• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Damage from high sugar levels?

@Inchindown - I urge you please to otry to find the strength to keep fighting this. As you know I was anorexic many moons ago, so I do totally understand how horrible and utterly controlling eating disorders can be.

When I apply the sort of mental processes that drove me to dangerously resist food all those years ago, I can see how seductive the "hang it all, I give in" response is, but you're better than that and it's not aabout reaching the end game. Each one of us has our end game some day, although we mainly hope that's a long way off, but the hang it all approach has the potential to lead to a long and difficult journey.

You're better than that. You care. Please do try to marshall your resources for another round.
 
I am sorry life is so tough for you. If you live alone when you shop could you just buy a limited amount of safe food so the stuff isnt there to binge on. I guess that comes down to how often you shop and proximity to stores. If that is a useless suggestion then sorry but you are worth more. All best wishes.
 
PenguinMum said:
I am sorry life is so tough for you. If you live alone when you shop could you just buy a limited amount of safe food so the stuff isnt there to binge on. I guess that comes down to how often you shop and proximity to stores. If that is a useless suggestion then sorry but you are worth more. All best wishes.
Click to expand...
I didn't mean to give the impression that my life is tough. I have a good life and, apart from a couple of health problems and the binge eating, I'm happy with my life.

Over the years I've learned what foods not to have at home that I might binge on. My eating problem seems to be restricted to between 10 am and 12 noon.

I do a weekly shop which includes all the food I'll need for breakfast and dinner for 7 days. For lunch and a late snack I shop daily. It's this morning period that turns into a bingeing session.

I walk into the shop knowing what I should buy, but sometimes I just get this uncontrollable urge for a junk food binge.

I sometimes win and just buy the good stuff. I sometimes buy the junk and drop it in the dustbin on the way home. On bad days I buy the junk and wolf it down when I get home.

I can sometimes go 3 months without a binge and then out of nowhere the monkey on my shoulder says "Wouldn't it be a good idea to fill a bag with with all that lovely stuff you like so much". A single binge can lead to an extended period of bingeing and I have to start the fight all over again.

My original question was from the point of view that I've had 2 heart attacks. At the age of 67, i see that my remaining time may be shorter than i might hope for. So i was asking about how long it takes for diabetic damage to be done. If that time was longer than i imagine i have left, then I could reasonably give up the fight against the eating problem and just live out the rest of my life without worrying about the diabetes.

Look, I know this sounds a bit crazy, I'm just trying to find the balance between the fight against bingeing and the time I have left. Believe me if I had a magic wand to cure my bingeing I would be the happiest man in the world. But I've had this affliction ever since I went into hospital in 1972 after a serious road accident which led to an 18 month stay where I almost lost a leg. It also cost me my career in the Royal Navy.

The fact that 2 heart attacks and type 2 diabetes has not had any significant restraint on my bingeing says something about the conflict I have between the bingeing and my overall health.

Many thanks to all for your concern and suggestions on how I might win my fight. I really appreciate all your contributions to this thread.
 
Very saddening to read. In good health you could have another twenty or more years in you yet. Or not, but you’re certainly not going to extend your life if you continue down the current path. I hope you find the motivation to make changes.

Best wishes.
 
I am sorry your'e feeling this way. Isn't it always true that all the things we like doing is life is bad for us for one reason or another. Not only do you have diabetes but also like lots of people a love of food. It's no different to me but my problem is cigarettes. I'm working on it, but like anything in life, if you enjoy doing something as it makes you feel good, it's hard to stop. It would be good if you could talk to someone who could make you look at it in a different way. It's not about giving up something but it's about stopping doing things which in turn will make you feel better. As you know eating low carb foods is really helpful for your blood sugar levels, so for now maybe just eat more of these foods. If you eat healthy fats it might make you feel fuller for longer, which may curb your appetite. I get the impression that you enjoy cakes, biscuits etc, who doesn't!!! so have you thought about baking some low carb treats? Cooking can be quite therapeutic and can become a good hobby. Just wanted to ask if you live on your own or not? Not wanting to seem nosy but was wondering if you had any support. Or maybe you could join some form of social group where you can meet people and maybe find some new interests, or you could do some voluntary work (if your'e not working already) in a charity shop. All these are only suggestions but I think it would be good if you could find a reason for looking after yourself as best you can and finding a reason for being here. It's the same for most people really, we all need a purpose and sometimes it's the little things that make the difference. Please take care and keep posting your progress. Maybe if you can control your binge eating, I might be able to control my smoking. Keep in touch and take care.
 
