How to lose belly fat from chemotherapy
Weight gain and belly fat from chemo is a very common side effect.
Trying to regain your energy to burn it all off is even more challenging, especially in this confusing world of health, nutrition, and cancer.
It’s not easy to know what to eat, which exercises to do, or how to lose belly fat after chemo.
So, to make it simple for you, in this guide, you will learn the 4 steps to lose belly fat and get back on track.
Bear in mind: this is not a complete, comprehensive guide on everything you need to know about fat loss but rather a short, summarized version for easy-to-apply simple steps so that you can get started today.
Be in a calorie deficit
The only way to lose belly fat from chemo is through a calorie deficit.
Being in a calorie deficit means eating less calories than your body needs to maintain weight day in and day out.
However, this does not mean you need to count calories.
All diets apply this principle of a calorie deficit—whether it’s intermittent fasting, keto, or carnivore, these diets are designed to get you eating less calories while making you feel full longer.
A diet is just a tool to help you reach your goal, but your consistency in a deficit is important.
While this is simple to know, it is not as simple to apply.
Therefore, this guide is made to simplify all the nuances.
One day of eating in a calorie deficit or eating too much will actually not do much for your fat-loss journey.
Anyone can lose weight, but the goal is to lose belly fat from chemo
So the “key” is in the consistency of your deficit.
There are 2 main ways to create a calorie deficit:
Movement: The more you move, the more belly fat you will burn from chemo. There are two main types of movement that help to burn more calories:
Your average day-to-day movement, such as walking, dancing, cleaning, driving, tapping your feet.
Think of this is this as any movement you do throughout the day.
While all movement is good, not all movement burns the same amount of calories.
Take vacuuming vs typing, for example.
You will burn and maybe even sweat more when vacuuming than you ever would just typing.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t type; it just means that you should be mindful to stay in constant motion throughout the day.
Exercise.
Many people mistake exercise as the best way to lose belly fat from chemo, but in reality exercise is a poor fat-loss strategy.
Constant movement throughout the day is better for fat loss.
While exercise does help lose belly fat, it is not the primary determinant of fat loss.
Think of it as the cherry on top.
In an apples-to-apples comparison between exercise and constant movement, exercise will help you burn the most calories per activity in a shorter amount of time.
The issue is, unless you are an athlete, you can’t exercise all day.
So, in order to move the scale, you need to be in constant motion throughout the day to help boost your metabolism.
Unfortunately, working out 30 mins to an hour a day is not enough to see the scale move for most people.
For example, a 3 mile run would burn at max 300 calories in 30-40 mins, while taking 10,000 steps a day will help burn 500 calories.
So, just by simply doing a run and making sure you reach 10,000 steps a day, you will burn 800 calories.
For context: 800 calories is about a Bic Mac and small fries worth of calories.
This is why exercise alone cannot help you lose belly fat fast enough from chemo and must be paired with proper nutrition and daily movement, such as cleaning, taking the stairs, walking your dog, or playing with your kids.
That being said, running 3 miles is not a starting point, so instead of trying to run 3 miles, focus on starting to do a 20-30 min brisk walk daily and have a goal to reach a minimum of 7,000 steps daily.
Nutrition is the primary driver in fat loss
You can not lose belly fat from chemo without proper nutrition.
B. Nutrition: Generally speaking, humans tend to overestimate how many calories they burn and underestimate how much they eat.
This is important to note because your nutrition is the most important part of the fat-loss formula.
As you saw, you can’t outrun a bad diet.
There are 2 simple steps you can take today to lower your calories without counting them.
Being a mindful eater.
Becoming a mindful eater is not something that just happens.
But rather, it takes time, a little bit of effort, and some guidance.
The purpose is not for judgment, but rather awareness and making healthy switches.
Healthy switches could look like switching high-calorie foods like french fries for broccoli with your steak or splitting your dessert.
We live in a society that revolves around food, and in America, 1/3 of all advertisement is for junk food.
You are getting bombarded daily with junk food, thus being mindful of what you are eating and when you eat is important.
The first step is to focus on making your portion sizes smaller.
No more extra large or “supersize-me” mentality.
It sounds complicated, but mindful eating is as simple as just paying more attention to:
what you are eating
why you are eating
and when you are eating
Being mindful of what you are eating and when to stop is a skill.
The goal is to “Eat only when hungry and stop when satisfied, not stuffed or full.”
A simple cue to know if you are hungry is to ask yourself
“Am I hungry enough to eat an apple?”
If you are, then go eat.
If you are not and you prefer chocolate, then you are having cravings.
By being mindful of how full you are and not over-stuffing yourself, you will be limiting how many calories you are eating and helping you burn more fat.
Have 0 calorie drinks (e.g. water, tea, coffee, diet coke, etc.) to aid you in losing belly fat after chemo.
While there is a lot of caution around diet sod recently, if you are someone who constantly has sugary drinks, switching to diet soda is the healthier choice.
However, if you are someone who just doesn’t like to drink water so you drink diet coke, then it would not be the healthier choice.
Everyone’s health journey is not the same.
BUT, by being consistent, you will learn that these will help you lose your first +5 lbs of belly fat after chemo AND keep it off!
