I have been diabetic (type 1) for 14 years, and have always had a hard time controlling it longer than a few weeks. I seem to eat/ drink all of the things that are so bad for me, and I don't know why I can't just stop. I recently started having some pain in my legs and I'm afraid I have dug a deep hole for myself and I don't know how to climb out. Anybody in the same boat? Any ideas? Thanks!
What are you eating? Is your bloodsugar going nuts?
im in the same situation in some ways. i do indulge a lot in ALL the things i shouldn't do. it dose get really hard, but it can get better. i have already got nuropothy from it (that my be what the pain in your leg is) it may be REALLY annoying in the begining , but have your friends and family remind you not to do what your not suposed to. it helps A LOT
To be honest... The last time I took my blood sugar was so long ago I don't even remember. I'm sure its not so good. I take my insulin when I need it, but I have always been very stubborn and I feel like I should know what my body feels like when I'm high and low.
As far as what I eat, junk... all junk. I used to be pretty good with food, but when I started getting busy and not having time to cook all I do is go out to eat. I also drink lots of soda (regular, not diet) and I love candy and ice cream.
I'm a mess. =[
Is nuropothy something that goes away?
im in that same boat.my legs dont hurt my head does though
You guys make me feel better, I thought I was the only one who was really bad, I have candy all of the time, and I know that its bad for me, but I lovvee candy, alot. I also am really bad about taking my blood sugar when I need to, and sometimes I even put off taking my insulin right away. I just don't know how to cure my rebellious side. :S
I refuse to eat the good vegetables. I eat only starchy vegaetables. I love meat and potatoes and I do have more than my share of sweets. I eat 100 calorie pack cookies for snacks instead of something good for me. I am glad to know that I am not the only bad one out there even though I know I need to do better but I just can't eat those veggies, I have never and I am 46 and I don't think I ever will. I also guess at my carbs alot mostly at supper.
Me either! I'm like the rebel leader. =p
[quote user="Nicole"]
The last time I took my blood sugar was so long ago I don't even remember. I'm sure its not so good.
[/quote]The first step would be to check your blood sugar, right now. Test often, everyday. Check for ketones (probably) and call the hospital if they are present. Read any of the information you have on how to control your sugar, talk to your family, get them to make you do what is right, go the doctor/hospital if necessary.
Get over the fact that everything you seem to be doing is wrong, and just start doing it right. This is your life. Don't waste it.
I am a long-timer, and back in the days before tight control was possible (before glucometers), I remember having cravings that just wouldn't go away until I ate the high-carb foods I craved. I suspect that this is what some of you are talking about. The craving is intense: all you can think about is food. And foods high in carbs, usually, although my appetite wanted all kinds of foods.
When Lantus insulin and the two quick-acting insulins, Novolog and Humalog, came out and were on the market, I asked my endocrinologist if I could switch to them. My a1c levels were pretty high at the time, and I would go without eating for hours and then gorge. I knew better, but the cravings drove the action.
After switching insulins to a combination that much better matched my digestion rate, and tightening up control so my levels were normal most of the time, I noticed that the cravings just went away. I really don't get hungry at all now, and I NEVER have that urge to eat the "bad" stuff anymore.
Here's what I think happened... I think that when our levels are too high, our brains are as starved for fuel as when our levels are too low. Why? Because The brain's primary fuel is sugars. It can't function without sugars being metabolized for energy. When we don't have enough insulin, the high carb foods we have eaten don't do our poor brains any good, for we can't process those carbs to fuel the poor sugar-starved brain. The result? The brain, desperate for sugars it can use, tells us we need to eat more carbs. It's a never-ending cycle until we get enough insulin in our bodies to properly allow the brain to be nourished and fueled. We crave more and so we eat and make the problem worse. And the snowball starts to gain size as it tumbles down the hill. Then, some of this just becomes habit. And here you are.
I truly believe that if you test fairly often for a few days and start taking appropriate insulin to help the body use the sugars, the cravings will diminish in time. I also think that some of what we choose to eat becomes nothing more than habit, and we can create new habits if we are determined to do so. Even busy working people can stock up on quick foods that are yummy things like fruits. It is just a matter of buying the food you know is healthy and starting a new habit AFTER you tighten up the control. Once the cravings are stopped, it isn't hard to do.
As for the question about will neuropathy get better, from what I have read (I read a lot about all things diabetic), the answer is "it depends." It depends on: 1) how severe the nerve damage is, and 2) how long the nerves have been damaged. Some people find that once they tighten up their glucose control and lower their levels, their nerves do repair themselves and they get better. Others find that there is no improvement. But in either case, the problem won't get WORSE if you tighten up the glucose control, so it is important that you try it. Nerve damage can't happen if glucose levels are kept normal most of the time.
How? The way I did it was just to start testing every 2-3 hours. Each time I tested, I would adjust with a little quick-acting insulin. I would wait 3 hours longer for that insulin to peak in my body, and then check to see if I was OK. If still high, I would take a tiny bit more insulin. Hopefully all of you have been given your own personal insulin formula for how much insulin you take if glucose levels are high at whatever level. In just a few days I was able to normalize my levels and my appetite went down tremendously and the cravings stopped. Now, I just eat healthily by habit. And I can honestly say that I never have cravings. Sometimes I choose to eat fast food or other not-so-healthy food, but there is no guilt when it is a rare thing, sort of the anomoly. I just make sure I inject proper insulin for that meal and then I check again in 2-3 hours to see if I judged my insulin dose properly. So the big difference is that you are testing more often. That's the real key. Test and adjust.
