Frustrated...

[Alysse404]

:(

Today was really frustrating for me because I ate a light lunch around 12, and then had to wait to eat dinner until around 8! I was totally starving from about 5 PM on, but I kept on thinking that we (my family and I) would be eating soon, but we didn't eat until around 8. I get so frustrated when i'm hungry between meals because I never eat between meals during the day. The only time I eat outside of breakfast, lunch, or dinner, is a small bedtime snack which usually consists of a handful of sunflower seeds if I am below 100 before bedtime. I know I could eat between meals, but I like to have my pre-meal number as close to baseline as possible before I eat and take my insulin. However, I think I sometimes drive myself nearly nuts trying to keep my numbers in check. So, I guess I'm not really looking for answers (but if you have any I'd be all ears) just looking to vent...!! Sorry for the griping!!!

[SharonLee]

Hi! I think we are all entitled to gripe at times! I used to miss all the foods we could eat before diabetes but after 4 years on insulin and pretty well controled I don,t miss the foods nearly as much as I used to. Keeping our blood sugars in balance is the best thing we can do to prevent complications in the future. Can,t you have a really low carb snack if dinner is delayed? Something that won,t bring your BS,s up too much? Maybe compensate for it at dinner time? I have no real anwers but the thing is don,t get real fixated and frustrated about things you can,t control, go with the flow and adjust. Sharon

[Vic L]

Why don't you eat in between meals? Don't want to gice your self an injection? Are you on a Pump? If you carb count and know your ratio you should be ok to eat in between meals. Since I have been on the pump I have lost some of my appetite. But that should change with time.

Hope you feel better.

[Alysse404]

Hey Vic,
I don't eat between meals because I want to keep my bs as close to normal as possible. So far I've had good control and my A1C's have been good, so I don't want to start eating between meals and changing that. I've found that if I don't eat between meals, my pre-meals are usually around 70-80, which is where I like them to be. However, I'm beginning to realize that I can't make myself crazy and miserable, just for the sake of having good control. In the end, I think my sanity is going to have to take precidence over my bs!!! haha Thanks for the words of advice!!!

Laura
Dxd Nov 2001, Lantus and Humalog

[Tony]

Hi Laura,

You can grip all you want here.
When I'm real hungry I get pretty cranky. I don't want to talk to anyone if they talking to me. Let me eat first then I wll talk.lol

Those are some good premeal numbers. How do you do it, not eating between meals. I'm always hungry. I'm not over wieght. I'm about 160.

What number do you feel low at?

[Alysse404]

Tony,

I usually feel low at 60 or below. I'm usually not too hungry between meals because I try to eat enough protein to keep me satisfied, but that doesn't always work and sometimes I'm just sitting around, thinking about when I can eat next, and driving myself insane!!! haha I've been diabetic for about 2 years now, you'd think I'd be able to lighten up about the inbetween meals thing, but I just feel like I'm not supposed to because I know it'll bring up my numbers. However, driving myself insane and being a cranky wench is not going to get me anywhere, so I'm going to make a conscious effort to lighten up a little while still keeping those pre-meal numbers in check. *sigh* oh to have a functioning pancreas haha

[Tony]

Originally posted by Alysse404
oh to have a functioning pancreas haha Oh you have me day dreamming over here. Oh well back to the real world.


What do you eat for protein and how much?

thinking about when I can eat next, and driving myself insane!!! I'm like that too. Even when I'm done eating. Not if I eat out, then that is to much food and I over ate. There is just no happy medium.


Just have a small snack and take your humalog, you should be fine.

They say(and I don't know who they are) people with Diabetes should eat six small meals a day.

[Alysse404]

Tony,
I try to eat a decent amount of protein with each meal. For breakfast I either have a serving of eggbeaters w/ a slice of cheese, or cottage cheese, or yogurt, or - if I have cereal, I have soymilk and I also eat 2 slices of cheese (Kraft singles are the handiest) so that I have enough protein. I try to have at least 15-20 g of protein at breakfast. For lunch I usually have a turkey or tuna sandwich, and either yogurt or a serving of nuts. Dinner is never a problem with protein because I usually have a 4-6oz portion of either chicken, fish, or lean pork/beef. If i eat something before I go to bed, I always include some form of protein, usually cheese and some nuts, often sunflower seeds. I've found when I eat enough protein I can avoid being really hungry between meals and it also works well when I exercise because I have plenty of energy throughout my exercise.


