sugar addiction

[Franseeley]

hi,

i have had type 1 diabetes for 2 years... my sugars have never been too bad... they have had very high moments but overall for first year was controlled. year 2 has been worse. and i know exactly why. i seem to have an addiction to sugar i can't get over. i know its the worst thing for a diabetic, but i can't stop eating it. i eat about 4/5 sweet things a day (chocolate bars/cake/biscuits). i dont know why i am doing it, maybe because i know its wrong and i am looking for the comfort in it. i feel really insecure i am putting on weight but cant stop myself. considering how much sugar i eat my sugar levels are not too bad, i take a lot of insulin to counteract. i wish i didnt take that much insulin, but the sugar gives me a satisfaction i can't seem to give up. i know this is probably a psychological problem but i dont know what to do/who to talk to get help?

 

[donnellysdogs]

Hi Fran

I really would book up a double appt at gp to tell and discuss the sugar cravings..

GP can't stop them, but may be able to suggest other helpful options.

Other questions...
Are you happy? Only thing is sometimes us humans can comfort eat...I'm the opposite.. I wont eat when I'm sad or stressed.
The more carbs and insulin you have... The more your body will crave...when you feed your cravings... Would you be able to stop just one feeding a day and do something different? Distraction of 2 mins can take cravings away, but you won't succeed necessarily if you try to stop cold turkey.

I hope I'm wrong but also some food cravings are linked to boredom as well. Do you have craving when busy?

I'm the opposite to you.. I'm so busy and active that I find it diffiult to fit in 'eating' and have to force myself to have breakfast.. Otherwise I would just have 1 meal a day if my hubby prepares it!!! When he at work in evenings.. I can easily go without food.. That would be totally non-eating. I dont do it because of fear or anorexia... Purely as I am so busy that I hate wating time sat down eating.

Hope this post will get bumped up now so that other people will answer you..

 

[mrman]

Hi, with eating that much sugar it might be that your basal is too high, and your body is craving sugar to replace what is being used by the long acting. I used to get terrible sugar cravings when my basal was too high. What sort of pre bed readings are you having, and your fasting result in the morning. This would give an indication.

Or, as you said its a coping mechanism for some underlying reason. Please discuss with your gp or dsn to get some proffesional advice. The thing is the more you have the more spikes you will have, most of which will go un noticed even with.regular testing, resulting in ups and downs and when on the down you will crave more. Viscous circle time. Please ask any questions you may have.

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[Seriously_Sax1989]

Hello I know exactly what u mean about sugar addiction as I get cravings as well and am really grumpy if I don't have something sweet!

I looked online to see if sugar addiction is actually recognised and to be fair it is a matter of who you talk to it seems, however my boyfriend found a site and it said its a psychological "addiction" which you can combat but you have to avoid ALL sources of sugar and takes a month or two before u can reintroduce it...

I'm not entirely convinced but I guess if u wanted to try it there are support groups out there!


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[Franseeley]

Hi all,

Thanks all for your feedback. Really really nice to have some support as I must admit I feel too embarrassed and ashamed to talk to my friends/family about it. Feel stupid for binging on sugar when I know how bad it is for me

I think the real reason is probably I am unhappy, and eating sugary food seems to be some kind of secret to myself that makes me feel better. I think I probably need some help getting off it as I tried not to eat sugar the last two days and ended up breaking down as I feel i cant cope without it. Feel like its probably a vicious cycle thing as the more sugar I eat the more insulin I take and more weight I put on. Which is making me unhappy and insecure. And when I get upset I turn to sugar.

I don't know who I should talk to about this if its psychological ?

Thanks



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[mrman]

No need to be embarrassed about it at all, im sure most of us all have our vices yours just seems to be sugar which is ok just not for a diabetic lol. Easier said than done.but you have to somehow think what is making you unhappy once you got the answer you are then empowered to plan how to change that, so you can then cope better with why you are unhappy, and also put a plan of action together, research etc.

