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Gotten into terrible addictive eating pattern

M

May14

Member
Messages
15
Hi guys,

I’m type 2 on metformin but find I can’t control what I eat anymore and keep saying I’ll change my habits tomorrow.. that tomorrow never comes..
By 10am this morning I’d consumed: 2 snickers, 2 packs minstrels, 2 soleros

that’s all I’ve had so far today...will eat proper food for dinner later
 
Hi and welcome .. sounds like you have a major sugar addiction problem.

Do you have any favourite foods that are sugar free that you'd be happy to eat for a week?

I'm thinking bacon and eggs or something else meaty. Avoiding sugar completely might be a great way to overcome this addictive problem you seem to have?
 

Thank you bulkbiker, I think you’re right. I’ve been hiding my intake from family and then bingeing at night and in the mornings. I used to be so good when I got diagnosed and got things under control...now I’m feeling out of control...

I also start feeling a bit anxious if I know there’s nothing sweet at home - I’ve cream, biscuits, chocolate, cake etc - sounds so silly but it’s true. Also feel ashamed so haven’t been able to tell anyone I know in person...thank goodness for this forum

I guess you need to ‘say it’ before you can do something about it...this is my confessional I guess and I hope enough of a spur to get on top of things. I’m still young and need my body for 50 plus years of life yet to live...

Non sugary food I like: eggs, cheese, beans, toast, roast dinner, pizza, chips, Indian curry, nuts, plain yogurt

I think I need to go back to proper nutritional meals to feel satiated - junk food does nothing to keep you full...

Thanks for listening and for your kind response.
 
This is what I'm afraid of, something quite simple can trigger me to binge. I've removed anything that's tempting away, I get tortured by these things being in the cupboard.

I'm debating with myself at the moment, should throw out half a jar of peanut butter that's in the cupboard? Just a sneaky teaspoon gave me a gentle insulin spike the other day, it was enough to trigger that hunger urge, getting me to head for the fridge.

For your 'sanity' you need to step off that carb merry-go-ground, be kind to yourself .
 
May14 said:
Non sugary food I like: eggs, cheese, beans, toast, roast dinner, pizza, chips, Indian curry, nuts, plain yogurt
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It'll be a NO for beans, toast, pizza, chips - roast dinner is fine so long as there're no potatoes. I believe there're some Indian dishes that don't carry too many carbs.

Have you got a blood glucose meter? It would help you to discover what foods are causing you a problem.
 
May14 said:
I’ve cream, biscuits, chocolate, cake etc - sounds so silly but it’s true
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OK so cream is fine I'm afraid the rest need to go.. just clear the house entirely.
May14 said:
Non sugary food I like: eggs, cheese, beans, toast, roast dinner, pizza, chips, Indian curry, nuts, plain yogurt
Click to expand...
Beans are pretty sugary, toast too pizza and chips are both pretty carb heavy (which just turn to sugar once you eat them) so they need to go too.
Eggs, cheese roast dinner with meat and green veg are fine. Some curry without rice, some nuts and full fat plain yoghurt are all ok too.
 
Have a look at the 'Carb Addiction Doctor' - I'm sure once you understand what causes insulin spikes caused by carbs entering your body, you'll feel you've been given a dose of freedom! It's not easy, but the rewards are mega!

 
@May14 - Food addiction is incredibly common, and many of those impacted do as you do, to hide what's going on.

Have a look at this YouTube video. It was recorded at the Public Health Collaboration Conference in 2018. The attendees were all people clued into food; many of whom are in important, responsible jobs. None of that is to "big them up", but really when we hear someone talk about food addiction, or not being able to control what they eat, and when, sometimes we think "They should know better", but in reality it can affect anyone.


As people are suggesting, there are some strategies you might be able to use, but there is also help out there, if you could talk to your doctor about it.

Good luck with it all, but stay with us. There's a lot of support available here, often from people who understand hiw it is to walk in your shoes.
 
Hi, @May14 . I'm glad you started this thread. I'm a carbaholic too. Every tooth I have is a sweet tooth. I think it's the dopamine. Carbs release all these lovely feel-good brain chemicals that are so hard to resist. That carb high which is always followed in my case by the guilt low.
I try to feel just as good by eating more healthful food. Unfortunately that pleased feeling isn't quite as pleasurable as the carb-induced one.
As you said, thank goodness for groups like this one where people know what it's like to crave carbs and support each other in resisting temptation.
 
Hi. I think you will need to wean yourself off sugary stuff slowly. For example have 85% Dark chocolate rather than milky rubbish, reduced sugar baked beans. Cheese is fine and delays carb absorption. Have eggs and bacon for breakfast and so. So have plenty of fats and proteins but keep away from the carbs.
 
The slowly wean off method works for some and makes the changes required a lot easier to cope with. Others, like me, are hopeless with temptation and are better off going cold turkey. The key is working out, with honesty, which type you are. I simply couldn’t stop if I started. Now I have better control but when I started I just couldn’t have “a little bit”.
 
Thank you everyone for your compassionate and understanding messages. It really helps to know I’m not alone in my sugar/ carb situation...it’s made me feel human again to be honest because everyone around me doesn’t relate or have the same issues towards sugary/ carb filled food...and yet they can’t rationalise how I’m eating badly despite knowing the health consequences of my diabetes...
 

Change can be hard, and I mean HARD. In order for changes to be sustainable, you have to believe in them, and to a certain extent, the time has to be right.

Please try to take each day and start afresh every day.

I must admit, I never suffered exactly the issues you are, but I did have an eating disorder (ED) in my earlier life, so I do understand what it can be like, to be in the grasp of disordered eating.

When I was diagnosed with T2, I was terrified my ED would raise it's ugly and dangerous head again. How I tackled that was by meal planning. My OH (who happens to be the main cook in the house) and I agree what was going to be on the menu each day, and agreed he would cook what made sense for me. Once I knew what I was going to be eating and that I wouldn't be going hungry, or faced with stuff I didn't care for, I was OK.

Of course, that's very over simplified, and there were bumps along the way, but I got there in the end.

Your eating behaviours have likely been brewing and developing over a long time, so to expect yourself to be able to flick a mental switch and all will be well, today and forever forward, is probably a bit unrealistic.

Take it steady.
 
DCUKMod said:
Please try to take each day and start afresh every day.
Click to expand...

I think this is excellent advice.
I think for some of us it's like with AA or NA or any other recovery process, just start afresh every morning and get through hour 1, hour 2, day 1, and so on. It can get easier. But I think it has be lived day by day.
 

Thank you for this realistic and sensible approach and for sharing your story. X
 
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