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I'm like that too. Even when I'm done eating. Not if I eat out, then that is to much food and I over ate. There is just no happy medium.
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I couldn't agree more - I can't really remember what my non-diabetic life was like when I didn't think about food 90% of the day (gotta think about the opposite sex a little bit :D )

I guess I just get frustrated when I can't control my bs as well as a pancreas would. Then I remind myself that my *$%@!$% pancreas kicked the preverbial bucket a while back and it just isn't possible!!! Oh well - you'll have that!!! haha Thanks for the advice and support!

[Harold]

During the week lunch at e,even and dinner is often 7 or 8. Get home about 3 and have a snack. Usually I have too much to snack on because 4 hours is really too long to go so I get ravenous. This is my weak time and really need to get it under control. However with the insulin mix you're taking a low carb/cal snack should not bother your premeal readings. Something like a celery stick with a teaspoon of PB.

[Gina]

laura,

I definatly think you are a little anal about your control...not that its that bad, but to not have a snack or something if your starving you shouldnt do...i think thats just crazy. have some strawberries or something it wont kill you to have a snack if your starving. just have something thats low in carbs maybe jello that has no carbs ....

[Gina]

the reason maybe that you are soo fustrated is because you try to control your diabetes a bit TOO much...take a chill lol :)

[Alysse404]

haha .... well, you guys are affirming what my mom, dad, and Diabetes Educator have been telling me for quite some time... I need to loosen up!!! Thanks for all of the helpful ideas and support!!! Hopefully I'll be a little easier on myself and start listening to my stomach more often! I have to say, food does wonders for my mood! I'm a force to be reckoned with when I haven't eaten in a while! haha Thanks again, everyone!!!

[Mick]

Having been type 1 since 1965, over 38 years, I can tell you what matters--control--as perfect and as constant as humanly possible. Yes, we ARE indeed human, and our will-power is NOT perfect all the time, but I've always felt that will power is a muscle best strengthened by constant exercise. My wife and kids think I'm compulsive, my mother thought I was finnicky, and my endo calls me "fastidious" As a complication-free diabetic of almost 4 decades duration, I'd have to consider all those descriptions to be compliments! Self-control is a fact of our lives--the stronger we are, the longer we'll go, simply said. For me, these decades of iron will and strict self-discipline have made me into an extremely strong person--strong mentally, emotionally and physically. I practice it as a form of yoga, and as such, it can be extraordinarily evolutionary and enlightening. The challange is not in doing it hour to hour, day by day, 24/7 for the rest of our lives, but in appreciating the doing of it, the practice of self-discipline, living the joyousness of self-control and self-mastery, and allowing the energy it generates to nourish your soul...

Namaste,
Michael

[snydermom]

Alysse - I've looked at your website. You're hardly a candidate for needing to lose weight! So you have to eat enough calories to sustain a healthy weight.

(And Mick - You can't be telling her to not eat for 8 hours. That's not healthy or In Control, either! Certain foods at certain intervals are what helps keep things where they should be.)

Eating a "few nuts" is not a snack when you eat as light as you do.

What about all of the "free" foods? You don't say if you have any side dishes with these teeny meals you eat. What about salads and veggies? Are you afraid to eat one raw carrot? Keep some Choice or Glucerna in the fridge ... viola - curb your appetite with a healthy flavored shake.

So long as your numbers are in control, you should eat a well balanced diet ... which means something from EVERY food group. Do you eat ANY potatoes/pastas? They are healthy and you should eat some.

You sound like you'd go into a panic and STOP eating if you saw 125. Your bg is suppose to go up after you eat!?!?

Obviously, I agree with Gina!

[Alysse404]

When I was first diagnosed, I didn't eat rice, potatoes, pasta, or fruit - pretty much anything that was higher in carbs! Also, I ate small meals, too because I read somewhere that if you eat a lot, it can make your bs rise too. However, I have come a long long way from my first days of diagnosis and I eat healthy, balanced meals that include all food groups! My mom is a nurse, so she didn't put up with me limiting myself so much for very long! I love salad and vegetables, so they are a huge part of my lunch and dinner meals. Thank you for your suggestions and your concern!

I realize I need to lighten up a bit, but I do agree with Mick about keeping in tight control. I really feel that if I stay disciplined and keep my bs in control, I'll be able to stay active and healthier for the majority of my life. I love to exercise and spend at least an hour a day exercising, and I realize that if I wouldn't be able to do that if I had bad control because I just wouldn't have the energy.

