Fairly new T1D with a diet related struggle

[dodge13]

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

 

[satindoll]

Hi Adam and welcome to the forum you will finds lots of help and support here, I suspect someone else will be along shortly to point you in the right direction

 

[noblehead]

Hi Adam and welcome to the forum

I think sometimes if we deny ourselves certain foods or believe they are bad for us then this has the opposite effect and we want them even more, certainly eating sweets, chocolate and doughnuts everyday is unhealthy but as an occasional treat they are not, rather than gorge on 3 doughnuts why not just have one and keep it for a special occasion.

 

[dodge13]

Hi Adam and welcome to the forum

I think sometimes if we deny ourselves certain foods or believe they are bad for us then this has the opposite effect and we want them even more, certainly eating sweets, chocolate and doughnuts everyday is unhealthy but as an occasional treat they are not, rather than gorge on 3 doughnuts why not just have one and keep it for a special occasion.

Thanks for the reply! I think that in my head perhaps I am in denial as to the reason why I do it - for example my logic at the time was "well there's still five doughnuts in this pack, and they have tomorrow's date on..." but I really cannot imagine in my head I was so concerned about losing 89p over the effects that it would have on my body - I guess I am finding it hard to understand the true effect of everyday short term decisions - how fatal is that sort of behaviour over a lifetime with Type 1? I'll go on a healthy period of just salads and having the occasional small snack - for example I got married just this past June a few weeks ago, and I managed to lose around half a stone to get in shape for that by eating salads - but I think I felt so irritated that I had stopped myself eating that sort of thing that I then ate three times the amount for a period of time (up until now and still ongoing)!

 

[noblehead]

Congratulations on your marriage, it is all mind games but by the sounds of things you know where you are going wrong, good luck!!!!!

 

[czj]

Congratulations on your marriage. It's great that you want to get into good habits now that will stand you in good stead or the rest of your life.

I have had the odd bad relationship with certain foods. Like you, I think some of them are addictive, though why that is (is it the manufacturer's sneaky way of increasing profits, or just the way we, as hunter gatherers, are programmed to eat) is a different debate.

I have occasionally used some NLP (neuro linguistic programming) techniques. If you have ever see Paul McKenna on the TV, that is the science behind his brand of entertainment. I remember one show where he was helping a lady who was addicted to chocolate. He asked her what were the nastiest things she could imagine eating - human hair and dog mess in her case. He trained her to imagine chocolate mixed with the two of them and that soon cut her consumption.

Loads of books available at your local library if you want to give it a go. Good luck improving your eating habits however you decide to go about it.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Now you are married, is your wife helping you? Who does the shopping? One tip is simply do not buy any of these things. If they aren't in your cupboard, you can't eat them, so replace them with healthier alternatives like a few nuts, cheese or pork scratchings believe it or not. It doesn't have to be salads all the time. Have a look at some of the foods others are eating - plenty of tips on the forum.

Just as a PS. I'm Type 2, diagnosed when I was 66. With no meds to help, I've had to diet control my blood sugars, which meant changing habits of a lifetime a lot longer than yours! It can be done.

 

[Lezzles]

Hi Adam,

I was diagnosed at the same age as you and I too am a chronic binger.
I will go as far as making myself sick and get headaches etc but I still want to do it.
I was in denial for a very long time and I know diabulimia was also a reason for what I was doing as I was restricting my insulin intake to control my weight......every girls dream, eat what you like and you don't get fat! But there are aches and pains that have come along since I've done this which made me realise I needed to get wise. I'm now 30.

I have found that a low carb high fat diet works very well for me.
My bg is stable and I have fewer needs to binge as I don't feel the hunger i once had, although if I ever do it's far less than I ever did before.
I feel satisfied with what I am eating because it's far more than eating salads.

This works for me but everyone is different.

I hope you find something that works for you

 

[donnellysdogs]

Dodge

Well done on marriage.

