Fat, 41, Fed up & Hungry

[Nell83]

Hi Everyone,
I'm Nell, type 2 diabetic diagnosed in 2018 after migraines. I have tried every tablet that the nurse had available and the two different weekly injections - unfortunately all had such bad side effects I couldn't stay on them.
At the beginning of March I started Insulin after my sugars being out of control on just slow release metformin.
I'm up to 34 units of Novo30 morning and evening. I have invested in the Libre 2 sensor system as my nurse cannot prescribe it as I don't meet the criteria. My sugars are between 8-9 in the morning before breakfast - around the same before lunch and again before dinner. But they seem to spike up to 15+ after dinner. I'm trying to take daily walks - but I work a desk job so I'm sat a lot of the time.

I'm trying really hard to stick to high protein and low carb, I haven't had anything I enjoy since I started the insulin - No chocolate, cookies, cakes, pastries. I'm hungry all the time - I'm not eating pasta, noodles, rice, potato or white bread - all the things I used to use to fill me up as I'm a very picky eater. I'm not a fan of vegetables, never have been, but I'm really trying. I eat a lot of different types of fruit but understand I have to moderate these.

I'm obese - 5ft 2in and weighing in at 20stone - I've been big all my life - I have been diagnosed with several eating disorders and have been through the counselling systems and been handed back to the GP as "fixed" every time the nominated amount of sessions is complete. Binge Eating was the main diagnosis - the restrict and binge cycle is hard to break and having to cut out all the things I like feels a lot like this and is starting to make me feel crazy!

I was hoping to dedicate myself to healthy eating and exercise for the next 1-2 years get my weight down and head to remission and coming off the insulin. But as I slowly increase the dose by 2 units every 3 days and still have these spikes I'm starting to wonder if that is realistic. Am I ever going to be able to get to the point that I can come off insulin if my body is this dependant and it would seem resistant to it's effects.

I guess my question is - do I accept that I am now insulin dependant and make sure that I take the right dosage to live a lifestyle I can stick to or keep making myself miserable.......

Does anyone have any advice?

 

[Tom1982]

What about intermittent fasting? Always works for me if the weight starts creeping up! Just don’t eat until you get home or say 5 p.m?

 

[s'nic]

What was your last HbA1c score?

I'm not eating pasta, noodles, rice, potato or white bread - all the things I used to use to fill me up as I'm a very picky eater. I'm not a fan of vegetables, never have been, but I'm really trying.

It may help to consider cooking vegetables in different ways, eg the same veg roast instead of boiled veg can be quite different.
Or you could try mixing flavours up a bit as in this Roasted vegetables with Provencal herbs (if an ingredient is something you really do not like just swap it for one you do like - the potato can be removed). I regularly roast a mix with courgette, tomato, bell peppers, onion, baby tomatoes and mushrooms (leave it at least until half cooked before adding the mushrooms).
You can also make a list of vegetables you have not tried yet, and each week just try 1 of them. I believe some members use butternut squash and celariac as potato substitutes.

 

[Nell83]

Hi, my last HBA1C was 107 in February. I started on 10units morning and evening of novo30 in March.

Thanks for those ideas - I'll give it a try - I've already got an avocado to try this week.

I also know that the reason I'm in this position is totally my own fault. I should have dealt with my weight issues earlier. I can't go back, but I can try to change now.

 

[Nell83]

What about intermittent fasting? Always works for me if the weight starts creeping up! Just don’t eat until you get home or say 5 p.m?

I have tried this in the past unfortunately it made the mental side of binge eating worse.

 

[Inka]

Have you tried various diets @Nell83 to see what works for you as an individual? It’s no good finding the ‘perfect diet’ if it’s hard to stick too. I notice you said you’re hungry and that restricting yourself or fasting doesn’t work.

What about something like a low fat whole food plant based diet? There have been a number of success stories from that - weight loss, improving insulin resistance, etc.

 

[Nell83]

Over the years I've tried every diet on the market, weight watchers, slimming world, Atkins, Cambridge, cabbage soup, rosemary Conley, 5:2 all sorts.

I've tried vegetarian before but included things like pasta etc as I'm not keen on vegetables. Honestly I've tried plant based foods and I really don't like them.

I'm including more whole foods into my diet such as oats, nuts, seeds etc

My main frustration is that I've significantly reduced calories and carbs but I'm not losing weight and my blood sugars are still not under control.

 

[Inka]

Pasta is a plant based food, so is corn, rice, sweet potatoes - plenty of things. Take a look at something like the Forks Over Knives website. You can read around and see how people have lost weight and reversed Type 2, eg:

I Went Plant-Based, Said Goodbye to 100 Pounds, Prediabetes, and My CPAP Machine

Rick Thompson ate meat every meal, but sleep apnea and obesity led him to change course. Read his inspiring story!

www.forksoverknives.com

 

[Inka]

You don’t have to use Forks Over Knives - there are lots of sites with similar diets. A low fat whole food plant based diet (WFPB) has been shown to help diabetes. Worth a look maybe. The reason I suggested it is that you can eat plenty of filling foods.

 

[s'nic]

Thanks for those ideas - I'll give it a try - I've already got an avocado to try this week.

I also know that the reason I'm in this position is totally my own fault. I should have dealt with my weight issues earlier. I can't go back, but I can try to change now.

Here's another thought .. you could try using a basic psychology on yourself. Ask yourself, if you had a kid you wanted to get to eat veg what would you do?
Maybe you'd put gravy over to add flavour, hide veg under a tomato based, or cheese based sauce, or a bit of cheese sprinkled over and flashed under the grill? Maybe dangle a treat at the end of the meal as bribery (for yourself it could be a piece of your favourite fruit that you planned to eat anyway). Finishing the meal on a high note will surely leave you feeling a little more positive.

