Fastiversary 13 – Lucky for Some

Bon appetit - so happy to be celebrating and to have my love of food back

Today is an amazing triple celebration:

• Thirteen years since my first fast – On August 9, 2012, I decided to cut back on calories just twice a week to see if it would help me take control of my weight and health after decades of being unhappy with my diet and size. It led to my amazing Facebook group and my bestselling books about fasting.

• Nine months since my breast cancer diagnosis – In November 2024, I was told I had triple negative breast cancer (one of the most aggressive types) and would need chemotherapy, immunotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. I’m celebrating this because I found the lump in time because I examined myself every month.

• Just over a fortnight since life-changing news – My latest results show that treatment has worked to kill the tumour in my right lymph nodes (and, hopefully, any rogue cells elsewhere).

To say this has been the most challenging year since I began fasting doesn’t come close.

You can read my free real-time diary and helpful cancer treatment tips here and subscribe for updates on what my life is going to look like now I’ve had this second chance. Always free, of course.

the hardest nine months

Chemotherapy and immunotherapy worked very well on the cancer, but they took a huge toll on my body. The side effects—especially from immunotherapy—were severe, triggering my immune system to attack my digestive system and lungs. My love of food disappeared for more than six months.

I had a haircut just before and tried cold-capping. I did lose much of my hair despite cold capping, and, near the end of treatment, a different chemo led to me shedding the rest—along with my eyebrows and eyelashes. They’re now growing back, slowly. I also have lingering numbness in my feet, which may or may not improve.

I’m still on high-dose steroids to stop my body attacking itself, now tapering them very slowly. They come with their own side effects—insomnia, muscle loss, and (vanity alert) chipmunk cheeks.

The best possible result

First coffee after surgery!

But I made it. I am beyond thrilled to be well, and my surgery three weeks ago confirmed a pathological complete response—the cancer cells had been killed off.

I’m still sore and can’t yet return to running, and fasting has been tricky while on steroids, but I look forward to resuming my weekly fasts next month. Weight-wise I am tipping the scales at just over 9 stone after the chemo and muscle loss but am building up my protein and will be doing more training very soon indeed.

I did use fasting three times to try to avoid side effects from some of the more nausea-causing old-school chemo drugs and it seemed to work well. And I look forward to returning to my weekly one or two fasts for health next month.

how the weight loss world has changed & what I think of the new drugs

A visual flashback through my weight loss journey…

So much has changed in the weight loss world since I started fasting too, including injectable medications like Wegovy that have benefited so many. I am delighted to see how many people are able to feel freedom from the worry and health issues that have plagued them, as I was when I discovered fasting. To me, the benefits of being a healthy weight for your body are enormous. It’s early days, especially about long-term use, but I love how these developments could transform how we live.

I’ve always seen fasting as a tool, and the new medications are the same.

why I don’t feel angry about getting cancer

Lots of people have said how unfair it seemed to them that someone like me ended up with this diagnosis – I’ve been a vegetarian since my teens, a faster for over a decade (with a healty BMI), I run and exercise and take my health seriously. That’s partly because I’ve seen the effect poor diet and lack of exercise had on my parents’ quality of life before they died.

But life isn’t ‘fair’ and I feel that the habits I adopted and love to live by now might have helped me fight the cancer before I saw it, and have certainly helped me recover from treatment now. Maybe I had worse side effects because my body doesn’t like to be knocked off course. I kept exercising for as long as I could and long to get back to my weekly park runs.

TNBC has a higher risk of returning in the first few years, so I know I still have work to do to process what’s happened—and how the future looks. On diagnosis, I wasn’t sure I had much of a future at all.

My books - so proud of how they’ve helped people.

living life to the full

I’ll still send the occasional newsletter, but if you’d like more regular, chatty posts on food and health—about once a fortnight—subscribe for free on my Substack. I can’t wait to share recipes and more. Or you can always read my ebooks or listen to my podcast.

So today’s Fastiversary is a huge cause for celebration—and a toast to the life we all still have to live. Let’s embrace every minute of it.

My big life plot twist & how it has inspired a new project

Five weeks ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. One in seven women will receive this bombshell news in their lifetime so I am very far from alone.

It’s meant I’ve had to shift my diet priorities, though I’m still passionate about 5:2. But it’s also inspired a brand new writing project, which I hope might take some of the fear out of cancer treatment.

Me sporting my new, pre-chemo crop - on doctor’s orders

three big changes

Two days before Christmas I started weekly chemo, after a quick haircut to make scalp cooling easier (this can help you keep your hair). Already I’m bowled over by the expertise and kindness of my medical team.

