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I’ve Fallen off the clean eating wagon and now my Ankles and calf’s feel tingly.

R

Robertuk

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18
Hi guys I haven’t posted on here in a long time. Tbh I’ve not had the best of year and my bloods have shot back up, my carbs intake is off the chart and the problem I feel is an addiction to food. I have tried cbt, 12 steps and even made contracts with myself (which I broke) to eat right and get healthy.

For this past month my ankles have felt like there’s pressure on them and when I tried to get back to fitness it was quite sore to run. Even lying down I have this pressure in my ankles and now lower legs that I’m really worried about it.

I’m on metformin and anogliptin however I am stuck in this loop of wrong foods and it’s not because I don’t know what to eat, calorie counting, meal preps, more exercise etc. I have depression and the only happiness I’ve felt now is eating **** however Immediately after it I feel guilty and I’m so hard on myself.

I have accepted my behaviour is similar to an alcoholic and I need help, but there’s nothing to stop me doing it and I am now truly at the point of accepting the fact I am going to die through my diabetes. I am only 37 and only had type 2 for 2 years.

I’ve looked online and found nerve damage can be the case however I’m secretly panicking about this as family aren’t always the best to discuss these things with.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow for blood results of my 1ac and I know it’s going to be high. I had to go in today for more blood tests on my iron and trans fats so I know tomorrow morning is going to be a lengthy discussion. I just can’t live in the circle anymore as I know my depression and it’s comforter ie eating is going to kill me. I used to train all my life and eat right then that went downhill on the passing of my parents. The doctors said on my last 1ac if the tablets don’t help then they’ll put me on a tablet that makes me urinate more but I don’t feel it’s the tablets. It’s the food addiction.

Just don’t know what to do anymore. Sorry for the long post.
 
Robert, this was me from 2018, when mum suddenly died, and my fiance left me, followed a few months later with my son suddenly dying in his sleep. My world caved in, I ate for England .. disregarded my diabetes completely, and was plunged pretty much into the place where YOU are now. I thought it would be impossible to escape. I made a huge decision to move 80 miles with my remaining child, and due to Covid didn't mix (still don't) but then I realised that my daughter would have no one if anything happened to me, through my self imposed neglect. Try to think of something/someone in your life to get well for. I know how difficult that is. I only began just over three weeks ago, firstly by refusing to eat until 3.30 that day, to 'punish' myself. It worked and I've gained health already which drives me ever on. I wish you luck.
 
I can't see how counting calories might help - as a type two diabetic, the problem is all down to the carbohydrate.
Normal exercise is going to help with the blood glucose and keeping you fit - but you can't outrun a bad diet.
 
A friend of mine who is Type 2 found online counselling last yr with someone who specifically focused on food counselling. Her weight has dropped by 2 stone and she has kept it off, first time in years. she looks and feels so much better, but does have nerve damage in one leg. At least she has halted any progression. She said well worth the cost or you could really push for nhs counselling with the doctor tomorrow. Maybe write a letter today telling them the problem as you have posted here and give them the letter to read, I did this once, a lot easier than trying to talk about a difficult subject with a doctor that doesn’t always have a lot of time. Tackle the cause, and you will have the strength to get back on track. Keep us informed about how it goes.
 

Thank you coby and sorry to hear you’ve went through a similar situation. I think I might try the no eating till 3.30 as they just put me on empagliflozan. It’s a never ending battle.
 
Thanks for the responses everyone. After being to the docs my 1ac was in its 60’s and he’s now put me on empagliflozan and I’ve to continue on metformin and my alogliptin. He also stated if all 3 don’t help then I’ll be put on insulin. It’s frustrating as I feel the medication would work if only there was a way to stop the eating.
 
