Help!! URGENT ADVICE

[AmirahsMummy]

Hi, I’m new here & I’m absolutely desperate for some help.
Any help or advice at all will be appreciated so so so much

So about a year and a half ago I got diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, when the doctors told me she said to me that today has to be the start of the first day of the rest of your life… I really did take her on board & put all my bad habits, takeaways.. binge eating & chocolate gorging to bed for the sake of wanting to be a healthy mummy to my little girl… this lasted for 4 weeks & I slowly crept back into my old ways & was fully blown back to binge eating, chocolate gorging & chippy dinners within 2 weeks & have been this way ever since.
I don’t take my diabetes seriously, I don’t take my medication, I have constants thirst, itching, thrush & tiredness… but my binge eating takes over…
I tried to speak to my doctor about it & he told me to do the Atkins diet… but it really is not just that easy mentally!! I don’t think he understood!!

I hate saying this, but I always think to myself I won’t get any complications because I’ve been going on binging & gorging for this long & I haven’t had any complications….

My food addiction & binging is so so strong I don’t think anyone can understand!!
I lost my mum last year & want to be the best mummy I can be to my baby & I feel so guilty but I can’t stop eating unhealthy food!!!

Any advice to help me buck my ideas up!!
please xxx
Thank you in advance xxx

 

[PhoebeC]

Nobody can change your mind about this other than yourself.

If you improved your diet you would feel better, the tiredness, itchyness and thrush would all be gone. Your quality and length of life would be better.
You may not even need your medication or could go into remission. But you know all thsi already.

I would suggest you keep a food record or get an app that tracks what you eat, and be honest. The calories and the carbohydrates and then you know the true scores. After a week or so then decide what you are going to practically change.

My husband recently lost 8 stone!
He did this by first cutting the junk (crips, chocolate, booze and takeaways) and then following the nhs advice on calories, he did it all with diet in about 5 months. Cutting out high sugar, carb and calories food and introducing more vegetables.

Also don’t have these things in your house, just don’t buy them. Most people don’t need junk food anyway so it’s no harm to anyone else. Obviously this stuff tastes good and makes you feel better in your mind they make it that way, so you buy it.

You've gone through a tough time, so it’s understandable however you need to start with the small steps as how you have described how you feel will also be leading to poor mental health and as soon as you improve your health your mind will follow.

take care

 

[TIGGY]

Hi i understand how you feel i have been type 2 for 15 years now my dad had it and all his family had it late on in life they have all gone now.. i am on metformin and another tablet plus other tablets for blood pressure and hormone tablet for the treatment of breast cancer i am 3 years in with that.. my blood sugar was 12.2 just as i am up again with intense itchy feet i have had 15 years of not coping with it at all and it makes me so unhappy... what to eat... if i do not eat bread i am hungry all the time yet bread makes it high ..you cant eat this or that... just what can you eat i wonder . i do eat salad veg not veg that is grown underground ie carrots potatoes parsnips ive tied coli rice instead of rice ...i cant eat prawns or peanuts anyway so i eat other nuts now and again .. if there was just one of two foods i could eat that did not cause my sugars to rocket i would eat just that alone... i do have small portions of things i should not have and i am still itching.. i was told at the hospital eat anything in moderation but i cant, so its very hard to control for me.. i see my doctor once a year i must go again about this itching but they have not helped me yet ..all i can say to you is to see your doctor tell him how you feel have your medication and remember you are not alone .

 

[Wirrallass]

Hi. Sorry to see you're struggling. There's a multitude of Diabetes knowledge and experienced folk here who are willing to help you.

To help you manage your diabetes I can highly recommend a book entitled the CARB & CALORIE COUNTER which you will find enormously helpful. It has over 1700 coloured photographs of a wide range of popular food & drink items. The carborhydrate ~calorie ~ protein ~ saturated fat ~ and fibre values are clearly displayed in coloured-coded circles below each photo. This highly visual approach makes it incredibly quick & easy to see the nutrient content of the food and drink you consume. The book is also the perfect support tool for weight management ~ portion control ~ and general healthy eating and can be purchased from DUK.

