Vent/Thoughts/Advice? Food issues and diabetes

[anxiousgeek]

So I'm newly diagnosed - like less than a month. I have a million thoughts and questions obviously but my main issues is food.

Maybe obvious again but I have two issues. I haven't really taught to eat properly. I stopped eating breakfast around age 7 cause my mum was working three jobs and we never had time. And once we moved the damage was done. I grew up with mum trying her best and my dad and nanna undermining her efforts (not on purpose). I spent half my childhood with alcoholics who couldn't cook, didn't cook and saw nothing wrong we me and my sister drinking all the coca-cola we wanted.

Basically, my entire life is disordered eating. Over 30 years. How do you overcome that? I also should note I suffered with Pica for over a decade as well and I have food sensitivity issues and other issues about diets.

I also chaos eat. When things are chaotic, I chaos eat. And right now, as I get my diagnosis, my life is a chaotic whirl of stuff. There are issues with both my parents, work is bonkers, and I've had laryngitis for two weeks.

How am I supposed to make a complete lifestyle change to reverse or even improve my diabetes when my entire life has been against it. I don't even know where to start. Except I've started eating breakfast.

TLR - my life is chaos and I don't know how to fix any of it, let alone my type 2 diabetes.

 

[Feathers]

If you possibly can, get support! I'm not sure how much counselling the NHS offers for this sort of thing, but it can't hurt to ask. There are also private counsellors who specialise in food (as well as private nutritionists who offer sort of food counselling) --- but obviously that costs.

If you're literally just in need of facts about healthy eating, there are free/cheap resources out there (including this website - https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes)

One thing I'm finding (I'm also pretty new to this) is there are loads of people online who, with the best intentions, are advocating hard for their favourite diet. And there are lots of diets out there! To cut through the confusion, I'd suggest:

- Start really simply, especially if new to any sort of healthier eating. You mentioned you started eating breakfast. Ok great. Focus on finding a simple enjoyable breakfast that doesn't spike your sugars. Once you've sorted that, pick the next area to tackle - drinks, snacks, another meal etc.
- Test. Fingerprick tests freaked me out at first (well, they still do, I'm a wimp) but they are the only way to know how you respond to a particular food.

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum, I'm sure you will find lots of helpful suggestions from people. The first thing is not to panic. @Feathers has given you some good advice but if you could say how you came to be diagnosed and what your HbA1C is and have you been given any medication as that will help tailor the replies to where you are at with your diabetes, are you just in the diagnostic zone in which case some small changes may be all that is required or if otherwise more substantial changes may be needed. But as most people will testify it is doable with support and importantly information to enable you to make some sensible food choices. Everybody is an individual and as such will need a different regime to manage your blood glucose.

 

[Inka]

Basically, my entire life is disordered eating. Over 30 years. How do you overcome that? I also should note I suffered with Pica for over a decade as well and I have food sensitivity issues and other issues about diets. I also chaos eat. When things are chaotic, I chaos eat. And right now, as I get my diagnosis, my life is a chaotic whirl of stuff. There are issues with both my parents, work is bonkers, and I've had laryngitis for two weeks. How am I supposed to make a complete lifestyle change to reverse or even improve my diabetes when my entire life has been against it. I don't even know where to start. Except I've started eating breakfast.

TLR - my life is chaos and I don't know how to fix any of it, let alone my type 2 diabetes.

Well, you’ve made a good start @anxiousgeek You’ve identified the hurdles you’re facing, and you’ve also started to make changes (by eating breakfast). Although chaos eating is due to many factors, having regular healthy meals can help reduce it. Also, if your blood sugar is high then that can contribute too. So getting things controlled better might help your chaos eating.

I find if I’m generally stressed and rushed, it’s easiest to keep things simple with food. That is, eat from a selection of a few meals, and also, if you can afford it, buy some healthy pre-prepared food to cut down on meal preparation and cooking effort eg buy pre-cooked meat, if you eat meat, pre-chopped veg for a stir fry, etc etc.

You say you haven’t been taught how to eat properly. Well, having 3 meals a day is a good start, as is ensuring you eat plenty of veg, and trying to avoid too much processed food. Three simple steps.

You could also use an app like MyFitnessPal which will show the composition of your diet. You might also find it easiest to use Meal Plans, either from a book or from the Meal Plans on this site. You can swap things round and adapt them to suit you, but they provide a good foundation to build on:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/meal-plans

.

