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.

Nice one BorderlineHappy! Breakfast sounds nice too.
Hi WreckTangled, thank you so much for your reply. I shall ponder some more...
Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend. I keep waking at 4.40am (I don't know why so precise either!) and drifting on and off again till I get up. Still, I was up nice and early to change my bedding and have a shower. Haven't been very productive since. Actually, I have a bit, I cooked! I made a sausage casserole. It was topped with potatoes so have done my blood sugar before, 4.4, twenty minutes after, 5.1, and am waiting till the two hours to test again. I also had a packet of crisps today with my lunch and those readings were 3.6, 4.4, and back down to 3.9. So I can have crisps! Yay (I know there not low carb. )

They're great readings, but lunch ones a little low, are you on meds? Skips and Pom bears are alright carb wise but if you're tolerating normal ones with no issues then I don't see why you should avoid them as a weekend treat etc.

I take Metformin and a little pink tablet. My last reading last night was 7.5 so I can't eat the potatoes after all. I did binge though. I have learnt my lesson for now and have woken up in a really down mood, which I forgot was because of what I was eating. When will I learn for good? It was because my sugars were high, I thought sod it, and went for it anyway.

Sharing a recipe hack. I love ice cream. I've been denying myself - I tried the Oppo and like it but it's still quite sweet. I'm now trying making my own .... it's not quite the same but in my little blender goes 1 little pot of natural yoghurt or greek style ( I like the yeo valley), and 80g of frozen fruit. Whizz and eat straight away. It seems to not spike me too much but gives me a ' hit'.

7.5 isn't that high. Mine is currently 11 (really high for me!) I've had a day off though, went out for lunch and had a brownie for pudding. I think you need to try and change your mindset from 'ffs I ate that 'bad' food so I might as well carry on now' to 'I'm going to have some crisps/cake/dessert/french bread (one thing not all of it ) at lunch time today and enjoy it' then once you've eaten and enjoyed it if you still want something else try saying to yourself that you'll leave it for now but if you still fancy it tomorrow you can have it then. Chances are you won't want it then. Basically draw a line under it and don't punish yourself for enjoying a treat now and then. Sorry if I'm babbling a bit.

Not babbling at all, very helpful. I can totally see what you are saying, makes sense.
I hope you enjoyed your day off. Brownies, -drool- I keep seeing Growers cottage Brownies on QVC advertised, they look sooo good! Bit pricy though! (£22.00 )
Hi travailtotravel, thanks for posting your tip. I hope people find it useful.

Hello all, hope you’ve all had a good weekend and the rain hasn’t put too much of a dampener on it.

@73kittycat73 7.5 after potato is good. 7.5 itself is ok. Last time I had a tiny roast potato it went to 13. something!!

Had a lovely walk yesterday but the forecast said sunshine with light showers. It failed to mention the 15 minutes of heavy rain and hail that soaked us!! Did about five miles.

Not done much today because of the rain - plus I’m back at the point where I’d like to rip my arm off it’s so painful. Made a really lovely tea though - minced beef and mushrooms topped by sliced swede and cheese sauce (cheese & single cream) it was so tasty.

I didn't do my run today either. So fed up with feeling cold outside! It was really windy here today. I did do a quick walk to the shop and back though. Sorry to hear about your arm. That cheese sauce sounds delicious! Apparently we are in for another few weeks of this weather...I really wish that treadmill turned up. I found another one on Amazon for £99.99 but checked it out first. Buyer has no feedback, so no, not this time scammers! I'm going to save my FitBit money towards a treadmill instead. Could have really done with one today!

Im finding it hard to get motivated as well.The weather here is awful.
Im going to get my bloods done in a few minutes.Wish me luck.

Good luck BorderlineHappy! I hope your results are good. You're having shite weather too ah? It really puts you off doesn't it?!

Hope everyone is having a good week? I've got my weigh in on Monday. gulp

Haven't weighed myself in ages.Will do it tomorrow.
Hoping the t goes well😂

I’m going out for lunch for the first time in over a year tomorrow.
And unrelated I think the blood sugar monitor I ordered will also arrive tomorrow, eek.

