I can’t stop eating !!!

Hi @Aes789 welcome to the forum. Tagging @daisy1 who will come along with a handy info pack for newbies.
A lot of us on here have got a handle on cravings (and our blood sugars) by reducing the amount of carbs in our diet - not just sweets and chocolate, but potatoes, pasta, rice and bread and other starchy foods too. If you are spiking your blood sugars with carbs, then you will feel constantly hungry due to insulin resistance and can have cravings all the time. Cut out or down the carbs and your blood sugars will level out and you'll find the cravings are likely to subside. What do you eat in a typical day at the moment?

Aes789 said:

Ahh I didn’t even think of that!!! Yeah the past couple of days I have been eating quite high carb stuff to be honest! Usually I eat stir fry or chicken salad but I’ve been getting fed up with veggies I will deffo try the no carbs tho - thank you!!

Click to expand...

Check out the low carb forum section on here and also https://www.dietdoctor.com/ for some meal ideas - low carb doesn't have to be boring or tasteless, there are a lot of delicious options for you to try and often they can be very easy to put together. Before I was diagnosed I was eating toast constantly and never felt 'full' and now my appetite has regulated. If at any point you take medication for your diabetes, depending on what it is, you sometimes have to take care not too go too low with the carbs, but as you are diet controlled only for now you can give it a go.

Aes789 said:

ever since I got told I had type 2 in December and that I had 3 months to control it via eating I cannot for the life of stop eating cr*p! I have been having mad cravings for the worst food, I read that eating a little of what you want is okay but I can’t stop eating massive quantities of the cr*p I don’t know what to do help!!

Ps I have a really bad sweet tooth so love chocolate

Click to expand...

Try Braggs apple cider vinegar with the mother from Holland and Barrett. It killed all my cravings and I didn’t feel like I was doing anything. I didn’t feel deprived. It takes a bit to get used to the taste but it’s seriously good.

@Aes789

Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
  
  
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
  

Try eating unlimited steak and eggs so that you don't want to eat anything else.

@Ziggyzog's tip is a good one - it works for me. I swig it straight out of the bottle (TMI probably but there's only me that uses it!) and it does seem to stop the munchies. You can have dark choc (over 80% cocoa content) but it's a good idea to not go near chocolate/sweet foods until your cravings are under control - you will find that one or two squares are enough and also that sweet things will taste much sweeter than they did before. It does get easier, and don't beat yourself up about eating cr*p after diagnosis - it happens (it can be a natural reaction to having realised you have to make significant changes to your diet) and you can overcome your cravings. Finding something - a hobby, activity or something that you can eat that really hits the spot - helps too. Good luck!

Hey @Aes789 , join the party A couple of things I find helpful are to 1) drink first - sometimes what you really need is a good glass of water, herbal tea, cup of coffee....often the warmth will make you feel more sated and 2) for every c-p food you eat, walk around for 10 minutes - without something to eat in your hand!! and lastly 3) grab a journal and write down why you think you need to eat that c-p food - be brutally honest with yourself.....you may find that mentally you are having a bit of a tantrum because of the diagnosis.....a tough one to swallow (no pun intended!)....but you can be successful with it! Hang in there! Blessings/L

Aes789 said:

ever since I got told I had type 2 in December and that I had 3 months to control it via eating I cannot for the life of stop eating cr*p! I have been having mad cravings for the worst food, I read that eating a little of what you want is okay but I can’t stop eating massive quantities of the cr*p I don’t know what to do help!!

Ps I have a really bad sweet tooth so love chocolate

Click to expand...

Just so you know what's going on (its not that you are a sloth and a glutton or have some moral failing):
*You are insulin resistant and the energy you are eating is not getting into your cells as well as it should (you are starving despite eating loads and wearing calories too). A perceived lack of energy will also cause your body to lack energy and slow itself down.
*( Because you are insulin resistant your brain is also blind to the signals (hormone called leptin) being sent by the rest of your body that you do have enough energy on board and can stop eating cr%p!

Its a good old vicious hormonal circle and a good way to escape is to turn down the insulin overdrive by eating less carb (bread, pasta, rice) including the junky sweet stuff. You might crave them all the more whilst your brain and body get used to running on a different and cleaner burning fuel option but it will be worth it if the experience of those on this forum is anything to go by.