Do you have any idea what could trigger your binge eating at the same time each day? Is it the same if you have had a filling breakfast?
 
Mr_Pot said:
Do you have any idea what could trigger your binge eating at the same time each day? Is it the same if you have had a filling breakfast?
Click to expand...
I'm not entirely sure. It may just be being in the shop at more or less the same time each day. But I don't know what makes me buy junk one day or buy good food another day.

I do get other binge urges at other times, but I have more or less got control of those and can stop myself. The only definite trigger I'm aware of is being weighed, either by myself or at the gp surgery. After weighing I almost always get a strong urge to eat.

I don't really have a filling breakfast. My breakfast is usually either, porridge or yoghurt and perhaps once a week I'll have scrambled eggs. Surprisingly I find the porridge to be the most satisfying and usually gives me a good 2 hour blood reading if I can get a good walk with the dog after breakfast.
 
Inchindown said:
I'm not currently on any diabetes medication. I was taken off metformin after my most recent heart attack last October.

I tried twice to talk to doctors about my eating problems. Neither doctor seemed interested in an eating problem in a man of my age. One of them even told me not to waste his time.
Click to expand...
Sorry @Inchindown. Have you tried any of the other doctors at your surgery or are there just two. I find that different GPs approach things differently. ( I did pose this question earlier in the thread but it was removed.)
 
Listlad said:
Sorry @Inchindown. Have you tried any of the other doctors at your surgery or are there just two. I find that different GPs approach things differently. ( I did pose this question earlier in the thread but it was removed.)
Click to expand...
I don't have a great deal of confidence in my GP surgery. There are more than 2 doctors. But I've lost trust in the whole surgery.

I did get referred to a psychiatrist by the diabetes nurse. But it didn't really work out. She did refer me to psychologist, but that was about 3 or 4 years ago just after I was diagnosed with type 2.

I'm still waiting.

Not really possible to move to a new surgery as I live in a rural area and there isn't another gp within 20 miles.
 
Inchindown said:
I don't really have a filling breakfast. My breakfast is usually either, porridge or yoghurt and perhaps once a week I'll have scrambled eggs. Surprisingly I find the porridge to be the most satisfying and usually gives me a good 2 hour blood reading if I can get a good walk with the dog after breakfast.
Click to expand...

sounds like a good reason to stay reasonably healthy right there, @Inchindown
who's gonna look after matey as well as you do..?

I don't have an eating disorder, so can't say in understand the binges.
but i do get the "question."

i do also agree that other help should be sought, where possible.

but the question is...Should you let it slide and enjoy the time left..?
(a choice we must all make at some point.,
and for me it's currently in a 'As well as Possible' framework i seek)

The heart attacks and health issues do bring home our mortality.
but i don't think at 67, you should be lighting the viking ship just yet, but life has no guarantees.

but should you not be able to contain ALL the binges, you do seem to do well stopping many of them.

whilst the best bet seems to be redoubling your efforts, in the event that you really can't, perhaps at
least maintaining the current status quo, gives you the best of choices,
rather then throwing in the towel completely..

best regards.
 
jjraak said:
sounds like a good reason to stay reasonably healthy right there, @Inchindown
who's gonna look after matey as well as you do..?

I don't have an eating disorder, so can't say in understand the binges.
but i do get the "question."

i do also agree that other help should be sought, where possible.

but the question is...Should you let it slide and enjoy the time left..?
(a choice we must all make at some point.,
and for me it's currently in a 'As well as Possible' framework i seek)

The heart attacks and health issues do bring home our mortality.
but i don't think at 67, you should be lighting the viking ship just yet, but life has no guarantees.

but should you not be able to contain ALL the binges, you do seem to do well stopping many of them.

whilst the best bet seems to be redoubling your efforts, in the event that you really can't, perhaps at
least maintaining the current status quo, gives you the best of choices,
rather then throwing in the towel completely..

best regards.
Click to expand...
Excellent post.
 
