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 can I join?
I've just been diagnosed with T2 diabetes. An unwelcome piece of news but not entirely unexpected.
I'm 38, I have PCOS and am about 6 stone overweight.
I've been given Metformin (been on it for a week now).
Got an appointment with a HCA person next week.

Have already drastically started changing my lifestyle. Quit smoking 2 months ago and am trying really hard to eat healthily and exercise more.

I suffer from depression and anxiety so sometimes its incredibly hard to get motivated

Well done everyone on steps and weigh loss!

And welcome @FrankieDoyle - I hope we can provide you with encouragement xxx

Welcome @FrankieDoyle - I recommended a book upthread which helped me understand some of this. Life After Diabetes. I've low carbed and 16:8 my way to 2.5 stone off in 2 months to get things under control a bit more. You'll find the way that works for you and we're right here!

Hi everyone. Welcome FrankieDoyle. Well done on the quiting smoking! That's awesome.
I have depression and anxiety too, but I found dumping the junk (Chocolate, cakes, sugar, etc.) really helps with my mood. I have so much more energy now too. It really helps the anxiety.
Did my walk today, really felt it! Am going tomorrow too then having Sat and Sun off.

Welcome Frankie! Quitting smoking must have been really hard so well done on doing that. You'll feel way better once you get your sugar levels at a good level.

73kitty great work on the walk again!

I woke up with a really low sugar level that was stubborn and then went high then I over corrected then it went low again. It's been pretty rubbish and I'm cross about it. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I've done over 15000 steps today which is makes up for all the jelly babies I've had to eat I suppose.

Oh heck @WreckTangled that doesn’t sound good. Does it make you feel unwell at all when that happens?

Been a rubbish day here weatherwise but met a friend at a park and our kids had a good play! But not much walking for me I’m afraid!

I’ve been very much off the wagon the last few days. Eaten choc or cake everyday. But trying to remember that I am still doing better than prediagnosis because I wasn’t also drinking full sugar coke (I was drinking about a litre a day at one point and would get headaches if I didn’t have any). And at the same time I’ve been in my manual wheelchair for at least part of the day everyday for a week now, much better than lazing in the powered one permanently.

Still there’s none left now so back at it from tomorrow.

Yes Paper it does. That's the main reason I low carb, the doctors and nurses say you can eat what you like when type one and just cover with insulin but it's impossible really and you end up zig zagging all day. It's just not worth it for me. Not to mention the health implications. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better though. I had a v low carb high protein dinner so should help to steady things.

Ah well please draw a line under it and start again tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed the chocolate

I found food freedom in the Paul McKenna Thin app. It focuses on giving your body what it needs for health and strength rather than negativity of dieting. Maybe worth a try??

Thank you WreckTangled. Well done on your steps too! Over 15K is amazing! Sorry to hear about your BS troubles. How do you feel now?
Hi PaperMonster. How's things with you? At least the kids got a work out today then?! lol
Hi PleaseStopExplaining. Do you think you got headaches because of caffine withdrawl, rather than the sugar going? I've cut down on the PepsiMax and for the first few days felt really cranky and headachy. It's made a huge difference to my belly though!

Hi coronafiona Didn't mean to miss you on the end there. I had the Paul Mckenna book and CD, the 'I Can Make You Thin,' one. Is that the one your refering to? I know there was a thread in the weightloss section on here too about it.

Yes I do thanks. I didn't work out today anyway, which was planned, and I feel less tired so that's good.

Yes I think it was caffeine, especially as I don’t drink tea and coffee. That’s why I’ve swapped to drinking diet lemonade and not diet coke. Rather avoid caffeine for now.

I suspect when things open up and I’m meeting my friend for a catch up once a week I may have to start drinking diet coke though as most places it’s their only diet drink. What do others drink when out for a cold, nonalcoholic treat?

Glad you're feeling better. And feeling rested too. It always helps I think.

Yes it's so annoying isn't it?! I do only tend to have Diet Coke although more places have diet lemonade now too. Otherwise I might have a tap water and a coffee. I am a coffee addict though, couldn't do without it

Coffee gives me hot flushes, even the decaffinated ones.

What about an orange juice?

Orange juice has the same amount of sugar as coke unfortunately

.

Aw, shame.
I'm popping off now, this chair is so uncomfy! My neck is hurting so I shall retire to the bedroom. Take care everyone, and I hope you have a good day and meet any goals you might set.

Good morning everyone. It's cold here again today, I have my heating on and I'm still cold! Brr. Lots of luck to anyone working on a goal today, I hope you achieve all you set out to achieve.

Hello @73kittycat73 - you’ve obviously got our rubbish weather from yesterday! Today is much brighter! Out again later to meet a friend and her children.

Hope you’re feeling brighter @WreckTangled. A friend’s teenaged son has fairly recently been diagnosed with T1 and he’s been advised to low carb, he does really well with it apparently.

@PleaseStopExplaining I’m rather boring and have water or coffee. I try and avoid sweeteners where I can as I’ve had a bad reaction to them in the past. But if I’m having alcohol I have gin and fizzy water - can taste the gin so much better!!

Yes much better thanks. It was sunny here but a bit cloudy now.

That's interesting about your friends son, in general they're pretty against low carb especially for children, which is a shame as it works so well. Low carb doesn't have to mean no carb as we all know.

Ds has football later and they train in a national trust park so I might do my walk then.

The place that you order the low carb bread,does that deliver to Ireland.

@BorderlineHappy it says:

Where do you ship to?
United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and Ireland too.

Hello, can I join you?
T2, diagnosed six years ago. Did two years being 'good' with regular bloods appointments, then they lost interest and so did I. Lost half a stone early on, then nothing.
Last year, because of lockdowns, I spent five nights a week being childcare away from home. Had a really organised life, ate vast amounts of vegetables and salad, a some meat, eggs and cheese, greek yoghurt and berries. Just. Drank lots of water, and black tea. Lost a stone and a half and was very happy about it - though I didn't get in anything like enough walking.
Home again now, need to get the eating into the routine. Did 10000 steps today for the first time in ... probably a couple of years.
I know I can do this. I just need to get on with it.
When the routine is in place, I'll start testing blood sugars again. Last time was about a month ago when my meds changed.
I've read the whole thread and nicked all your hints and ideas!