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…
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).