The effects of a chocolate binge?

[JenniferW]

Yesterday evening i had a chocolate binge. I've got a history of eating problems of complusive / binge eating, so this wasn't out of the blue, but was over the top compared to what I've been like recently.

However, I assumed this would show up in this morning's blood test - and I can see no difference. Is that 'normal'? My average first test of the day is 7.6 (this is for around a month of morning testing), and this morning it was 7.3, i.e. better than it's been some mornings following a day of a good low carb diet. Any ideas or explanation, anyone?

 

[AndBreathe]

Did you test after your binge to see where your bloods went?

As chocolate has quite a bit of fat, the rise evidenced can be quite slow, but long, if you understand what I mean. If, however, you did go high, there is often a responding, rebound low to accompany it. If you imaging gently throwing a ball in the air, and catching it on its way down. After a while, you can do it again, and again, and again, at it becomes predictable. (The impact of your pancreas/insulin is what does the catching in this example.)

Where you load up with more energy in the chocolate, whilst the rise might start more slowly when it goes up and reaches it's peak, when it starts to fall, it can happen quickly, catching your pancreas/insulin on the hop on the way. When the curve isn't caught, it can lead to a low. This may or may not explain what you have seen.

One thing of note though; due to the addictive nature of carbs, it is quite common, after a binge/blow out that carb cravings increase for a few days. Your body is effectively remembering "the good old days" and wants more. Try not to give in, or there is a danger of creating a roller coaster situation that can be tricky to break.

Back on the wagon girl!

 

[Mike d]

Normally, I'd say try that again and test. On the other hand, I wouldn't personally play with that fire and in any event, 7.6 is still on the high side, though not too bad. Were they your fasting levels? I'm assuming they were.

 

[JenniferW]

Second question first - the 7.6 is the average over 31 days of morning / fasting tests, and this morning's (post-binge) was 7.3

First question - no, I didn't think of testing come the end of the binge - it was late evening and I just went to bed. I didn't realise it might be worth doing - would I see almost-instant results? If so, that's worth doing - facing myself with the immediate incontrovertable evidence of the effect of the behaviour, etc.

I can't believe I actually bought the chocolate. Once it was in the house, looking back, of course it was going to turn into a disaster. But really, what was I doing buying it in the first place?

 

[noblehead]

@JenniferW, there's some really nice chocolate around with a 80-90% cocoa content which will satisfy any chocolate cravings, Aldi do one called Moser Roth where each pack has 5 individual bars, each bar has just 4g of carbs.

 

[Celeriac]

Lindt Excellence 90% cocoa chocolate has 14g carbs in a 100g bar. Currently 2 for £3 Morrisons and £1.41 Waitrose.

 

[Mike d]

But really, what was I doing buying it in the first place?

Don't beat yourself up about it @JenniferW

As I said, those numbers are pretty good.

What's even better is your attitude We all fall (well, most of us) at some point. Like your work so just keep goin'

Mike.

 

[JenniferW]

For those of you suggesting 'good' chocolates - I'm not actually a chocoholic. I'm a binge eater. And believe it or not (you will, if you've ever come across a binge eater), I can just binge on whatever's available. I just go for the most instant of whatever food's in the house, and this time there was chocolate.

I've got a lifetime of eating and food issues, and several years of binge eating at a period in life when all sorts of things were going beserk. As you'll all understand, this makes trying to improve one's diet a bit of a guerilla war at times. Intelligence versus the ... well, I'm not sure what!

But what surprised me about this particular binge (compared to eating a large amount of cheese, for example), was that the next blood test was the same as 'normal'.