My weight is the same as it was a month ago despite being in a calorie deficit, 12000 steps a day and working out 6 days a week. They're a useful tool but the main thing is how you feel so I keep telling myself sob sob sob

Good luck for tomorrow BorderlineHappy.
Oh, I hope you enjoy your lunch out tomorrow PleaseStopExplaining. Lets hope the monitor turns up too.
Ooh, WreckTangled, I'm sorry to hear that. Have you taken measurement too? You might be smaller that way? I reckon all of a sudden you'll lose a lot, I think it's called, 'The woosh,' hang on, I'll Google it...the woosh
I've just signed up for a beginner yoga course in my local community centre (Literally at the end of the road!), starts about Weds, June 2nd. I'm a bit nervous because mum can't come with me (She has mobility issues and sits on a chair to do the stretches but the teacher says it won't be possible this time.) but looking forward to it, might join the Monday class too. See what the instructor thinks.

That's great, well done! Yoga is great for the body and mind.

I have lost some body fat but not weight, I have progress photos to show but it's so hard when you have a number in your mind that you want to hit, no matter how unrealistic it is! Also I'm already a healthy BMI so haven't a lot to lose really, which means it won't be as obvious or happen quickly.

@73kittycat73WreckTangled I was saying the same to dp about my weight and he said you don't notice it yourself.
But he's noticed I've lost it off my face and belly.
So you are losing it, probably being over critical on yourself.

I understand what you mean about that 'Target weight.' Nods I want to get down to about 11 and a half stone. Sometimes seems so far away. We can do this though ladies! I'm back to eating healthy. Have felt like rubbish these past few days and realised it because I was eating rubbish. I think it started off I felt good, then had a bit of chocolate, felt OK, got away with it. Tried potatoes and sort of got away with it, ate crisps...I think it sort of accumulates doesn't it? Anyway, stopped getting away with it! Want to feel good again, more energy. So I'm trying to eat a lot healthier again. Hopefully that means a bit of weightloss too...One can only hope!

You’ll get there @73kittycat73. I don’t weigh myself. OH comes from a family rife with EDs and had one himself - gets obsessive if there are scales in the house so they are banned!!

73kitty skips only have 8g carbs per pack, if you're having a salad or soup for lunch (ie really low carb) then I think they'd be fine to have too and might make you feel less restricted. Also cheddars are only 2g per biscuits, so sometimes I'll eat 5 and feel really satisfied but it's still only 10g carbs.

Rest day today so no exercise. Got 14500 steps in though. Day off tomorrow phew!

Thank you both. Enjoy your rest day WreckTangled! Do you have anything planned, any show to watch, etc?
Hi PaperMonster, how is your arm doing today? A lot better I hope? Anybody got any plans for the weekend? I don't at the moment, maybe a quiet weekend for a change!

I went to the gym then on a walk and now I'm putting my food delivery away. By the time I've had lunch it'll almost be time for the dc to be home I expect. Ds has football later so will be taking him there too.

OMG @WreckTangled - why did I not know that about Skips??? I used to love Skips years ago - I might have to get some!!

@73kittycat73 thanks, arm’s still painful. One week til I see someone about it (have been seeing a private physio these past few weeks which has given me more movement but I worry he might be doing more harm than good!)

Done eight miles this morning and just catching up with Sewing Bee!

Just back from my Retinol scan,eyes very sensitive and blurry.

Sounds like you both have good things planned. Well done on the gym WreckTangled. Let us know when you have 'the woosh.'
Sorry to hear about your arm PaperMonster. Hopefully the week goes quick for you. Well done on the walk!
How are your eyes now BorderlineHappy? Did you have them tested because of the diabetes? I hope everything turned out OK?
The yoga course I signed up for starts on Weds the 2nd June. I found out she also does a session on Mondays so have signed up for that too. I need to move more. I had been doing daily walks and started C25K but haven't been further than the front gate all week. In my defense it has been pretty horrible out there! Couldn't cope with getting so cold again. However, the weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow afternoon so am going on a walk with my mum.