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.

Morning all. Did my walk yesterday and recorded the highest number of steps so far (4k+). Am going to do it again today and try and go a little bit further. Wish the weather would warm up though, it's bloody cold out there! Still not so keen on the hair...
Good luck today with your goals and targets all.

Counting calories,how accurate is it really. I'm finding it weird.I either have loads of calories left which couldn't be right.
I think my brain is getting confused in its old age😅
@73kittycat73 that's brilliant,you won't feel your steps coming on.

Hello all, hope everyone’s ok. Not as much pain for me today, hurrah! Done about five miles today. It’s lovely weather here although a bit chilly when you’re out of the sunshine!

Counting calories is fairly accurate if you're weighing things and checking my fitness pal against the label (as sometimes it can be wrong). By reducing carbs you're going to get into a calorie deficit easier which is why people lose weight on low carb diets. I'm currently weighing all of my food, it's not something I do all the time but something I go back to periodically because it's easy to start over eating without realising.

My steps are lower than I would like so will try to go for a walk once dh is home from work.

Pleased the pain is easing paper

I'm weighing food to within an inch of its life.
And I've cut right back on the carbs.
I don't eat spuds or bread usually.
But I'd give my first born for 2 slices of white bread with butter😅.

I have done 13021 steps so far.
It's chilly but bright here.
Might go for another walk.

Looks like it's about to rain here.

I also think when you're counting calories you're less likely to mindlessly snack. Do I really need that slice of cheese? I don't actually want to see the amount of calories it is so I won't bother (or maybe that's just me?!). As long as you're not going hungry or depriving yourself!

Thanks BorderlineHappy and congrats on your steps too!
Glad the pain has eased off a bit PaperMonster and well done on your five miles!
Hi WreckTangled did it rain in the end? I went for my walk and it was bliddy freezing!
I have something to confess. I binged last night. Two Magnum ice creams, 5 Skinny Whip bars and almost a packet of Cashews and Peanuts. I feel really bad about it. On the plus side I got a great nights sleep from it! I also figured out it would only be about 1lb in weight if that, so I need to pull my big girl pants up and carry on!

I think it’s the “mustn’t have” that makes it more tempting @BorderlineHappy.

A few years ago I had ten days of antibiotics and they said “no dairy.” All I wanted over that time was Rice Krispies with cold milk and normally I had ever eat cereal.

It did rain a bit but only lightly.

You'd have to eat way more than that to gain a whole pound of fat. Draw a line under it, learn from it and forget about it. You don't need to feel guilty about an evening of eating foods that don't align with your goals. Maybe next time you fancy a magnum just have it, I suspect the guilt you immediately felt from eating it made you think 'fuck it, I've ruined it now, might as well have another one' whereas if you'd thought 'I really want an ice cream so I'm going to have one after my dinner' and allowed yourself that ice cream without the guilt you'd have enjoyed it and not thought anymore of it.

Maybe next time you fancy a magnum just have it, I suspect the guilt you immediately felt from eating it made you think 'fuck it, I've ruined it now, might as well have another one'

Spot on. And this bit too:

whereas if you'd thought 'I really want an ice cream so I'm going to have one after my dinner' and allowed yourself that ice cream without the guilt you'd have enjoyed it and not thought anymore of it.

I think I've got my head in diet mode again. After last months loss I really wanted to go for it. I think I need to scale back and just think of trying to eat healthy again. Must give my head a wobble. Thanks for the advice.

Brr, bloody freezing out there again, I don't want to do my walk! (Will do though.)

Freezing here to @73kittycat73, but very sunny! Hoping for a short walk with a pal this avvo, must remind him! Pain’s bad again today - it’s exhausting!

Also, I have just eaten a shop-bought sandwich. It was delicious. I shall be walking it off this afternoon I guess! I think that it was @WreckTangled spoke sense about having food that isn’t good for us, so am not feeling guilty and I do realise my levels will go high and I’m at peace with that!

I have decided as this is a longterm plan,I'm going to have my little treat days and not worry about it.
I'm training myself that slow and steady wins the race.

Have a lovely walk. It is sunny here too, I think it's the wind that's making it cold. Sorry to hear your arm is giving you grief again. Glad you enjoyed your sandwich!
I think you've got the right attitude there happy. You've got to allow yourself a little treat now and again. I think I have to remind myself too, that slow and steady does indeed win the race! :)

And poppadoms are lowish in carbs.Who knew.
Also don't buy the diabetes rice,it's awful.
Smells of stinking fish and tastes of weird slimy plastic.

I had a Krispy Kreme earlier. Pretty tasty, not sure it was worth it though.

Eww, that rice sounds...

Been busy today, did the cupboard. Only we found out that it wasn't painted behind so we know have to repaint it. Pink of course.
Hope every ones' weekend is going well. We ended up with (Warm!) glorious sunshine.

It was lovely and sunny here but still a chill in the air. Over 10000 steps but not hit 12 and I feel way too tired to do any more!

Hello! Lovely weather here today too. Did a short walk today and been to the library. Am absolutely shattered today for some reason.

Have any other type 2s not been told to check their blood sugars? The diabetes nurse didn’t mention it but a lot of my reading suggests it’s a good idea to buy a meter.

I expect they didn't mention it because the nhs no longer funds it unless you're on insulin. I would suggest it's a very good idea otherwise you won't know if the condition is advancing until you go to your next appointment which could be a year away.

@PleaseStopExplaining I got myself a meter and found it very useful initially to identify which foods were making my blood sugars go high - so things like sweet corn and carrots, which I hadn’t expected to have to exclude, and I also discovered that I can’t have a cup of tea with lunch! I don’t test all the time, but I’m thinking I need another period of testing just to keep an eye on things!

Hi everyone! I see binge eating is a challenge for you, OP, and many of us!

I’ve tried a few ‘self help’ books and found them helpful, to some extent, eg Brain Over Binge, Never Binge Again (that one is v ‘marmite’), and currently trying one recommended by NHS, Christopher Fairburn. Also like the Stop Binge Eating podcast: episodes are short. V hard habit to break.

I had decided which meter to get but it went our of stock on amazon and the reviews on boots weren’t great. Any suggestions?