Also remember we do learn to like tastes, how many kids have a sip of beer and think yuk, but pretend they like it cos they want to be all grown up and treated as young adults? How many countries have insects as a regular food source whereas we would not consider eating those?
Maybe it would help to view getting used to vegetable tastes as an adjustment, where those tastes will become a norm. starting with the least disliked veg first.

I'm in a similar position, a pizza and pasta lover with a sweet tooth. I've started eating some veg I never tried before (I wasn't keen on the avocado). I've lost 16 lb in 3 months (I'm not going on a hard and crazy diet, I don't see those as healthy). I'm only prediabetic tho and no meds. To be honest I'm not actually dieting, just avoiding sweet stuff, keeping fats lower (I need to lower cholesterol and lose weight), am mainly keeping carbs under 100g a day, and am avoiding snacking.

 

[Lucyr]

What about intermittent fasting? Always works for me if the weight starts creeping up! Just don’t eat until you get home or say 5 p.m?

Intermittent fasting could be very dangerous on novomix as it contains a set dose of fast acting insulin

 

[Nell83]

Intermittent fasting could be very dangerous on novomix as it contains a set dose of fast acting insulin

Thanks Lucy - I thought that might be the case

 

[Lakesider52]

Sadly, NHS dietary advice is poor. The basic issue is that it is formulaic with little room for flexibility. ALL dietary advice needs to start with asking the patient to list which foods they enjoy and which ones they dislike and then work around that. Telling patients to eat, for example, oily fish, sweet potato, cabbage etc is just not going to work if the patient doesn't like them.

 

[Nell83]

Sadly, NHS dietary advice is poor. The basic issue is that it is formulaic with little room for flexibility. ALL dietary advice needs to start with asking the patient to list which foods they enjoy and which ones they dislike and then work around that. Telling patients to eat, for example, oily fish, sweet potato, cabbage etc is just not going to work if the patient doesn't like them.

Thank you - I know I'm a fussy eater I always have been - my nurse just keeps saying to eat a balanced diet - well in my head a balanced diet might include something like being able to enjoy a piece of birthday cake - but I don't feel like I could allow myself that, and didn't recently at my nieces 18th because I didn't want to spike my blood sugars. It would also involve eating a piece of bread without needing a lie down after because of high sugar fatigue!

 

[Maz2]

Could you eat more protein like eggs, dairy, meat, fish, poultry. I went pre-diabetic, got back to normal for a few years but it has now crept up a bit again so having to try again to get it down below 42.

I gave up all the pasta, potatoes, rice, breakfast cereal and the sweet stuff (although did not have huge amounts of the latter). Thankfully, I love vegetables and salads but I make sure I have a fair amount of protein too as then, hopefully, you should feel too hungry.

Have you had a look at any of Michael Moseley's books. I have made things from there and I find the portions huge and very feeling. Everyone is not the same I know but it might be worth a look.

 

[Maz2]

Over the years I've tried every diet on the market, weight watchers, slimming world, Atkins, Cambridge, cabbage soup, rosemary Conley, 5:2 all sorts.

I've tried vegetarian before but included things like pasta etc as I'm not keen on vegetables. Honestly I've tried plant based foods and I really don't like them.

I'm including more whole foods into my diet such as oats, nuts, seeds etc

My main frustration is that I've significantly reduced calories and carbs but I'm not losing weight and my blood sugars are still not under control.

Don't worry too much about the diets not working. They generally don't as people tend to put the weight back on eventually.

 

[Sunnyside3049]

Hi Nell, I decided to control my weight problem when I was diagnosed with T2 in February. I put myself on the nhs " shake the weight, " ( packed with loads of vitamins)I find it so easy to follow ...shake for breakfast, very light lunch,no carbs, and a shake soup for the evening. They average out at 200 calories each shake. I bought some Kallo lentil crackers,the beetroot ones are brilliant, and low calorie cream cheese (phily) and snack on those if hunger strikes, I also have Sula sugar free sweets, 2 calories each, if I want a sweet taste.Its hard but I am determined to lose this weight. The shake the weight have loads of choices, plus main meals, the spag bol is lovely.
Hope this helps Sue x

 

[s'nic]

Don't worry too much about the diets not working. They generally don't as people tend to put the weight back on eventually.

The key problem with a diet is that it starts, and it ends, after it ends people go back to 'normal eating' and this is why the weight returns.

The solution to this is to make changes to food choices which you can live with as a sustainable way of eating.
Focusing on weight loss is fine as a starting point, the key thing is not to revert to the old way of eating after the focus on weight loss ends.
So that is your real challenge here, settling into a more healthy way of eating that you can live with moving forward.

 

[Nell83]

I feel like I'm sounding incredibly pessimistic - I don't mean to. I have tried the soup/shakes/bars diets. I can't stick to them.

Eating more protein feels strange to me as every diet I've ever been on has told me to limit it! But I'll give that a go!

It's awful but I'm longing for some Jam on toast!

 

[Leadinglights]

I feel like I'm sounding incredibly pessimistic - I don't mean to. I have tried the soup/shakes/bars diets. I can't stick to them.

Eating more protein feels strange to me as every diet I've ever been on has told me to limit it! But I'll give that a go!

It's awful but I'm longing for some Jam on toast!

Have a look at this link as there are plenty of different menu options or you can just look at the principals, the do's and don't for some inspiration for making some changes. No need to eat food you don't like. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Start with foods you like and make some tweaks.
If you want jam on toast then compensate by not having something that would be too many carbs at another time of the day.