When I had an elective double mastectomy without reconstruction, I prevented weight gain even though I was barred from gym workouts and restricted to light use of my arms.
You’d think there’d be weight gain after a double mastectomy for a woman whose body is used to strenuous weightlifting and interval training.
My experience of not gaining weight applies mostly to someone who’s had a preventive double mastectomy without reconstruction – my case.
I cannot speak for someone who’s had a required double mastectomy, especially if she’s had reconstruction.
Prevent Weight Gain after Double Mastectomy: Five Tips
Prior to your double mastectomy, consider purchasing a treadmill desk. This is my first tip for preventing weight gain.
Because during your recovery you’ll likely be spending more time at your computer.
Why spend all that time sitting when you can be walking on a treadmill desk? Treadmill desks come in many makes and models.
You need not walk fast. I walked one mph at 15 percent incline, and between 1.5 and two mph at zero incline.
I accumulated a considerable amount of steps by the end of the day!
If you feel like watching ANYTHING on TV just to pass the time during your recovery, it would be better to walk on your treadmill desk while viewing interesting videos or reading news, human interest stories, entertainment gossip or whatever is of draw to you.
If you have concern over the position of your arms and use of your shoulders while walking on a treadmill desk, this means you’re anticipating holding onto the machine.
Trust me on this: You do NOT have to hold onto the machine (which, depending on the model, would require elevating your arms and thus inducing discomfort for some patients).
Let your arms swing minimally as you slowly walk, using your hands when it’s time to operate the keyboard or mouse.
I actually had no problem using the keyboard or mouse as far as comfort, but beyond that, my hands were at my sides; arms moving in synch with my slow walking.
As a former fitness trainer, I had all of my clients walking on a treadmill without holding on. This keeps your posture well and burns more calories than holding on.
My next recommendation for preventing weight gain while recovering from a double mastectomy is to frequently use your regular treadmill or stationary bike (hopefully you have at least one of these) as a break from extended periods of inactive sitting.
I also have a regular treadmill. So I have a computer at a sit-down desk and a computer at a treadmill desk, and I’d oscillate between the two.
But sometimes there just wasn’t anything I wanted to view on the computer while at the treadmill desk, so I’d leave my sit-down desk and take a 10 minute, faster walk on my regular treadmill.
My third tip for preventing weight gain during your double mastectomy recovery is to stay on your feet while watching TV.
Pace the room as you watch TV. Walk away from it during scenes that you don’t have to see while you’re still within hearing range. This ploy will give you more space to walk.
I don’t really need to see Bob’s and Jake’s faces on “Becker” while they’re insulting each other. As long as I hear them while I’m walking from one end of my living room to the other.
Certainly walk all over the place during commercials.
If your eyes must absolutely be glued to the screen, walk forward and back. This can be four steps forward, four steps back, if that’s all the space you have in order to be aligned with the TV screen.
Just make sure there’s nothing you can bump into or stumble over.
All of these steps count!
Over a two week period they will make a big difference and help you prevent weight gain, keep blood circulating and prevent your body from turning into a blob during your double mastectomy recovery.
Adhering to portion control and limiting processed foods will also help prevent putting on fat pounds.
Your follow-up with the surgeon will likely occur about a week postop. Ask your doctor about restrictions with hands-free cardio exercise.
At nine days postop, my surgeon gave me the green light for ANY kind of cardio, as long as it didn’t involve arm/shoulder movement such as with sprinting or arm choreography as in a step aerobics class.
Once you’re free to do intense incline walking on a regular treadmill, you’ll no longer need to amass a huge number of steps every day on a treadmill desk to prevent gaining weight while recovering from a preventive double mastectomy. So my last tip is to do rigorous aerobics – as long as your doctor okays it.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained clients of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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