One day a month binge...

Obviously it's not the best, but if you can stay on the waggon for the other 29 days then it's better than nothing. Everyone falls off the waggon sometimes, you have to find a solution that is sustainable for you. Someone on here said that diabetes is a "6 days a week" disease (although I'm not sure that I agree).

In my experience, if you can stick at the diet, those cravings go away. I can't even look at a glass of orange juice these days. Once you have control, you'll probably feel so bad after your binge that you won't want to do it again, especially if it takes days for your BG to recover.

(I'm not the only poster here, someone else will hopefully reply in a bit).

A food binge once a month will probably last a lot longer than that in effects, so in addition to the peaks of BG you experienced doing damage, (arguably, but lots will say high peaks cause harm) the effect on your overall average BGs and thus HbA1c is not inconsiderable. I guess it wouldn't help with weight either if that's an issue. There is the further issue that once a month can become once a month plus birthdays, then plus friends birthdays and so on. Bit like the occasional fag!
Regarding the Pxxx up- why do you describe this as a sugar binge? Spirits have zero sugar or carbs, wine very little and even though beer does, the alcohol stops the liver processing the carbs into sugar in the blood. It's why insulin dependant diabetics have to be wary of hypos if they drink. So drinking is between you and your liver rather than your diabetes! We have to enjoy something-I do!

Hi,

I don't have a problem with drinking alcohol - as long as it is wine or spirits with low carb mixers. Beer is a carby killer which is a shame.

The thing with falling off/throwing yourself off the wagon as far as food is concerned it will mess up your metabolism; if you are in ketosis then the body will prefer to use energy from carbs (by 'prefer' I mean it will use it first not that it 'likes' it more) and you will drop out of ketosis if you binge.

Purely anecdotally I've found that where that has happened it seems harder to get back into a good ketotic stage; Atkins mentions this I think. So, you will do yourself no favours; try and avoid it - the benefits of maintaining the diet I think override the pleasures of a pizza or two. I know that it is far easier to say that than do that; we are all human but you've got to steel yourself against that tricky tempter of a disease that is diabetes.

Best

Dillinger

Dillinger said:

Purely anecdotally I've found that where that has happened it seems harder to get back into a good ketotic stage

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It takes me 3 to 4 days to get back into ketosis after a binge. I think that is quite usual

Andrew

I'd not be able to do that because it would be so easy to slip and fall into bad eating habits again. It's just easier to keep going with with what I eat. If I feel like munching on something 'bad', then I give myself a reminder about why I totally changed my lifestyle and eating habits and as there is no way I'm going back there again, the temptation fizzles away. It's just not worth it. Food is just fuel really, whereas life is for living and I want a good long life. It might sound trite, but that's the way I see things.

Hi Robster.

I'm with the others I'm afraid. I have had to eat what I didn't want to at a wedding recenty, dealt with it, felt no ill effects. Couldn't wait to get back to my new healthier way of eating.

I understand totally that this is for life and there will be occasions which present themselves where you are massively restricted in your choices. I take these times as my 'fall off the wagon' rather than plan for them once a week/month/qtr/whatever.

Mary x

andrewk said:

It takes me 3 to 4 days to get back into ketosis after a binge. I think that is quite usual

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Steve Phinney reckons it can take up to 2-3 weeks to get back into ketosis (although he admits there is not much scientific background to this and I've heard Mark Sissons and some others saying that it should only take a few days):
[youtube]KkdFkPxxDG8[/youtube]

As a hard-core ketogenic dieter, the fear of dumping out of ketosis is what keeps me on the straight and narrow.

It's worth noting that the OP is currently on 200g a day of carb, so he'd have to drop well below 100g for ketosis to be a factor in his considerations.

borofergie said:

Obviously it's not the best, but if you can stay on the waggon for the other 29 days then it's better than nothing. Everyone falls off the waggon sometimes, you have to find a solution that is sustainable for you. Someone on here said that diabetes is a "6 days a week" disease (although I'm not sure that I agree)

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That was probably me, I've said that several times & light heartedly my diabetic nurse agrees with me. I would never have the discipline many have about such strict regimes, so my night off is my way of coping. My last hbac was 5.6 so although it may not be ideal it works for me. I think the big problem comes if you're not honest enough about your control & still have a "treat day" then it becomes a downward spiral

MaryJ said:

I take these times as my 'fall off the wagon' rather than plan for them once a week/month/qtr/whatever.

Mary x

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Nicely put Mary...

There are some days I just wish we could have "a day off"! It can be difficult sometimes, especially when you are newly diagnosed to sort your diet out. In fact I got quite depressed over it myself.

As others have said just don't make the binging a thing of habit