I am Type 2 diabetic managed with medication. I have and am still going through a great deal of stress. I am also having my house renovated and I’m experiencing many delays, so the project has taken over a year so far. My kitchen is unfinished, though I do have an oven and hob and my bedroom is the only place where I can sit and be comfortable. I am living on junk food such as bread, crisps, biscuits and sweets and I am binging on them. I’m hardly cooking and it is difficult to prepare food, though this is probably just an excuse The bingeing on sweets is getting worse in type and quantity. For the last few days I have taken to just lying on my bed to stop myself eating, but I am still constantly thinking what else can I eat. I am worried about how high my blood glucose is and has been for the last few months. I cannot test it because I cannot do the finger prick test myself. I am worried that the high levels are putting my sight in jeopardy and as I’m disabled I’m reliant on my car, but that isn’t enough to stop me eating sweets. I don’t know what else to do. Anyone any suggestions?
Binge eating sugar
- Thread starter Gina698
- Start Date
Ronancastled
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,235
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Food/carb addiction is not your fault, the standard western diet got you hooked, your brain loves it, the guilt comes after.
Personally, I read a few posts on Reddit from guys younger than me with complications like sight loss, dialysis & ED in their 30s.
That shocked me enough to keep me on the straight & narrow
Personally, I read a few posts on Reddit from guys younger than me with complications like sight loss, dialysis & ED in their 30s.
That shocked me enough to keep me on the straight & narrow
- Messages
- 13,465
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
@Gina698
Sugar/carb addiction is certainly not your fault. There is a lot more recognition of it these days and there is starting to be some support. Dr Jen Unwin is leading this in the UK and I’d urge you to read her book, Fork in the Road - available on Amazon or via her website, which also has lots of interesting information: https://forkintheroad.co.uk/
She runs a clubhouse group on the subject every Wednesday at 6pm - same name, Fork in the Road. Always an interesting discussion and lots of friendly support.
You might also be interested in this thread: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/food-addiction-and-diabetes.156651/ Watching the video in the opening post was an ‘aha’ moment for me - I’m a fellow addict!
Sugar/carb addiction is certainly not your fault. There is a lot more recognition of it these days and there is starting to be some support. Dr Jen Unwin is leading this in the UK and I’d urge you to read her book, Fork in the Road - available on Amazon or via her website, which also has lots of interesting information: https://forkintheroad.co.uk/
She runs a clubhouse group on the subject every Wednesday at 6pm - same name, Fork in the Road. Always an interesting discussion and lots of friendly support.
You might also be interested in this thread: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/food-addiction-and-diabetes.156651/ Watching the video in the opening post was an ‘aha’ moment for me - I’m a fellow addict!
The more sugar/ carbs I eat, the more I want: I'm also a binger, and I know it's hard to stop once you've started. What works for me is to have better treats at hand: you could have cold cuts, ham, cheese- things like that in the fridge, and then black coffee or red wine instead of sweets. Maybe pistachios or pork scratchings instead of crisps.. The best thing would be to get your diet under control, but if you are going to snack or even binge, you can probably reduce a fair amount of harm by switching carbs for other tasty snacks
LeftPeg
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 195
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
It's a vicious cycle. You comfort eat carbs, then you feel awful and tired because your blood sugar is high, so you eat even more carbs, go into denial and go off the rails. I've been through this cycle about 3 times and you have my sympathy.
When I first went low carb I bought packs of individually wrapped cheese portions and keep some in the front of my fridge so they were the first thing I saw.
I also found hard boiling a pack of eggs for snacks helpful.
I managed to cut down my extreme chocolate binges by switching to 85% which I find I'm less likely to binge on, then putting 2 squares by my bed in the evening and putting the rest away in the kitchen.
I'd had therapy for complex PTSD before but signed up a couple of years ago for counselling to help me realise when I'm triggered by stress to comfort eat carbs and to try to find alternative 'tools' to help. (The therapy was delivered through an abuse team not the standard teams who deal with anorexia, binge eating, etc. as they decided it was linked.)
I also found hard boiling a pack of eggs for snacks helpful.
I managed to cut down my extreme chocolate binges by switching to 85% which I find I'm less likely to binge on, then putting 2 squares by my bed in the evening and putting the rest away in the kitchen.
I'd had therapy for complex PTSD before but signed up a couple of years ago for counselling to help me realise when I'm triggered by stress to comfort eat carbs and to try to find alternative 'tools' to help. (The therapy was delivered through an abuse team not the standard teams who deal with anorexia, binge eating, etc. as they decided it was linked.)
- Messages
- 2,287
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Another fellow carb addict here. I sympathise- it is tough. I found even the thought of going low carb overwhelming when I was first diagnosed. Like previous posters I find that keeping very low carb helps me crave less. I won't lie and say the it was an easy change- first I had keto flu then suffered grief for the loss of my preferred diet.
I have also read fork in the road (I think after @Goonergal suggested it
) and I also found it helpful.
I second the idea of having easy low carb snacks around- I like the idea of nuts as although they do have carbs the salt may help other cravings. I find the more salty stuff I have the less sweet cravings I have (makes no sense I know).
Good luck.
I have also read fork in the road (I think after @Goonergal suggested it
) and I also found it helpful.I second the idea of having easy low carb snacks around- I like the idea of nuts as although they do have carbs the salt may help other cravings. I find the more salty stuff I have the less sweet cravings I have (makes no sense I know).
Good luck.
