New here and fading fast

[missgoosy]

Hi everyone,

I'm a type 2 who was diagnosed last April with an AIC of 11.3 and bg of 262, which scared me into dealing with the problem head on. Did fabulous for a while and within 3 months brought my AIC down to 6.3. Since then, I haven't been able to maintain my low-carb diet AT ALL - the boredom, the blandness, the expense of eating this way. I have realized that I am an absolute food addict and powerless over carbs. No matter how hard I try - every day - to try to avoid it, I give in to pasta and junk food. I rationalize it by saying I at least balance it with a salad and walking every day. My doctor won't give me metformin or insulin, so I am seeing an endocrinologist who probably will, but it's two more months before I can get an appointment. Over the past six months, my bg's have shot up from the low 100's up to a daily high of 200's and even twice in the 300's. I have no idea how to conquer these constant cravings. I know I haven't emotionally accepted this diagnosis and I can't figure out how to. I am well aware of the complications and how I'm probably taking years off my life with every bite of pasta.

Can anyone else relate and tell me how you got through this?

Thank you!

[blufloyd]

I'd call till I got in somewhere soon. Emergency clinic or something. No point in delaying. Carbs are bad but I feel fortunate in that I am not a pasta chip guy....
Your Doc doesn't sound like you need him....

[shyam]

Denial is quite common with newly diagonised people. But the control that you did achieve should have inspired you to keep going. The 6.3 would have been better. My best motivational tool is my meter. I'd suggest that you stick around the forum a lot & read a lot. That should help. Why your doctor is not prescribing metformin ? Is there some reason ?

[Kkirwan]

I can't imagine why your doctor won't prescribe meds. Sounds like he doesn't really care about your well-being. You need a new doctor.

[bardley]

...I was a chip and pasta junkie before my diagnosis too but have gone cold turkey for over two years now. Try filling yourself up with bell peppers, onion, and tomotoes cooked in olive oil with some harissa sauce (Tunisian). For a snack, unsalted, roasted peanuts and 11 almonds (no salt) are purportedly the same as on lipitor.

[jwags]

I understand the carb addiction all too well. When carbs are around I am powerless. Literally I had to clean out all my pantries and throw the stuff away. For me making Low Carb treats to have on hand to eat when you get those cravings works for me. But when I see or smell bread, pizza, pasta, I have to leave the room. Even the smell causes cravings. I am not sure why your doctor won't give you meds. Time for a new doctor.

[jillybean]

I agree that it sounds like time for a new doctor - I NEVER saw an endocrinologist for my diabetes; my regular doc prescribed me metformin and Januvia and discussed the option of Byetta with me. And she was actually a nurse practitioner, not an MD.

As for the carbs, they're evil, pure and simple :P For me, I have to go cold turkey. Once I've had the carbs out of my diet for a couple weeks, the cravings go away. If eating low-carb was too "bland" for you, then I'm wondering if you weren't getting enough variety, as that is NEVER a word I would use to describe a diet full of a variety of meats, eggs, cheeses, oils, spices/seasonings, non-starchy veggies, nuts, etc. You know what's bland? Plain pasta, plain bread, plain potato chips...I've personally found that I primarily used these carby foods as a VEHICLE for getting the good flavors of things like sauces, cream cheese, butter, saltiness, etc., and once I replaced those carby vehicles with something else that still allowed me to get those yummy flavors, life was much better. For example, I've found I very much enjoy a bowl of very meaty spaghetti sauce with some sliced up Italian sausage and maybe some meatballs topped with lots of melty cheese...without the noodles! Or some salt n' vinegar or habanaro bbq flavored almonds (Blue Diamond brand makes these flavors) instead of potato chips. Or pork rinds or crispy cheese chips instead of potato chips. "Oopsie rolls" in place of bread/buns (Google for the easy recipe). Things like that.

[Kkirwan]

"Oopsie rolls" in place of bread/buns (Google for the easy recipe).

There are no carbs in that recipe? Is it bready?

[Joisey]

I agree with Jill. Just do it. After a while it will get easier and the cravings will disappear. Now, when I see an ad for Pizza, all I think of is a hospital bed with my name on it.

[bdelatte]

I feel like you think if your doc put u on insulin your numbers would go down? Yeah they would some but if you continue to eat that way they wont. You have to just face it. I know all about this. It took me 10 years! Ive had many days of crying and frustrations but honestly i wish i would have faced it a long time ago. I was lucky enough to not suffer any complications from my 10 years of not taking care of myself. Now i realize this isnt going away so either deal with it and live a long life or dont and die young. The first option sounds better to me. I do low carb, seriously you would be so surprised what you can make..get the book 1001 low carb recipes by Dana Carpender..and GOOGLE, GOOGLE, GOOGLE. There are gobs of low carbs out there and ways to make everything in a low carb manner.

[Kkirwan]

When I finally realized I'd have to give up most carbs for good, I cried. I felt almost like someone had died. It's scary in the beginning, but if you take it a moment at a time, you'll eventually realize that you feel *better* without extreme carbs. I try to keep around 100 carbs per day. Yesterday I had 61. I have more energy. I'm not sleepy in the afternoon. Eating carbs makes me hungrier. Even if I was stuffed, I'd feel like I was starving. It's such a relief to not feel that way anymore that it keeps me from eating a lot of carbs. My dietitian has me on a gluten-free diet (just starting week 2) and that helps with keeping carbs low since wheat is in *everything*.

I still have plenty to eat, and everything has flavor. I'm not bored with anything. You'll be fine, you just need to get the hang of it first.

[jillybean]

There are no carbs in that recipe? Is it bready?

Oopsie Rolls | Your Lighter Side

They are NOT a perfect bread replacement - they are a slightly different texture - but they work for me! As I mentioned, they're a good "vehicle" for other things. I've used them for pbj sandwiches when I was really craving those earlier in my pregnancy.

[Ela]

Jilly brought up a good point that very often carbs only serve as a vehicle for delivering tasty foods. Besides just skipping those "vehicles" completely you may substitute them with some healthier options: for example instead of mash potatoes use mash or just cauliflower or yam. I still eat pizza sometimes, but I make it myself with low carb thin tortilla and I still eat bread (a slice or 2 a day), but only low on carbs-15 carbs per slice or lower. Maybe you can do at least these things and improve your control and meanwhile get used to it.

All in all the hardest part for me was to rearrange the whole routine of cooking and eating as we are all accustomed to eating some carby side dishes at every meal and it feels sometimes like there is nothing to eat. But once you get used to your new routine, it gets some much easier.

Oh and yes, testing a lot and reading the forum helps.

Good luck!

[missgoosy]

Thanks everyone for all your support! As for my doctor, she has been ditched and I'm just waiting to see the endo, I'm sure she will give me metformin at least. You're right, I have been thinking that insulin would let me eat whatever I want to but the reality is I don't want to take it at all. One of you mentioned staying around 100 carbs a day and I think that's actually what I have been consuming and each time I'm way up in the 300's, so I don't know how some people are able to do it but I'm not. I am wondering if maybe there's just too much of a backup of sugar in my bloodstream from the past six months of not eating well? This morning I had 7 carbs (2 oz. orange juice) and I'm hoping it doesn't throw me over 200. I'm planning on having only maybe 20-30 carbs for the rest of the day, so I hope I see some improvement soon.

[Ela]

Well, orange juice or any fruit juice is not such a good idea. In fact I think they are evil ... for our BGs they are....

And yes, glycagon does accumulate in your system, but with diet and exercise it will get spent and things get better.