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Type 2 diagnosis with perimenopause, obesity and food issues!

jpscloud

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,058
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hello, it's a relief to finally be able to post after a long wait due to problems with confirmation email (thank you to the admin who sorted that out for me!) I'd like to be able to talk really frankly to get the best advice and support, so I hope I won't offend anyone by being open about all my issues - hence the title, so people can avoid if it sounds like too much drama! I also apologise for the epic post, and don't expect anyone to answer much of it, but any tips or support will be gratefully received.

I'm a 52 year old woman, in the throes of perimenopause with hot flushes, insomnia, all manner of aches and pains, dizziness, crazy emotional swings and waves of deep deep sadness (not all the time thankfully). Add to that my eating problems... I think I have binge eating disorder, but haven't yet had the courage to ask the Dr about it, and am very overweight. I have lost 2 and a half stones in the last year with slimming world but it has been very hard and I've recently stalled, then begun to regain (it was almost 3 stones lost). I need to lose around 8 stones more, but realistically I am aiming for another four this coming year. I exercise only erratically, but I do love walking. I can only do that in the school hols, though, as I work in education and commute so am very tired during term time.

I've had an annual blood test for several years now because of the risk factors (high blood pressure too!) and this year's came back with a diabetes label. The practice nurse I normally see has handed me over to the diabetic nurse, and I have an hour appointment with her next Monday when she'll go through the diagnosis with me.

I might still be a bit in denial, as I haven't had much of an emotional reaction yet, or it might be that what I've read so far here has reassured me that it is possible to live a full (and probably much better) life while controlling blood sugar. I do feel guilty but with my issues around food guilt has long been a constant companion. I read the thread about not falling for the blame game with interest and do agree, but guilt is a funny thing and doesn't do rational.

What I have done is buy a glucose meter (Aviva accuchek, before I saw that there is a meter with much cheaper strips, sadly!) and I've been testing rather obsessively, against the advice of the pharmacist who said testing frequently is discouraged for Type 2s. I couldn't get an immediate appointment with the diabetic nurse - I guess it's a good sign they're not rushing me in as an emergency - so I've been testing for more than two weeks now, with an average of 7.0. The highest was 10.1 and the lowest 5.3. I seem to be high in the mornings, with around 8-9, then by lunchtime I'm around 6 most of the time and it stays thereabouts until the following morning.

I haven't seriously binged while testing until yesterday, when I binged spectacularly and it's carried on today. It doesn't seem to have changed my test results much, but my emotions are all over the place. I have tried to turn to vegetables and protein based foods when I feel the urge to overeat, and am trying the new low sugar chocolate, but my issues defy all reason and I genuinely find it impossible to stop myself eating carbs (chips, crisps, and milk chocolate in particular).

Tonight I'm 6.4 2 hours after starting to eat (unfortunately I'm still eating - I hope those still reading haven't lost the will to live yet) but it will likely be 8 or more in the morning.

I am well-educated about diet and nutrition, and only wish I could put it into practice better. I'm working hard now to educate myself about diabetes but there's so much more to it than I ever realised before. So hello, and thanks to all of you for posting and helping reassure and educate people like me.
 
Hi and welcome. Those blood sugar readings are actually very good. Don't worry too much about morning readings as they can be affected by overnight liver dumps of glucose. For chocolate do go for 85% Dark chocolate such as Green & Blacks; you will get used to the strong taste over time and begin to dislike milk chocolate as too sweet. Avoid low-sugar chocolate which has sugar alcohols added such as Maltitol. Ignore anyone who says a T2 doesn't need to test. Don't get obsessive over it but do test 2 hours after a meal from time to time. Just continue to keep the carbs down and the weight will hopefully gradually go down.
 
I was diagnosed three months ago. I am 50 and thought I was starting the menopauses but keeping to the low carb has made hot flushes, backache, dizziness and mood swings (did think this was due to the incredible stress I have at the moment) has almost disappeared. I had a reading of 4.4 yesterday which I was very pleased. I think this was due to speed walking a shopping mall from one end to the other. Maybe you could get a couple of circuits of the playground whilst on playtime duty or just walk the school hall when the children are out of class? It's just a thought as I have found that every little counts. try not to blame yourself when you eat a high carb just try to make it a minimum size. One member on here said do something each time that you can say to yourself I did that to combat my diabetes. I find it does stop you spiralling out of control and makes you step back and think is this worth it. Good luck and you are in the right place with a lot of people who understand.
 
Hi and welcome, you are in the right place to get yourself on track. It can be a long journey and it can be difficult when you have more than one issue to deal with. Have a good look through the Low Carb forum as there is a lot of great info. I can be a bit of a serial snacker sometimes so I try to keep lots of LC baking in the freezer so if I am going to go off the rails it doesnt seem so bad, it doesnt always work but hey im only human
 
Hi and thanks for the welcomes... Daibell I'm trying chocologic (dark) which is great for days when I'm not off the rails. It's just been a very tough few days though food wise. BS was over 9 this morning but down to 6.2 before evening meal... will test in another half hour for the two hour reading.