I been diabetic t1 for 30 years. Nothing is off limits for me, so long as I have insulin to cover it. Last week after a exhausting hot day, I had a mcflurry (crunchie) one. Ok, I can't remember the last time I have had a McDonald's, but I fancied it.

For the vast majority of my life I have been a low carber (without realising it) but at certain times of year (all December) I have real carb binges...as long as I manage my levels and stay slim and with good exercise I don't care. If I'm out with friends I eat and drink the same as anybody else.

However, the lovely meals out or McDonald's are treats. I cook beautiful low carb meals and eat more fat like cheese and walnuts and paleo recipe blueberry muffins etc. I encouraged my hubby to try lower carb and higher fat and he has now got to his deal bmi at 12st 7lb. He says that the food I make nowadays that he just isn't hungry to binge anymore. He would eat a pack of crisps, chocolate and a flapjack daily (out of my sight, from pesky vending machines at his work or from garages when buying petrol.

We love it when he comes home from his early shifts to have what I call a lovely 3 course meal each night... Eg salmon fish cake (homemade and huge) plus heaps of salad with homemade vinaigrette oil dressing, lemon, vanilla mascarpone and fruit pudding in a ramekin (home made) followed later by Brie cheese and nuts and a lovely cafetiere coffee with cream. We stretch this from 5pm through to about 8pm. On a early shift he takes a ramekin of mixed fruits (Lidls frozen) with chia seeds, flax seed and Greek yogurt and a blueberry muffin.

He's not diabetic... But he counts his carbs the same as I do now. He's lost loads of weight, and my weight remains evenly slim.
He just says that he loves my home made foods and he doesn't need to look at the rest of the **** now.

It's tough being a youngster, and I've not been an angel. I think the best example of this was at meetings I used to go to every morning for years... There was always sausage n egg sandwich platters or bacon sandwiches brought in. Everyday for free. Everybody else used to take two or three small 1/4 sandwiches. For a very long time I had a whole platter to myself!!! However, I was very slim then, huge amounts of walking and physical work and I always injected. However, at this point in my life which was ****, I rarely ever had other food in 24 hours....so I not been an angel....

I used to get told a lot "you can't eat that" - and I would say "well, actually I can eat anything I want...so long as my meter tells me I'm ok". You are young and still learning, but a type 1 needs to feel included with all foods, needs to bolus and basal correctly and LIVE.......it takes a while to master it and feel comfy... And one thing is important though... If your meter readings are good but you put weight on or go up in trouser size...then you have to refocus your eating plans, despite having good levels....






Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Spiker]

Hi Adam. It's a very tough one. I struggle with it too. As you suggest, the roots of it are in psychology. You may be using these inappropriate foods as a kind of reward, or as "compensation", or even (strangely) as a way of eating yourself up. There's a lovely example just above from DD about how really good food can be a positive force in your life. But letting go of binging or other forms of addiction to inappropriate food is a serious problem. It's much of a problem for diabetics and yet not that much help is available. The Lighter Life course has the right kind of therapy, but it's not available to Type 1 diabetics. Does the clinic that looks after you for Type 1, also have a counselor or therapist? Maybe talk to them about it. They may be able to help you understand what is driving you.

 

[dodge13]

Congratulations on your marriage. It's great that you want to get into good habits now that will stand you in good stead or the rest of your life.

I have had the odd bad relationship with certain foods. Like you, I think some of them are addictive, though why that is (is it the manufacturer's sneaky way of increasing profits, or just the way we, as hunter gatherers, are programmed to eat) is a different debate.

I have occasionally used some NLP (neuro linguistic programming) techniques. If you have ever see Paul McKenna on the TV, that is the science behind his brand of entertainment. I remember one show where he was helping a lady who was addicted to chocolate. He asked her what were the nastiest things she could imagine eating - human hair and dog mess in her case. He trained her to imagine chocolate mixed with the two of them and that soon cut her consumption.