One more note to any who choose to tighten up controls... hypoglycemia can be a real danger. So if you do tighten up, you absolutely MUST test often so you can catch it if levels are dropping, for we all misjudge things sometimes. And you must keep some quick carbs such as small cans of juice or glucose tablets with you all the time. Again, testing every 2-3 hours means I can catch lows before they get dangerous also.
I didn't mean to preach, folks. Just sharing what worked for me. I really think that what you are dealing with is very real physical cravings -- it's not all in your head and there is nothing wrong with your willpower. You just are listening to your brain crying out for fuel it can use. I remember those cravings being fierce. Been there, done that, my friends. The only reason I post on this web forum is so hopefully some of the things I had to learn by trial and error (a lot of error!!!) I can pass along to some of you so you can figure it out easier than I did. I hope this helps a little.
Susan, Thank you for sharing your experience, I appreciate it. I am at a point where I just need to snap out of my bad habits and take control. I dread the thought of testing my blood sugar so often (for some reason I have never been a good tester), but I know it's very important and I'm going to try. =]
[quote user="Nicole"]
Susan, Thank you for sharing your experience, I appreciate it. I am at a point where I just need to snap out of my bad habits and take control. I dread the thought of testing my blood sugar so often (for some reason I have never been a good tester), but I know it's very important and I'm going to try. =]
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Good for you Nicole. How about posting your bs here??? Please!!!!!!
Every feeling that everone has is completely NORMAL.
When someone goes on crash diets they usually binge eat. We have had to deny ourselfs foods since many of us were little. Its a human reaction you want what you can have. Dont beat yourself up. YOUR NOT A BAD PERSON
I remember the days when i was in my teens... drinking strawberry quick eating bagels binge eating all the time, I used to work at clubs till 5 in the morn, drink then go to the diner I never tested etc etc. PLUS i was always trying to lose weight even tho i was already thin.. I def had a bad habit of starving myself and then binging. ...I read somewhere that something like 85% of diabetic woman develop eating disorders.
I personally got out of it by doing 2 things.. ONE I eat what i want and somehow thats made me stop binging, I eat sugar and carbs all the time I just test more the more i eat, plus i can pretty much look at something and tell how many carbs it is... I still def have my days but i love going to the gym and eating healthier now because of diabetes and i REALLY want to look good... Second I started testing all the time, testing often like Susan said is very important and it really gives you control... I used to test 10 times a day now i test 5 and again i count carbs i didnt learn this till iwas like 23.. I now know for every carb i give myself roughly 1 unit of humulog. One more thing... keep a log write what u eat and your blood sugars, go back to basics, i still do this i cant tell u how much it helps to see what your eating and how much insulan your taking.
Hope this helps or makes u feel beter that you arent alone.
Hi Nicole, I am not diabetic (my son is) but I have struggled with eating junk food, esp. in college and after. For me, the best way to stop is to just not buy it. Eat before you grocery shop, so you won't be starving, make a list and stick to it. Then get rid of the junk food at home. When my only choice for a snack is fruit, veggies or nothing - guess what I pick?
For me the worst offender was soda. But after a few days of having run out of soda at home and forcing myself to carry a water bottle and drink water instead - then it isn't so bad. Now I feel like I am OK to have a soda every 2-4 days and I don't stress about it.
In making lifestyle changes, I really think making one step at a time is best. So instead of saying "As of Dec. 10th I am going to test BGs 6x/day and eat healthy and not drink soda and exercise and ..." Pick ONE. I agree with the others that testing is probably the one that would do you the most good the fastest.
So you could just say: I am going to test when I wake up, before each meal/snack and at bedtime. And if that seems overwhelming to test that much, going from no testing, scale it back to something that feels reasonable like before breakfast and at bedtime. Then you can slowly start adding in another improvement in your care (like 1-2 more tests) each week. And if you screw up one day, just start over the next - don't let it totally derail you.
Good luck - and I know everyone here is ready to listen and will be cheering you on!
lets just say I took my bs and it wasn't good.
Thank you everyone!
[quote user="Nicole"]
lets just say I took my bs and it wasn't good.
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There is no bad or good, just a number for you to work with!!!! I forgot to inject for a banana, a banana and my bs shoot up to 267. Hey does this mean I am type 1.LOL OOHH almost forgot REALLY REALLY GOOD on taking your bs. YEA, YEA for Nicole. If you need a friend, I am here!!
i just took my blood sugar and it was over 400. while this isn't a number i want, i dont consider myself 'bad'. i've always struggled with doing blood tests. somedays i'll do one (or less) others i'll do 5-7.
there are no good or bad foods either. on a "diabetic" diet, you can eat whatever you want. what matters is how much of it you eat. even then, if you are compensating your foods with insulin, (technically) your blood sugars will stabilize.
how everyone deals with their diabetes is different. some rebel and pretend they don't have it, others will take vigilant care of themselves and panic if they have a sugar above 120. i rebelled. for me, it ended poorly. it took a swift kick in the ass (about 4 or 5 actually) before i slowly began to change things. while i still struggle, i recognize i think about things differently now. your strength comes from within you. i needed help before i was able to find my own. we are here to help you, but we can only bring you so far. you may need help to find your own as well.
I've been diabetic about as long as you and have definitely been through the same scenarios. I wouldn't check my BS sometimes for weeks and would just play guessing games with my insulin doses. I would also just eat whatever the deuce I wanted as well and not care about what happened to my BS. Few trips to the hospital for DKA kind of changed that viewpoint. I still eat whatever I wish but no longer over indulge and keep track of how much and measure out my insulin doses accordingly. I would switch up to diet soda that way you don't have to shoot up whenever you want a beverage. Check your BS until it becomes habitual and things will begin to fall into place for you. As stated, everyone is different in what they do, I just speak from experience.