Throwing in the towel at 67? Good heavens, you are a mere spring chicken. My husband is 67 and I am hoping he continues for at least another 20 as we are having a pretty good time being old farts. Have you considered that you may be experiencing depression? (very common for post cardiac surgery patients or anyone post diagnosis of any serious and /or chronic medical condition...in response to a sort of a grieving process for one's loss of health)
Are there any services/support groups for cardiac surgery patients in your area? There's nothing like someone else who has had a similar experience for truly"getting it". ( which is why these forums are so awesome!)
By the way, having been a serious sweet tooth binger in the past, I do get it. I have found that for the 1st time in my life I have NO sweet cravings since starting the LCHF dietary program. It's remarkable how freeing that is and also how liberating it is to realise that there is a phyiological explanation behind the cravings rather than society's apparent belief that somehow it is our own darn fault... Give it a try for a moth and see how it works for you- after all what has e you got to lose?
 
@Inchindown I've worked as an advocate/information resource specialist with people with who have health issues, primarily brain disorders and mental illness (and now diabetes) since the early 1990's.

What I've learned over the last 10 years is that at the core of these various diagnoses are nutritional deficiencies. I hadn't researched eating disorders in 20 years, so did some looking around today.

It's no different with binge eating.

Here's a guy I encourage you to learn more about, James M. Greenblatt, M.D. Read his bio here....

http://orthomolecular.org/hof/2017/james-greenblatt.html

Take a look at his books here...

https://www.amazon.com/James-Greenblatt/e/B003OMGFFA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4&qid=1555274821&sr=8-4

He also wrote a series of blog posts titled "Answers to Appetite" for Psychology Today that will give you an introduction to his way of thinking about problems around eating (just before the launch of his book, Answers to Binge Eating: New Hope for Appetite Control (April 2014), which sadly is out of print now. [sigh]). But again, you can read the articles. The last two of the six articles in this series likely will be of interest to you: "Amino Acids: Old Remedy, New Promise" and Amino Acids: Why Don't I Have Enough?"

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/answers-appetite

The promised blog post to follow "Amino Acids: Why Don't I Have Enough?' never appeared, but, in September of 2014, he published one more article on the topic, "New Hope for Binge Eating and Weight Management: Controlling Appetite With Vitamin and Mineral Supplements"...

https://www.waldeneatingdisorders.com/new-hope-for-binge-eating-and-weight-management/

This afternoon, I watched a lecture by him on YouTube...

Eating Disorder Hope Webinar: “Eating Disorders – Education and Awareness in Nutrition”


It's focus is on anorexia in girls, so it drags on a bit, but picks up a bit when he starts talking about how severe zinc deficiencies are in this population and how critical it is to supplement zinc for a minimum of six months to a year. Toward the end of the lecture, he made a few nutritional recommendations: zinc, 30 mg, 2 times a day; fish oil, 3 g per day but most be good quality from a trusted brand; and a B-complex.

I don't recall him discussing amino acids, and I think I know why. The only way to know what amino acids you're deficient in is to be tested and testing is expensive. If you supplement with an amino acid you're deficient in, no problem, that's helpful. But if you supplement with an amino acid that you're high in, you can develop a lot of unwanted problems. So, for that reason, it's best to use real, whole foods to restore any amino acids that you're deficient in.

To learn more, be sure to read "Amino Acids: Why Don't I Have Enough?"...

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/answers-appetite/201406/amino-acids-why-don-t-i-have-enough

Oops, almost forgot. Eventhough his book is now out of print, you can read excerpts from the book on Amazon. Click on this link, then click on "Look Inside" just above the picture of the book...

https://www.amazon.com/Answers-Bing...eative=165953&creativeASIN=1461124123

I can't know for sure, but I suspect the reason you're feeling so hopeless about recoverying from your binge eating is because you've got some raging nutritional deficiencies.

Wishing for you restored health.
 
Oops, again. Forgot to tell you what led me down all these rabbit holes today...

Back in the 1990's, a friend of mine who was a very successful therapist in Seattle told me about a naturopathic doctor who offered amino acid testing. She had the testing done. She was deficient in three amino acids. She started supplementing them, and her binge eating completely stopped. She also told me that most of the people she knew who were tested were deficient in the same amino acids. She told me what they were but I've long forgotten. I hoped to uncover than information today, but finding Dr. Greenblatt was as close as I got...

I share this story with you to bring home the point that not everything is "psychological". My friend was one of the healthiest people I knew at the time.

Conditions like binge eating can simply be due to one or more nutritional deficiencies. The trick is figuring out what the deficiencies are if you, like so many people, can't afford the testing.

