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Can't seem to stop eating

bootyful0

Well-Known Member
Messages
83
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
running
Hi all, I'm just having a rant really. Have been T2 for about 20 months, It was going ok until about Jan this year where I seem to go off the rails. I was low carbing but fell off the wagon around Christmas and never got back on. My blood sugar went up and now i'm on another tablet. Every evening I beat myself up because I have OD 'ed on carbs (choclates crisp etc) and every day I say start tomorrow, but it never comes. For the last 3-4 weeks I have been binging in the evening eating any and everything insight. I can't seem to stop myself. I have about 10 pounds to loose. I walk alot. I know what I need to do to control my high sugars, I just don't seem to be able to do it. Today I binged on 3 x chocolate bars , 5 x pack of crisp , 1 x cup cake 1 x white bread sandwhich ,1 x glass red wine in addition to my breakfast and dinner which were sensible low carb meals. However iI didnt feel full I just wanted to eat immediately after. After I ate all the choclate and crisp, which was at lunch time I walked for 1 hour and 25 mins. I wonder if the walking helps? Does anyone know if the walking would have burnt the carbs away. If so , although I will keep trying to get back on track, in the meanwhile if I do binge. at least I can try to walk some of the damage off.
Thanks for listening
 
Hi @bootyful0 Oh dear! As you have just discovered, when you have been low carbing for a while and have then allowed yourself some high carb treats - you want more! For some of us, me included, carby food can easily become an addiction. I know that it's not easy but the solution to the bingeing is to go back to step one, leave recent events behind you and go forward by returning to strict low carb eating. Clear the house of chocolate, crisps, white bread etc so that you can't binge and if that's not possible because of other family members eating these foods, then keep them together in a cupboard that you never go into. I've been known to march past certain parts of the supermarket muttering "aisle of death" to myself - extreme, but it works for me. Once you get past the first week or two of low carb eating the habit of low carbing will be re-established and you won't crave the carby food anymore. You've done it before, you can do it again. It ain't easy but you are stronger than you think, get past the initial withdrawal and it will be easier. Good luck and wish me the same hugs
 
Hi 13lizanne, Yes I know your right. Thanks for reminding me that I have done it before and can do it again. I,m just gonna get right to it. I feel better already getting it off my chest. Thanks for wishing me luck and I wish you luck too. x
 


can you maybe start with one meal everyday that is perfectly low carb... that´s a start already then... how about starting every morning with only eggs and vegetables... then one meal is perfect.. and you gain a little control at least... try that for a week and then add the second meal or side meal that is going to be healthy..

maybe start composing meals on a paper of delicious low carb meal-combinations .. so you make like a catalogue of meals you would actually like to eat...

like what choices are yout prefered nuts and berries and things to eat with them and so on and the same with main meals what are your favorite kind of foods and in what way can you change that into a more low carb diet ..

maybe force yourself to eat an egg before you eat anything else.. it is known that people that do eat a lot of proteins in the morning have a tendency to not eat quite as much the rest of their day... you could eat like 5 eggs in between in the beginning to fill you up
https://authoritynutrition.com/18-low-carb-breakfast-recipes/
https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=300231

I am also kind of fallen off the waggon in the moment by eating far too high amounts of food.... should ideally be loosing weight but can´t restrict my amount of food at the moment... not low enough at least
 
I too fell off the rails due to life, just life..... I had started back on low carb many times but it never stuck more than a few days. My wake up call was losing the feeling in my foot and then discovering blood sugars in the 20's. I had felt just fine. I have been back on track for a year now but have neuropathy in both feet. It has improved with controlled blood sugars but some of the damage is permanent. For me, a little treat is too much and leads to more treats and increased sugars for days. It is hard to give up those foods but it is necessary. Good luck, you can do it.
 
Hi Freema
Thank you. That sounds very do-able. One good meal and day plus the eggs to fill me up. A boiled egg always fills me up. Also with the one good meal a day idea at least I can end the day saying I ate one good meal instead of beating myself up which is very demoralising. Im feeling better with these positive replies. Thank you I really appreciate it . x
 

Hi Chalup, Im sorry you fell off the rails but glad to know its not just me. Yes life got in the way but like you say its so important to control blood sugar. Im not going to give up. I hope i can be like you and regain control. Thanks for taking the trouble to reply , its much appreciated. I wish you continued good luck too xx
 
Here's a quick suggestion. When battling cravings, eat something with a lot of fat: two tablespoons peanut butter, half an avocado, three to six green olives, a couple of high fiber crackers topped with a butter pat or slice of cheese. I like Mary's Gone Crackers Original here in the US. We've all been there.
 
I think you need to be totally ruthless when it come to eating high carb food. I had a cupboard full chocolate bars and crisps when I was diagnosed, but since then I have given these away and avoided eating them. My local Sainsbury supermarket has a charity donation box for unwanted food which is where the food I no longer wanted went.

