Attitude towards eating and food in general.

[ScoobySteve 200]

I believe I have a problem.  I grew up in a large family of 8 children.  Our family REALLY enjoyed food.  I have always been much closer to thin than heavy as I have always been very active and pretty athletic and have a FAST metabolism.  I am a runner and a law enforcement officer so a workout has almost always been a part of my day.  My problem, I believe, is my attitude towards food.  I seem to associate good times with the consumption of food.  My nightly snack is more of a social interaction or habit more than an actual need for calories.  My family always placed a high priority on food.  It is hard to explain.  We all ate very quickly, always had seconds, and always finished our plate.  It is almost like a competition of sorts.  If you aren't stuffed at the end of a meal, you have failed in some way.  We didn't just eat because we were hungry.  We eat to EAT!  I bring it up because I know there are others out there in a similar situation.  We must master this, or as diabetics, we are doomed to fail.  Have you experienced this?  How did you change your attitude towards food and snacks?  Did you replace food with something else?  Your thoughts?

 

My mother is a GREAT cook and there was a bunch of us.  My wife grew up with just her one sister and her attitude towards food is much healthier.  LOL

[m2hwb41 242]

I'm a foodie---I love to eat and I love to cook.  I don't have any real advice for you, but if I was diagnosed with some incurable, fatal disease tomorrow, I would probably break every traffic law there is on my way to the ice cream store.  I miss going to a restaurant and ordering whatever I want off of the menu, and at this point in my life, I fantasize about carbs in the same way I used to think about Tom Selleck or The Rock.  I dream about hash browns and pancakes.

[Aggie 830]

If you are thin and have a fast metabolism, then apparently eating too much food isn't the problem for you.  What TYPE of foods you eat could be a problem as a diabetic.

 

You CAN probably eat:  meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, cream, butter, oils, nuts, seeds, most veggies (except starchy ones like corn and peas), possibly some berries, dry wine, unsweetened coffee and tea, herbs and spices.  Artificial sweeteners like Stevia or Splenda probably are OK.  I can eat a small amount of 85% chocolate as a dessert.

 

You probably CANNOT eat:  grains, anything made of grains (wheat, rice, corn) including pasta, cereal, bread, rice; starchy vegetables, most fruit except berries, potatoes, anything sweetened with real sugar or HFCS (or any other 'sugar synonym'), anything deep fried (the batter is starchy).

 

So the question is not whether you can or should eat less, but rather is there a type of sweet or starchy 'comfort food' that you would crave which could be problematic?  I was a sugar addict in my youth.  My husband liked bread the most.  Can you modify your diet to include only those things that you can eat as a diabetic? 

[jwags 9,219]

I grew up in a large family and I was the only diabetic. My family loves to bake, so family reunions are filled with lots of carby goodies. None of them understand why I have to restrict my carbs so much. I do think  in our society food and social occassions go hand in hand. I have been diabetic for almost 9 years now. I have learned to deal with the food issue because I want to stay healthy. I have learned to bake my own low carb goodies and most taste better than the original. If I am going to a social function I will eat ahead of time and then just eat some protein or salad at the function. There are lots of tricks you learn as you go on. Look at the recipes in the LC forum and try to make some new snacks for your late night snacks. Google something called FAT BOMBS. There are lots of variations and will fill you up and keep bgs low.

[mbc1963 427]

I totally understand you! I was one of seven kids, parents grew up in the depression. So, my mother loved to feed us. Her father wa a baker, and she used to bake 10 dozen cookies at a time, cake every couple nights, etc.. I LOVE to eat. I don't just like it or eat to fill my belly. I LOVE IT. I could sit down with a glass of milk and eat 10 of my mother's homemade chocolate chip cookies, even now at the age of 52. I could easy eat 3 donuts for breakfast. Two pieces of cake for dessert. ::Sigh:: Caaaaaake...

 

But, oh well! I don't get to eat those things anymore. I figure I got my "quota" of carbs during the part of my life when I ate anything I wanted, whenever I wanted. Maybe if I had eaten less sweets then, I could still eat some now? But boy, did I sure enjoy eating all I wanted all those decades! Good times, good times!

[miketurco 2,801]

When I was little, I was a very slow eater. I would get in trouble for taking so long to finish my dinner. Eventually I learned to eat much faster, and stuck with that way of eating. It's a habit that has not panned out well for me over the course of my life.

[kooka 2,681]

I had 10 siblings and grew up quite poor. All of us were very thin until we came here to Ohio and my Mom and sister got a job. Because I was the "baby" and food and sweets were now available I ate them everyday. We rejoiced with food, sorrowed with food and used food as a way to celebrate life and happiness, death and tears. All my siblings were thin except me. Later in life food was my tranquiizler of choice. As this and that happened I built the wall and behind it was me and the food that only I had control of and nobody else. I finally arrived at a point where the food was not making it better but just adding to the problems and once I faced them and looked inward to solve my issues instead of outward I made friends with the food and now I see it as a way of staying alive. If I never ate I would be okay with that because on HFLC I am never hungry anyway. I do know I need it though and try to make healthy choices to my benefit. I am no longer an emotional eater with the exception of thinking back to my big family who have mostly died now and then I want sugar. Otherwise  I find a good book, I do some kind of craft, I research something. I pray.