Over the years, I've personally seen psychosis reversed many times with nutrients only.
 
mazza 2 said:
I am sorry your'e feeling this way. Isn't it always true that all the things we like doing is life is bad for us for one reason or another. Not only do you have diabetes but also like lots of people a love of food. It's no different to me but my problem is cigarettes. I'm working on it, but like anything in life, if you enjoy doing something as it makes you feel good, it's hard to stop. It would be good if you could talk to someone who could make you look at it in a different way. It's not about giving up something but it's about stopping doing things which in turn will make you feel better. As you know eating low carb foods is really helpful for your blood sugar levels, so for now maybe just eat more of these foods. If you eat healthy fats it might make you feel fuller for longer, which may curb your appetite. I get the impression that you enjoy cakes, biscuits etc, who doesn't!!! so have you thought about baking some low carb treats? Cooking can be quite therapeutic and can become a good hobby. Just wanted to ask if you live on your own or not? Not wanting to seem nosy but was wondering if you had any support. Or maybe you could join some form of social group where you can meet people and maybe find some new interests, or you could do some voluntary work (if your'e not working already) in a charity shop. All these are only suggestions but I think it would be good if you could find a reason for looking after yourself as best you can and finding a reason for being here. It's the same for most people really, we all need a purpose and sometimes it's the little things that make the difference. Please take care and keep posting your progress. Maybe if you can control your binge eating, I might be able to control my smoking. Keep in touch and take care.
Click to expand...
ciggies....and alcohol have been my 2 downfalls.....I'm only now facing up to trying to knock them on the head. I have good days and bad days and days where I too buy fags and then throw them away.

We all have our demons
 
@Inchindown I don't have anything useful as I don't know enough about diabetes yet but I just wanted to say I empathise with you a lot. One of the things I'm most apprehensive about with my recent T2 diagnosis is how carefully I'll need to manage my disordered eating tendencies, both restricting and binging/purging, and what the ramifications will be if/when I do have a lapse.

I really hope that as more time passes and there are more long-time long-lived type 2 diabetics for doctors and researchers to study, more solid info and data comes out about the long-term implications of this disease and the various treatment methods and their ultimate efficacy.
 
Gran25 said:
By the way, having been a serious sweet tooth binger in the past, I do get it. I have found that for the 1st time in my life I have NO sweet cravings since starting the LCHF dietary program. It's remarkable how freeing that is and also how liberating it is to realise that there is a phyiological explanation behind the cravings rather than society's apparent belief that somehow it is our own darn fault... Give it a try for a moth and see how it works for you- after all what has e you got to lose?
Click to expand...
That's exactly how I was (although I also binged on crisps as well as the sweet stuff). The binges dramatically just stopped when I went low carb and keto 3:years ago. After reading the Gary Taubes book 'Why we get fat" it made perfect sense and I realised why I was doing it and that it wasn't a psychological issue.
 
I think discussing my problems may be helping a bit. I've had a good day so far.

I did my weekly shopping this morning and didn't have any urges to buy junk food.

I managed 2 walks with my dog Max around the flooded gravel pit near where I live and felt ok after.

The highlight of the day is I've just finished mowing the grass for the first time since my heart attack last October. I couldn't get my ride on mower to start due to a flat battery, so had to use the walk along mower instead. A bit more exhausting, but I managed to get it done in one go. Very proud of myself.

All I need now is about 364 more good days and I might begin to believe I'm really on the mend.

Thanks for all the encouragement guys, it's really appreciated.
 
Inchindown said:
I think discussing my problems may be helping a bit. I've had a good day so far.

I did my weekly shopping this morning and didn't have any urges to buy junk food.

I managed 2 walks with my dog Max around the flooded gravel pit near where I live and felt ok after.

The highlight of the day is I've just finished mowing the grass for the first time since my heart attack last October. I couldn't get my ride on mower to start due to a flat battery, so had to use the walk along mower instead. A bit more exhausting, but I managed to get it done in one go. Very proud of myself.

All I need now is about 364 more good days and I might begin to believe I'm really on the mend.

Thanks for all the encouragement guys, it's really appreciated.
Click to expand...

I'm so happy for you. Just think of it as one day at a time. Today was a good day, tomorrow is another day and you will deal with that when it arrives. Don't think too far ahead as I think it puts you under pressure. Everyone has good days, bad days and better days. Take it in your stride and don't be hard on yourself. Keep up the good work and take care.
 
Back
Top