I'm Rosie and I'm a carboholic

[RosieLKH]

Hi,

I've been diagnosed with type 2 for a few years now and have moved from 3x500mg Metformin to 5x, then had 2x 80mg Gliclazide added, and last week went to 3x that.
However, I've been in denial about being diabetic and have not adjusted my diet.

My weight crept up and up and up over 30 years until I was nearly touching 20st (I'm 5' 1" - so that's not a good look). My knees could not take the strain, plus (or possibly because) I developed osteoarthritis and they are now crumbling away.

I have taken my weight down to 17st over the last 4 years, which is fine, but still never bothered to watch what my blood sugars were, and they continued to rise as, although overall I've lost weight, I also have sessions of total binge eating. I have not had a good relationship with food, but I have worked on this over the last 5 years or so and am much more mindful now about what I'm eating and why. I do still go off the rails though.

I was about to go in for a knee replacement op next week, but my pre-op has shown up my high blood sugar levels and have resulted in the op being cancelled.

I know this sounds like a tale of woe and many would say you've done this to yourself, made your bed, blah, blah, blah. Actually, I'm not a tale of woe sort of girl really. I'm generally happy, self-contained and positive. Anyway, I'm also not entirely stupid, and know that only I can do something about this. Partly the thought of going on to insulin motivates me, and partly the knowledge that my knees can only get worse and I will be unable to even walk my lovely dog. So now is the time. I AM going to change this, BUT I know I need to go public, feel I have support of people who understand, and take advice of people who've been there and done it - so I'm here and if you don't mind putting up with me - this is my diary where I'll log my progress.

I'm going low carb. It'll be hard, but I know I have to go cold turkey on some of the things I love. I recognise that when I eat bread, I want to eat more bread... then pastry and cakes follow... then ice-cream. So none of that - it's all out. I'm not fussed about potatoes, unless they are jackets and then one isn't enough - so they're out. I love pasta, but it's always a huge portion - so that's out.

I plan to be kind to myself though, and eat things which I count as lovely. I love fish, so lots of that. I like meat, so that's in too. I like salad, green veg, fruit and pulses, but am confused about how much of some of them I can have. I love nuts and seeds, but after a life-time of looking at calories, I can't get my head around being allowed them, and I do need to lose weight as well as go low carb, so again am confused about what I can eat of those, but I will be reading loads of stuff on this site to help. Any lovely low carb food ideas welcome - especially brekkie and lunch.

Anyway - the diary bit. I joined this week. Started low carbing on Tuesday, using MyFitnessPal to help me, and so far have had two successful days.

Tues - carbs 86 ('cos I had a veggie biriani to use up), cals 1335 out of 1680 ('cos I had earned extra through exercise), BG a.m. 14.7, p.m. 11.1

Weds - carbs 55 (and learnt that cheese has 0 - who knew?), cals 1339 out of 1335 (a few over - whoops), BG a.m. 13.5, p.m. 9.7 (I won't be doing daily readings for long, just for a while to prove to myself it's working)

Feeling good so far. A little hungry around mid-afternoon, but solved that with green tea and celery.

If you've read this far, many thanks for indulging me. Looking forward to posting here and keeping it all going. Small steps and all that!

R x

 

[Spiker]

Hi Rosie

You are really impressive with your insight and your honesty. Welcome to low carb. You have a great approach and if you can stick to that frame of mind you will be successful. And if you can make it to day four it gets a lot easier as the carb cravings fade away. In fact you might find, as many people do, that are not a carbaholic after all, that you were just trapped in a physiological state that resembles physical addiction. I would have called myself a carbaholic too, but now I am low carbing effectively, I question that. I don't feel any cravings now and it's not a battle of willpower every hour of every day. It's actually surprisingly easy. The only times it's difficult for me is when I face unexpected stress. Then I feel pressure to fall back on old habits, the old crutch of carbs. You do need resist those moments.

You have come to the right place for help as there is loads of support and advice available here. I'm quite new here myself so I will wait for someone else to officially welcome you. But it's good to have you with us!