Obviously stressfull also , but you really can't carry on binging on loads of extra sugar your body really doesn't need.

Any questions please ask, pm anything to help you. Great support here.

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[Franseeley]

Thank you. Really appreciated. I'll let you know how I get on and your support welcomed when I'm having weak moments thanks


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[Fraddycat]

Can you try to make yourself sugar free alternatives so that you get the sweet satisfaction without needing the insulin? Also try reading Dr Robert Lustig's Fat Chance. It will explain why hormones in our bodies make us crave sweet things. By adjusting your food environment you can take control. Don't beat yourself up, stress increases cortisol and cortisol makes you crave sweet things. Your body is sabotaging you but you can take control, read the book it will really help you to understand!

 

[donnellysdogs]

Sometimes easier to take each day as it comes.. 2 day stretches to start off with is like starving your body from something it soooooo enjoys!!!

Seriously, you got D for a longtime,?dont expect these cravings for sugar just to disappear over night.

Other posters here are right... Try some sugar free stuff as a swop for the morning or for the afternoon etc.. Then build up to cutting down on the sugary stuff.. Substitute some of them for sugar free...

Talk to gp or an hcp about unhappiness as well, they'll find out to what is right direction to improve your feelings.

Any step forward is in right direction... You'll get there.. Dont feel demoralised.

 

[the_exile]

Hi Franseeley,

I wouldn't beat yourself up over it, sugar is not bad for a type 1 diabetic, it's only bad for a type 1 diabetic if you're not controlling your insulin and sugar level (loads of people confuse type 2 diabetics with type 1, for type 2's sugar is bad news, type 1's it isn't if you're well controlled), if you walk around eating chocolate bars and not bolusing for it then yeah, that's bad news, I've been type 1 for nearly 25 years without a single complication, love my choclate bars and cakes etc 9I don't eat them every day granted, but I don't deny myself anything either just because I'm type 1), my levels have always been well controlled as I never miss injections (on a pump now as i don't get hypo warnings but was always strict with injections etc, never missed an injection in my life that I can remember).

I've had a toffee crisp and a double decker today, and 2 bags of crisps, not the best diet in the world but you sometimes have days like that where you're busy and just grab something quick and sweet for that sugar hit, so what, my sugar level hasn't been above 9.2 today and that was 2 hours after a double decker, control your levels, eat what you want. Just because you are a type 1 diabetic doesn't make chocolate or sweets any more dangerous for you than someone without type 1 diabetes, as long as you check often and control your sugar levels.

Relax, be sensible with your control and eat what you like.

 

[Andy12345]

ok now i want a double decker

im editing this to say, i watched lots of youtube videos and read lots of stuff about sugar and have somehow come to the conclusion that it is poison and now the thought of eating something sweet is horific, maybee you could look up what sugar is and scare yourself into avoiding it like i have. (or im completely mad and ignore everything i said )

Good Luck

 

[donnellysdogs]

Got to be able to have some treats occasionally.

Mine's m&s yum yums whilst working hard physically. Type 1, pump and 17g carb and delucious.. Fat no good I daresay, but I'm not a low carber. I eat same as 'normals' if they have bread and butter pudding so do I!!
If I want a bar of chocolate I will... But mine is all kept in proportion to **** good meat and veg...

I cant berate anyone for treats... So long as they can manage their bloods with them... That can prove hard for type 1. **** near impossible for a type 2.

