What’s your hardest struggle with diabetes?

flexi06

Well-Known Member
Messages
373
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hardest struggle is all around weight loss.

I've given up a lot of my Earthly pleasures such as homemade bread and homemade chips and I eat a fraction of what I used to eat but my weight seems stuck around the 12 stone 2 pounds level.
I am reasonably active and eat LCHF (with a few lapses) but I would have to starve myself to get down to my target weight of 11 stone 7 pounds (what I weighed in my late teens).

I would love to run, but my legs and especially my feet are just not up to it any more.

I enjoy cycling, but various dodgy calculations suggest that I would have to cycle for 2.5 to 3.5 hours just to burn off a pound of fat.

I've recently had foot problems (probably strained tendons on top of my left foot) which stopped me walking, and my knees are fairly knackered.

So exercise is complicated.

I find that I cannot give up booze long term as it is a relaxant and rounds off a pretty good day into a really great day. Beer is both my friend and my enemy.

Associated with this, I find it hard not to be critical (and possibly a little envious) of all those who are carrying a lot of excess weight. I tell myself that they may have IR and not be able to help themselves. However if I could weigh a couple of stone more and not have to compromise my lifestyle in any way I suspect that I might take it.

I have not tried it myself yet but I learned on a course that triple cooked chips (cooked, cooled reheated x2 are lower carb than normal- due to molecular changes and fibre increasing- so maybe you could have your home cooked chips if you wanna go the extra mile
 

LittleGreyCat

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,233
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
I have not tried it myself yet but I learned on a course that triple cooked chips (cooked, cooled reheated x2 are lower carb than normal- due to molecular changes and fibre increasing- so maybe you could have your home cooked chips if you wanna go the extra mile

Thanks.

Sadly that is the start of the slippery slope for me. I cope better with just giving things up completely.
 
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NewTD2

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,563
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Not having the freedom anymore to go to an “Eat All I Can ‘Til I Literally Drop Dead (gorgeous) Chinese Buffet.”

Sob !!!!

Well I guess I can still go if I really really want to.
 

flexi06

Well-Known Member
Messages
373
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Thanks.

Sadly that is the start of the slippery slope for me. I cope better with just giving things up completely.

Yes me too- I’m an all or nothing type too. I give myself an inch and I will take 5 slices of hot buttered white toast. Lol
 
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LittleGreyCat

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,233
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
Just to add.

One unexpected problem is the weight loss.

My bum used to be nicely padded but now it is bony so it is uncomfortable sitting on hard surfaces!
 

Lilimp69

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Just to add.

One unexpected problem is the weight loss.

My bum used to be nicely padded but now it is bony so it is uncomfortable sitting on hard surfaces!

Lol! Had to reply to this! Know exactly what you mean! I have lost some weight but it has all disappeared from my rear - and it wasn’t huge to start with! I have been T2 for 6 years and still struggle with diet. I had no real support from gp as they started off telling me my bloods had to be between 4 and 7. This was really hard and I became quite depressed but no matter what I said regarding things like low carb, etc, they told me I couldn’t do it. This year, however, I went to a Diabetes UK day where I finally found doctors who happily recommended diet changes and I was finally able to ‘bully’ my gp into allowing me to find my own way with their monitoring. You have to push for help these days. I still have high readings in the morning which is annoying but they level out during the day. I found the nearest thing to my home made chips is using celeriac.
 

vmhall93

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Type 1
For me, i cant be tired, hungry, too happy, too active, grouchy, spritely or any other type of human mood without it being because im diabetic. Do you know what, im human just as much as you sometimes i just feel a bit poop (or feel happy) and want a glass of wine and a pizza!
This tends to go for distant relatives/colleagues...
 
Messages
7
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Dislikes
Swearing, Liars.
My main struggle is the finger prick testing daft it may seem, however as I am also on Anticoag Treatment for life with Warfarin, I have regular finger prick blood tests done for my INR (Clotting Speed) so I find I get frustrated ! Personally in a ideal world when the healthcare worker pricks my finger when testing my INR, I'd rather them squeeze that extra drop out to do BM too.
 

Grant_Vicat

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,176
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Dislikes
Intolerance, selfishness, rice pudding
Lol! Had to reply to this! Know exactly what you mean! I have lost some weight but it has all disappeared from my rear - and it wasn’t huge to start with! I have been T2 for 6 years and still struggle with diet. I had no real support from gp as they started off telling me my bloods had to be between 4 and 7. This was really hard and I became quite depressed but no matter what I said regarding things like low carb, etc, they told me I couldn’t do it. This year, however, I went to a Diabetes UK day where I finally found doctors who happily recommended diet changes and I was finally able to ‘bully’ my gp into allowing me to find my own way with their monitoring. You have to push for help these days. I still have high readings in the morning which is annoying but they level out during the day. I found the nearest thing to my home made chips is using celeriac.
@Lilimp69 and @LittleGreyCat After my transplant I went from 75kg to 61 in 2 weeks, mainly muscle wastage, especially from the padded cushion! My sister bought me an orthopedic cushion which was marvellous. I hope you at least manage to get the full benefit of sitting down - it's otherwise a pain in the...!
 

PatsyB

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,956
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes
Dawn phenomenon, why it shows itself I have no idea
 

zand

Master
Messages
10,784
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
My main problem since diagnosis is the same problem I have had for 30 years - how to lose weight.
 
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dogslife

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,287
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Unfairness/ use of offensive language.
Since diagnosis, it seems to take much longer to recover from other illnesses such as viruses, chest infections etc.
 

leahkian

Well-Known Member
Messages
302
Having laser treatment and then 5 ops on eyes before the age of 21, 4 ops on hands, the constant battle with diabetes leading to depression and having a kidney and pancreas transplant. The thing i hate most is what my children have had to see being in hospital, seeing my son breakdown in tears when i went for my transplant, not being able to do things with my children that other dads can do and getting angry because of the things i cannot do and taking it out on them. Trying to raise them as a single parent and feeling a failure by letting them down. The transplant took away the insulin but 36 years of diabetes had left me with a body of someone twice my age.
 

Kingmidas

Well-Known Member
Messages
206
I'm borderline prediabetic and joined the forum for advice about low carb diet, and reversing my pre-diabetes. What was hard for me initially was the delivery of the news by a very blunt GP who appeared to think it would have no impact on me when in fact I was really upset! Luckily the appointments I've had since with my 'favourite' doctor have been informative and reassuring.

Also with view to not being negative - having worked in a therapeutic environment for quite a while I learnt that moments of negativity are very necessary (as long as you don't get stuck there) and relentless positivity and not acknowledging that life can sometimes be a pile of poo is actually quite damaging! So have a vent, get it off your chest, then move on. Peace
 
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