Unable to manage my Diabetes due to eating

[netter]

I am unable to control my eating. My doctor has said my diabetes is purely down to my weight and if i manage to lose weight my diabetes will be effectively gone. I have a bmi of 40 and i know he is right. But i cannot seem to control myself. I get home late and after I have eaten my dinner at around 8:30 I will start to eat rubbish at around 10:00. I don't know why but if there is anything in the kitchen that i can eat, I will, bread, biscuits, and i will continue to snack until around 12:00 when i will go to sleep.
Most of the time i am not even hungry. I have tried to control myself but just haven't been able to do this, i don't really know what to do. I feel depressed and angry at myself for continuing to do this because i know i am damaging myself and my family but I cannot seem to stop. Anyone have any suggestions>

 

[ally1]

have you seen a dietician?
i was very like you in the beginning but soon realised i wasn,t doing my body any good
we will help you and well done for admitting what you are eating

 

[Croc]

Don't buy the appetising snack food. if its not there you can't eat it.

 

[Indy51]

There is another recent thread on this subject that may help you: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/self-harming-by-overeating-high-carb-food-or-sugar.71904/

You may also want to check into the Newcastle Diet as some people find the discipline of consuming only meal replacement shakes and vegetables can help with breaking the cycle of compulsive eating.

 

[Mike d]

I am unable to control my eating. My doctor has said my diabetes is purely down to my weight and if i manage to lose weight my diabetes will be effectively gone. I have a bmi of 40 and i know he is right. But i cannot seem to control myself. I get home late and after I have eaten my dinner at around 8:30 I will start to eat rubbish at around 10:00. I don't know why but if there is anything in the kitchen that i can eat, I will, bread, biscuits, and i will continue to snack until around 12:00 when i will go to sleep.
Most of the time i am not even hungry. I have tried to control myself but just haven't been able to do this, i don't really know what to do. I feel depressed and angry at myself for continuing to do this because i know i am damaging myself and my family but I cannot seem to stop. Anyone have any suggestions>

You need "buy in" from your partner and be as honest with her as you have been with us. Step 1 is to simply resist, PARTICULARLY given you say you're not hungry. If you can't do that, then give yourself an indulge AFTER you've walked a mile or two. Then proceed, but be good to yourself, remember what you've done, how you set that target and the next goal that lies beyond. You are WAYYYYY too young to being going thru this. The fact you recognise it is a major step forward so applause for that. Me? I'd drink a LOT of water for starters so you don't fill yourself (or need) that rubbish. If you still struggle, come back here .... heaps of welcoming arms to help you up.

Now get on with it and best of luck Mike

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

@netter I used to be the way you describe. I thought I was going mad as I was so out of control. It was a symptom of uncontrolled diabetes and can be fixed. Your body craves carbs for energy, but your body is unable to use the glucose for energy and it creates a vicious circle. This video explains it better

 

[trotskyite]

I had/have a similar problem. I am very good when shopping so now I don't buy it so it's not there when I search for it. Harder if you live with others who won't follow the rules though!!

 

[Phlogiston]

I've been there.
I started out by setting markers - no cakes, biscuits or crisps. I have found that I have lost interest in crisps and sweets since cutting them out and they no longer call out to me.
Having a slightly smaller plate, buying less meat from the butcher helped. I find that aiming to leave some food in the saucepan can be a useful moderator. I can't manage to leave food on the plate - too hard-wired from childhood.
Next thing is to find healthier snacks - nuts, olives and cheese can be good. Babybel comes premeasured - it also takes a minute or two to fiddle with.
8.30 is latish for an evening meal - does your routine allow for an "afternoon tea" sort of snack that might moderate your ravenousness when you get home.
Take life a day at a time.
If you have to snack - a walk round the block may help to to defer and reduce gratification.
Best wishes
Adam

 

[vintageutopia]

Welcome! I think many of us have been or are still in your exact spot. It is a completely different way of living and it easy for some and not so easy for others. I am still new to this journey myself, but I do find that if I don't eat enough fat and protein throughout the day, I want to consume the refrigerator in the evening. The dips and spikes are what make you ravenously hungry, so maybe if you ate well throughout the day and maintain the same amount of carbs at meals and snacks, you wouldn't want to eat from 10:00pm on.

Best of luck to you.