HEG I really like that idea of doing something to combat diabetes - it's a comfort to remember small things help and I did a couple of laps of the playground while on break duty... I work in a big high school so it's a big yard too!

And thanks 4ratbags too, I needed a reminder that I'm only human too! I can't get it right all the time, and there's no point in beating myself up for that.

What do people think of Total Sweet (polyols?) I was thinking of using it on porridge - I can't stand porridge without something sweet on!
 
jpscloud said:
What do people think of Total Sweet (polyols?) I was thinking of using it on porridge - I can't stand porridge without something sweet on!
Click to expand...

Hello and welcome - you sound as though you are doing well. As for porridge, I don't think many of us are able to tolerate it. I would so love to be able to eat a bowl of porridge for breakfast ............ even the really course oats that need soaking overnight make my BG spike! Have you tried testing after eating porridge?
 

Hi Flora thanks, no I haven't tried porridge for ages but I thought I read that oats were recommended for diabetics - I guess I will have to experiment and see if they do raise my blood sugar. I'm 6.5 two hours after eating tonight.
 
Everything you're doing with regard to walking is great but all that good work is somewhat undermined by your eating habits. A 6.5 is not bad at all at the 2 hour mark. Oats (for many) are a no go zone.

I would suggest your numbers might well plummet if you changed your diet and stuck to it to see the results. Motivation is the key. Don't know your overall weight (and no, not asking) but 8 stone is a lot and it is not recommended that you lost that amount too quickly.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum
 
Hi and welcome - from one binge eater to another. I've got long standing food "issues" too and it can be very tough to get any kind of handle on it as it's not just about motivation.
The good thing is that for someone who is very overweight (the 8 stone you mentiined tells us that), your BG numbers are good. This will take time, and you are going to have days where "it" hits, that inexplicable force that makes us eat, and keep eating.
But, you can make a difference. If you can start to lower your carbs, it will help the diabetes no end, plus your weight. First thing I would do is cut bread right out. Trouble with bread is that it's convenient, and you know that us bingers head for the stuff we can eat quickly! Bread used to put me in double figures and it's too tempting to slap chips and other stuff into it!
Crisps - don't buy them. Easier said than done I know, but if they're not there, you can't munch them. Walk past them quickly in the shops. Choc - minimum of 70% cocoa, lidl do some luscious bars, a couple squares of that.

Your diabetic nurse will probably advise brown bread, rice, pasta etc. You honestly don't need any of this but it may initially be impossible for you to cut them out so halve them. Bulk up the veg, preferably green stuff not root veg, and add a little butter to make them taste richer and more satisfying.

Small steps first, no guilt about the binges though as its counter productive. If you've had crisps etc, it's done and dusted, just don't feel so demoralised you eat three or four packs. This is where you start to take control, I've actually squirted washing up liquid in food, poured water into crisps to stop myself eating a family bag size! It sounds extreme but it is still controlling how you eat - it's you taking control. And I'm sure you can
 
Hi Mike, thanks... yes I understand sticking to a diet will make me lose weight and probably give me good blood sugar control. The tricky bit is sticking to it...

Hi Patsy, thanks!

Hi ladybird and thank you too for a really uplifting post. Bread is a big (no pun intended) problem in term time because I really feel deprived and crave it when I don't have it. I think I will get some coconut flour and experiment a bit with alternatives.

I think if there can ever be a good time to hear you're diabetic, now is a good time for me... it seems I am fortunate enough to be catching it early (thanks goodness for those annual tests) and I had just lost my way with weight loss and exercise, starting to gain again. The urge to eat carbs and junk food is tremendous and very difficult to fend off right now, but I will be trying as hard as I can.

Thank you for the lovely support right when I need it.
 
I'm more of a carb binge eater, I say I am a biochemical carbaholic. The more I have the more I want. If you are back at the fridge a couple of hours after eating, it may be getting you too.
I had to get a very low carb LCHF diet, when healthy fats replace the lost carb energy, I really don't get starving hungry anymore

This gives a simple overview to how it works
For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. They don’t give up easy and it’s biochemical


a long page and a few good video’s
http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

what to expect the first weeks
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm
 
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Hi freddy, thanks for that, I'll have a good look when I get a minute after tomorrow. I think you're, my binges are very carb oriented. I have tried low carbing on a couple of occasions and after a few days I felt terrible, and unable to resist carbs any longer. I wonder if that's a kind of withdrawal that I have to get through? I've never found the strength to get through it but the diabetes may be the additional motivation I need.

