A long introduction to a complicated situation

[Nayshiftin]

These are good piece of advice for sure.

I think that the biggest issue for me is the psychological and physiological cravings for the bad food. I think I will need some kind of extra support in this regard.

It's one thing to know what and what not to do, then there is how to do it (prep etc) and then there is resisting the feelings of wanting the bad things - that last part is really scary for me.

I read the start and some of the others and agree with what they say. I too want to say welcome . I would recommend you read the forum through and the learning zone if you get time. To be as busy and in pain and the chronic fatigue plus the meds I can only sympathize. It cannot be easy. I can empathise with chronic pain and not being able to stand as have arthritis and replacement joints and had operations on my spine too.
I find the psychological and physical need for bad food what we have most in common. My meds lower blood sugar which if you have similar will do the same and low blood sugar means hunger. So it is a constant battle.
Going Low carb helped me a bit as it lowers your blood sugar and that in turn will help.
As for foods, I batch-bake things like Low-carb Muffins for breakfast. I make them smaller as I find two cupcakes better than one as I can have one for breakfast and one for elevenses or sometimes an afternoon snack. Cream in coffee can be very filling too.
Yogurt with nuts takes very little prep. I freeze batch soups. Meals I would make two or more. I cheat and buy bags of cauliflower rice as that was a fiddle to make and 2 mins in a microwave makes it so easy. So the freezer is my best helper.
I have bought low-carb cookies but at almost £3 they are only for when I am looking for a chocolate bar when out and nothing else is available. You can make cookies too but I agree it's having that quick easy fix. Cheese I resort to a bit if I am really hungry but it doesn't replace cheese and crackers that hubby has all the time. I do psychologically envy those but then I talk to myself. Oh dear, I am mad but it does help me if I lecture myself the good of not having my leg off, or having to take more medication, etc.
Although my nurse said to see me in June they called me in and have found things that are side effects of the medication in my opinion so they do not leave me alone. Another diabetic will say they get no care. I don't know. I just resent this but once you have it it doesn't go, unfortunately. So one needs to be responsible. I look forward to your posts and your journey. The forum is good. So Welcome and enjoy.

 

[Leadinglights]

I really hope that I will change my taste so that the things I like now are too much. Did you have a sweet tooth all of your life or at all?

If I did not have to function, I would go on a sugar cold turkey perhaps, but as it is it will take me a bit of time to get to the point you were at and so on.

What you say about planning and compensating for treats does make sense.

However, is it so terrible for blood sugar to spike once or twice a year for example? It's all new to me.

I suppose I didn't really have a particularly sweet tooth, when I was a kid my friend and I used to go to the local shop and buy penny sweets and she would eat all hers and I would still have mine and she would scrounge them.
I would rather have savoury things than sweet, salted peanuts, marmite on a cream cracker, cheese of any kind so not having sweet things is not much of a problem. You have to have a piece of cheese with Christmas cake of course.

 

[She Is Complicated]

No, one or twice a year would be fine. It’s up to you. If you can get control and get your sugars in range, then an occasional treat is fine. You can compensate by eating less carbs the rest of the day, or you can ‘work off’ the extra carbs with activity (I appreciate this is difficult for you).

You might also find that your sweet tooth reduces a bit once you’ve got your blood sugar better. High blood sugar can cause hunger and cravings for sweet things.

Very interesting thank you

 

[She Is Complicated]

I read the start and some of the others and agree with what they say. I too want to say welcome . I would recommend you read the forum through and the learning zone if you get time. To be as busy and in pain and the chronic fatigue plus the meds I can only sympathize. It cannot be easy. I can empathise with chronic pain and not being able to stand as have arthritis and replacement joints and had operations on my spine too.
I find the psychological and physical need for bad food what we have most in common. My meds lower blood sugar which if you have similar will do the same and low blood sugar means hunger. So it is a constant battle.
Going Low carb helped me a bit as it lowers your blood sugar and that in turn will help.
As for foods, I batch-bake things like Low-carb Muffins for breakfast. I make them smaller as I find two cupcakes better than one as I can have one for breakfast and one for elevenses or sometimes an afternoon snack. Cream in coffee can be very filling too.
Yogurt with nuts takes very little prep. I freeze batch soups. Meals I would make two or more. I cheat and buy bags of cauliflower rice as that was a fiddle to make and 2 mins in a microwave makes it so easy. So the freezer is my best helper.
I have bought low-carb cookies but at almost £3 they are only for when I am looking for a chocolate bar when out and nothing else is available. You can make cookies too but I agree it's having that quick easy fix. Cheese I resort to a bit if I am really hungry but it doesn't replace cheese and crackers that hubby has all the time. I do psychologically envy those but then I talk to myself. Oh dear, I am mad but it does help me if I lecture myself the good of not having my leg off, or having to take more medication, etc.
Although my nurse said to see me in June they called me in and have found things that are side effects of the medication in my opinion so they do not leave me alone. Another diabetic will say they get no care. I don't know. I just resent this but once you have it it doesn't go, unfortunately. So one needs to be responsible. I look forward to your posts and your journey. The forum is good. So Welcome and enjoy.

