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.

Hi @73kittycat73 and pps. I was just browsing the thread as my sister has been T1 for over30years and due to her learning difficulties I manage her food and meds. I hope it's ok to say that OP it sounds like you haven't had enough specialist support and also sounds like you should be under an outpatient diabetes team with consultants rather than a practice nurse. Most of our interaction with them is video call so perhaps that makes it more accessible to you? Also @LyingWitchInTheWardrobe if your brother is dramatically losing weight he sounds very hyperglycemic and at risk, this is usually what happens when diabetes in undiagnosed or untreated. He may not cognitively be able to make responsible decisions if he is too high. Would you consider writing to his GP and let them know? There are no confidentiality issues if you are simply passing info to them for them to act upon.

I’m a wheelchair user. I fell early Nov and had the paramedics to get me up. When they checked my blood sugar it was 12 something (first thing in the morning, hadn’t eaten but had drunk some juice). They called my GP who did bloods a few weeks later.

My Hba1c was 53 so she said it was likely diabetes, but wanted me to have a second blood test to confirm. She advised me to cut my sugar in the meantime, encouraged me that it was often reversible and that she sees people with much higher numbers than mine.

My second blood test was 7 or 8 weeks later. My hba1c was 48 at that point which is right at the cut off for diagnosis. She felt I should be diagnosed so I have ongoing monitoring and support.

Type 2's not on insulin don't usually have consultant care it's done in primary care.

Please you're right when it hits 48 that's when they give a diagnosis so it really is on the cusp. I'm sure you can get it down by reducing your carb intake as you plan to do. Going from 53 to 48 is brilliant.

I don't think I'll get my walk in today as the dc are refusing to go and dh is at work I did do a kettlebell workout though so that's something.

@BorderlineHappy

Ye i take metaformin and another one with a mad name. Oh the cpap is amazing. I feel so much better and refreshed using it.

I was really looked after in the hospital,even got my hearing aid sorted for me.Im really falling to bits

Lol, don't worry, I have a hearing aid to and didn't want to mention the sleep apnea as I thought it might sound to 'elevenerief! lol And yes, definitely falling a part here. Hi Straysocks you sound like a lovely supportive sister. Yes, I am type 2, not 1. Thank you for your recommendation though. Hi PleaseStopExplaining (Love that username!) Sound like your hba1c is really good! (Mine was 59 ) Well done on lowering it so quick too! Hi WreckTangled. Did you manage to go for a walk? Well done on the kettlebell workout, your crushing this! I thought, apart from a Sainsburys' delivery I was going to have a quiet, relaxed day. Ended up doing loads for my mum, having a second shower after trying out my new oven cleaner and getting hot and sweaty doing it (It's the Astonish one. About 60% product, and 40% hard scrubbing.), up and down the stairs, changing mums bedding, and loads more. No rest tomorrow as have to go up the shop, and we are going to sort some of the downstairs porch out. Then I'll have to put the clean bedding on mums' bed. Still, I suppose it's all burning calories!

Well I had a small bit of a Chinese takeaway last night,first time in 8 weeks.
And it was meh.
Can't believe I used to love them.

No I didn't but we got one in today. Otherwise I've been pretty lazy! Roast chicken for dinner not sure what with.

Sorry your take away wasn't that good BorderlineHappy Maybe try an at home stir fry instead? You could make it with lots of lovely veg. As a veggie I haven't tried a lot of Chinese food but I do love sweet and sour sauce and chips. Yum! :D
Hi WreckTangled Well done on your walk. And yes, Sunday is a day of rest. Enjoy your roast chicken, what did you have it with in the end?

Luckily i didnt buy it.My ds got loads and offered me some.

Does anyone weigh their food and count calories?

I had salad and coleslaw and everyone else also had some homemade potato wedges and flatbreads. Was pretty tasty.

