Type 2 How do you deal with spontaneity in food?

[HSSS]

But I’m scared that something will go wrong.

. Fear/ lack of control

It’s when things change and I don’t have them things on me. Sometimes life changes st the last minute and you can’t be prepared for all eventualities.

you’ve been given lots of ideas that can be kept in the car for any eventuality

But I’m scared that something will go wrong.

fear. Of what? What will go wrong?

I am driving instructor so think that’s where fear is.

fear

I hate that feeling of sicky and groggy you get. I still get that in the 5s. Today I’ve got it and I’m 6.

so it’s not a true hypo. Is it even related to blood sugars? Or hunger? Or food at all?

I think as well I just don’t know what my body will do. I think the fear is I can’t trust it anymore.

fear/lack of control

I think partly it’s because if I’m in a lesson and maybe I need to eat I struggle with concentration and talking

why do you feel you need to eat right then?

I can be fine at start of lesson but within an hour feel tired, hungry etc and then I’m a bit stuck

that’s a very rapid descent into ravenous make you feel ill type of hunger - are you sure that’s what it is? Can you prevent it?

I’m barely eating any but there wasn’t really anything else that could replace it.

lots of things can replace it. Loads listed.

With the bread I don’t know what else to have. I’m eating so few carbs if I don’t have that (I take all day to eat a small bread roll).
I have a few grams (maybe 7 or 8) of porridge in the morning just for some carbs.

. There is no minimium requirement for carbs.

I might be reading more into it than is there and I don’t want to hassle you (I’m hoping to help not hurt) but I’m seeing a lot of fear in your comments and I honestly am missing what you are afraid of. I see a lot of comments about how all of a sudden you feel you need to eat when it’s not a bgl low. I totally understand the need to feel focussed in your job and feeling unwell doesn’t make that easy.

I just think you need to understand what’s making you feel that way in order to address it. Eg:
More food before teaching? especially stuff that keeps you full longer ie fats.
More snacks that are able to be kept in the car for changes of plan days (ideas throughout the thread )
Be willing to take the time to stop and buy something you do want to eat.
Identify if it is really hunger and being ok mentally with feeling that hunger for a short while, until after the lesson at least.
If it’s not really hunger working out what it is? Needing control? Fear of hypo? Resenting the choices you have to make now?

When you worked before diagnosis you say you snacked on sandwiches crisps etc. When? Why do you think low carb alternatives that can be straight swapped for them at the same times arent working?

Edit to add : no need to actually answer me. Just points to think on

 

[woollygal]

. Fear/ lack of control
you’ve been given lots of ideas that can be kept in the car for any eventuality
fear. Of what? What will go wrong?
fear
so it’s not a true hypo. Is it even related to blood sugars? Or hunger? Or food at all?
fear/lack of control
why do you feel you need to eat right then?
that’s a very rapid descent into ravenous make you feel ill type of hunger - are you sure that’s what it is? Can you prevent it?
lots of things can replace it. Loads listed.
. There is no minimium requirement for carbs.

I might be reading more into it than is there and I don’t want to hassle you (I’m hoping to help not hurt) but I’m seeing a lot of fear in your comments and I honestly am missing what you are afraid of. I see a lot of comments about how all of a sudden you feel you need to eat when it’s not a bgl low. I totally understand the need to feel focussed in your job and feeling unwell doesn’t make that easy.

I just think you need to understand what’s making you feel that way in order to address it. Eg:
More food before teaching? especially stuff that keeps you full longer ie fats.
More snacks that are able to be kept in the car for changes of plan days (ideas throughout the thread )
Be willing to take the time to stop and buy something you do want to eat.
Identify if it is really hunger and being ok mentally with feeling that hunger for a short while, until after the lesson at least.
If it’s not really hunger working out what it is? Needing control? Fear of hypo? Resenting the choices you have to make now?

When you worked before diagnosis you say you snacked on sandwiches crisps etc. When? Why do you think low carb alternatives that can be straight swapped for them at the same times arent working?

Edit to add : no need to actually answer me. Just points to think on

You are helping not hurting thank you.

I do take everything on board even if it takes me longer to actually do it.

 

[woollygal]

Cana - Can I suggest you buy yourself a clip top box, maybe about the size of a shoebox, or a little smaller maybe, and fill it with LC grabbables. By grabbables I mean packs of nuts, maybe pepperami, pork scratchings, protein bars and so on.

On that basis, you can forget about it, but if you are caught out, you have something suitable to eat. It might not be exactly what you fancy at that moment, but you have suitable food to get you over the hump.