I am sorry you are finding things so tough and thank you for relating to my situation in the closest way that you can; you clearly also are dealing with a lot.

All the tips are great, it just scares me that you are still 'suffering' from not being full enough. When my blood sugar lowers, if, will my hunger really be worse?

Some others here have said that when blood sugar is under control, hunger and cravings get easier. Maybe we are all different?

Also what you say about how some people get care and others do not makes so much sense. I have delt with a lot of this with my other conditions and it has been very hard.

I will carry on here and keep learning and trying to modify.

Wishing you the best and thanks again

 

[Nayshiftin]

Some others here have said that when blood sugar is under control, hunger and cravings get easier. Maybe we are all different?

I think the "under control" is the key but low blood sugar causes hunger and high blood sugar causes hunger.

Hypo| Excessive sweating Tiredness, light headedness Feeling dizzy and weak Being pale A sudden Feeling of excess hunger Increased heart rate Blurred vision Confusion Irritable or nervous Symptoms of hypoglycaemia during sleep include: Having nightmares Crying in sleep Excessive sweating so as to dampen your clothes. Feeling tired, irritated or confused after waking up. Severe cases can lead to: Convulsions/seizures Delirium Fainting Loss of consciousness

Hyper Increased thirst and/or hunger Frequent urination Blurry vision Fatigue or weakness Weight loss

When our blood is high bringing them down can tell our brains we are having a false low and I got several times when I felt I had the symptoms of hypo yet my blood sugars were lower than previous but not at hypo levels on the monitor. I also never stay within two some days it can rise more or less and sometimes especially around lunch it borders hypo but even though I eat low carb as soon as I eat I get a raise this can also just be a coffee. I definitely dump sugar from my liver as soon as I get up so I now ignore that as it comes down low by lunch and I give myself a wider marker as I stay being 3 and 10 If I were to go to 2 I'd treat but I don't so as long as I am going to eat a meal I will just do that rather than have a sweet or juice to correct my hypo. If high I can walk and drink water and just pray it goes down and take my medication. It rarely goes above unless I am unaware when I test.
I have given up on only two points after as the same food/coffee does this at certain times.
Like I was today 5:34 am 8.5 when I took it and I've had a coffee it's 9 at 6:12 am, not 2 hours so at 7:34 am I'll check and we shall see the difference. I've just noticed the times on my machine are out of line as it is now 5.37 so I'll have to try and match up with the machine. Just now I took it at 7:34 there an hour out so not changed when clocks went back in the fall. It's now 8 so lower than when I got up. Another time it will go up.
So it is rather more complex than just being normal levels it is the stability I think too that might be the key. I think maybe the right weight, right blood sugar, right fitness, and right health might mean I have no hunger but for me, that's a lot to ask for. Plus one person has a hunger for psychological, physical, and |I think we inherit in our genes too. Age must play a part too.
Our family usually ends up thinner in the coffin than they did in life so fingers crossed then again I have a long-suffering to go yet if that is the case.
What a thought to end the year

 

[helli]

low blood sugar causes hunger

You have listed examples of symptoms of hypos. Not all are true for all hypos and hunger is not the case for all people. In fact, hunger is a definite symptom of high BG fir me. I go off food when low
It is also worth noting these are the symptoms of a hypo not lower BG. Once your body gets used to levels in the 5s and 6s, you should not experience false hypo symptoms such as hunger.
In other words, if you eat enough, hunger is not a symptom of getting your diabetes "under control" (whatever that may mean but doesn't mean in range 24x7 when there are so many things affecting BG).

 

[Inka]

Yes @helli I’ve had false hypos before after illness when I’ve been high for a while or when dropping quickly, and the main feelings are weakness/faintness and shakiness, never hunger.

Insulin resistance, which is associated with Type 2 (Type 2s often have too much insulin circulating but are resistant to it) can cause hunger too. Again, bringing blood sugar down, along with losing weight and increasing exercise/activity should help that.

 

[Nayshiftin]

You have listed examples of symptoms of hypos. Not all are true for all hypos and hunger is not the case for all people. In fact, hunger is a definite symptom 9f high BG fir me. I go off food when low
It is also worth noting these are the symptoms of a hypo not lower BG. Once your body gets used to levels in the 5s and 6s, you should not experience false hypo symptoms such as hunger.
In other words, if you eat enough, hunger is not a symptom of getting your diabetes "under control" (whatever that may mean but doesn't mean in range 24x7 when there are so many things affecting BG).

well i said BOTH as both Can cause it but read it all before arguing with me thats not nice.
To answer the question in the thread Yes i am hungry “All the time “and changing my HbA1c from 108 to 53 has not made any difference .
For others its the best thing for them .