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[cold ethyl]

I'm on to day 13 of low carbing and I can't say I am really missing them- certainly nowhere near as much as I thought I would given the size of the portions I waded through previously. My appetite seems smaller( some of that may be post diagnosis fear and the one metaformin I take) and I don't have the post- carb food cravings that I once had. I think you've done the hardest part which is acknowledging you have a problem with food and can't keep doing what you are doing. It is hard to get head round the idea that stuff you thought was ok isn't and vice versa- must admit apart from some cheese I haven't consciously loaded myself with high fat food as I have a family history of heart disease and am statin dodging and find full fat stuff too rich but that is a personal thing and may change as my weight drops.
Breakfast suggestions include the full English with lots of sauted mushrooms and tomatoes; scrambled egg and smoked salmon if you like it kipper and poached egg; greek yogurt and berries with a handful of crushed nuts mini crustless quiches; a portion of last night's dinner( I had a friend whose daughter had cold fish curry for her breakfast)
Lunch- any of the above with salad; smoked mackerel pate made with cream cheese or small amount of cottage cheese and lemon juice on bed of leaves; oven baked fish with green beans and tenderstem broccoli. Tandoori chicken and salad. Tuna nicoise minus the spuds ( or maybe one new boiled potato if you can manage them); poached eggs and bacon; cauliflower cheese and bacon or a high meat content/gluten free sausage; vegetable frittata/omlette with mushrooms, peppers, toms. Asparagus with couple of soft boiled eggs.....

 

[zand]

Well done, that was a great post. It looks like a good plan to me. I found that going cold turkey on the things I loved was best too, I could never stop at just a small portion. Nuts can be really good because they are filling as well as nutritious, so don't be too put off by them, but I know what you mean about counting calories, I have been trapped in that too.

Keep us informed of your progress, it's looking good so far!

 

[Brunneria]

@RosieLKH and @Spiker

I know what you mean about stress, and cravings.

It's been a frustrating week at work (to put it mildly) and today I forgot to take my highish protein lunch. Had to make do with just veg and bouillon soup.

Oh dear.

Hunger, dropping blood glucose, stress and the availability of one of those daemonically inspired snack machines. I managed to stop at a snickers but it was very, very difficult.

Found myself sitting at my desk, staring at my screen and rehearsing what I would say to my mother next time I saw her, taking her to task for the dreadful packed lunches she sent me off to school with!!!

It was like I had regressed to that hungry 13 yr old, ravenous, and opening a stained Tupperware pot containing a tinned sardine sitting on top of chopped white cabbage and a half tomato.

Such a revelation for me!

I've always known that food, hunger, low BG and anger were entwined, but that little trip back in time was a wonderful eye opener. Such an enormous sense of powerlessness - no money, desperately hungry, low blood sugaring and physically unable to eat stomach turning stinky unrefridgerated sardines and raw white cabbage dribbled with fishy oil. No option but to scavenge leftovers from other school kids or go hungry til we got home (and no snacking until the evening meal at 7pm). Basically, I was eating once a day - we didn't eat breakfast. My mother has always been borderline anorexic, and would only let us have half an unsweetened grapefruit for breakfast. So we preferred to have nothing.

As a hypoglycaemic child, that may not have been particularly beneficial.

And no wonder that my adrenalin response to low BG is anger...

I've always found meditation much more effective than psychobabble (no offence to those who support it), but I certainly have something to meditate on after today's revelations.

Sorry to dump all this in the middle of your positive, upbeat thread Rosie. But actually, I feel quite positive too after all this. It certainly explains why I have an actual fear of hunger (because it leads to an emotional reaction embedded in my supercharged hypoglycaemic anger as a child). And now I have a better understanding of what is happening, it won't be so overwhelmingly powerful next time... I hope.

 

[RosieLKH]

Stress - don't get me started! When I was working I know I ate more, and all carbs, when I was stressed. Unfortunately, it was often a stressful job, hence the wight rise over the 27 years I did it.

I chucked it in in 2010 to travel for a year. It was the best thing I did and I've slowly lost weight since then. I don't want to go back to my old job, but am not qualified for a lot else and certainly not on the same wage. I'm earning bits here and there, while I try to become a published writer - oh, and living off my husband. I will be able to draw on my pension from 55 - so 3 more years from tomorrow!

So I do have the luxury of time to think about food, to prepare it, to get out with the dog - this is my perfect time to sort out my weight and reduce blood sugar & blood pressure.

I summoned up the courage to ring my diabetic nurse today. I've only met her 3 times since moving down to south Cambs. She is seriously scary. She'd written to me to say ring her and let her know how I'm getting on now I'm up to 3 Gliclazide. I had to tell her my knee op was cancelled due to high sugar levels, but then went on to tell her I'd joined this site and started a low carb diet. She was very positive and supportive. I was surprised.