If you dip into the box contents, just replace them on your next routine shop.

It's just a different sort of preparation.

Perhaps folks here would have a few more ideas of things that are effectively long life and need not be refrigerated.

That’s a good idea thank you.
I bought pepperami today.

Think I get lost with what to eat because all the stuff I can now eat is stuff I’ve avoided, been told I wasn’t allowed to eat all my life.
So it doesn’t occur to me.

Can pepperami be kept out of the fridge?

 

[HSSS]

You are helping not hurting thank you.

I do take everything on board even if it takes me longer to actually do it.

Phew! I was hoping repetition reinforced the points not felt like an attack.

 

[woollygal]

Phew! I was hoping repetition reinforced the points not felt like an attack.

I believe diabetes made me stupid.

I firmly believe I was far more with it and intelligent prior to diagnosis. My brain just doesn’t seem to work anymore!

The simplest of things and I just get lost!

 

[DCUKMod]

That’s a good idea thank you.
I bought pepperami today.

Think I get lost with what to eat because all the stuff I can now eat is stuff I’ve avoided, been told I wasn’t allowed to eat all my life.
So it doesn’t occur to me.

Can pepperami be kept out of the fridge?

It's not something I enjoy myself, but I'm pretty sure so. I mean like the mini pepparami in a sealed package, as opposed to deli sliced salami.

Others may have thoughts.

Perhaps a new thread asking for ideas for LC snacks not requiring a fridge. Other folks are way more resourceful than I am.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Have you thought about having a jolly good breakfast before you start work with plenty of protein and fats, no carbs or very few carbs? This really should fill you up and keep you going for a long time. You could have a fry up (eggs, 2 or 3 rashers of bacon, a tomato, plenty of mushrooms, a high meat content sausage) followed by a Greek yogurt with 2 strawberries, or coffee with double cream. Or something similar.

 

[woollygal]

Have you thought about having a jolly good breakfast before you start work with plenty of protein and fats, no carbs or very few carbs? This really should fill you up and keep you going for a long time. You could have a fry up (eggs, 2 or 3 rashers of bacon, a tomato, plenty of mushrooms, a high meat content sausage) followed by a Greek yogurt with 2 strawberries, or coffee with double cream. Or something similar.

I do.
I have at bacon egg (amount depends on day ahead) so usually 2 of each of a normal day with tomato and then a few grams of porridge just for the carbs.


Having said that does it matter where the carbs come from?

I was thinking as long as it’s a small amount and doesn’t spike it’s ok?

Hence tiny amount of porridge in morning and bits of roll through day if needed.

 

[WuTwo]

That’s a good idea thank you.
I bought pepperami today.

Think I get lost with what to eat because all the stuff I can now eat is stuff I’ve avoided, been told I wasn’t allowed to eat all my life.
So it doesn’t occur to me.

Can pepperami be kept out of the fridge?

Pepperoni sticks aren't in the fridge. They come wrapped - there are adverts on the telly that I've seen. I have never eaten them but they sound like the same thing?

 

[woollygal]

Pepperoni sticks aren't in the fridge. They come wrapped - there are adverts on the telly that I've seen. I have never eaten them but they sound like the same thing?

Yea looks like it. In tesco they were in chiller which is what confused me. But does say doesn’t need refrigeration

 

[lovinglife]

Reading through all your posts and the meds you're on you don't need carbs at all in any amount - it is very hard to get our heads round this at first after years and years of conditioning that carbs are good fats are bad.

You don't need the porridge at breakfast or the rolls to nibble - your bloods are fine in the 5s. In my opinion eating carbs this way is what's making your blood sugar bounce around a little bit and even if it's not spiking you but even with a little nibble of a roll you are signalling to your body that food is coming and it throws out insulin to deal with it.

It's thevfalse hypo feelings that are making you panic and feel lousy. You need to ride these out and just cope with feeling for a while until your body realises its happy in this place.

Have your bacon egg, tomato, mushroom brekkie is good keep on with that - drop the porridge- it's a tiny amount but its carbs all the same that could be fueling your hunger pangs and messing with your blood sugar. A nice low carb lunch of protein fats and some salad or veggies. Low carb dinner in the evening. Definitely drop nibbling on the rolls There is really no reason to snack unless you have tested and you are below 4.

Also the feelings you are getting may be more feelings produced by anxiety and panic rather than anything to do with blood sugar levels - they can be similar

 

[lovinglife]

Pepperoni sticks aren't in the fridge. They come wrapped - there are adverts on the telly that I've seen. I have never eaten them but they sound like the same thing?