 

[angelicbaby]

Do you think getting a B G meter would help you? If my blood glucose is higher than 7 or 8 I loose my appetite and my desire to eat more, but sometimes I have to see how high it is first.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[mojo37]

I've been there.
I started out by setting markers - no cakes, biscuits or crisps. I have found that I have lost interest in crisps and sweets since cutting them out and they no longer call out to me.
Having a slightly smaller plate, buying less meat from the butcher helped. I find that aiming to leave some food in the saucepan can be a useful moderator. I can't manage to leave food on the plate - too hard-wired from childhood.
Next thing is to find healthier snacks - nuts, olives and cheese can be good. Babybel comes premeasured - it also takes a minute or two to fiddle with.
8.30 is latish for an evening meal - does your routine allow for an "afternoon tea" sort of snack that might moderate your ravenousness when you get home.
Take life a day at a time.
If you have to snack - a walk round the block may help to to defer and reduce gratification.
Best wishes
Adam

I love the 'too hard wired from childhood " I'm from the same ilk I find it very difficult to leave food on the plate so of course the answer is to put less on there .And of course in my childhood we had 3 meals a day no'fast food' and no snacks and surprisingly I was fit and a healthy weight ...now what went wrong

 

[Sarah69]

I've tried to change my diet but can't it's far too difficult for me.

 

[PatsyB]

sighs why they always say lose weight and your diabetes will go I lost 6 stones over a four year period and it has got worse over time so how come that statement makes me growl...lol

 

[moonchip]

I am unable to control my eating. My doctor has said my diabetes is purely down to my weight and if i manage to lose weight my diabetes will be effectively gone. I have a bmi of 40 and i know he is right. But i cannot seem to control myself. I get home late and after I have eaten my dinner at around 8:30 I will start to eat rubbish at around 10:00. I don't know why but if there is anything in the kitchen that i can eat, I will, bread, biscuits, and i will continue to snack until around 12:00 when i will go to sleep.
Most of the time i am not even hungry. I have tried to control myself but just haven't been able to do this, i don't really know what to do. I feel depressed and angry at myself for continuing to do this because i know i am damaging myself and my family but I cannot seem to stop. Anyone have any suggestions>

Hello @netter

First off, congratulations to 'owning up' if only to a bunch of strangers that you have a problem. We've all been there from time to time and we all understand how difficult it is

At the very least you've identified and admitted to yourself that you have a problem and we'll do all we can to help you

There's lots of good suggestions so far but one of the best ones is from @Croc - if you don't buy it it can't be eaten.

Its worth repeating because this is important : IF YOU DON'T BUY IT - YOU CAN'T EAT IT

Essentially that's how I gave up cigarettes - I just didn't buy them ...... now I hate the smell of them, even unlit !

There's lots of things to change including perhaps more exercise ; sure, its easy to say "have a walk then you can have a biscuit" but I feel thats rather delaying the inevitable. You don't need a biscuit so why have one. At a BMI of 40 I'd fairly confidently suggest that you don't NEED any food for well over a fortnight

You need to break the cycle of doing what you do which induces the desire to eat. At a guess I'd perhaps go out on a limb and say that you're eating out of boredom. Sat on you ass watching telly. Watching whatever is on, just because its there, pretty bored so you eat for the sake of it

.... and I bet you'd probably struggle to tell me in details what you watched last night - cast, plot, names, locations

If that the case, then telly is perhaps a trigger - you need to cut out TV

Go for a walk. Hoover up. Mop the kitchen floor. Do the washing up. Go weed the garden. Walk to the shop & get yourself a paper (but no treats !!!)

Ask your other half if he/she feels that you should redecorate. Paint is cheap and is good exercise with a roller, and it doesn't matter what the weather is doing

Anything which gets you away from the TV and away from your boredom trigger to eat

You've made a fantastic step in admitting that you need to do 'something' and I sincerely congratulate you for this, now's the time to build on this and take the next steps toward helping yourself

 

[margauxwaguas1]

I have been really trying lately but honestly have been just like you at times, still not got to grips with what to do but finding the advice on here really interesting.
It's not easy is it!
Do you check your blood sugar? May be worth it as if you see the high numbers it makes you realise the consequences of your actions, did help me to focus more.

Although I have blood sugar readings of 10 in the morning, can't seem to get it down so ant tips please!
Should I eat earlier or later in the evening?

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Yes, it's not easy to start with. You have to ignore most of the food in the supermarket as it's junk. You have to read the labels. You have to stop buying biscuits and similar snacks. To start with it requires good discipline but it's that important. Once you realise that we have been taught to fall in love with a high carb/high sugar diet over the last 50 years, you can start to change the life-style. Remember fat is good for you and not bad as we have been wrongly told based on bad research data. With protein and fat being OK on the diet you have a good choice of tasty foods including of course most veg and fruit.