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Type 2: Stress eating during COVID

H

harrygarry95

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hey,

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about a month ago. I'm on Metformin x2 a day as well as x1 Gliclazide. When I was first diagnosed I managed to keep my blood sugar within the 7-9 ranges which I know is still a little high.

However I'm a stress eater! Anxious eater! Paranoid eater! And have also had an eating disorder for the last 10 years which has come back at the worse possible time... How does everyone cope during Covid to maintain a healthy eating?

I spoke to my doctor who suggested doing the 800 cal diet for the next 8 weeks in order to reduce my weight. Has anyone tried this? What was your result? I'm going to stay with my family for all of August and will treat it like a mini detox/weight loss vacation. I've already stopped drinking alcohol but my biggest fall is sugar cravings late at night!

Any advice would be great.
 
The 800 is a short term low calorie diet. It does indeed help some people but many find the very reduced calorie level leaves them hungry and miserable. More of us in here use low carbohydrate rather than low calorie. There’s no calorie restrictions lots of yummy food and it’s sustainable long term way way beyond the 8 weeks when you then have to find a new plan anyway. Type 2 can’t handle carbs and if you could handle peanuts say you’d simply not eat them. Same goes for carbs.
Have a read of these to get you started
Intro to T2 and low carb. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/
All the things I wish I’d been told earlier https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/th...ish-i’d-been-told-at-type-2-diagnosis.173817/

please do note the warnings of the need to test regularly as the gliclazide and low carb combined can cause levels to drop quite dramatically and risk hypos if you aren’t on the ball. As you are on this you should have been prescribed meter and strips and how to head of and treat hypos (under 4mmol). The bonus is lots of people can rapidly drop the extra medication when choosing this way of life so the risk is eliminated as well as the pills.
 
Hi there, I was diagnosed as T2 just a little bit before you. I don't take any medication though as I'd really like to see if I can beat this just with diet/exercise. Initially my approach was to use the The Fast 800 Diet but after about a week or so, and listening to people on the forum, I realised it was still be a little carby for me - there are quite a few recipes with beans or pulses in there. I don't want to put you off though but maybe consider just avoiding those recipes in the Fast 800.
Others will comment I'm sure but sticking to a 16:8 fasting cycle seems to be working for me, that just means I don't have breakfast which I can honestly say I don't miss at all. I'm also pretty much sticking to a keto diet, which is under 20g carbs a day. I've had a couple of slip-ups but more or less stayed on track and so far I've lost almost 2stone, that's just been since the end of May/beginning of June.
Throughout this time I've been taking daily readings on my meter and have been within the 4-7mmol range almost every day, with the exception of one fish & chip supper and eating a batch of homemade pancakes - I'm human and I will fail sometimes.
So far what's keeping me motivated is remembering the damage this disease can do:arghh:. I don't want to lose my sight or any of my limbs and managing my weight is the best way I can avoid this.
Please know everyone will be behind you, we do know how hard it is. I LOVE baking, I MISS bread, scones, pancakes, bara brith, dumplings, biscuits, victoria sponge, malteser cake but I know I'd miss my kidneys more.
Good luck on your journey, keep posting, you'll get loads of support.
 
harrygarry95 said:
How does everyone cope during Covid to maintain a healthy eating?
Click to expand...
As the saying goes "what ever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" I think most people went a little of the rails I know I did, during the start of the pandemic.

Don't give your self a hard time over it Harry, even if has brought back some old detrimental behaviours and eating patterns recognise that it was, and still is an unusual time, how often are we present for the start of the "Zombie Apocalypse :dead:" what ever coping mechanism you needed to get through it is fine.

Don't beat yourself up about it, forgive yourself this moment of human frailty and move on.

Many of us have achieved the weight loss we desired in a multitude of different ways, The only real requirement I have with a change of diet is it something I can stick to. IF you feel the 800 cal a day is to harsh, perhaps you would like Keto or LCHF diets they might offer a more desirable change.

Good luck with it Harry.;)
:bag:
 
harrygarry95 said:
Hey,

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about a month ago. I'm on Metformin x2 a day as well as x1 Gliclazide. When I was first diagnosed I managed to keep my blood sugar within the 7-9 ranges which I know is still a little high.

However I'm a stress eater! Anxious eater! Paranoid eater! And have also had an eating disorder for the last 10 years which has come back at the worse possible time... How does everyone cope during Covid to maintain a healthy eating?

I spoke to my doctor who suggested doing the 800 cal diet for the next 8 weeks in order to reduce my weight. Has anyone tried this? What was your result? I'm going to stay with my family for all of August and will treat it like a mini detox/weight loss vacation. I've already stopped drinking alcohol but my biggest fall is sugar cravings late at night!

Any advice would be great.
Click to expand...
Hello, do you know what your triggers are, and the foods which set you craving more? What sort of meals do you typically eat in a day?

Most of us struggle from time to time. Tomorrow is another day!
 
Hi harry, I too sometimes at when not actually hungry - stress, boredom etc.
But since I now only eat LCHF, I can overeat hugely without it doing much harm.
For example as a treat, I allow myself 2 strips of 95% Lindt dark chocolate (14gms of carbs per 100).
But I often end up eating half a bar. Yet If I a whole bar it would only be 1/3rd or less than if I ate normal milk chocolate.

Similarly if I gorge on Cheese, I only eat hard cheese like Cheddar which has less than 0.5gms of carbs per 100 grams, so although I have been known to eats as much as 500gms at a sitting, their is zero effect on my Blood Glucose!
 
Hello Harry
You too!! Glad to know it’s not me. I started as super virtuous as I know good glucose control was the best way to reduce risk of Covid complications should I become infected. But then I got bored of doing all the household chores I had been putting off! Started missing the grandchildren and then crashed. I began eating the exact opposite of my usual low carb way off life. Some kind of self harm really.
Have just take a short countryside break, lots of walking and fresh air and overeating still but my depression has lifted and I have come to my senses. What have I been doing? Not big not clever but it happened and now time to get back on it. Good luck Harry.
 
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