They are a fridge product but I carry one sometimes and they are fine 4 hours out of the fridge

 

[Freema]

I believe diabetes made me stupid.

I firmly believe I was far more with it and intelligent prior to diagnosis. My brain just doesn’t seem to work anymore!

The simplest of things and I just get lost!

initially when people are going very low carb most experience the "low carb flu" where one's brain feels like one has the flu, most being strict end up not having it after a fortnight ... those doing 20 gram of carbs in total in a day.

I have never been able to go that low... my brain used to feel like having a "low carb flu " for 14 years so I have a hard time facing going through that again on purpose... but that said , when my daughter in some months is moving away from home I´ll try to go that low again... or more often..

many type 2 can get totally healthy blood glucose normal numbers if they count all their grams of carbs in a day and stay under 100 grams in total, Some can even do it on 150 grams of carbs in total... this is of cause what we all want to strive for ; getting back to normal healthy numbers and not have to fear our future and all the horribly scaring diseases and conditions that a constantly raised blood glucose do create over time.

Do you count ALL the carbs in your food every day ? if not I would advise you to do that,,, and if you decide to stay low or lower carb, I would specifically suggest you save 1/3 of your daily carb to your working time, where you use your brain and concentration very much... our brain uses around about 20 % of our energy and mostly blood glucose either from carb or the body itself transforms proteins into blood glucose in adequate amounts, well the brain is made by almost pure fat and proteins but it runs on blood glucose or in rare cases (like very low carb eating style) ketones...
I would suggest you do count all grams of carbs so that you know for sure you don't eat more carbs than you think you do... and measure your morning numbers every morning so you know if you are in the normal range in general...

You'll end up being happy to have total control and avoid getting all this adding horror stuff type 2 can lead to...
but maybe your brain needs a little more carb while in your job, you´ll just need to avoid the carb more in your private time then... I think you can twist it all so it fits your special needs.

I have also out of fear had a very hard time eating the very high-fat amounts that the low carb eating style leads to.. as I have har raised cholesterol many years... but to tell you a secret. I have never been eating more fat than now maybe 10 times what I used to eat (the very low fat maybe also was what contributed to me becoming diabtic) and now my cholesterol LDL has never been lower....

 

[Mr_Pot]

They are a fridge product but I carry one sometimes and they are fine 4 hours out of the fridge

They are individually wrapped and don't require refrigeration. I usually take some on holidays as a standby and that can be 2 weeks or more. I think they are on the refrigerated shelves in the supermarket only because that is where you expect to find cooked meats.

 

[Freema]

Yea looks like it. In tesco they were in chiller which is what confused me. But does say doesn’t need refrigeration

in the old day this kind of food was made hanging beside the chimney , dried and hot and salted

 

[woollygal]

I did try to count carbs but got infuriated and gave up when some of the things weren’t found on the app so I couldn’t add them. Seemed a bit pointless.

Today went back to try and added my phd bar that I had earlier. It’s added it as 22g carbs which it isn’t.

This is the low carb program app which is rubbish.

Anyone use an app to count carbs that is reliable and has most things on it including accurate.

 

[woollygal]

initially when people are going very low carb most experience the "low carb flu" where one's brain feels like one has the flu, most being strict end up not having it after a fortnight ... those doing 20 gram of carbs in total in a day.

I have never been able to go that low... my brain used to feel like having a "low carb flu " for 14 years so I have a hard time facing going through that again on purpose... but that said , when my daughter in some months is moving away from home I´ll try to go that low again... or more often..

many type 2 can get totally healthy blood glucose normal numbers if they count all their grams of carbs in a day and stay under 100 grams in total, Some can even do it on 150 grams of carbs in total... this is of cause what we all want to strive for ; getting back to normal healthy numbers and not have to fear our future and all the horribly scaring diseases and conditions that a constantly raised blood glucose do create over time.

Do you count ALL the carbs in your food every day ? if not I would advise you to do that,,, and if you decide to stay low or lower carb, I would specifically suggest you save 1/3 of your daily carb to your working time, where you use your brain and concentration very much... our brain uses around about 20 % of our energy and mostly blood glucose either from carb or the body itself transforms proteins into blood glucose in adequate amounts, well the brain is made by almost pure fat and proteins but it runs on blood glucose or in rare cases (like very low carb eating style) ketones...
I would suggest you do count all grams of carbs so that you know for sure you don't eat more carbs than you think you do... and measure your morning numbers every morning so you know if you are in the normal range in general...

