found my HbA1C rising from 5.4 to 5.7 along with increase in fat around the abdomen. Though my weight did not increase but fat accumulated on the waist. Hence, I went in for two corrective measures. In order to control the prediabetes I was for the past 4 months on a low carbohydrate diet. This basically was done by removing any flour, wheat bran and cereals like oatmeal from the diet. Other carbs were left untouched. This has resulted in my HbA1C falling from 5.7 to 5.3. My weight has also reduced from 64.5 kg to 63 kg. I also increased my walking and other exercise by about 15%. I am basically doing some weights, freehand exercises and 5 km of walking at least 5 days a week. I play 18 holes of golf twice or thrice a week (all walking and no cart). Currently I can see some reduction in the fat accumulation.