Off to serve my delicious sea bream with salad now. Yum!

R x

 

[Spiker]

@Brunneria, what an amazing story and realisation. Thank you for sharing that.

 

[Spiker]

I know what you mean about work stress and the daemonic snack machines. They really are evil. Even a desk stocked full with low carb snacks is no sure defence against them.

 

[Brunneria]

Especially when they put the d*mn thing 6 feet from the kettle!

 

[RosieLKH]

Today has been another good day.
Week 1 - Thurs 15/5/14 - carbs 23 (I wouldn't have thought it possible), cals 1376 out of 1380 (just in), BG a.m. 12.1, p.m. 9.2 (I wouldn't have thought I'd see this going down each day - I expected it to take a while)

Today I added some nuts and a few berries as a snack instead of an orange. I also mixed grated cheese with a bit of mayo and spread it on celery - delicious.

This weekend will be a bit of a carb trial. My husband works away from home during the week. When he is home he eats a lot of carbs - very active, skinny cyclist. We have to solve the problem of eating together. Also, it's our birthdays (he's older by 3 days) so we will be going out for Sunday lunch. I can cope with food - steak & salad probably, but what do you all do for drinking alcohol?

R x

 

[Spiker]

what do you all do for drinking alcohol?

R x

 

[Spiker]

Glad you had a good day!

Drinking alcohol with no carbs in it isn't a problem, just normal diabetic rules for alcohol apply.

 

[annelise]

Rosie, you seem to be doing great - congratulations and thumbs up from me.

When you go out - and of course you must celebrate: then opt for gin, whisky or vodka with a diet filler, and please make totally sure that it is a diet soda you are getting. This will in no way raise your bg. - A pint of 'the best of the house' will for sure raise your bg. - Have fun ...

annelise

 

[RosieLKH]

Week 1 - Fri 16/5/14 - I have to post this - my BG a.m. 9.0, - I know that'll seem high for most of you but I've been taking it 2 hrs after breakfast every day this week and it has gone Mon - 15, Tues - day I began low carb - 14.7, Wed - 13.5, Thurs - 12.7, Fri - 9.0. I am amazed!

Also, I had scrambled egg and smoked salmon for brekkie today - life of luxury or what?

I went shopping last night and successfully avoided all the carbs, including the bargain cakes being sold at the end of the day for 29p - but... boy, buying my lovely low carb goodies cost me £20 over my usual shop! Still, for me to change my lifestyle I have to enjoy it, right?

R x

 

[jack412]

I hope you bought some cooking cocoa powder and 80% block chocolate.

You're over the hard part, I found the first 2 days of LC are the hardest, till the starvation goes.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm

 

[Spiker]

Rosie that is all superb!

 

[HA3]

Hi rosie, glad to see your first week has gone so well. I used to be a cider drinker when out but now stick to vodka and slimline tonic and/or dry white or rose wine and manage ok. Lunch idea, what I have just eaten - 2 egg omelette with bacon, onion, pepper and brocolli, dollop of creme fraich. Yum. Hope you enjoy your birthday

 

[Etty]

Buy your husband a present:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Science...&qid=1400267299&sr=1-1&keywords=phinney+volek
I think they made a study of cyclists. Who knows, he might even decide to join you on low carb.

 

[RosieLKH]

A good day.
Week 1 - Fri 16/5/14 - carbs 34, cals 1771 out of 1632 (over by 139 - but it's my birthday and I'm having a drink), BG a.m. 9.

Had a lovely long walk with dog & husband, which earned white wine at pub. Gardening earned me more wine, which I plan to have with a meal in about 45 mins time. Big smiles here and a pat on the back for managing to have meat & salad at lunch while skinny husband tucked into same meat and cheese on rye bread. That's the first of our eating together hurdles over (he'snot home during the week). The next hurdle is him having potatoes with dinner, but that'll be a breeze as I'm not fussed about that. Maybe I'm just addicted to all things floury - bread, pasta, pastry.

R x

 

[RosieLKH]

Well, edit on what I actually had today as we couldn't eat all we'd planned for so it ended up as carbs 26,cals 1161 out of 1632 - so not over at all. Husband didn't have potatoes either as he thought there was plenty without that!