Chemo is the biggest change. But two others have affected my daily life. 

First, I had to choose whether to carry on with 5:2, which I’ve been loving for 12 years now.

And second, I’ve started a real-time diary of my experiences. Only a few weeks ago, I was in a state of insomniac terror, but the more I learn, less scary it seems. And I want to share why treatment is not nearly as frightening as the movies would suggest.

My diary is called… My Big Fat Cancer Plot Twist – as a novelist, I’m fascinated by stories and unexpected tests of character… and so my story is going to be honest, funny, informative and hopeful. I’m still the same Kate. And, of course, the diary is totally free to read.

 Check out my diary here  

Here are some of the topics I’ve talked about so far…

Becoming an ice queen during chemo to see if I can keep some of my hair

The sliding doors moment of getting a diagnosis (sadly, I didn’t turn into Gwyneth Paltrow)

Why my tumour reminds me of a very windy festive vegetable…

Fasting and me: big decisions to make after diagnosis

My chemo will last for six months and involve five different drugs. After that, I’ll have surgery, radiotherapy, and perhaps oral chemo for some years.

It’s going to be a long old haul.

But, way before my diagnosis, I read research about fasting being useful for chemo patients - potentially reducing side-effects, and maybe increasing effectiveness, too.

Big question 1: should I fast during chemo?

I asked my oncologist this question very early on - was the evidence for fasting good, and could I try it? He said there is some promising but early research - that the theory was good but most testing wasn’t in real, live patients. If I wanted to try it, he had no objection.

Please note that this was advice to me as an otherwise fit and regular faster – nothing in this post is intended as medical advice for anyone else!

Those close to me were more concerned. After I found the lump under my arm, I lost my appetite due to the worry. That has never happened to me before!  I am very much a comfort eater.

I was a healthy weight starting treatment but a little lower than normal. Could fasting - and potentially a reduced appetite during chemo - put me in danger?

So I decided not to fast on the first chemo, and to see if I wanted to use it as a tool later. Now I’m three treatments in, and I haven’t yet done a 5:2 day because I’ve realised that eating little and often helps me feel less icky - the opposite of my usual intermittent fasting routine of one or two meals.

But intermittent fasting is more than just 5:2 – why 16:8 is working for me right now

I am sticking with 16:8 (eating during an 8-hour ‘window’ - sometimes it’s 10 hours if I feel nauseous). This offers flexibility with the potential benefits of fasting. I might do some low-calorie fasting during chemo days once I get more used to it.

Big question 2: if 5:2 didn’t stop me getting cancer, do I have any regrets?

One of my original hopes with fasting was that it might reduce my chances of developing cancer, and specifically breast cancer, because a lot of women in my family have had it.

Many friends have been shocked by my diagnosis because I have taken diet and exercise so seriously for so long. I mean, I’m shocked too. But my consultant said breast cancer generally is very random. Plain bad luck.

Meanwhile, I don’t regret a single fast day. I know that fasting has had multiple benefits for me – helping me stay a healthy weight, reducing my diabetes risk, allowing me to feel comfortable in my body without any deprivation.

And who knows whether I might have developed cancer sooner had I not fasted and started running?

I’m grateful that fasting has kept me in very good physical health, aside from the cancer, which puts me in the best position for treatment and recovery. The doctor confirmed this – and told me to keep on doing what I’d been doing.

My food priorities right now

I’m being very conscious of eating well as I enter treatment. And I have just two rules:

1: Protein and pleasure are my foodie priorities: Appetite will come and go, so I have given myself more leeway when I’m feeling poorly to eat less healthy foods if that’s all I fancy. I don’t eat much ultra-processed anyway.

But one thing I am paying more attention to is eating enough protein – this is really important during treatment and recovery, because it maintains muscle mass.

As a vegetarian, I might not always have made it top priority but I am now incorporating tofu, nuts, eggs, seeds, Greek yogurt or cheese into every meal. I’m also taking an omega-3 supplement, with the pharmacist’s approval, as it can help prevent some chemo side-effects.

2: I’m not going to worry about my weight: When I started reading about treatment, a lot of patients reported weight GAIN on my kind of chemo. And I felt a bit fed up, briefly. But treatment won’t last forever. I need food to fuel my response and recovery.

So if I gain a few pounds, 5:2 will help me lose them again once I’ve ended treatment. For now, what will be, will be.

In writing news

My head’s too full for writing fiction right now. But I have been working on two brilliant podcasts – the history show, A Short History of… (here’s my episode about Marilyn Monroe). And if you love true crime, try Murder They Wrote (here’s one I researched for brilliant presenters Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling about The Scream Thieves).