Loads of books available at your local library if you want to give it a go. Good luck improving your eating habits however you decide to go about it.

Hey! Thanks for your advice, I have seen many Paul McKenna shows years ago and see how he works - it's something I would definitely look into, it's definitely psychological!

 

[dodge13]

Hi Adam,

I was diagnosed at the same age as you and I too am a chronic binger.
I will go as far as making myself sick and get headaches etc but I still want to do it.
I was in denial for a very long time and I know diabulimia was also a reason for what I was doing as I was restricting my insulin intake to control my weight......every girls dream, eat what you like and you don't get fat! But there are aches and pains that have come along since I've done this which made me realise I needed to get wise. I'm now 30.

I have found that a low carb high fat diet works very well for me.
My bg is stable and I have fewer needs to binge as I don't feel the hunger i once had, although if I ever do it's far less than I ever did before.
I feel satisfied with what I am eating because it's far more than eating salads.

This works for me but everyone is different.

I hope you find something that works for you

Hey! Thank you so much for your reply, I have heard about that sort of activity before and of course you notice weight loss and other side effects which are short term positive but of course the dangers long term of worrying - I so hope you find peace with it and can relax when it comes to the subject of food!

I have looked at low carb high fat diets but I struggle with the idea of the high fat - I am quite body conscious and although I dont appear "overweight" or "fat" on appearance in my mind I do have a few improvements I would've liked to have undertaken - and a high fat diet seems a bad way of doing that however perhaps I have to choose whether I want to have a healthier lifestyle or lose some weight and not both!

I think it's just about willpower and working on why I crave certain foods so badly when I know they're seldom worth it, something which you've helped me understand somewhat.

I hope you work out and continue with your system that is working well for you!

 

[dodge13]

Dodge

Well done on marriage.

For the vast majority of my life I have been a low carber (without realising it) but at certain times of year (all December) I have real carb binges...as long as I manage my levels and stay slim and with good exercise I don't care. If I'm out with friends I eat and drink the same as anybody else.

However, the lovely meals out or McDonald's are treats. I cook beautiful low carb meals and eat more fat like cheese and walnuts and paleo recipe blueberry muffins etc. I encouraged my hubby to try lower carb and higher fat and he has now got to his deal bmi at 12st 7lb. He says that the food I make nowadays that he just isn't hungry to binge anymore. He would eat a pack of crisps, chocolate and a flapjack daily (out of my sight, from pesky vending machines at his work or from garages when buying petrol.

It's tough being a youngster, and I've not been an angel. I think the best example of this was at meetings I used to go to every morning for years... There was always sausage n egg sandwich platters or bacon sandwiches brought in. Everyday for free. Everybody else used to take two or three small 1/4 sandwiches. For a very long time I had a whole platter to myself!!! However, I was very slim then, huge amounts of walking and physical work and I always injected. However, at this point in my life which was ****, I rarely ever had other food in 24 hours....so I not been an angel....

I used to get told a lot "you can't eat that" - and I would say "well, actually I can eat anything I want...so long as my meter tells me I'm ok". You are young and still learning, but a type 1 needs to feel included with all foods, needs to bolus and basal correctly and LIVE.......it takes a while to master it and feel comfy... And one thing is important though... If your meter readings are good but you put weight on or go up in trouser size...then you have to refocus your eating plans, despite having good levels....

Hiya, and thanks for your time taken in writing that reply - and for your advice!

My wife actually is great at cooking brilliant low carb high protein meals and often does after work but I find it hard to conform and often opt for a poor nutrition option like a sausage roll or something crazy. It's mind over matter and it's something I need to just toughen up on I think.

You do get a lot of "you cant do this" and I tend to ignore it as long as I know its sensible in my own mind, I will definitely take your experience on board!

Thanks again!

 

[ianmi]

Hey there fella,

Congratulations on the marriage.