 

[Drummer]

Since I was in my early 20s HCPs have tried to persuade me that eating a breakfast of skimmed milk and grain is a good idea - it didn't 'take' and I am happy to eat eggs and cheese, or meat for breakfast. I don't eat as soon as I get up, just when I feel like it.
I find it intrudes far less into my day to do that - I can make myself something to drink and go out for the day without any concern about food.
When I get home I have food waiting in the slow cooker so I can eat at once. It really is just a matter of sorting out a shopping list, filling the freezer and enjoying the result.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

What a lovely new avatar @anxiousgeek 🙂

Thanks for sharing your troubles with food - I hope it has helped just a little to think through it and organise it into a piece of writing. Sometimes I find that quite a cathartic process.

Disordered eating and diabetes do knit themselves together guite often I’m afraid I have heard some Drs suggest that a diagnosis with diabetes (certainly T1 in teenagers) is pretty much a roadmap for developing an eating disorder.

There are specialist charities like BEAT who try to help people with all manner of disordered eating.

The UK's Eating Disorder Charity - Beat

Struggling with an eating disorder? Caring for someone who is? Beat is here to support you.

www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

and also

Welcome to HelpFinder - HelpFinder

Helpfinder - Beat's online directory of eating disorder support services.

helpfinder.beateatingdisorders.org.uk

It would also be worth trying to book a phone appointment with your GP, and opening the conversation there too. They may be able to refer you to local sources of support?

 

[VickyHW]

So I'm newly diagnosed - like less than a month. I have a million thoughts and questions obviously but my main issues is food.

Maybe obvious again but I have two issues. I haven't really taught to eat properly. I stopped eating breakfast around age 7 cause my mum was working three jobs and we never had time. And once we moved the damage was done. I grew up with mum trying her best and my dad and nanna undermining her efforts (not on purpose). I spent half my childhood with alcoholics who couldn't cook, didn't cook and saw nothing wrong we me and my sister drinking all the coca-cola we wanted.

Basically, my entire life is disordered eating. Over 30 years. How do you overcome that? I also should note I suffered with Pica for over a decade as well and I have food sensitivity issues and other issues about diets.

I also chaos eat. When things are chaotic, I chaos eat. And right now, as I get my diagnosis, my life is a chaotic whirl of stuff. There are issues with both my parents, work is bonkers, and I've had laryngitis for two weeks.

How am I supposed to make a complete lifestyle change to reverse or even improve my diabetes when my entire life has been against it. I don't even know where to start. Except I've started eating breakfast.

TLR - my life is chaos and I don't know how to fix any of it, let alone my type 2 diabetes.

Hi @anxiousgeek welcome. I’m newly diagnosed as well and it really takes some time to get your head round. One thing I’ve picked up on is not to rush into major changes. Eating a breakfast is probably a good start but different things work for different people. How are you on your strategies for disordered eating? If you are in need of some then the Noom app I have found to have good info in an easy to understand way but it does cost. The fact that you even know you chaos eat suggests you probably have a good handle on it and just need to slowly work on introducing new foods and ways of eating. I’ve been monitoring my blood glucose (which can make you panic!) in order to see which foods affect me. Some are obvious but others aren’t. Perhaps ask your GP for a dietician referral? Good luck with it all.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

So I'm newly diagnosed - like less than a month. I have a million thoughts and questions obviously but my main issues is food.

Maybe obvious again but I have two issues. I haven't really taught to eat properly. I stopped eating breakfast around age 7 cause my mum was working three jobs and we never had time. And once we moved the damage was done. I grew up with mum trying her best and my dad and nanna undermining her efforts (not on purpose). I spent half my childhood with alcoholics who couldn't cook, didn't cook and saw nothing wrong we me and my sister drinking all the coca-cola we wanted.

Basically, my entire life is disordered eating. Over 30 years. How do you overcome that? I also should note I suffered with Pica for over a decade as well and I have food sensitivity issues and other issues about diets.

I also chaos eat. When things are chaotic, I chaos eat. And right now, as I get my diagnosis, my life is a chaotic whirl of stuff. There are issues with both my parents, work is bonkers, and I've had laryngitis for two weeks.

How am I supposed to make a complete lifestyle change to reverse or even improve my diabetes when my entire life has been against it. I don't even know where to start. Except I've started eating breakfast.

TLR - my life is chaos and I don't know how to fix any of it, let alone my type 2 diabetes.

You are on the right site for help.
But, we can all tell you different stories on what helped us.
We all took various routes.
Can you tell us more about yourself, and what steps you can see yourself making to improve your relationship with food?
Breakfast, snacking, what you keep in the cupboards, want you can put in the bin from that?
Can you disassociate your life from food?
Chaos has many forms, take a route out one step at a time.
And while food may not even be the first step, you seem to have started the walk by putting breakfast back in your lifestyle.
So you are already on the path.