You can read my diary here, for free.

Book birthdays in UK & US January 2023

It’s my actual birthday this month - plus two book birthdays for Owner of a Lonely Heart! My gorgeous second chance story of fate, friendship and creating your own version of family is out in paperback in the UK today – hooray - and published for the first time in the US on January 17!

Owner of a Lonely Heart is a novel that also features 3 of my favourite things: Bristol, English beaches and a border terrier dog… the story centres on bravery, good and bad dads, good and bad dogs, and the power of connection.

So far, readers are loving it. And now it’s in paperback (as well as ebook and audio, of course), it’s even better value. So if you’re in the mood for a book to lift your spirits and give you a taste of sunshine, Owner of a Lonely Heart is the book for you!

Which cover do you like best?

 Buy the book on Amazon UK  

 Buy the book on Amazon US  

 Buy at Waterstones.com in the UK  

 Buy for international delivery from the Book Depository  

Worry Time - and our updated book about beating the blues

A few years ago, I got together with Brighton friend and fellow author Sarah Rayner to work on Making Peace with Depression – a short, comforting book full of tips and ideas for dealing with the blues. It had a great reception from readers – and now we’ve updated it, and it’s just been published with a lovely new cover (featuring the cutest ‘black dog’ ever) by Thread. It includes tips on crafty stuff and kitchen self-care.

A super-quick strategy for scary times

Right now, many of us are struggling with worries about the future, and I wanted to share one of the most useful strategies I’ve found, which I write about in the book.

 I am a champion worrier, and I can even multiworry, letting them build and build! But one very useful technique I use if I find I’m going through a period of ruminating too much is to set aside Worry Time.

Worry time… the simple strategy I use all the time

• I pick a time of day when I can devote myself to worrying, and if something niggles or stresses me out, I add it to my Worry List.

• Then at the designated time – say 8pm – I let myself worry in a concentrated way for 20 minutes. That might be constructive – trying to think of ways to tackle the worry or reduce the probability of something going wrong. Often it becomes so tedious that I go off and do something better – or the postponement means when I go through the list, I realise how trivial most of it was!

 This can be a good way to reduce the time spent ruminating, to try out gaining control over your own thoughts and, of course, to find solutions to the things that genuinely merit concern. It also helps you identify the worries that are entirely proportionate but out of your control. In many ways, those are the hardest ones to deal with.

When the first cases of Covid-19 were being reported, I was hugely anxious because I felt no one else was seeing the signs. It meant that once the world did begin to take action, even as other people become more worried, I felt better, because at least I no longer felt ‘responsible’ for warning everyone.

And now that we’re concerned about the conflict in Ukraine and energy supply and the climate, I’m trying Worry Time all over again…

My book just 99p - & my dog on the radio!

Owner of a Lonely Heart, my book about leaving loneliness behind and taking a risk – with the help of a therapy dog – is on special offer at just 99p in the UK till Thursday 14 September.

And if you want to hear all about how our dog inspired the book I took her into our local radio station. You can listen here: and also see the little video I made here.

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A post shared by aka Eva Carter & Kate Helm (@katewritesbooks)

Owner of a Lonely Heart out now!

I’m celebrating the publication of Owner of a Lonely Heart on a writing retreat in France - which has given me the chance to pose with my ‘book baby’ in truly beautiful surroundings. You can buy the book as an audiobook, e-book and hardback from today in the UK from Amazon!

I’ve also been lucky enough to have some fantastic authors read the book in advance and share their thoughts.

You can buy the hardback for delivery anywhere in the world on The Book Depository, or in the UK, at Bookshop.org or via Waterstones.com

I’m very proud of this book, which I wrote during lockdowns and caring for family members under pretty tough circumstances. It is an emotional rollercoaster of a story, set in the city of Bristol. The characters are brave but isolated, until fate - and a stubborn terrier - bring them together in the middle of a July heatwave.

And while I’m celebrating, I’m also working on my next book as Eva Carter. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather do it!

Unboxing my new book - with the dog's help!

It’s always a big treat to get the first finished copies of my latest book - and this time, I decided to get our little dog involved involved. She inspired one of the storylines, as the book features a border terrier who visits hospital patients - just as our fantastic little ‘canine therapist’ does! I buried some of her treats inside before I took a look at the books, so we were both very happy, as you can see in this video. It’s such a pretty cover, isn’t it?

The book is out on July 7 in the UK!

You can buy the hardback for delivery anywhere in the world on The Book Depository, or in the UK, at Bookshop.org or via Waterstones.com

Buy on Kindle or audiobook and check out my Amazon Bookshop link with all my top summer reads