Take a look at the following link as there's plenty of info within it which will be helpful to you:~

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes. 10406/

Also, the book Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker is a book worth reading. Following her diagnosis in 1996 she self educated herself re: Type2 Diabetes. It is a brilliant book as Gretchen writes in an easy to understand format on how she managed her Type2 Diabetes since her dx (diagnosis)

There is a lot more information that we can advise you on like threads about meal plans / recipes ~ and weight loss challenges but I don't want to overwhelm you more than you are already at the moment.

Remember you are not alone as we will collectively accompany you on your Diabetes journey. Good luck. Oh and no question is a silly question so just ask ok?🙂
Take care.
WL

 

[PhoebeC]

Hi. Sorry to see you're struggling. There's a multitude of Diabetes knowledge here and experienced folk here who are willing to help you.

To help you manage your diabetes I can highly recommend a book entitled the CARB & CALORIE COUNTER which you will find enormously helpful. It has over 1700 coloured photographs of a wide range of popular food & drink items. The carborhydrate ~calorie ~ protein ~ saturated fat ~ and fibre values are clearly displayed in coloured-coded circles below each photo. This highly visual approach makes it incredibly quick & easy to see the nutrient content of the food and drink you consume. The book is also the perfect support tool for weight management ~ portion control ~ and general healthy eating and can be purchased from DUK.
View attachment 17695
Take a look at the following link as there's plenty of info within it which will be helpful to you:~

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes. 10406/

Also, the book Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker is a book worth reading. Following her diagnosis in 1996 she self educated herself re: Type2 Diabetes. It is a brilliant book as Gretchen writes in an easy to understand format on how she managed her Type2 Diabetes since her dx (diagnosis)

There is a lot more information that we can advise you on like threads about meal plans / recipes ~ and weight loss challenges but I don't want to overwhelm you more than you are already at the moment.

Remember you are not alone as we will collectively accompany you on your Diabetes journey. Good luck. Oh and no question is a silly question so just ask ok?🙂
Take care.
WL

There is also an app for the carbs and cake book, very user friendly with images and search function

 

[Leadinglights]

Those things you did for those few weeks after diagnosis, you have to do again if not for yourself for the sake of your daughter. You cannot be complacent that you will not have complications, my father was diabetic and passed away when I was 13, I am sad that my children never knew their grandfather. I know this sounds melodramatic but it is the reality of that this could happen to anyone and you have to get a grip and make those changes.
I'm not usually one for this sort of thing but Hypnosis might help you with your mind set.
It is hard especially at the moment for people to get GP support but you should try.

 

[Maca44]

Using food to help (Which it doesn't) with your mental health is just one big vicious circle and being T2 is a danger more so to your health. Believe me I do know how hard those cravings are for junk but junk it is and for me working on my mental health and diet was the only way I could get to grips with it so small steps and educate yourself using all the advice/information here you really can eat great food and get this under control but at the end of the day it's got to come from you within not any other reason your family etc. We all are going to suffer pain/loss in life but turning to junk food is not going to help it's no good me or anyone else telling you to do this or that YOU are the important one and YOU have to do it for YOU and believe in yourself.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @AmirahsMummy

Thank you for sharing your story so candidly. It is great that you have joined, and is demonstrates that you know things need to change to improve your health.

Binging, gorging and other disordered eating behaviours are complex, but they can be beaten. It’s not about beating yourself up for doing it (that may actually make things worse), it’s about reaching out for support - both here and also maybe an organisation like BEAT (https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/)

You know the way you are eating isn’t right. There are practical steps you can take to improve things, and gradually work through this with the support of the forum.

You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be healthy. You clearly want to be the best Mum you can be for your little one.

Someone once said that living with diabetes is like living with a tiger. You can live with a tiger if you look after it, and feed it in the right way, and respect it. But if you ignore it, and mistreat it, it can turn on you and rip you to shreds.

 

[DaveB]

Hi. You are not alone in this. Try to take small steps. Be aware that Fats and Proteins can help you feel full for longer whereas Carbs can not only raise BS & weight but can give you hunger pangs. So it's not so much about not eating but adjusting the mix of foods. Yes, you can have chocolate but only have 85% Dark; you do get used to the taste and it has a lot less sugar that typical chocolate. Have eggs and bacon for breakfast and meat and fish at other times. When I have a McD I order the burger without the bun which is an option. When you need a snack have a lump of cheese, nuts or berries. Finally my advice would be to forget Calories.

