If you are a breakfast skipper

[LauRa Lu]

If you are diabetic and skip breakfast when you don't feel like eating could I please ask you to post that you do, and that it's ok for us to do so if we like.

I'm on a mission to prove to my mum that I don't 'need' to eat breakfast if I don't want to. To prove that I can have excellent control without it, and that I won't pass out before lunch. ;)

I don't live with my mum and dad, so I eat how I like when I like and have pretty ok control of my bg at the moment and I do eat a good balanced diet.

But when I go home (next weekend I will be) My mum insists I eat all sorts that I don't usually. Usually she insists I eat cerial and even then that I don't have enough. But I hate breakfast, usually I just eat some fruit which I think is great.... but I know what my mums gonna be like when I eat nothing but a peach and atempt to hit the shops all morning :whistling she aint gonna let me I know that much!!

So how many of us actually skip breakfast? I need as many of you as possoble who do, then I'm printing this out and serving it to my mum at the breakfast table :D

I've already printed some of the 'Misconceptions about Diabetes from our own members' thread, but I need more back up. I usually put on weight just from a trip home :(

My mum gets quite confused about diabetes because I've never lived at home whilst i've had it, so she knows as little as she needs to. But she thinks i need carbs, carbs and more carbs and looks on worryingly when ever I'm running around with my nephew for too long, she thinks I'm gonna conk out.

[archimeech]

I usually skip breakfast during the week. The more important thing is that you stick to your schedule. If you don't normaly eat breakfast, then you will screw up your sugars changing up your routine like that.

[Clint]

yup, meech is right. When my schedule is changed for me (ala my kids or wife), my sugars go kinda wacko for a little while...

[camjen1]

Hi Mum,

I am a T1 and I skip breakfast ALL the time. I hate breakfast and only eat breakfast if it is a family occasion. I am on a insulin pump right now which allows me to eat when I want to instead of when my insulin tells me I need to.

Some diabetics need to eat breakfast as sometimes their insulin regiman requires them to do so. If your daughter knows her body well and if she thinks she can miss breakfast and not worry about a low then I would say let her go for it.

Hope this helps Mum. :D

[twocute64001]

I seldom care to eat in the mornings. I am up by 5:30am and out the door shortly after 6am to work from 7 - 4 each day. Around 10am I start to het a little hungry and eat a small apple with a little peanut butter on it.

When in the hospital both after gall bladder operation and after thyroidectomy someone brought it to my doctors attention that I was not eating in the mornings. My endo told them that was fine because with a pump I was fine without eating.

Also Meech pointed out that changing your regular schedule (thus eating more than usual) can throw off your BG. You need to explain to your mom that your normal schedule and patterns of eating can be too hard on your diabetes and ask her if she would mind helping you keep your habits on even keel while you are with her.

This will accomplish two things. It will allow her to "do for you" which is what moms do and she will realize how to actually "do for you" by seeing what you really need, not just what she thinks you need.

[LauRa Lu]

Hi Mum,

Some diabetics need to eat breakfast as sometimes their insulin regiman requires them to do so. If your daughter knows her body well and if she thinks she can miss breakfast and not worry about a low then I would say let her go for it.

Hope this helps Mum. :D

:thumbsup: Now I feel Like I've got back up :D

[Erin]

I eat breakfast all the time... if you can call a cup of coffee at 8am or a bowl of cereal at NOON breakfast. I like breakfast food, but I don't like to eat in the mornings. So, there you go.

And my mom, who knows quite a bit about how diabetes was treated in the early 1990's, when I was living at home with it and needed considerable support, does the same thing! She thinks I still have to eat breakfast at 9am, load up on carbs, and eat dinner like an old lady at 5 o'clock in the evening... (I live in NYC, dinner's at 8 or 9pm!) The new insulin regimens and new insights into diabetes management have given us much more flexibility, and much better control at the same time! So, let the girl eat her peach if that's what breakfast means to her.

[Amanda_Jo22]

Ok I am a breakfast eater...but only because I WANT to. My body does better when I eat smaller amounts more often. But everyone is different. Like others have said, as long as you can keep control and maintain a schedule, I think skipping breakfast is fine.

[Smoky Joe]

Just to add to your list, I typically never eat any food before noon.
Been like that for years.

My Endo has no problem with it either.
In fact, we discussed it just today.

[am1977]

I love breakfast :) (maybe I am one of the few). I actually look forward to it :D. If I try to skip it...I find myself only thinking of food until my next meal or whenver it is I can get my hands on something to eat. Plus, it's not really a way to save calories (which is probably why I would try skipping it), most of the time you make up for it later on in the day.

Sorry Laura, I guess this isn't the kind or response you are looking for so I'll try to get back on topic. Yes, it's true that in the past skipping any meals (and even snacks) was a taboo thing for us diabetics, but now that there's new insulins and treatment plans...you can be a lot more flexible with your meal plan. I don't know if you are on the pump or if you are on Lantus, but I think being on a basal/bolus system would be the most convenient and appropriate option if you are planning to skip meals like that.