Robertuk said:
Thank you coby and sorry to hear you’ve went through a similar situation. I think I might try the no eating till 3.30 as they just put me on empagliflozan. It’s a never ending battle.
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Robert I was someone who ate the minute my feet touched the ground in the morning, and snacked on anything and everything to get a kick of happiness for a few fleeting seconds, but, like yourself, I was miserable again moments later. It's a horrible place to be, isn't it? You tell yourself that tomorrow you will try harder but you find the thought floats away in a sea of misery. I hadn't intended to be quite so severe on myself that morning, but it did me good to refuse myself the 'reward' of food. The following day I stuck it out until 11.30 then ate sensibly all day, and it became easier, especially since my diabetic symptoms were relieved. I lost half of the 28lbs I'd gained since 2018 in just TEN DAYS, and my heart stopped keeping me awake with it's loud beating every night x
 
Could you steer your eating in a less carby direction though?
I don't mean to be glib, but you seem to be worried about *the amount* you are eating, and I feel that if you were overeating, say, cheese omelettes and sausages you might be in a considerably better position regarding your bloods, and you wouldn't really need a restrictive or even particularly abstemious diet.
If you are eating low-carb already, then that's a different matter, but if you are loading up on excessive carbs, there may be an easier solution than insulin or iron will-power. In any event, good luck with it!
 
I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling so much, depression can make it so hard to do anything.

I agree with Geordie_P above though that if you were to focus on cutting carbs rather than calories, you might find you can actually eat more, not feel hungry and bring blood sugars down.

It wasn’t about willpower for me, because I’m very bad at denying myself — it was about not feeling the desire to gorge once I changed the way I ate (and if I am having a bad day and eat an extra few slices of cheese or keto cake it won’t be disastrous).

Your mileage may vary but for me, eating to my meter and seeing the numbers come down was a great motivation to stay on track.
 
Hi Robert, I agree wholeheartedly with Geordie_P and danziger - it's the carbs you need to cut rather than the calories.

Take a look at Jon Gaunt's website to see how low-carb can reverse diabetes https://www.simpleasfat.com/
You can also find him on Facebook with other like-minded people https://www.facebook.com/simpleasfat/

I lost 3 stone and reversed my diabetes by doing the low-carb diet - and I didn't even do any exercise as I'm now disabled because of diabetes.

Had I known to cut carbs ten years ago I wouldn't be disabled now and driving around in a Motability car.

You can still 'feed your food addiction' with comfort eating if you choose other things - for instance, if you're always snacking but don't fancy cooking, have you tried these delicious thingies rather than reaching for something high carb? https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=keto+cheesies&i=grocery&ref=nb_sb_noss

Just open a couple of packets of those ^^^. You can even make your own.
Heck, you can snack on those all day, never feel hungry, and not raise your blood sugar at all.

As you're only 2 years in to your diabetes, trust me - NOW is the time to do something about it. If you concentrate on low-carb foods you'll find your neuropathy feels much better too and your mood will lift. You have an opportunity to prevent so much damage. Please take it.

You are way too young to face a life of disability, poor health, increasing medication, insulin injections, so please cut the carbs today!

I posted my own story this morning on this thread if you want a bit of motivation to cut those carbs before it's too late: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/from-cornplaster-to-remission.183413/

All the best x
 
Try Dr Jen Unwins new book "Fork in the road" https://forkintheroad.co.uk/
All sorts of good advice. She's married to Dr David Unwin, the gp who champions low carb. They both follow it as away of eating but she struggled with stopping eating everything else. Theres all sorts of good links to other resources too
 