 

[Inka]

High blood sugar can make you feel hungry @AmirahsMummy so it’s a bit of a vicious circle - you binge, your blood sugar goes high - and you feel hungry so get the desire to binge again. Once you start getting control, it should gradually become easier.

It’s like pushing a car. At first you can hardly even get it to move, then you feel it inch forward, then you feel it pick up a tiny bit of momentum and roll forward a few more inches - and then it’s own weight helps propel it forward. So, make a start and keep going, day by day, week by week, it will get easier 🙂

Contact BEAT as suggested above, but also don’t buy ‘trigger foods’. Simply don’t have them in the house. Identify danger times and try to work out what starts your binging off. Is it stress? Boredom? Do you sit down in the evening and start thinking about food? Once you’ve worked out what’s happening, you can try to break the patterns.

The truth is, as someone once told me, you can ignore diabetes but it won’t ignore you….

 

[helli]

We are all different with different triggers and motivations.

I would start with small steps and small changes that I think I can achieve so I am motivated by progress.
If I was to cut out all carbs, all chocolate (apart from 85% cocoa solids) and only snack on cheese and nuts from day 1, it would be too much for me and I would fail.
I would focus on one thing at a time such as making sure I had a low carb breakfast and then, once that becomes habit, focus on my snacks.

Other people find it easier to go cold turkey and cut out everything .. and they have the will power to maintain it.

@AmirahsMummy (Amirah is a beautiful name) you need to work out what works for you.

And remember, it is often said that managing diabetes is a marathon not a sprint.

 

[Xen]

Sounds like you're giving yourself a really hard time. Managing this isn't all or nothing, making small changes that are sustainable is going to be more useful than going all in and then not sticking to it. Could be worth doing the "Food Hacks" module in the Diabetes UK learning zone to give you an idea of the kind of small changes you can make.

I'm shocked that your doctor suggested a diet in response to binging - please consider seeking help for this from an eating disorder specialist - in most trusts you can self-refer to community mental health services, if you're not able to access through your GP.

 

[Drummer]

Maybe ask yourself if you are bringing up a child or someone to be your carer?
That might seem harsh, but we moved in with my father's parents so my mother could look after her as she slowly deteriorated from uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.
Atkins might help - the 'New Diet Revolution' book he wrote has lots of reasons for eating low carb, lists of foods recipes and menus.
There would be no reason to feel guilty if you changed the foods you ate - you could binge on sugar free jelly with berries and yoghurt of cream, have huge salads with meat, seafood, eggs or cheese, enormous stirfries with sausages bacon and fried eggs, great dishes of curry but with chopped cauliflower rather than rice - though you really might find that you don't want to eat as much if you are eating nourishing foods rather than 'empty' loads of starch and sugar.
Dr Atkins found that there were some people who over ate who were really low in some vitamin or mineral, and suspected that was triggering their need to eat. After having a baby that could be what is triggering you maybe?

 

[AmirahsMummy]

Thank you all so much for all your encouraging words & tips to help!! Xx

 

[Wirrallass]

There is also an app for the carbs and cake book, very user friendly with images and search function

Thanks Phoebe I didn't know this.
WL

 

[Hardy]

It sounds very horrid for you AmirahsMummy, and its a position I've been in many times.
For me, trying to regulate my eating was the most helpful. (and regulate emotion). And this included eating stuff that maybe other people say diabetics would be best avoiding. BUT eating small portions of chocolate/ice cream (a small bar, one lolly) is far better than binging and eating huge amounts of this stuff. For me, restriction led to binging.

Then when your eating pattern is better regulated, you can focus and refine food in terms of impact on diabetes. As others have said, small steps maybe the way to go. Tortoise rather than the Hare.

BEAT does have useful information and resources. Also, if you feel you meeting the criteria for an eating disorder after reading their information, talk to your DR and ask to be referred to your local Eating Disorders Service. Many people with binge eating disorder are not diagnosed and Drs often don't recognise it.

I feel its important NOT to beat yourself with what you are doing/not doing. It is not helpful and is likely to lead to further overeating. It is so hard though.