Anyway...I think that everyone is different and if skipping breakfast works for you and you have no problems then I don't see why you should change anything. Apparently it works for others here in the forums too. ;)

[Starlight]

I have to eat breakfast- im not on the pump and take morning and night injections so it needs to be balanced out with food. :eek:

[DeusXM]

I haven't eaten breakfast regularly for about 4 years now. Usually I'll have something at around 11.30 or 12ish but then I tend to call that 'lunch'.

I'm also on a Novorapid/Insulatard regime and take half my daily Insulatard requirement at around 8am, and still don't eat breakfast. So I'm not even on what most people would regard as a 'flexible' routine and I manage just fine. Indeed, occasionally I've had days where I haven't eaten anything until around 4pm, nearly 24 hours after my last meal.


This bit is for your mum:

If you're on MDI there is simply no need to eat meals regularly. Your liver naturally releases glucose throughout the day anyway, and this is processed by your basal insulin. If you choose to eat, then you take your bolus dose, and this bolus dose covers what you eat. If you don't bolus, you don't have to eat.

Furthermore, thinking about diabetes has changed rather drastically in the last five years or so. The old advice was to eat loads and loads of carbs because this would keep your blood sugar from going low, which indeed it does - it makes your blood sugar run high, which in the long run can be far worse than the odd low. Current thinking is now a moderate amount of carbs, or even low-carb for some individuals.

Unfortunately Diabetes UK are still peddling the frankly dangerous 'advice' that people with diabetes need to eat lots of starchy foods. This is bad advice because it rockets your blood sugar and your calorie intake, which means you put on weight and need to take even more insulin, in what becomes a very viscious circle, since larger doses of insulin actually loose their effective bg processing ability per unit.

This old advice was also created prior to the development of synthetic insulins, which offer a far higher degree of flexibility than older analogues such as those that were around 10-15 years ago.

The bottom line is, if you carry your MDI gear and some glucose tablets with you at all times, you're basically indestructable because you've got all situations covered.

As a personal note, I find that eating breakfast now usually makes me feel sick in the morning, and so I avoid it.

[Belinda]

I generally eat a light breakfast. It is my daily dose of caffine , piece of fruit and maybe a toast. I do better with this where I am not starving by lunch. If skipping meals is a problem for mom it should not be...my mom is the same way!!!!!! it is 12 you need to eat, 2 time for your snack...ack!!!!!!! but that was the good old days when first diagnosed..it this helps I haven't eaten a thing since breakfast yesterday and it is breakfast time now..unless you count the 3 glasses of wine I had last night :whistling

[KickStart101]

I ate brekky while in Elementary School, but mostly during High School I
did not. Even now, I usually have something small to eat(but I also take a smaller doseage of Humalog)a couple hours after I wake up. However when we go home to visit my Mom, she hints at me to have something to eat, so I have something small to keep her happy.(And I'm 46 for Heavens Sake :D )

[Sparkle]

Surely it depends on what your reading is in the morning and what you are doing that day first thing? If I wake at 9mmol then I don't bother with breakfast and just go to work - if I wake up at 5 or 6mmol then I need to have a little something before heading out otherwise , with rushing to get ready and getting to work, it's likely to drop. I want to avoid having to have sugary drinks or tabs as much as poss! All depends on readings and itinery with me!

On 4 injections a day so tend to change times of eating depending arrangements etc. Sometimes I don't even inject at breakfast if quite low and I know I'm going to be active that morning - small piece of granary toast and no insulin.

Everyone different I guess! Which makes it difficult to advise doesn't it?

[KickStart101]

Everyone different I guess! Which makes it difficult to advise doesn't it?[/QUOTE]

Yes Sparkle, you have that right. The info gven here is only guidelines on
taking Insulin, etc. because everyone's body's chemistry and diet and activities are different. I'm usually between 4.0 and 5.8 when I wake up, but many times I am 3.3 to 3.7 which is okay for me, I feel fine. I will have my 2 cups of coffee with the news(actually it's 4 - 1/2 cups of coffee with water and milk)and then I take my lowered shot of Humalog, since my sugar will rise anyways. (I take my Lente after I test myself...as long as I am not lower than 3.0). If I am going out to run errands, shopping, etc., I will eat more but take lesser than than my normal dose of Humalog since that always brings my sugars down. If I happen to feel hungry right away(on a stay at home day) I will eat and take my full dose of Humalog. :)

[Sparkle]

Hi Kickstart!
See that you've had Type 1 for 43 yrs - does it get any easier!!! Do you test alot during the day? At least you have it sorted in the mornings - good readings. Mine vary alot. I was taken Lantus at night but just visited USA and got confusing one way or another and have ended up taking it in the morning now I'm home - getting higher readings when I first wake up now so prob will change back to night - not sure how tho without skipping a dose!! :confused: This has meant that I've not needed breakfast tho..till 10 - 11ish.