I am recently diagnosed as Type 2 ( mid forties and ticked all the boxes).

I am getting my head around the do's and dont's of my diet which has been an eye opener as I too have what I call a 'dysfunctional relationship' with food i.e. I could never get high off celery and craved sugar!

You're a young fella and have time to change your eating habits. Small steps and all that. I doesn't sound like your weight is a major issue, but just keep an eye on it. Hey, I was visible on Google Earth pre-diagnosis!

I agree with what has been said about 'living' and that means treating yourself once in a while. If your relationship with food is truely deep rooted then I would seek help via your GP.

Don't forget the motto - 'You have diabetes, it doesn't have you.'

Keep the faith fella. You'll be fine.

 

[jack412]

What you could also consider is that like some T2 have found, you have a carb craving
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm

A lot of T2 and a few T1 are on lchf
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

 

[ElyDave]

@donnellysdogs - Paleomuffin recipe please!

 

[Spiker]

@dodge13, a low carb high fat diet will not make you fat or look fat, and it's not unhealthy. It is very healthy and will help you lose weight, look good and improve diabetes control.

 

[JTL]

You threw in the word addiction .... I'm convinced many people are addicted and strung out on foods and drinks.
The psychology of advertising has a lot to answer for I reckon.
I'm type two and never had a sweet tooth in my life.
Never liked sweets or fizzy drinks ... in fact I can't comprehend how people glug so much liquid!
Even water ... people carry bottles of water everywhere with them ... in the car ... in the house even where in the U.K they have one of the safest and freshest water supplies on the planet coming out the tap!
As a kid in the fifties we'd leave the house at sun up and not been seen again till dusk .... no bottles of water ... no crisps chocolates or anything else and that dehydrated generation are now seen as possiblt the healthiest the nation ever saw.
Three meals a day ... who came up with the idea that was normal desirable healthy?
I'd be betting at no time in history till the twentieth century did people have or expect to have three meals a day.
My anger is directed at advertising and social control.
We've been lied to and manipulated to believe some right rubbish in the pursuit of profit.
Chicken with added water .... for succulence ... get real it's so you can charge me more money for less chicken!
Who needs water pumping into bacon when we just want to buy bacon?
It's all so dishonest.
Look how the sugar industry have lied about fat!
You ever tried injecting water into meat ... and getting it to stay there when it's cooking?
Can't be done so a load of chemicals have to be added to hold the water in place!
Don't feel guilty it's not your fault.
Feel abused used lied to and robbed ... feel angry too because people are going down with all manner of ilnesses and forgetting who they are when they wake up of a morning ... thanks to our modern way of life.
Sorry .... rant over,

 

[czj]

Hey! Thanks for your advice, I have seen many Paul McKenna shows years ago and see how he works - it's something I would definitely look into, it's definitely psychological!

An afterthought. My husband, not diabetic yet, used to have eating issues. He ate like a locust, I couldn't leave a half finished packet of anything around or it would be gone when I got back.

For a few years he'd had suspicions that wheat wasn't doing him any good. A few years ago he gave it up, and two things happened. One was his large belly disappeared overnight (which was a bit weird actually) and he stopped being ravenously hungry. At that stage he couldn't stick to avoiding wheat, and the belly and the hunger returned.

For the last year he has been much more successful. He now eats like a hungry person, not a locust.

I'm not saying this would work for you, but it is a quick and easy thing to rule out.

 

[donnellysdogs]

I watched a programme recently when kids no older than 8) were goliven a carrot from a plain bag and a carrot from a mcdonalds bag....guess which they preferred!!!

Adverts and foods nowadays are all there to make the owners rich and the consumers wanting to buy and eat more.. N more..

If you can get to 30days without **** food you are well on the way to curting the addictions to it. Just like smoking, alchohol etc..!even foods are addictive.

Give yourself 30days lower carbing and cut out the sausage rolls.. Just for 30days...