Self Medicating With Food...Diabetes, Support?

[73kittycat73]

Hi, I've tried to word/start writing this a few times, so I hope it comes out OK...But, today I have finally realized that I eat junk/sweet food to self medicate.
I have type 2 diabetes and have been 'getting away' with it for a while, but I'm starting to feel the effects of eating sweet food. If I eat chocolate before bed for example, I get terrible cramps in (Mainly my left) calf. Recently I have cut down on chocolate as it was making me feel like crap after eating it. I take depression and anxiety tablets and they make me tired so I thought it was them. However I have really noticed recently that eating it makes me so wiped out afterwards.
Today I was bored so ate a bit of cheesecake. Boy did I feel like shit afterwards. I was still feeling a bit rubbish a few hours later so I decided to dig out the old blood sugar testing kit. My blood sugars were17. In the dangerous category. (A non diabetic person should be between 7.1 to 10.0). It has given me a shake, and a wake up call.
I went to my Sainsburys delivery (Due Sunday.) and have taken all the sweet things out, including Pepsi Max. I drink 2ltrs of the stuff a day (I get 'cotton wool' mouth from the medications I take for depression/anxiety and just water does nothing.). I have read conflicting articles on whether Pepsi Max spikes your insulin so have taken them out my list too. I tried finding a decent drink that wasn't full of sugar or artificial sweeteners, I couldn't find any! So I have ordered some fizzy water and orange squash (With sweeteners.) to have it very diluted for some flavour.
However, like I said, it's only just clicked that I self medicate with food (Sweet stuff being the most.). I know I'll be back to craving even later tonight, or definitely tomorrow, so I was wondering if anybody would like to join me on cutting down on junk food. We could come on when we are craving, or just for some support generally. If you're doing it to loose weight that's fine too.
I hope I haven't gone on...I just wanted to be honest (With myself too.) and start a new, healthier, way of eating.

Hello everyone. How we all doing? I managed to eat well yesterday, first time in years! I'm hoping to do the same today. Weigh in is on Monday.
Hi WreckTangled hope you are OK?

Hi @73kittycat73 - I’ve had a good day too foodwise!

I had a bad day Tuesday but otherwise good. Made cauliflower soup for lunch and had low carb pasta for dinner. Have also exercised twice this week and four times last week 💪🏼

Good to hear PaperMonster ! Are you just generally healthy eating, or trying to lose a bit of weight? Well done anyway!
Hi WreckTangled good going with the exercise! I know it's so hard to get motivated to do it sometimes (Who am I kidding, all the time! ) so well done you. The soup sounds delicious.

Not really trying to lose weight. Just don’t want my levels to rise! I made the diet doctor mug bread today - usually I can’t be bothered, even though it doesn’t take long. Love it toasted with tuna on!

Well done @WreckTangled with the exercise! Love cauliflower soup!

Got these in the post today! Not cheap, have only tried the bread so far and it's amazing.

OMG hot cross buns!! Where are they from?

Seriouslylowcarb.com

Oh, did somebody mention Hot Cross Buns? I used to love the toffee ones. You'll have to come back and say what they taste like WreckTangled.
Well done on the baking PaperMonster. I was looking at Hello Fresh the other day. Then seriously wised up and recalled I hate cooking and I'm no good at it! lol

I will! I made low carb banana bread this morning. So good. Just had my second Covid vaccine too

@WreckTangled - good baking! Sadly bananas and me don’t mix very well so I’ve not got into the banana bread thing!! And hurrah for your second jab - I’ve got my first on Tuesday. Dreadful weather here today and OH has pissed me off so it’s just a very lazy day with little exercise!

Looks good WreckTangled Will it be eaten on it's own, or with cream, custard, etc? I'll be round for my slice in a minute. Good job on the vaccine. How do you feel? I know it's been reported that the second dose can make you a bit poorly for a day or two. Hopefully you're ok (And scoffing banana bread. )
Good luck with your first jab PaperMonster I'm sure you'll be fine. I've only had the one jab and apart from a sore throat the next day I felt fine. I hope you do too. Sorry to hear about the bad weather (And naughty OH! ). I managed to make it to my local shop today. Doesn't sound like much but I'm agoraphobic. If my mum stays in the flat I can go up ok so long as the door is open. However, today she needed to come with me so obviously had to have the front door shut. It was bloody hard but I did it! I think I need to do it again sometime to really feel better about going out with the door shut.
I hope your weekend has improved now PaperMonster. Any plans for tomorrow? Oh yes, it's mothers day isn't it? I must write out her card and wrap her present. Hope you have a great rest of the weekend too WreckTangled. Any plans for tomorrow yourself?

Just on its own, I put some 75% chocolate chunks in it.

My levels have been on the low side since I had it but am fine otherwise. Last time it was overnight I woke with a bad headache and feeling hot so I'm going to take some paracetamol before bed and hope I'm ok. I will just rest tomorrow, as I'm able to it seems the sensible thing. Did a 50 minute work out this morning so don't have to worry about being lazy tomorrow.