Using my glucose meter help check if my blood sugars are on track. I have slowly cut out more and more high carb food. Most recently using cauliflower rice instead of rice to go with vegetable curries. My goal is to loose weight. So far I have lost about 10Kg since this time last year, but I have still another 8Kg to lose to no longer being overweight. I have started to do intermittent fasting at the weekends. Basically, just eating once a day. If you fast then you don't have the urge to snack all the time.

You need to test your blood sugar levels regularly to see where you are at. Ideally, the fasting readings should be below 7.0. If you find they are a lot higher than this then you need to take action. If you don't get your blood sugars under control, there can be some dire consequences long term.
 
Hi @bootyful0, what a powerful influence the mind has on us. I would go back to basics, you need to convince your inner mind to make the right choices, or you may need to find a trigger which is more powerful than the desire to eat the bad stuff.
Maybe you could start by writing a list of what the healthy you would look like, how this would change your life and what the benefits would be. Maybe associating all of the foods you are lapsing with something disgusting. This can be done by having a physical picture of the bad stuff, right next to a picture of something not so nice, or do as you were previously doing down supermarket aisles, having a mantra for the bad stuff. You already know about the complications of uncontrolled diabetes, no Mars bar is worth it. The additional I assume Metformin tablet you are taking is a progression you can do without, next could be another diabetic drug, which eventually could me insulin injections. It is simple and hard at the same time, if you write out the pros and cons it will be so obvious what to do.

You are very close to being well controlled as you have a mindset that can do positive things, you are walking for over an hour - that is brilliant; if you are able to redirect this type of energy into managing your diabetes you can nail the bingeing. Unfortunately you cannot outrun a bad diet by trying to cover with walking. If you cannot do this by yourself, you could ask you Doctor to see a behavioural scientist.
 
Hi Mbaker
Thanks for the suggestion. I love advocado, and im willing to try anything to make myself get back on track. I know it will come (fingers crossed) I had a look up of the crackers , they are on ebay so i might try them,
Thanks again for your suggestions
xx
 

Hi Art Of Flowers, Thanks for your reply, Yes its my blood sugar and complications that im worried about. I have read through all of the advise and Im going to just take things slow and do something positive every day to wards getting back on track. Like you suggest Im going to slowly cut out the sugar/carby foods from my diet and replace them with low carbs. I'm going to foget about my weight loss for the moment and work on controlling my sugars
Thanks again xx
 
Sorry Winnie53 for calling you mbaker, x
 
@bootyful0 this isn't directed to you specifically. Just some additional thoughts...

I listen to presentations and interviews and read a lot on health topics. Something really resonated with me recently. A coach who works with clients who have type 1 diabetes shared that she likes to lengthen out her evening meal. At that moment I realized two things: I too miss a longer, drawn out meal once a day, and I also miss that full tummy sensation. Her suggestion to have a salad with lots of leafy greens and raw vegetables with her dinner meets both of those needs for me.

Another challenge I've been struggling with is what to eat for an after meal treat if you're trying to avoid chocolate and dairy, and you miss having something sweet after each meal.

Peanut butter with no other ingredients that you stir and store in the refrigerator works well, but it alone isn't enough for me.

After struggling with this for two years, I decided it was time to add in season fruits back into my diet. This didn't seem possible with my severe insulin resistance, but I got an idea.

I started eating a small amount of fruit after each meal: half of an orange sliced into a 1/2 inch thick slices with peel - (I store in a covered bowl and have only 1 slice) - a 1 inch slice of banana, peel removed. Another "special treat" is a 3/16 inch slice of lemon with peel cut into three sections and dusted with a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. I then enjoy one section at a time, sugar side down on my tongue then chew as I would normally. So good.

Another thing I struggle with is not being able to eat foods I miss, like muffins, or scalloped potatoes. Each Friday I have dinner out with friends and I'll either have a paleo muffin made with almond flour or a serving of potatoes with my dinner of meat, vegetables, and salad.

I love everything I eat throughout the week of course. I can't imagine going back to eating the way I used to, but these "off plan" treats once a week keep me happy (and are usually followed by a 20 minute walk to counter the glucose spike).
 
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Hi Mbaker, Thank you for your wise words. I have already done my list, This sounds horrid but I have a photo of a Snickers bar next to a man with a missing toe and your words "No chocolate bar is worth it" Ooo send chills up my spine already. I also have a list of some nice low carb meals I am going to start with. Will print them out tomorrow and pin them up. I wish I posted my problem to the forum before, I feel so positive and happy . A big thank you to everyone,
 

Hi Winnie53. I have written out a list of low carb meals but I was frightened to put too many sweet treats in at first but now I will add them. Some one suggested notella and I have found something called fathead pizza/pastry so I am going to use these as you suggest , a weekly treat which wont give me carb overload. You are right. I feel like my dinner or any meal ends too quickly and I'm immediately searching for the next meal, I also want a sugary fix straight after. I am going to try to stop these cravings but also have something in place just in case, which, I hope will stop me from eating snickers bars. Thanks again for all your advise. Much appreciated xx
 
It's better not to have the carbs at all. I know how you feel. You can make if you try, it is not an easy road, but you are not alone. Walking will only do so much. Walking with high BGL's may be taking a toll on your feet.
 
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