to have no sympathy for people who suffer from low sugar

[roisin]

OK, here's the scenario. Perfectly medically fit and healthy person claims they are trying to lose weight, but every 2 hours or so they 'have to eat' something high-sugar because otherwise their 'blood sugar levels drop' and they feel unwell.

Now in my rudimentary understanding of the biology of weight loss your blood sugar levels have to drop, as that is precisely the point at which your body realises it needs to start converting body fat to sugar to supply energy; so that is exactly the point where you will start losing weight. And if you eat at that point then you won't lose weight.

Clearly I don't suffer from low blood sugar levels. As I generally have 3 meals a day, and rarely snack at all inbetween those meals.

So AIBU? Is this something 'real' that I should have some real sympathy for?

sorry haven't read all thread

i have pcos as well, and believe i have insulin resistance (have never had a gtt test), am also overweight, because it's like a lobster pot - easy to gain weight, hard to lose - overweight women with PCOS have to eat 25% less than other women to maintain the same weight.

i'd agree the sugary snacks are annoying, plus also going on about it is annoying - it needs dealing with but it's not exactly terminal is it

i have most trouble with travel - if i haven't eaten for a long time i will puke on buses etc

but it's just a question of carrying a few carrots/nuts or whatever

so sort of yabu if people are doing a 'I'm terribly ill, me' about it, but yanbu if you don't think it's real

I read on a website awhile ago that dried apricots are low GI...is this wrong then? I have an extremely sweet tooth - probably why i have stuck with them for so long!

A chap at the gym explained to me that if you eat a little and often you don't get big highs and lows of sugar in your blood.

It maintains the level and you don't get that ravenous feeling which might lead you to eat the wrong things if you are trying to lose weight ie sugary/ high fat food.

Eating a little and often of the correct things should enable you to control your hunger.

That's the theory. But I over-ride it because I'll scoff chocolate whether or not I am actually hungry!

I need to eat every couple of hours or I get shaky, dizzy and start to feel anxious, if I leave it much longer after starting to feel like this then I feel even worse and it's hard to concentrate or do anything properly so I make sure I eat regularly. I'm a size 8 btw so it's nothing to do with being overweight. I rarely eat chocolate or sweets either.

oh bovver, the other way round with the yanbu

yes you are being fucking unreasonable. pass me a biscuit.

actually it is true that some people can cope with low blood sugar levels better than others, just like some cope with lack of sleep better than others. I do find going without food for too long makes me really irritable, but it doesn't seem to affect dh.

Godzilla, I think dried apricots are lower GI than say, orange juice because they have a lot of fibre that needs breaking down to release the sugar. But not low GI per se. I wouldn't rely on them too much if you are eating them on their own without anything else to soften the impact of the sugar.

MargoandJerry...Thanks, i will try having nuts with them from now on. I am off to the doc's (again) on Wed to request testing for insulin resistance, and i am not taking no for an answer (this time).

I am hoping if i see an endocrinologist that they give me a diet sheet of some sort - but i will struggle to give up the coca cola anyway as i have been addicted to the sugar in it for years now.

I think some of you are over-reacting a bit on here. I suffered like this when I was pregnant - not sure altogether why, maybe related to my blood pressure dropping from its usual fairly low level. I am not normally so bad (unless hungover ). But anyone who need to eat a mars bar every two hours is going to struggle to lose weight.

I've had umpteen glucose challenges.
I am also reasonably slim and find it hard to put weight (despite eating like a goodun) on but not skinny, just lower mid of healthy BMI (but then my boobs alone weigh 3/4 stone so hmm)

I get so bad sometimes, irritable, shaky, dizzy, headache, tongue feels all thick and talking is hard, then I faint. I always carry raisins, carton of OJ for quick fix in emergency.

hmmm...thinking of setting up a support thread to gain advice.

I find that if i get really hungry, then i need to eat so much to 'recover' whilst if i didn't 'let it go' then i dont need to eat so much. anyone else the same?

and yes, i do have a healthy bmi. wish i was really skinny to compensate!

Anyone care to join me?

YABVUNI

My DH and my DS (2.5) both suffer from hypoglycemia.

There are many symptoms, including dizzyness, nausea, aggression/short-tempered/irritability/degeneration of temperament, ketones/change in smell of breath.

They dont necessarily need to eat a 'sugary' snack. Just eat something regularly. DH has been like this since he was a 6ft 1, 11 stone builder, and DS is definitely not obese.

It's not a "pile of shite" or any such like. But it's nice to know that there are people out there who sympathise

bracingair yes I've noticed that too. If I let myself get into that state it takes a lot to slow my system down again and I can't repair myself with a handful of nuts whereas if I'm on top of it, a handful of nuts will keep me going until a proper meal. I don't feel right again until a good few hours later.

bracingair yes I've noticed that too. If I let myself get into that state it takes a lot to slow my system down again and I can't repair myself with a handful of nuts whereas if I'm on top of it, a handful of nuts will keep me going until a proper meal. I don't feel right again until a good few hours later.

And actually, having such a finely honed sense of smell means I can actually determine before most people with diabetes or hypoglycemia themselves realise, that their blood sugar levels are dropping and can tell them to eat.

So either it exists, or I am clearly mental.

No-one needs to answer this

That sounds like a prime example of how many people may end up binge eating. So in order to prevent over-eating we need to make sure we eat small amounts of slow-energy-releasing foods inbetween meals. So snacking is good so long as it's the right snack? And when i fancy a cheese slice at 10am after breakfast at 7.30 it's normal (provided i am insulin resistant and it's not just my imagination)?

Yes, me too, bracingair ! If I think "ooH it's been 2 hours since breakfast" or "I'm feeling just a little hungry now " , I can manage with a couple of oatcakes or a few nuts/seeds. once I get seriously hungry thiugh, it takes way longer to fix.

I'm doing everything i can dietwise, so all I can do is just try to manage it as best I can.

QV

Snort I offer no comment.

smell blood sugar levels?

YANBU to disapprove of dieting techniques. Starvation is not a good thing because it alters metabolism so that you hang onto calories instead of using them.

I've been WW'ing for 10 weeks now, and have been losing 1-2 lbs a week (the recommended amount). Except in the first couple of days, I have never felt hungry, and have certainly been nowhere near low blood sugar.

What I have learnt from WW'ing is the value of a healthy, balanced diet, with smaller portion sizes than I was used to. This is a life-long diet, rather than a yo-yo one.

bozza, who suggested eating a mars bar? Far from it in fact.

Bracingair, I'll join you on the support thread.

YABU.
It's a medical thing. Hypo glycaemia.

Of course, someone with the condition OUGHT to sort out low GI foods and timings. It's counter productive to hit the sugar. But it is a real condition and they really do feel awful when the blood sugar drops.

No. Best not to [menacing]

[low blood sugar]

It is a real condition. I had the extended glucose tests a while ago. First I passed out on a train and broke my nose. Then I passed out in the bath and sunk under the water, luckily exp waked in just in time. The test at the hospital had to be interrupted for me to have a sugary drink as my levels dropped too low for them to carry on. Not nice, having your fingers pricked for blood over several hours. Certain foods (pasta/potatoes etc) make me really sleepy after eating them so I tend to avoid if I'm out or looking after the children on my own.

Of course eating chocs etc makes the problem worse. It's just not always easy to get your hands on healthier options if you don't plan ahead. I usually always carry something with me now but not always easy to prioritise snacks for myself when trying to remember all the bits I need to leave the hosue with the DCs. DH didn't believe it till he saw first hand how fast I spiral downwards, moody then tearful then lethargic then pass out...

lets start here