So... I think I've realized that I need to check more often between meals, especially if I'm hungry, and to snack when I feel the need (covering it with Humalog if it's over 15 carbs). I feel like I have some great suggestions for low carb snacks! Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions!!!

[dcoke]

snydermom, the management for a T1 is quite a bit different then a T2.

(And Mick - You can't be telling her to not eat for 8 hours. That's not healthy or In Control, either! Certain foods at certain intervals are what helps keep things where they should be.)
Actually to fine tune a basal either by injection or pump you need to fast, and sometimes this takes several days, to get a correct setting. Healthy? no one died from not eating within 8hrs that I know of. In Control? Yep.. thats how a T1 gains control and keeps control, by frequent adjustments.

Eating a "few nuts" is not a snack when you eat as light as you do.
Actually a few nuts have quite a bit of protein in them, which is enough for many that eat light. I can grab a bag of cashews or almonds from a gas station to hold me over as a snack, it has 7gm of carbs and 32gm protein in it, just right where i don't have to bolus for them.

What about all of the "free" foods? You don't say if you have any side dishes with these teeny meals you eat. What about salads and veggies? Are you afraid to eat one raw carrot? Keep some Choice or Glucerna in the fridge ... viola - curb your appetite with a healthy flavored shake.
free foods are great! but carrots aren't one of them.. carrots, peas and corn have ALOT of natural sugar in them, ofcourse YMMV but this T1 can only eat little of those particular veggies and still I have to bolus for 1 carrot! only .5u but still. it's a PITA
Choice isn't a diabetic drink, loaded with carbs. Glucerna also has 38gm per itty bitty can, while it claims it's a diabetic drink. Glucerna sends my bg soring like a regular coke would.

So long as your numbers are in control, you should eat a well balanced diet ... which means something from EVERY food group. Do you eat ANY potatoes/pastas? They are healthy and you should eat some.
um.. LOL pasta isn't the LEAST bit healthy! it's nothing but white flour and water. To be a well maintained T1 you must become a picky eater to some extent. Potatoes/pasta/rice/bread should be very limited. I know for me, I can eat a 3oz red potato and takes 1.6u for it. pasta and rice forget it, not worth the spike to 300 even with proper insulin coverage. bread ranks up there with it.
You can eat a balanced healthy diet without potatoes and pasta.. those are complex carbs, exactly what puts weight on a person, which then contributes to Insulin Resistance.

You sound like you'd go into a panic and STOP eating if you saw 125. Your bg is suppose to go up after you eat!?!?
Um.. actually your glucose shouldn't vary above 110 for someone normal, while many do see a small spike to 130-140. Someone who is NOT glucose impaired shouldn't see anything above 140. I know neither my husband or daughter are impaired, they can eat a double burger, large fry, regular cokes, ice cream in one sitting and I've tested both them after at 60/90/120 mins NEITHER went over 90 at any point!

Of course.. everything about being diabetic is very YMMV! but testing, research and learning what works for YOU, is your best defense against complications.

[Mick]

I've never had any kind of problem with pasta, rice, potatoes or bread, and I've been a type 1 diabetic for 38 years. They have always been staples in my diet, and although I have chosen to more-or-less eliminate most breads from my diet in the last 2 years so as to lower my total daily insulin dose and therefore lose some weight, as long as I count accurately and bolus correctly, I can deal with any of those foods. Of course, I DO always look at the carb content of all the foods I eat, and will usually chose a lower-carb choice, to keep to the "Rule of Small Numbers", which says that the less we eat and the smaller amount of insulin we take, the smaller our errors will be, both highs and lows. But I still eat cereal and fruit for breakfast, just no toast or juice. Certainly, everyone's body will react differently to similar dietary inputs, but for us type 1's, we actually have it a bit easier than type 2's--we just count accurately, do the math and take the shot--it should all equal out!

Michael

[snydermom]

Thanks Mick. You made me feel a LITTLE bit better.

dcoke - We're dealing with type 1, also. Just at a much older age and with many more complications. I'm glad your control has worked for you all of these years. In this house, we are brand new & past your options.

My goal now is to keep him alive and his condition doesn't bode well for that.

Good luck and keep doing what works for you so you can see all of your grandchildren on their wedding days!!! :-)

Beth.