The other problem I found was that in order to feel remotely satisfied I had to eat a lot of high fat foods like cheese and nuts. This is obviously disastrous for the diet - low carb and low calorie is much more difficult to pull off. I need to do a lot more learning, I'll start with your links! Thanks
 
unknowingly you were eating the right things
with LCHF you do eat full fat to replace the lost carb energy or you will be driven back to carbs, I can't eat low fat and low carb and it's not recommended, it's the opposite to what we were told for the last 50 years

our body's forgot we are hybrid powered, battery/fat and petrol/carbs, when mine remembered, I lost 10kg

for if you get craving when you cut your carbs
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm
 

I have to admit to being a bit less well educated about low carbing than I'd like... my problem is that my appetite is out of control at times, so when I say I was eating a lot of cheese and nuts etc., I really mean a LOT. Much more than a "normal" person would. If I understand correctly the "high fat" part of LCHF means full fat versions of things, not high volume. I think high volume would mean gaining weight due to excess fat intake.

I think I have a problem with the "off switch" but I do take your point... maybe if I got past that carb withdrawal phase I'd find that my appetite would change. I'm a little scared to mess with things that much just yet though. I will try cutting down on carbs, and not worry too much about good quality oils/fats.

As a chronic overeater as well as binge eater no change in diet is straightforward, sadly. Very well done on your achievements, though - I know it's not easy for anyone.
 
There may be emotional aspects, but I would get rid of what is know to cause the physical causes of overeating, first. I would seek and follow your Dr and dietitians advice but I wouldn't worry about putting on weight for the first 2 weeks to a month of shaking carbs, get rid of one problem at a time.

once the carbs were under control, then I would reevaluate my blood sugars and how my lchf eating is, I found that I didn't have the old eating urges.

after I got the carbs down to about 50g a day, so carbs are taken out of it. If I was still driven. I would ask the Dr about this, you may have the insulin leptin path impaired to the off switch, but it's the same treatment of cutting the carbs including fruit/juice, in the first instance
leptin section of video
 
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Oh Boy - do I get what you mean with this! It is difficult to understand that the psychological side is just as powerful (dare I say more powerful?) than the purely physical hunger associated with appetite. It is extremely hard to consider a lchf diet if one overeats by a lot and knows there is the binge element to it because a "handful" of anything (replace "handful" with "whole packet" lol), or a slice of cheese (replace "slice" with a third of a block") can never be enough. That fear, which is justified, prevents many overeaters from considering a diet that advocates cream, butter etc. It can be done though, but it can take some time and fine tuning. One thing you haven't mentioned jps is if you eat a lot of snacks as well as meals, do you have a lot of crisps, biscuits, bars of chocolate? I know in my case I probably ate more in so-called snacks than I ever did in meals (my meals were actually pretty balanced!) so if this is the case with you, we need to look at your snack/grazing intake too.

Can I just say that we don't do the walk of shame here. There is no judgement about your weight, how much you have got to lose, people are only interested in supporting you. Many here have lost a lot, I lost 6 stone although I was away from here for quite a while, it really doesn't matter - what matters is that you have the support you need to keep your diabetes under control. If we can support you with weight issues too, that's a bonus, and it will help the diabetes even more
 
Thanks ladybird! It's really heart warming that someone understands! Cheese... not a third of a block, though... it was the whole block of halloumi, last week. I've been out of control for a month now really, just having odd days when I got it back minimally. I woke up with that "today is the day I change" feeling this morning, though, and so far I am doing okay.

I have decided that I might struggle too much to go all out low carb, so I will take the mindful approach and replace or reduce where I can. I'm also looking to increase fibre so I might try some of the low carbers' ingredients and recipes as well.

Snacking is a serious problem when I'm out of control (that's when I never really stop eating), but not so much when I am in control. I find that I have to keep a food diary in order to maintain control as well... as soon as I slack off on that, things creep in and before I know it, I've jumped off the wagon, set fire to it and started toasting crumpets on the embers.

I've lost two stones over the past year and considering the difficulties I have, I am pretty proud of that! Go me.

6 stones is fantastic ladybird - and yes I totally agree there should be no shame. I am not precious about my weight or my looks (that's a good thing, because I am no beauty either!) and prefer the honest and open approach. While I know some people do judge others on their body type and/or looks, I know there are enough who don't and I can see that there are lots of the latter on here.
.
 
Well done on your weight loss throughout 2015. My own experience of 17 years of Type 2 and my time on this forum is that we all have different lives, stresses and dietary needs. It is all to easy to be put on a guilt trip because you are not dealing with your diabetes in the same way as another person. Your aim is to be at a good weight and to avoid diabetic complications - however you do that. Different people achieve that in different ways.

Take care

Doug
 

No problem xx I'm having a few difficulties myself, possibly because of the time of year with stuff being around me, and I have had two not very good days. I'm trying very hard not to beat myself up over it though - I have to go away from home for a couple of days and that will help to get my mindset back on track I think. It is so, so easy to slip up but the pressure we put on ourselves is worse than anybody else could put on us!
Hope you're doing ok today
 
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