 

[unhappy]

Hi all, I had a really bad meeting with a nurse at my GP surgery about 5 weeks ago insisting I am type 2 diabetic ??? The reasons why I'm unsure of this is because I've had no symptoms or problems and this came out of the blue. Because I questioned this diagnosis the nurse got angry and told me she wanted to put me on metformin which I refused as i want to find out first if I am really diabetic. Even though I was not over weight and didn't had a massive amount of sugar I decided to change my diet .... for five weeks I've not had any sugar/biscuits/chocolate/cake etc and have changed my bread to wholegrain, which tastes like cardboard !!! My problem now is I hate going into shops because they all have the treats i used to buy on sale to tempt me, the TV seems to constantly advertise sweet treats. Every where I turn there seems to be sugar filled treats on offer almost shouting eat me !! I was told that I would get used to this diet in time and not to give up. Its not helping me feel healthy and I don't have as much energy now as when i was on my unhealthy diet. I'm finding it difficult to get my head around why I seemed ok for 63 years and ate what I fancied with no side effects (I don't even know what a hypo or spike/high feels like) I almost feel like I've been given a jail sentence for bad behavior !! The only consolation is that I have lost some weight - 6.9kg in 5 weeks - and my BM results range between 4.5 and 6.3. However the result that got the nurse saying i was diabetic was only 7 and the highest ever in my life was 8.0 !!!

 

[hanadr]

I "allow" myself a square of dark chocolate per day. Knowing I can have it really helps
Hana
Yes i am a T2, but I look at "new posts"
H

 

[unhappy]

Now I've stopped it will have to stay that way as I know I wouldn't have the will power to start again going without and to only have a little on certain days. I would conveniently ' forget', for example when someone brings cakes into work or buys me a box of chocolates as a present etc. Now I'm just saying no and feeling very hard done by!! I would have found it easier if I'd had symptoms and been checked as this being a cause at least I would feel there was a good reason to deny myself this way. Its harder when I'm at home as I keep wandering into the kitchen only to find the only thing I can eat is fruit and I'm getting fed up with it as well !!

 

[Hellbunny]

I also feel like i have some bodily addiction to sugar! I'm just drastically cutting it out from tomorrow, i find it too difficult to do the moderation thing, unless i have a hypo that is then i'm going to just have abit of lucozade then back it up with toast. I find the 85% choc does the trick for my craving but sometimes its difficult. My partner loves chocolate/biscuits etc so when its staring at me in the cupboards its difficult to say no! lol

 

[chrissie1stella]

Hi all,

Thanks all for your feedback. Really really nice to have some support as I must admit I feel too embarrassed and ashamed to talk to my friends/family about it. Feel stupid for binging on sugar when I know how bad it is for me

I think the real reason is probably I am unhappy, and eating sugary food seems to be some kind of secret to myself that makes me feel better. I think I probably need some help getting off it as I tried not to eat sugar the last two days and ended up breaking down as I feel i cant cope without it. Feel like its probably a vicious cycle thing as the more sugar I eat the more insulin I take and more weight I put on. Which is making me unhappy and insecure. And when I get upset I turn to sugar.

I don't know who I should talk to about this if its psychological ?

Thanks



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[chrissie1stella]

Hi i am type 2 not 1 but am having the same problem with sweet things ,i just can't seem to stop myself from eating them i just crave them all day every day and i am on lantus solo and novo mix and i have found that since they have put me onto these 2 my cravings have really got bad has anyone else found this.

 

[rachy0121]

Honest to god the amount of times I crave chocolate or carby snacks and know that if I do I'll have to inject is unreal. I'd rather just not have them than have them and have to inject. But I know it's really really hard specially if your stressed or upset. Why not just try and limit yourself every day and wait until the craving gets too much the have that little bit of sugar? Xx


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[lollyann1]

I also feel like i have some bodily addiction to sugar! I'm just drastically cutting it out from tomorrow, i find it too difficult to do the moderation thing, unless i have a hypo that is then i'm going to just have abit of lucozade then back it up with toast. I find the 85% choc does the trick for my craving but sometimes its difficult. My partner loves chocolate/biscuits etc so when its staring at me in the cupboards its difficult to say no! lol

Hi

Hi

I just knew that when I was told I could not have sugar I began to become a 'rebel'. Sometimes it is perhaps just human nature. Now I eat certain things with sugar in but not often by any means. I have learned to be relaxed about it I am pleased to say. As soon as I stopped being stressed about it all my sugars returned to normal levels.

l