After you finish treatment, it’s normal to feel unmoored. 

Meaning, you have little confidence and perhaps even less certainty about how you should feel or behave.

You don’t know what you should do, now that all the urgency has come to a screeching and abrupt halt.

Think about it.

For the last number of months you’ve been given directives about treatment protocol and medications.

Your days had a rhythm and tight schedule.

You learned to check your calendar for medical appointments in advance of accepting any social invitation or even scheduling with your hair stylist.

You’ve been supported by and had daily interaction with your oncology treatment team.

And now. . .you’re cut loose. You’re like a new little baby bird who’s just left the nest.

Fearful of predators.

Like chocolate cake. With frosting.

Because of course, chocolate cake is the enemy of all breast cancer survivors. . .one bite and you’re done.

All that sugar won’t help matters, and you’ll gain weight (of course). Every survivor of hormone-positive breast cancer knows, all that sugar and weight gain increases recurrence risk.

Right?

No. Not exactly right.

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS WHEN FOOD FEELS LIKE THE ENEMY

In my experience working with women who’ve finished treatment, FOOD FEAR, while present throughout the entire breast cancer experience, tends to escalate now.

And it means three things.

1. YOU DON’T TRUST YOURSELF  

• If you’ve done any research on hormone-positive breast cancer and nutrition/diet/food, you’re likely overwhelmed, confused and anxious. You’re second-guessing yourself.
• You’re no longer sure what your body needs; what are the “right” foods, what foods should you “avoid”, and what foods are okay for you to “cheat” with. . .every now and again.
• Since you can’t figure it out by trying to sort through everything on your own, you’re avoiding every food that doesn’t match your [misguided] idea of S-A-F-E.

2. YOU’RE DISPLACING YOUR FEAR OF THE “REAL” ENEMY

• If you’re honest, you’ll realize it ISN’T the chocolate cake that scares you, it’s the fear of recurrence, or a new primary cancer.
• Making food the enemy allows you to distract yourself from the real fear. . .the one you can barely allow yourself to consider.
• When you shift all your obsessive thoughts to cake, cookies, ice cream, chips and guac, fried foods and booze, and you crowd out thoughts of the cancer coming back.

3. YOU FEEL OUT OF CONTROL

• Everyone knows the antidote to fear. It’s C-O-N-T-R-O-L.
• Counting every, single calorie. Obsessing over ingredients. Buying organic EVERYTHING. There, don’t you feel better? No.
• There’s a term for that approach to eating. . .where “healthy” is never healthy enough. It’s called ORTHOREXIA, and you can read more about it here.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Recognize that it’s normal to feel nervous about recurrence 

• Normal, yes, but you can’t live your life wracked with fear, waiting for the other shoe to drop. I invite you to consider this question, “Did your experience DEFINE YOU or REFINE YOU?”
• Your breast cancer experience is not to be minimized, but consider your thoughts about it. Are you coping from a place of fear, or thriving from a place of strength?

2. Get educated about breast cancer nutrition

• There’s too much conflicting information just waiting to trip you up. When you don’t know what you don’t know, you can’t make decisions with confidence.
• Find an evidence-based resource (my blog is a good place to start!), and go back to the basics. Eating for breast health doesn’t have to become your full-time job.

Don’t overcomplicate it. Facts help you make better decisions, and straight-forward facts aren’t complex.

3. Name it to tame it 

• Get your thoughts about your food fears OUT OF YOUR HEAD. 
• Can you journal? Meet with a therapist or coach? Get really HONEST about your fear and call it out?
• Ignoring fear doesn’t lessen it. Meeting it head on helps dismantle it. 

Okay, now it’s your turn. Share with me in the comments below, did this post give you a tiny glimpse of hope, or fan your flames of fear?

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Thanks for reading my blog post!

I help post-treatment survivors of hormone-positive breast cancer end food fear, confusion and overwhelm, eat without stress and guilt, and rebuild their health so they can do the things they enjoy with the people they love.

I’m a registered dietitian, personal trainer, nutrition therapist and coach, speaker, and survivor of hormone-positive breast cancer.

Ready for professional support to rebuild your health and gain peace of mind? 

Click this link and watch my HEALTH REBUILD video!

Get my FREE Lifestyle Choices Matter! Get Started Guide here

Follow me on Instagram @hormone.breastcancer.dietitian

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your dietitian or doctor for guidance specific to your needs.