Oh @73kittycat73 sorry to hear about the agoraphobia. That must be tricky to live with. OH had to go to the opticians this afternoon so we went so I could pop to M&S for a Mother’s Day present - just got a voucher. They’re trying to sell their house and downsize so it’s always tricky to know what to get. Will pop down to parents tomorrow with daughter to drop it off. I’m currently off work sick so if I have a reaction to the jab, it’s not going to be too much of a problem! My brother had his first one last week and felt weak and shivery the following day. My dad felt terrible after his second one.

Glad to hear you are both OK. Well done on the workout WreckTangled I recon that deserve a chilled Sunday. I hope you really enjoy relaxing and eating banana bread.
I've been agoraphobic for 24 years PaperMonster. I've tried exposure therapy to some success but if I have to go out somewhere like the dentist I have to take diazepam (Valium). Last time I took them they didn't do much, but you do build up a tolerance to them. I hope you get better soon. Sorry to hear about your Dad, hope he's Ok now? Was he poorly long?

Weigh in today, lost another 8 pounds. I'm so chuffed. Down now to 14 stone exactly.
Hope you all had a wonderful mothers day.

Wow that's amazing, well done!

Thank you. I'm pretty chuffed about it. I was worrying I wouldn't fit into my summer clothes, which I bought new last year when I lost some weight. Obviously I put it all back on! lol Won't happen this time though as I'm not dieting, just changing my eating patterns to healthy eating. I got down to 13st 5lbs last year, so only 9lbs to go! I will see then if I want to go down lower. I must admit, I feel SOooooo much better not eating lots of sweet things. The difference it's made to my energy levels and activity is immense. Remembering that helps me keep on track to. My anxiety is also better without all the sweet stuff. My other goal is to massively cut down on the PepsiMax. It's all vanity you see. Watched Secret Eaters last night (Love that programme. It's on Really, channel 142 at 10.00 pm tonight if you want to catch it.) and have heard it said before, that drinking more than two cans a day causes weight gain. I love my PepsiMax, but I'm willing to cut down and see what happens. The cans are coming on Wednesday. Still, I suppose it'll help my pocket too! lol

I only really drink coffee and sometimes squash/water. It's probably as bad for me as Pepsi max. I have at least three black coffees a day. I agree you feel all sluggish when you eat crap and you don't realise how awful you felt until you start eating better

For the cotton mouth I have a slightly salty drink instead of sweet. Its more thirst quenching than water. I make it using half a teaspoon of Vecon vegetable extract and a teaspoon of chicken cup a soup.

@73kittycat73 thanks, my dad’s ok. He was quite poorly and couldn’t even stay upright for two days after the second jab. But that was back in Dec just before they changed it to having to wait 12 weeks for the second one.

I’ve got my appointment through for a cortisone injection in my hip for the end of April, which is later than I was expecting but does at least work in well with my Covid injection. I’m due back at work in four weeks and I’m already worrying about how the hell I’m going to drive there. Not sure if I mentioned I have osteoarthritis and driving has become increasingly difficult.

I have had chocolate today - not good. Well done on the weight loss!

Ooo I've watched a steroid injection in the hip before. Hope it helps. Interestingly steroid injections make blood glucose levels soar in diabetics (definitely type one's anyway). I have bilateral hip dysplasia and a neuromuscular condition. We're a right lot aren't we

We certainly are WreckTangled! I found a drink in Sainsburys, Nexba Naturally Sugar Free Coconut and Mango. They also do a strawberry one but I wasn't so keen on that. It's sparkling, which I think helps. I'm going to try drinking more of that.
Hi Thelnebriati I get cotton mouth a lot, from the medications I take. That's why I started on the PepsiMax, it was strong and whet my mouth where water couldn't. This Nexba stuff is OK though. I guess I've got to get used to it now anyway! lol I shall try to think of it like my food, it's not denial, it's healthy eating/drinking.
It's good to hear your dad is doing Ok PaperMonster, but sorry to hear about your hip. Is there anyway you could take more time off work, or is that not possible? My mum suffers from osteoarthritis too. She mainly gets it in her knees, and her fingers/thumb. I hope your injection works for you.

@73kitttcat73 well done. 8lbs is amazing!!

I'm not losing weight. Everyone says cut out bad stuff, but I wasn't eating it anyway🙄 but now I want it. Ironic, eh? I've discovered Yorkshire tea biscuit flavour. Oh my word... Game changer!!!

I have come to confess my sins. I lost zero weight last week, none, nada. And do you know why? It's because I didn't stick with it. I caved in and hoovered up a packet of crackers of all things - I mean, essentially because there was nothing else in the house to eat but you'd hardly choose crackers as your downfall would you?

As if this travesty alone wasn't enough, my mum sent my easter egg down - a Lindt chocolate bunny. I hoovered it up, ears first. All 1040 calories of it.

So it's no bloody wonder really. Anyway, back on the wagon this week. Next week I will weigh less than I do this week, that's the goal - none of that another 3.5 stone to go crap. Just the weigh less than this week goal.