[KickStart101]

Hi Sparkle: Yes, that does throw ya off going from one country to another.
It won't take long 'til you are back on schedule. I am not on Lantus but some people on this Forum who split their larger one dose at night I believe.
Instead they take half in the a.m. and half at night. Odd that you took your whole shot at night, but your numbers varied in the a.m. But it would also depend on what you ate during the day and in the evening. Some foods take longer to digest and to get through your system. Plus sometimes during the nights you may be having lows, some you may not be aware of. One of those glucowatches(which when accurate)that set off an alarm during the night when one is low would be handy.
Yes, believe it or not, having Diabetes for me is more natural than sleeping. I normally test my sugar 6 times a day, a couple more times if I am sick(which is getting quite rare actually)knocking on wood, I used to be sicker more often when I was in my late 20's to middle 30's. I look forward to seeing what my blood tests show and taking a shot if needed or tweaking my other Insulin doseages. Anyways take Care... ;)

[Sparkle]

It's the complications that are the worry - have you been lucky where that's concerned?

[KickStart101]

It's the complications that are the worry - have you been lucky where that's concerned?

Yes very lucky, I suppose. All I have had so far that I know of is the extra vessels in back of my left eye and NLD on my left ankle. I had one toe on my left foot a few years ago that was feeling a little numb, but it's perfectly fine now. I am a bit worried about pains I was having in my heart the last few months that I was on that Vioxx before they stopped selling it. I haven't had any heart pains since. It may have damaged it somewhat however. :(

[KickStart101]

You can go along time without complications also Sparkle. You can do it!!!! :)

[Sparkle]

Yes hopefully!

:)

[LauRa Lu]

Everyone different I guess! Which makes it difficult to advise doesn't it?
I'm not really asking for any advice. I know there's alot of us on here who don't need or want breakfast and still have perfect bg, so I just wanted some proof of this to show my mum that I'm not doing anything wrong and that I'm not going to make my self ill or anything. Sometimes I'm hungry in the morning so i'll eat but most of the time I'm not so I just don't eat.

Surely it depends on what your reading is in the morning and what you are doing that day first thing?

My reading is always the same in the morning now. The only routine I have with my life is to eat my meal in the evening (around 7pm) with the same small size portion of carbs in it each time, that way I know what my bg will do through the night and I will wake up with my bg running ok. So I really don't need breakfast if I don't want it. Hopefully I can prove that to my mum now :)

[Harold]

Technically you can not go without breakfast since the word breakfast really is derived from the term break fast. So no matter if you have it a half hour or four hours after you get up it's still breakfast. :smartass:

[Peter Lee]

I'm with the rest, you can do what your body tells you but I would say that you should test regularly.

I have some extreme input which supports your case :D

At certain times of the year I fast for religious reasons. The longest is 25 hours. When I was diagnosed I asked the specialist consultant about this and whether it was safe etc. He said OK do it, and while fasting stop all diabetes medication but be aware of what my body is doing and be ready to take action - in other words, test and have some sugar containing food available.

So, skipping breakfast on a routine basis seems to be no big deal if that's what you want to do and you feel well on that regime. :)

[Middle Aged Man]

If you are diabetic and skip breakfast when you don't feel like eating could I please ask you to post that you do, and that it's ok for us to do so if we like.

I'm on a mission to prove to my mum that I don't 'need' to eat breakfast if I don't want to. To prove that I can have excellent control without it, and that I won't pass out before lunch. ;)

I don't live with my mum and dad, so I eat how I like when I like and have pretty ok control of my bg at the moment and I do eat a good balanced diet.

But when I go home (next weekend I will be) My mum insists I eat all sorts that I don't usually. Usually she insists I eat cerial and even then that I don't have enough. But I hate breakfast, usually I just eat some fruit which I think is great.... but I know what my mums gonna be like when I eat nothing but a peach and atempt to hit the shops all morning :whistling she aint gonna let me I know that much!!

So how many of us actually skip breakfast? I need as many of you as possoble who do, then I'm printing this out and serving it to my mum at the breakfast table :D

I've already printed some of the 'Misconceptions about Diabetes from our own members' thread, but I need more back up. I usually put on weight just from a trip home :(

My mum gets quite confused about diabetes because I've never lived at home whilst i've had it, so she knows as little as she needs to. But she thinks i need carbs, carbs and more carbs and looks on worryingly when ever I'm running around with my nephew for too long, she thinks I'm gonna conk out.


Laura, I certainly love to hug my pillows or my wife (or my wife's pillows . . . but that's a different kind of morning) each AM rather than go down and make breakfast. I have always avoided it.

Since tracking my sugars, though, I'm finding that my worst reading is often coming in the morning as my fasting reading. Evidently my liver compensates for the long period without food and adds sugar into my system.

I don't know if yours does the same, but I'd suggest you take some fasting readings in the AM for a while and see if yours elevates or not. That will give you the information you need to make the right decisions for yourself.

Good luck!

[Cinnabon]

I was on MDI for MANY years and HAD to eat breakfast. After going on the pump, I no longer have to. Maybe a lil "cafe con leche"
(Cuban for cafe latte), no Bolus needed.