I fear that I may be heading for diabetic burnout. I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in March during chemotherapy. Initially I was put on insulin and Diamicron. I came off the drugs and started a very low carb diet in May. It went well and I had to keep to about 20-30 grams of carb per day to keep under my target of 8.5. Then more recently I discovered the effects of vigorous exercise. I was able to drive my glucose level down by 2-4 millimolar through exercise. For a month all went well. My average glucose was 6.9 and I was in target between 90% and 95% of the time. But because of the effectiveness of exercise (3 times per day) I started to indulge in foods I should not be eating such as muesli, bread, biscuits and small amounts of dark chocolates. I just burn off the glucose before it rises. However my willpower to stay on low carb is decreasing s and I’m eating more of the wrong foods. I find the whole diabetic experience stressful and depressing.
Diabetic burnout
- Thread starter James1805
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ert
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It's really difficult and you've made terrific progress. I think of my diagnosis as an allergy, like a nut allergy except for it's carbohydrates. I have a friend whose daughter has a nut and dairy allergy, which is worse as she goes into anaphylactic shock. I don't eat carbohydrates because I can't process them.
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Hello and welcome,
I am a carboholic- like @ert I consider my diagnosis as an allergy. I also know I am an addict and that carbs are addictive for me. I find that by staying very low carb I have the cravings less. I mean that I would always like some of the things but I find it easier to resist if I have none. Like an alcoholic- one drink is not enough and one drink is too much.
But that is me. When I was first diagnosed I did have a hope that if I tackled it very strongly I would be able to return to. more 'normal' diet. My GP certainly doesn't consider a LCHF diet as sustainable. I disagree now. I don't think I will ever be able to eat differently. I do get sad about that sometimes. I use artificial sweeteners and have things like diet jelly to help me. My longterm aim is to ditch them one day but mentally I am not yet ready.
You need to find a way to make any changes sustainable. We all have slightly different approaches and that is okay. What we all need to do is find our new normal. I think it can take some time for us to get mentally there as well as physically.
Good luck.
I am a carboholic- like @ert I consider my diagnosis as an allergy. I also know I am an addict and that carbs are addictive for me. I find that by staying very low carb I have the cravings less. I mean that I would always like some of the things but I find it easier to resist if I have none. Like an alcoholic- one drink is not enough and one drink is too much.
But that is me. When I was first diagnosed I did have a hope that if I tackled it very strongly I would be able to return to. more 'normal' diet. My GP certainly doesn't consider a LCHF diet as sustainable. I disagree now. I don't think I will ever be able to eat differently. I do get sad about that sometimes. I use artificial sweeteners and have things like diet jelly to help me. My longterm aim is to ditch them one day but mentally I am not yet ready.
You need to find a way to make any changes sustainable. We all have slightly different approaches and that is okay. What we all need to do is find our new normal. I think it can take some time for us to get mentally there as well as physically.
Good luck.
loiphamp
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I was diagnosis early 2016.On 2016 still normal diet until I found UK forum talk about low carb diet so I kept going low carb until 2020 now I can eat anything I want without medication.(pizza,bread,noodles,pasta.......etc..)
JenniferM55
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You're doing so well. It's easy for me to say, but have you considered logging everything you eat including their carb/fat/protein content? Analysing the effect of each morsel on your BG level? Have a 'play' around to see which foods are spiking insulin. I appear to be really sensitive to fructose, a couple of strawberries makes me ravenous.
I'm guessing the low carb diet got things working for you again and gave your body a rest but what if the current build up of eating high carb gets you back to where you were at the start? I don't think low carb cures the way your body works, I believe if you are glucose intolerant then you always will be.
MrsA2
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Hi James
Sounds like your body has already been through a lot, so rather than fighting it try to work with it, and having diabetes is only a part of the picture. Yes exercise can help but too much rigorous exercise becomes unsustainable, as does too restrictive a diet.
Try to be a bit kinder and more gentle with yourself, you and your body have had a traumatic time and a diabetes diagnosis on top must be very stressful. Its only natural to go through a whole range of emotions and reactions. In time you will find a way of being diabetic but also having other parts of your life in balance too. It is going to be part of your life for ever so try to accept
Sounds like your body has already been through a lot, so rather than fighting it try to work with it, and having diabetes is only a part of the picture. Yes exercise can help but too much rigorous exercise becomes unsustainable, as does too restrictive a diet.
Try to be a bit kinder and more gentle with yourself, you and your body have had a traumatic time and a diabetes diagnosis on top must be very stressful. Its only natural to go through a whole range of emotions and reactions. In time you will find a way of being diabetic but also having other parts of your life in balance too. It is going to be part of your life for ever so try to accept
Hi James1805,
I think you went off track by thinking that you are the one person in the world that can out-run or out-cycle a poor Diet!
What you eat affects your BG much more than drugs or exercise do - insulin is the exception.
Don't think of what you eat as a 'diet' think of it as a way of eating that will keep you healthy for the rest of your long life if you are able to keep doing it. Low Carb High(er) traditional Fat is so flexible that it is even possible for vegans to do it.
It is sustainable and should also be enjoyable.
Unfortunately most of us have spent decades eating high carb - sugars, tropical fruits, refined flour, starchy veg that it feels like a part of our culture. So we occasionally fall off the wagon. - That is OK so long as we recognise what has happened and don't try to make excuses about 'working it off'.
I think you went off track by thinking that you are the one person in the world that can out-run or out-cycle a poor Diet!
What you eat affects your BG much more than drugs or exercise do - insulin is the exception.
Don't think of what you eat as a 'diet' think of it as a way of eating that will keep you healthy for the rest of your long life if you are able to keep doing it. Low Carb High(er) traditional Fat is so flexible that it is even possible for vegans to do it.
It is sustainable and should also be enjoyable.
Unfortunately most of us have spent decades eating high carb - sugars, tropical fruits, refined flour, starchy veg that it feels like a part of our culture. So we occasionally fall off the wagon. - That is OK so long as we recognise what has happened and don't try to make excuses about 'working it off'.
