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.

Thanks fantail will try the foil. I usually use xylitol (no dog!) but had run out. Hate the cooling affect of erythritol.

Stillfunny I don't really eat any carbs but that's too much for a lot of people. Low carb is anything below 150g a day usually. Craving something sweet with your tea is a habit and your best bet is to go cold turkey for a week. Berries are low carb fruits but if you're just lowering your carbs (rather than removing them) then I don't think it would be an issue to be eating some other fruits too. Veg is always going to be a better choice. Personally I don't eat breakfast as insulin resistance is high first thing in the morning for me plus it saves calories for the rest of the day. I find the more often I eat the hungrier I get, ie if I had breakfast I'd be hungry again by 10/11 but if I don't I can easily make it until lunch. I gave the dc some wholewheat bagel thins for lunch and they're only 20g carbs so would make a good breakfast I think? I don't like to say too much because I know my way of eating isn't everyone's cup of tea and isn't often advised by the professionals.

@WreckTangled . Thanks for that. Any info is useful as I need things to be able to fit in my life , otherwise I know I won't maintain it..

I sometimes eat porridge for breakfast - made with lactose free milk and a dollop of cream, covered with cinnamon. But it is an occasional treat and only when I know I’m out walking immediately afterwards, otherwise my blood sugars go too high.

I’m finding that I’m not hungry most mornings nowadays so miss breakfast. Although this morning I’ve woken late and hungry! I’ve had a slice of Nimble toast with butter which is 8g of carbs - and I know that that’s ok for me.

I also make low carb cheese scones now and again which I might eat for breakfast if I’m hungry then.

Ooo cheese scones. Do you have a recipe? I love cheese scones.

I think batch cooking and planning is key, I have a freezer full of low carb sweet treats (kept in the freezer so I don't eat them all at once!).

@WreckTangled I’ll post the recipe shortly!! Whilst I like them, they’re different to normal cheese scones texture wise.

Hi all, hi Stillfunny I hear ya and understand about the sweet tooth! (My worst time is just after my evening meal.) However, rather than saying, 'I'm going on a diet,' I try and remember how rubbish certain foods makes me feel, then that helps me avoid them better. (Avoid, not ban! ) Or even, I tell myself I'm doing myself good by eating healthily. Good luck to you though, keep us updated!
Well, I can't eat my chocolate bar (After saying about eating healthily! lol) I woke 3 times last night with really painful cramp. I'm hoping the biscuits will be Ok as I think they have the same sweetener in.

That's a shame. Do you get your food shopping from either Tesco or Morrison's? If so look for the chocologic chocolate, it uses a different sweetener that might work better and isn't too expensive.

Cheese scones:

50g grated cheese
100g almond flour (ground almonds)
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1tbsp double cream (I’ve also used Greek Yoghurt when I have no cream)

Mix all ingredients together. I usually get about six out of this mixture and bake them in a silicone bun tray. I’m using a fan oven so I put them in on 180 for 15-20 mins.

I store them in the fridge as the cream can make them go mouldy quite quickly. My OH enjoys them too.

Thanks that looks quite nice might give it a go. Although might wait to get some Parmesan first yum!

@WreckTangled - bet they’d be really good with Parmesan actually. I usually do Red Leicester because we always have that in! But now feel the need to make some with Parmesan!

Gonna try the scones. Thanks. May add marmite too ....

Still funny. I am T2 but was struggling to get a grip, had a nasty warning and have to now. Ultimately 6 stone to lose but being pragmatic, get half off ... I have found carbs essentially make me hungry so I eat more. Focusing on no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes but I do gave porridge every day (made with oat milk). I'm trying to eat between 800 and 1000 cals per day mixed with intermittent fasting 16:8 Have had fast loss and now slowing back to about 2lb a week. But, since Jan 1st, have list 1 stubborn lb short of 2 stone. It's been fairly ok actually and I can see the results quickly which is encouraging and of course miss lush lush pasta etc but knowing its falling off is helping keep me on the wagon.

I have a low carb pasta from carbzone. It's not cheap, smaller portion needed, and is a bit more al dente than normal pasta but it's a great alternative. I also have the wraps from there which I use for tortilla chips and pizza as well as the obvious!

Do you get your food shopping from either Tesco or Morrison's?
I order online and usually go to Sainsburys or Asda. I will look out for them on Morrisons on Amazon though. I did actually have an order come today from Sainsburys and I ordered Sainsbury's No Added Sugar Dark Chocolate 100g. I was looking forward to it but alas, it was not to be. A bottle of Pepsi Max had popped open in the van and flooded the crate it was in, which included the chocolate. I'll have to try again next time.
Very please as I weighed myself today and I've lost 7lbs since the 4th, so that's, what, 16 days? I'm pleased with that.
Thanks for sharing that recipe PaperMonster They sound delish. I'm tempted to give them a go! (I can't cook/bake. One of my cakes was a packet mix and it came out like a giant lump of mush. I still ate it though and it tasted delicious. Silly family for not joining in and having some and commenting negatively on my baking prowess. .)

To be honest the Sainsbury chocolate has a similar amount of carbs in to a normal chocolate bar (sorry). Such a swizz.

Wow that weight loss is amazing well done! I've been drinking cloudy lemonade which is delicious and cheap too.

@WreckTangled have you tried the no carb pasta from Holland & Barrett? It’s useful for bulking out meals. I had the wraps from CarbZone to take on holiday last year and I liked them!

Is that the slim pasta? I've had the rice version, I didn't mind it but it gave me awful heartburn! I usually have the Aldi low carb pasta in the cupboard but again it's not as nice as the carbzone one.

have you tried the no carb pasta from Holland & Barrett
Forgive me for butting in, but is it any good? I tried the zero calorie pasta a few years ago and it was like eating rubber. No matter how many times you chewed, it wouldn't break down! Is the H&B pasta similar to 'normal' pasta, or a bit chewy? TIA

To be honest the Sainsbury chocolate has a similar amount of carbs in to a normal chocolate bar (sorry). Such a swizz.
Aww. Was lucky then I suppose that the fizzy did pop.
I have tried today a couple of Diablo cookies. Here
They tasted OK. I'd buy them again.

^Hope that doesn't link to my account?

@73kittycat73

^Hope that doesn't link to my account?

No it doesn't don't worry.

The h&b pasta (if I'm thinking of the same one) is the one that smells like fish so you have to rinse it lots first. It is 'wet' in texture I think it'd be good in a ramen or something but not so good with Bolognese.

Thank you WreckTangled Also for the pasta explanation. You're a .

The H&B one is their own version on the SlimPasta, so would probably give you heartburn I bet! It’s about half the price though. I don’t find it particularly chewy - I don’t have it very often, and it does smell very fishy until you’ve rinsed it. But it’s a nice change I find. I didn’t like the no carb rice though, oddly! That was a texture thing. I do love Lo-Dough as well but only when made as pizzas, I don’t like them as wraps.

@PaperMonster made the scones this morning. OMG lush. Thanks

@travailtotravel - that’s good to hear!

I might try the scones tomorrow. Would milk work in place of cream? I don't tend to buy that. And I've run out of yoghurt. But I'm not shopping till I need more veg.