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.

Still here. I have allowed my daily calorie intake to creep up unchecked. Its soo hard to maintain this nonsense isn' it?
Blowing a gale and want cake. Fortunately, there is no cake. Let me have some delicious, err, salad, instead ... hmm, yes ...

Feeling much better today @73kittycat73.
Having sea bass and asparagus now.
@travailtotravel brave the gale and go and get yourself some nice chocolate. Feck it.

“(I get 'cotton wool' mouth from the medications I take for depression/anxiety and just water does nothing.)”

Try plain, cold sparkling water. There is nothing so refreshing and it definitely clears the cotton wool feeling. (In fact it is only the ‘fizz’ in the coke having that effect in the first place, not the other ingredients so you don’t need those.

NB I am sure others have said artificial sweeteners cause sugar cravings anyway and are poisonous in some cases.

Have you read The Blood Sugar diet? It is worth reading to get an understanding.

Five miles walked today! Am exhausted as my shoulder pain is bad and it just tires me out. Hot bath for me tonight!

I haven't walked for ages. My feet are painful and weather is horrendous!

Lol, travailtotravel, you did make me laugh about the salad! It is very windy out there isn't it? Good luck if you brave it!
Glad you're feeling a lot better today *BorderlineHappy8. I just have no energy today. Maybe I'd been going at it too much and I needed a rest? (Have done my abs and movement today.) I tried doing a 30 minute walking video today and only got to 10 then gave up! lol I have decided to take every Sunday off. How's your 16:8 going? I have definitely notice my stomach is less bloated.
Thank you for your tip *ScrollingLeaves8. I have actually given up the Pepsi Max now, and during my fast drink cold water. It still doesn't really help with the cotton wool mouth but it's a means to an end. I can cope with it for now.
Sorry to hear your in pain PaperMonster. I hope your bath helps. Well done on that walk! Was it very windy, or raining?
Hi WreckTangled. Have you managed to stop eating yet? Sorry to hear you have sore feet. I agree about the weather! I wonder if we'll get a decent summer this year?

Sorry BorderlineHappy, I messed up highlighting your name there.

See also ScrollingLeaves. Sorry about that.

@73kittycat73 my 16.8 was going great until 16.9 (and the rest) kicked in.
I'm sure wine can be 1 of your 5 a day😂

Not really. I'm starting again today there's nothing nice left in the house and I'm not buying more.

I'm not bothered by sweeteners, you'd have to consume enough diet drink to drown in for any to actually be toxic. I don't have any in coffee or anything though anyway but do have them in protein bars etc.

Well weighed myself this morning and according to the scales I'm 7 st
Obviously messing with me,so I did it again and I've lost another 2 lb.So I'm really happy with that considering I fell off the wagon

Congrats on the 2lb BorderlineHappy! You're doing really well! Never mind about the fruit juice wine You can start again today. I was planning to extend my eating hours tonight for my muffin, but I'm going to try and fit it in my non-fasting window instead. Good luck for today!
WreckTangled, I'm getting very, very low on sweet things to eat... I purposely didn't order any in (Apart from the muffin.) with my shopping yesterday. I haven't had this few sweet things in for years! I think I can hold out though. Well, I've got no choice 'till Wednesday anyway! Good luck to you not buying anymore.

Hello. @73kittycat73 on a Friday I do a lot of walking in a large building, so avoid any adverse weather! But then I go and help at school at lunchtime, which is extra walking, but I got a bit damp in the playground yesterday!

We have strange reactions to sweeteners in our family. My brother was actually advised to give up Diet Coke as that could cause the condition he has, it proved not to be the case but we try to avoid them.

I don't use sweeteners but I do have a Skinny barista gingerbread syrup thing if I fancy a nice coffee.

I don't have a sweet tooth but anything savoury like nachos are like catnip to me😂

I have a HUGE sweet tooth! If I have a coffee I have sweeteners in it. I very rarely do though. I also have the Skinny Food Co's syrups on my porridge at breakfast.
Do the Skinny Baristas work then? You can taste them in the coffee?
Good you got to stay indoors walking then PaperMonster. But shame you got wet at the school.

I too have a massive sweet tooth. Honestly I know I should go cold turkey but I can't, I'm actually addicted. I can easily sit and eat a family sized bar of chocolate or 100g of chocolate cereal. I don't most of the time or a whole packet of biscuits. I will eat until I feel sick, I actually think I've got a bit of a binge eating disorder. It's probably a blessing that I'm diabetic because I'd have no reason not to eat it all otherwise.

I find the Skinny barista nice enough.
But you can't add too much as it becomes sickly and very artificial.

I hear you totally WreckTangled. I've been craving sugary cereal. I used to eat loads of Honey Cheerios or Crunchy Nut Cornflakes for breakfast. I used to eat all day actually, chocolate, cake, crisps. I'm allowing myself one Skinny bar a day, and one muffin a week. I know I shouldn't but it seems to help stop the binging.
Thanks for the heads up BorderlineHappy. How are you today?

I'm doing well,done my exercise this morning.
And I'm still fasting till 12.

@73kittycat73 hope you are well
@WreckTangled you just have to do what works for you.
It's trial and error.

I went for a walk this morning before work for the first time in over a week which was nice. Went to the gym yesterday too, DH has started to get a bit huffy about me going and doesn't want me to go on a Sunday. Not sure how I feel about that really, fine if we have something planned but saying I can't go when we'd just be sitting at home annoys me a bit. I can't go on a Saturday as he works and the gym only opens 8-5 at the weekend

I had a dream about eating coco pops last night!!

@WreckTangled would he go to the gym with you? Does seem unfair if otherwise you’d just be sitting at home.

We’ve seen a lot of family this week as the end of daughter’s birthday celebrations. I just found a letter from the GP asking me to go for my HBA1C- will sort it after half term. I’m so focussed on trying to sort my arm out at the mo, that the Diabetes is taking a back seat. Been agonising this past couple of days and the pain is exhausting!

How everyone is OK! X

@PaperMonster I'm dreaming of cheap white bread covered in butter and a big dollap of jam.

Wouldn't mind I was never pushed about bread before 😂

We can't go together because the dc aren't old enough to stay home alone.

@WreckTangled of course - sorry, I should have realised with you saying he works Saturday so you can’t go. That’s unfair for him to be grumpy about you going on a Sunday though.