Struggling with snacking

[CrispCraver]

Hi everyone

I'm a 36 year old man who was diagnosed with T2 diabetes about a year and a half ago. The first few months of the diagnosis, I was doing great, eating heathily and cutting out the problematic foods from my diet. However, after I got great news at the doctors that my blood sugar was back within the normal range, I started slipping, and have been slipping for months ever since. Now my blood sugar is rising again, and I have fairly high cholesterol.

I'm only on two tablets of metformin a day, and I don't want that to increase or be put on insulin, I'd rather be in a place where I don't need them at all for a time.

The big offender for me is crisps, I can easily eat a bag a day, even more than that on occassion, and I struggle when going to the shop and not taking a stroll down the crisp section. I can stay away from sweets, fast food, and other carb and calorie heavy foods, but I can't seem to lose the taste for crisps.

Do any of you have tips on how to curb this craving?

 

[Kernow-Debra]

Hi CrispCraver. Well done on getting back into normal range. I managed it too and am currently trying to stay there med free.
Like you I was a massive crisp/onion rings etc muncher. Giving them up was harder than potatoes!
When I do get the urge I make my own low carb version. Either using Kale, or cheese crisps or Parmesan.
Don’t be put off by the sound of kale crisps. So easy to make and delicious. I douse mine in salt and vinegar. Yummy.

 

[Martin.A]

In a word, willpower. Also knowing that not managing blood sugar levels risks diabetes complications, all of which are serious and, in a worse case scenario, life-changing.

 

[jacki11]

Hi everyone

I'm a 36 year old man who was diagnosed with T2 diabetes about a year and a half ago. The first few months of the diagnosis, I was doing great, eating heathily and cutting out the problematic foods from my diet. However, after I got great news at the doctors that my blood sugar was back within the normal range, I started slipping, and have been slipping for months ever since. Now my blood sugar is rising again, and I have fairly high cholesterol.

I'm only on two tablets of metformin a day, and I don't want that to increase or be put on insulin, I'd rather be in a place where I don't need them at all for a time.

The big offender for me is crisps, I can easily eat a bag a day, even more than that on occassion, and I struggle when going to the shop and not taking a stroll down the crisp section. I can stay away from sweets, fast food, and other carb and calorie heavy foods, but I can't seem to lose the taste for crisps.

Do any of you have tips on how to curb this craving?

Hi, a few if the supermarkets sell Harvest Snaps ..lentil puffs in a few flavours. I've tried the Thai chilli ones at 9g carbs per 18g packet. They're a 6 pack. Don't buy from Amazon though prices are ridiculous, supermarkets usually £1.75 for the 6. I have 1 as a snack when needed.

 

[CrispCraver]

Hi CrispCraver. Well done on getting back into normal range. I managed it too and am currently trying to stay there med free.
Like you I was a massive crisp/onion rings etc muncher. Giving them up was harder than potatoes!
When I do get the urge I make my own low carb version. Either using Kale, or cheese crisps or Parmesan.
Don’t be put off by the sound of kale crisps. So easy to make and delicious. I douse mine in salt and vinegar. Yummy.

Thank you for the suggestions! Do you have any recipes I could try out?

 

[CrispCraver]

In a word, willpower. Also knowing that not managing blood sugar levels risks diabetes complications, all of which are serious and, in a worse case scenario, life-changing.

I agree, but the problem for me is that as I see it, is that I haven't had any symptoms at all when it was diagnosed, it was randomly caught on a blood analysis when I donated blood at the blood bank. So it's been hard for me to internalize that I have a dangerous condition when I feel completely fine, if that makes sense. I think the right move for me at the moment, is to substitute those crisps with some less harmful alternatives, that I can fit into my routines.

 

[CrispCraver]

Hi, a few if the supermarkets sell Harvest Snaps ..lentil puffs in a few flavours. I've tried the Thai chilli ones at 9g carbs per 18g packet. They're a 6 pack. Don't buy from Amazon though prices are ridiculous, supermarkets usually £1.75 for the 6. I have 1 as a snack when needed.

Thank you! I will look for those at the shops!

 

[Dishevelled]

M&S do chorizo "crisps" which are 0.6g per 100g. They also do jamon serrano and another type of meat that I can't remember.

 

[Lucyr]

Cheetos are only 6g carbs per bag

 

[RichardsUsername]

Hi everyone

I'm a 36 year old man who was diagnosed with T2 diabetes about a year and a half ago. The first few months of the diagnosis, I was doing great, eating heathily and cutting out the problematic foods from my diet. However, after I got great news at the doctors that my blood sugar was back within the normal range, I started slipping, and have been slipping for months ever since. Now my blood sugar is rising again, and I have fairly high cholesterol.

I'm only on two tablets of metformin a day, and I don't want that to increase or be put on insulin, I'd rather be in a place where I don't need them at all for a time.

The big offender for me is crisps, I can easily eat a bag a day, even more than that on occassion, and I struggle when going to the shop and not taking a stroll down the crisp section. I can stay away from sweets, fast food, and other carb and calorie heavy foods, but I can't seem to lose the taste for crisps.

Do any of you have tips on how to curb this craving?

At the end of the day I don't have them in the house. Otherwise, they're gone. And I've got a lot of will power. I would also suggest if you're going to buy low this or that you'll probably just eat more packs. False economy.

 

[jacki11]

At the end of the day I don't have them in the house. Otherwise, they're gone. And I've got a lot of will power. I would also suggest if you're going to buy low this or that you'll probably just eat more packs. False economy.

Yes you have to be in control or its best not have them in. I've learnt to be strict on it now

 

[harbottle]

Some bags of crisps are fairly low in carbs - Frazzles, for instance. Have you tried testing to see what effect they have on you? I find a bag of cheetos or frazzles has very little effect, but I generally avoid them (And tend not to snack much as I‘m rarely hungry between meals.)

 

[Drummer]

Perhaps you are not eating enough at mealtimes and that is making it difficult to resist the extra food in between.

 

[indio02]

Have you tried shopping after a good meal? If your full its less likely you'll get a crisp craving.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

How about some of the flavoured (dusted, not crunchy-coated) nuts? I find nuts much more sustaining than crisps even in a smaller portion - though I confess I don’t know how they compare calorifically.