I don't usually but I have previously and will do next Monday when I start my new fitness programme. I just figured I might as well enjoy the next week until I start having to really concentrate. As a type one I often weigh foods to get carbs so it's something I'm used to. I think it's useful if you have a specific goal or if your current way of eating isn't working for you/plateaus but if, like 73kitty you're just improving your diet and relationship with food then it all not a necessity, in my opinion. I also think it can be a handy tool initially if portion control is something you struggle with.

I don't weight my food but estimate calories from dieting last year. I don't count them accurately or I find I start to obsess about them. (I've only had X amount today, I've got X amount left, f**k it, I've gone over, might as well give up for now...).
Is it something you are looking into? Do you want to lose some weight?

I had salad and coleslaw and everyone else also had some homemade potato wedges and flatbreads. Was pretty tasty.
Umm, the salad and coleslaw sounds nice. I'll have a few of the wedges and flatbread too please...

I don’t count calories. Today has been the longest day ever. Absolutely chucking it down outside. Done nothing. Couldn’t even muster up the enthusiasm to read.

Yes i need to lose weigh.
I think counting calories will work for me,otherwise i "forget" that lovely coffee or crisps.

Don't go with MFP advice as it tells everyone to cut to 1200 calories slow and steady wins the race and all that.

No im doing 1600 calories or there abouts.Seems to be doing the trick.
Im not hungry and i have my mealtimes mapped.
So im in a good place.Just waiting to see the dietician because i havent a clue really.

Aww, PaperMonster, I'm sorry you've had a bad day. I went for my walk but the wind was freezing! When I get like you I give up and go to bed in the end. I hope you have a better day tomorrow.
BorderlineHappy I think I'm averaging about 1500 cals a day. Sounds like you are doing really well. I keep trying to tell myself it's a marathon, not a sprint. If I lose 1lb a week that'll be 32lbs lost by the end of November.
I'm logging off for the night now. I hope you all have a fabulous night, and f=good luck with all your goals for tomorrow.

*Good even.

I’ve been weighing things on and off this week to get an idea of what a portion size looks like. And putting it in MFP when I do to track carbs. I’ve been aiming to be under the daily carb limit it gives me as I suspect previously I was over.

Good news is I saw my sister for the first time since Christmas and she said I look like I’ve lost weight.

@PleaseStopExplaining how many carbs are we supposed to have a day.
And how do you track them.

@borderlinehappy I’ve been putting everything I eat (on the days I do it) in My Fitness Pal which is a free app for tracking what you eat. You can tell it what you weigh and how much you want to lose and it gives you a calorie goal (mine is just over 1700)

I haven’t been given a specific number of carbs to aim for by the diabetes nurse, just told to reduce/avoid. But in MFP it says how many grams of protein/fat/carbs to aim for each day (I think it’s the daily recommended amount for an average adult). I’m aiming to be comfortably under that each day. But I’m very new to diabetes so it’s baby steps at the moment.

[quote BorderlineHappy]@PleaseStopExplaining how many carbs are we supposed to have a day.
And how do you track them.[/quote]
I think it's about 150g a day. After a quick Google, I found this:
On average, people with diabetes should aim to get about half of their calories from carbs. That means if you normally eat about 1,800 calories a day to maintain a healthy weight, about 800 to 900 calories can come from carbs. At 4 calories per gram, that's 200–225 carb grams a day.
From here But then the American one says 45% of crabs per day. ???
I aim for 150-200 g a day.
Went for another walk today, went for longer and further. :)

That looks like outdated advice. I don't think I ate that many carbs even before I was low carb! (200+ that is)

Thanks WreckTangled I'm sure (It was in this thread?) that I read 150g a day? I shall have a quick look back.

@WreckTangled

Yes different items will have different sorts of spikes. Cereal is the work of the devil, might as well have a bar of chocolate. Lentils are not so bad. There's lots of trial and error and a low carb diet is considered under 150g a day which is quite a lot still. I think it's a good idea to go cold turkey on the sweet stuff to stop that initial craving and habit. Good luck!

Found you! Thank you for that.

Yes I think under 150g is classed as low carb. But any reduction is going to have a positive affect I think. Also the types of carbs you eat so fewer processed things and more naturally occurring ones are always going to be better.