Hi Robert I agree with both Geordie_P and danziger. Several months ago my girlfriend suggested the keto diet. I had always been a ravenous eater. There was no just a dish of ice cream, though it started there, and usually ended with me consuming almost a half gallon. Eating just a slice of pie was just the start of the whole thing. Stopping at a bakery, buying a 1/2 dozen chocolate eclairs . After eating the second one , my mind seemed to say enough.. Yet my hand without hesitation went back and the rest disappeared in less than 15 minutes. Same with everything I ate. I feel for you because I have also been there. The keto diet changed all that for me. At first I didn't think I could do it, thinking this isn't enough food. Well I soon discovered I was wrong. In three months I shed 28lbs. consuming roughly 2,500 calories a day with a daily walk. Looking for snack alternatives at nighttime I discovered pork rinds with pub cheese. Awesome I thought. Soon the bowl was empty, then the bag, then the container of pub cheese. The 1,100 calories I wasn't worried about. However the pub cheese had <1 carb. per serving there were 10 servings. Had this happened with a high carb snack my blood sugar would have shot through the roof. However the sodium content raised my blood pressure. I am not saying the keto diet is for everyone, but it is worth a try. What I have noticed is that I do not crave sweets or snacks throughout the day which is strange. I wish you an answer and good luck in your journey.
 
@Robertuk
I'd go back to basics.
My basics are:-
1)When you reach for sugary foods or high carbed treats nibble on thin slices of cheese until that craving has gone.
2) STOP BUYING carby treats.... Make it harder to reach them so more time to nibble on thin cheese, ham or chicken. All plain proteins. Fill up on protein first then veg/fruit.

If you want to.... invest in a good multivitamin with minerals tablet. You could take it every other day unless medically advised otherwise.

I hope these plain easy 2 steps make your life less complicated.
For me seeing instant relief empowered me in dealing with my diabetes.... for life.
 
I felt every word of the original post - it’s almost exactly the same as my situation. Up until 4 weeks ago that is.

I was diagnosed 2 years ago too and buried my head in the sand. My very high HBA1C didn’t frighten me enough to fight my food addiction. Every day was a never ending cycle of carb laden meals and snacks - particularly on a weekend. No matter how many times I tried, the cravings won and I caved.

Around 12 weeks ago I started getting similar sensations in my lower legs and feet, which set my anxiety and depression of further as the realisation that I may have neuropathy kicked in.

Around 4 weeks ago, I began getting dizzy spells. This was the kickstart I needed. I’ve made significant changes as follows:

*16/8 intermittent fasting
*two meals a day, no snacks
*water only
*less than 40g of carbs a day (tracked on MyFitnessPal)
*blood glucose checked every morning and before/after meals and logged on DiaConnect
*take a multivitamin, magnesium and ALA supplements

Given my past issues with food, I’m shocked at how easy I’ve found this to stick to. My cravings have gone, my binges are under control and my appetite and portions are much much better! The dizziness has gone and my legs/feet feel much better and are improving daily!

As for blood sugar, the DiaConnect app has been a god send! It gives statistics and graphs which are motivating and it’s really user friendly. Would thoroughly recommend.

My next HBA1C is not due until October. It was 103 in April, and my last reading was around 2 weeks into my new regime so isn’t accurate (although it had come down to 90!). I don’t take any meds and my exercise regime is currently non-existent. But I’m a work in progress and have set myself a goal to have my HBA1C under 50 by 2022. The app currently suggests my HBA1C is around 74.

My advice is - Don’t give up on yourself, you can do it! Once you’ve done the first day of Keto/Low Carb you’ll be on a roll! I can sympathise with how hard this is, I really can. My motivation is keeping my health and nipping any damage/issues in the bud now!

Good luck and keep us posted!
 
I didn’t want to read and run. I’m new to this Robert (found out last week), but I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling depressed. You have some lovely people on here who have given you some great advise and please keep asking questions. I found the forum to be extremely helpful, most of these folk must answer the same question 100 times over, but they don’t seem to mind and they keep on doing it because they care. I’d like to think I’ll stick around and motivate people when my HbA1c results are better, cos they’ve helped me plenty.
I couldn’t get through any activity without sticking food in my mouth, hell I’m surprised I wasn’t eating while taking a dump. But I read up lots of stuff on the forum and started eating low carbs and tried intermittent fasting for the past week. The results have been phenomenal. I appreciate your depression makes things harder but I believe you can do it with the right help and support

sending you hugs!

you can get through this
 
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