You'll end up being happy to have total control and avoid getting all this adding horror stuff type 2 can lead to...
but maybe your brain needs a little more carb while in your job, you´ll just need to avoid the carb more in your private time then... I think you can twist it all so it fits your special needs.

I have also out of fear had a very hard time eating the very high-fat amounts that the low carb eating style leads to.. as I have har raised cholesterol many years... but to tell you a secret. I have never been eating more fat than now maybe 10 times what I used to eat (the very low fat maybe also was what contributed to me becoming diabtic) and now my cholesterol LDL has never been lower....

That’s why I have porridge in morning and till during day. At home I don’t eat any. Weekends I just eat breakfast without porridge and no rolls.

At home st night I don’t have anything other than meat and salad or veg.

 

[HSSS]

initially when people are going very low carb most experience the "low carb flu" where one's brain feels like one has the flu, most being strict end up not having it after a fortnight ... those doing 20 gram of carbs in total in a day.

I have never been able to go that low... my brain used to feel like having a "low carb flu " for 14 years so I have a hard time facing going through that again on purpose... but that said , when my daughter in some months is moving away from home I´ll try to go that low again... or more often..

many type 2 can get totally healthy blood glucose normal numbers if they count all their grams of carbs in a day and stay under 100 grams in total, Some can even do it on 150 grams of carbs in total... this is of cause what we all want to strive for ; getting back to normal healthy numbers and not have to fear our future and all the horribly scaring diseases and conditions that a constantly raised blood glucose do create over time.

Do you count ALL the carbs in your food every day ? if not I would advise you to do that,,, and if you decide to stay low or lower carb, I would specifically suggest you save 1/3 of your daily carb to your working time, where you use your brain and concentration very much... our brain uses around about 20 % of our energy and mostly blood glucose either from carb or the body itself transforms proteins into blood glucose in adequate amounts, well the brain is made by almost pure fat and proteins but it runs on blood glucose or in rare cases (like very low carb eating style) ketones...
I would suggest you do count all grams of carbs so that you know for sure you don't eat more carbs than you think you do... and measure your morning numbers every morning so you know if you are in the normal range in general...

You'll end up being happy to have total control and avoid getting all this adding horror stuff type 2 can lead to...
but maybe your brain needs a little more carb while in your job, you´ll just need to avoid the carb more in your private time then... I think you can twist it all so it fits your special needs.

I have also out of fear had a very hard time eating the very high-fat amounts that the low carb eating style leads to.. as I have har raised cholesterol many years... but to tell you a secret. I have never been eating more fat than now maybe 10 times what I used to eat (the very low fat maybe also was what contributed to me becoming diabtic) and now my cholesterol LDL has never been lower....

Most doing low carb move past the carb flu not just those doing keto. You could just call it sugar or carb withdrawal. Once withdrawn it goes away. Not everyone gets it anyway, either because they adjust slowly or they just get lucky and don’t. High sugars (and other conditions like low iron or b12, menopause and thyroid problems etc) also cause brain fog so having it for 14 yrs is unlikely to be related to low carb. Though I understand you’d not want more of it, a couple of weeks after all that time is a drop in the ocean if it breaks you out of it.

You’re right some do achieve great numbers at 100g. Lots do need to eat lower than that though, at least until they’ve improve insulin resistance somewhat first. The liver is cable of producing glucose for the brain from protein.

If you tried low carb without raising fats this probably made you feel pretty lifeless as you had little energy source of any kind. Maybe now you eat more fat it would work better. The low fat doesn’t actually cause diabetes. It’s the high carb that usually goes along side it that causes problems. It’s great that your cholesterol has improved disproving your fears about increasing fats.

 

[HSSS]

That’s why I have porridge in morning and till during day. At home I don’t eat any. Weekends I just eat breakfast without porridge and no rolls.

At home st night I don’t have anything other than meat and salad or veg.

And do you feel better at weekends? Are you creating the carb rollercoaster by eating it weekdays for breakfast? I think so. Try a larger fattier breakfast and no carbs instead for a few days and see what happens. You don’t need the carbs. Weekends prove that.

 

[woollygal]

And do you feel better at weekends? Are you creating the carb rollercoaster by eating it weekdays for breakfast? I think so. Try a larger fattier breakfast and no carbs instead for a few days and see what happens. You don’t need the carbs. Weekends prove that.

No carbs at all?
Don’t we need some even a tiny amount?
Or does the natural carbs in food cover that?

I am fine at weekends but then I’m at home where nothing can happen or I’m close to things.