2. Lift Weights and Strength Training
While movement and cardio are a foundational piece for being in a calorie deficit, strength training is what provides you with the “toned and sexy” appeal you are after.
A calorie deficit without weight training leaves you skinny or flabby, but a calorie deficit with weight lifting builds you a toned appeal.
That being said, weight lifting can be scary for many especially after cancer.
However, weight lifting is safe even during treatment, and in fact, it is strongly recommended to prevent muscle loss, improve mobility, reduce aches and pains, and reduce neuropathy.
Lifting weights will help build muscle after chemo and help lose belly fat.
BUT HOW OFTEN SHOULD I LIFT?
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends cancer survivors lift at least 2x per week.
This is a great starting point, but for the best results to build a toned look, lifting weights 3-4x per week is what we have found gives our online coaching clients the best results.
WHICH EXERCISES SHOULD I DO?
Every workout should consist of 1-2 movements that involve the majority of your body (e.g. squat, deadlift, lunge, bench press, shoulder press, pull, or row).
And this should be followed by 2-3 isolation exercises (such as bicep, curl, tricep extension, hamstring curl, etc.)
HOW MANY SETS AND REPS DO I NEED?
It’s simple.
Focus on 1-2 sets when starting out for 6-15 reps and work towards 3-4 sets per exercise.
DO I NEED TO REST BETWEEN EXERCISES?
Rest is a bit arbitrary.
It really depends on you, but generally speaking, 2-3 minutes is more than enough between sets.
But at a minimum, take at least 1 minute rest between sets.
HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD I LIFT: When starting out 3-5 lbs is a great place to start.
However, the goal is lift more as you go.
If you can do 15 reps for 3 sets without getting sore the next day, then you would need to increase weight.
If you lift a weight and struggle to get 6 reps, then that weight is way too heavy.
If you did 15 reps without giving much effort, then it is too light.
However, keep in mind that it is better to start lighter and work towards heavier weight as you grow more comfortable with the weights.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I INCREASE WEIGHT?
Generally, we recommend sticking to the same exercises for 4-6 weeks:
Take the first 2 weeks to get form and technique down
2-3 weeks to build consistency
2 weeks to challenge yourself and increase the weight 2.5- 5 lbs.
3. Emphasize Eating More Protein
When it comes to fat loss, eating more protein is a big component in helping you stay in a calorie deficit.
PROTEIN is an ESSENTIAL, non-negotiable part of how to properly lose belly fat after chemo treatment.
Protein helps you:
reduce craving
stay full longer
build muscle
burn more calories
boost your metabolism
Protein actually takes longer to digest and burns more calories than carbs and fat.
In addition to keeping you full longer, it helps prevent you from overeating by reducing cravings, making your calorie deficit easier and more enjoyable.
The goal is to focus on foods high in protein from your animal proteins, such:
steak
chicken
fish
Another great option is to add in high protein plant-based foods:
edamame
lentils
beans
tempeh
tofu
The goal is to choose meals based around what you enjoy or adding them into your meal.
If needed add it in your shakes
In your greek yogurt
or oatmeal.
Surround your meals with proper protein to get rid of belly fat from cancer treatment.
HOW MUCH PROTEIN SHOULD I EAT:
The simplest calculation which we use for our online clients is to eat 0.7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily.
Ex: Your goal body weight (180 lbs) x 0.7 grams of protein = 126 grams of protein daily.
If you eat 126 grams, and you still don’t feel full then increase it slightly until you reach 1 gram per pound of body weight.
Generally, if you’ve never focused on how much protein you eat in a day before, these numbers will sound high.
But, most of our online clients have no issue reaching over 120 grams of protein a day because
We set up a steady progression program that works for you.
Ex: shoot for 70g, then 100g, and finally 120g a day in a matter of months.
We focus on encouraging meals that emphasize high-protein foods.
Moreover, while lifting helps build strength, it’s getting enough protein that builds the muscle.
Building muscle on a calorie deficit is not optimal.
But it is recommended to help build and maintain lean muscle mass as you lose belly fat after chemo and cancer.
The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn at rest to help you achieve that “toned” look you are after.
4. Get Support
You succeed with accountability
When someone holds you accountable in your fat loss journey you are 95% more likely to burn off extra belly fat after cancer treatment
Research by the American Society of Training and Development found that you are 65% more likely to reach a goal when you share it with someone else.
And you are 95% more likely to lose belly fat from chemo when someone holds you accountable.
The biggest reason for this is that it gives you tangible accountability.
When you have someone you can check-in with and share your success and failures with, you are more likely to succeed.
Accountability works best if you find a person who:
Can be honest, caring, and empathetic to what you are going through
Is familiar with your situation and how to help you without judgement
Has the skillset and knowledge required to help you
Surrounds you with other like-minded individuals.
The key is to find someone that has all 4.
And once you do, you have hit a gold mind of knowledge to succeed.
Your mom, for example, cares about you, but may not be familiar with your cancer diagnosis.
A nurse may care for you and be familiar with your cancer diagnosis, but may not have the skills required to help you lose fat.
So success in your journey comes from all four.
Get Your Free Fat-Loss Guide
This can seem like a lot to remember when getting started.
However, we have created a free fat-loss guide, which comes with 101 workouts to get you started.
Grab yours today.
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