Hello all, brand new to the forum so go easy on me...!
I was diagnosed with Type 1 back in Summer of 2011 and am a male aged 23 (well, 20 at the time of diagnosis) and before my diagnosis you could describe me as someone who really binged on food - a typical evening might consist of clearing up a pack of 5 sausage rolls, a 2 litre bottle of diet (luckily) coke, a full sized 6 inch square millionaires shortbread pack, 3 or 4 packets of crisps, and usually some other stuff including bars of chocolate until I could barely eat anymore. Perhaps I wasn't binging by some standards but for me I would remain about 11 stone (5 ft 6 ") and that was just normal for me. Became diabetic and obviously type 1 luckily I was informed that it wasn't due to lifestyle which was at least some form of relief.
Instantly took on board the advice on the day I was diagnosed and went to the shop to buy brown bread, chicken breast, diet drinks, Quorn products and just anything I could find that was either zero or very low sugar and went a bit overkill with it to be honest, that kept up for a while but fast forward a few years to today and I am still massively struggling with the psychology of food. At first I felt down and resentment because all those unhealthy things I used to eat - I craved them so badly, they're almost addictive and I remember sitting with the diabetes nurse and dietician because I had gotten quite down about it.
Even today my diet is just not committed enough, lunch for example was a salad (good...) but with some form of cake and chocolate in smallish quantities, some cheese snack and a packet of crisps. Last night whilst out with friends they went to McDonalds, and as usual I couldn't help but pick up a chocolately McFlurry - and as I have heard perhaps twice before pretty much the entire group turned to me and in almost an intervention type situation reminded me that I shouldn't be eating it - that even one sugary snack is one too many. The problem is I know this, but because I was diagnosed so late in my life I feel it hard to break the relationship with food off - I could probably live just fine on salads and low sugar items but I cannot help it. My blood sugars are never generally high because I inject a lot more insulin (NovoRapid) to cater for it, but that doesn't solve the problem - everytime I mistreat my body and consume something stupid (yesterday - 3 doughnuts in one meal, I feel like the biggest idiot in the world) I get down and just think "that's x amount of time I've given away off the end of my time" and feel guilty. I do supplement some products to try and ease the problem in my head for example I would say im pretty hooked on Diet Coke/Pepsi because it tastes the same (to me anyway) as sugary coke and therefore in my head thats a "win", but actual foods dont work like that!
Has anyone else had this similar situation or relationship with foods? I dont know what it takes to cut off that compulsion in my head - all I want to do is "do the right thing".
Any advice? Sorry for the long post,
Cheers
Adam
I was diagnosed with Type 1 back in Summer of 2011 and am a male aged 23 (well, 20 at the time of diagnosis) and before my diagnosis you could describe me as someone who really binged on food - a typical evening might consist of clearing up a pack of 5 sausage rolls, a 2 litre bottle of diet (luckily) coke, a full sized 6 inch square millionaires shortbread pack, 3 or 4 packets of crisps, and usually some other stuff including bars of chocolate until I could barely eat anymore. Perhaps I wasn't binging by some standards but for me I would remain about 11 stone (5 ft 6 ") and that was just normal for me. Became diabetic and obviously type 1 luckily I was informed that it wasn't due to lifestyle which was at least some form of relief.
Instantly took on board the advice on the day I was diagnosed and went to the shop to buy brown bread, chicken breast, diet drinks, Quorn products and just anything I could find that was either zero or very low sugar and went a bit overkill with it to be honest, that kept up for a while but fast forward a few years to today and I am still massively struggling with the psychology of food. At first I felt down and resentment because all those unhealthy things I used to eat - I craved them so badly, they're almost addictive and I remember sitting with the diabetes nurse and dietician because I had gotten quite down about it.
Even today my diet is just not committed enough, lunch for example was a salad (good...) but with some form of cake and chocolate in smallish quantities, some cheese snack and a packet of crisps. Last night whilst out with friends they went to McDonalds, and as usual I couldn't help but pick up a chocolately McFlurry - and as I have heard perhaps twice before pretty much the entire group turned to me and in almost an intervention type situation reminded me that I shouldn't be eating it - that even one sugary snack is one too many. The problem is I know this, but because I was diagnosed so late in my life I feel it hard to break the relationship with food off - I could probably live just fine on salads and low sugar items but I cannot help it. My blood sugars are never generally high because I inject a lot more insulin (NovoRapid) to cater for it, but that doesn't solve the problem - everytime I mistreat my body and consume something stupid (yesterday - 3 doughnuts in one meal, I feel like the biggest idiot in the world) I get down and just think "that's x amount of time I've given away off the end of my time" and feel guilty. I do supplement some products to try and ease the problem in my head for example I would say im pretty hooked on Diet Coke/Pepsi because it tastes the same (to me anyway) as sugary coke and therefore in my head thats a "win", but actual foods dont work like that!
Has anyone else had this similar situation or relationship with foods? I dont know what it takes to cut off that compulsion in my head - all I want to do is "do the right thing".
Any advice? Sorry for the long post,
Cheers
Adam