[ScoobySteve 200]

I had 10 siblings and grew up quite poor. All of us were very thin until we came here to Ohio and my Mom and sister got a job. Because I was the "baby" and food and sweets were now available I ate them everyday. We rejoiced with food, sorrowed with food and used food as a way to celebrate life and happiness, death and tears. All my siblings were thin except me. Later in life food was my tranquiizler of choice. As this and that happened I built the wall and behind it was me and the food that only I had control of and nobody else. I finally arrived at a point where the food was not making it better but just adding to the problems and once I faced them and looked inward to solve my issues instead of outward I made friends with the food and now I see it as a way of staying alive. If I never ate I would be okay with that because on HFLC I am never hungry anyway. I do know I need it though and try to make healthy choices to my benefit. I am no longer an emotional eater with the exception of thinking back to my big family who have mostly died now and then I want sugar. Otherwise  I find a good book, I do some kind of craft, I research something. I pray.

What is HFLC?  High Fat, Low Carbs?

[Aggie 830]

Yes.  Sometimes also called LCHF, haha.

[samuraiguy 4,981]

I grew up in a big family where food is the catalyst for gatherings and we all ate fast--my mother used to say it took 2 days to prepare Thanksgiving and five minutes to eat it. These days I have just found how to make lower carb (or VLC) versions of some of my favorite gathering foods. So much so that now many of my family like my dishes just as much and I end up making more of them. I never say, "I'll never eat X food again," instead I ask , "How can I still enjoy that food yet still hit my A1C goal?" For me it is planning my cheats for about 10% of the time and cheating on only foods on my "really love" list, not just like to nibble on if hungry list. I am finding new foods on my "really love" list that are lower carb meaning some months I cheat less than 10% of the time.

[funkynassau 1,569]

When I was a kid we ate well and had a lot of food, it was just how it was done then.  Nobody thought much about what we ate, we ate because it tasted good.  My mother was a great baker, her pies were second to none and she made all sorts of squares and cookies and goodies.  My mouth drools thinking about it!  

 

My life is sure not like that now, I dont have seconds of anything, I eat more veggies than you can imagine, along with protein.  No potatoes, rice, pasta etc. anymore.

 

If I was going to die within a short time I'd chow down on pizza with the works and my friend's chocolate cheesecake!  At that point I'd go for the gusto and pig out totally!  

[predb4 4,785]

i recall an acquaintance who converted to hinduism and could not eat from erthenware or china, but carried her own metal plates to family gatherings, and i think there restrictions on what she and her family could drink from as well.

 

anyhow, how do i cope with diabetes is that i will bring my own thing if i know there will not be friendly foods there, just like the hindu girl.  for potlucks at work, i no longer contribute money, but bring a lowcarb dish that i can eat.

 

if i visit a restaurant, i make modifications to the offerings.  For examkple i have a double serving of coleslaw instead of coleslaw and a rice side dish.  tho some add sugar to coleslaw, it will never match the carbs in rice.

[ant hill 2,891]

I would fall in to the Foodie Group too as I like to eat just about anything that's edible. But there are restrictions on what we can eat and this is to what Insulin is able to do!!!

Take an Orange as we know that's a fast carb!! It's fast because of the Fructose that's in the fruit. But you get an insulin to keep up the speed of this fruit?!?! The other is knowing what the level of BG that's in us as we have to know the Happy Medium that makes us feel good, As food makes us feel good.

 

Protein is a misunderstood food as it get's reprocessed via the Liver. I love a medium rare Steak!!!! as unfortunately it makes Glucagon.

 

I don't get to see family often as I know that they Loooove food!!!!!!!!! and so do I. The difference, I am a Diabetic as the confusion on what I can eat.

 

Just a while ago I have herd that she can eat carbs, Loves Bread!!!! as I see her a slender lady. I am green with Envy!!! What she has that I haven't??????????

[dowling gram 6,388]

Well I'm different from most of you. Although my immediate family is small I do have a large extended family. Growing up we had many family gatherings and a lot of good food. There were a lot of very good cooks in our family led by the master cook--my Gramma. On those occasions I suppose I overindulged but as a general rule food is not a driving force in my life and never has been.

 

I often have had to remind myself to eat when I have a busy day but usually I only eat because I'm hungry. However since diabetes I do make an effort to eat small meals several times a day and that works for me. I eat because I want to stay healthy. I am a good cook so I usually enjoy what I eat but food is not the be all end all in my life.

[Fraser 7,383]

Interesting topic, but in all those big families, how many are diabetics?

Because In my generation, siblings and cousins, we all ate the same, meat potatoes, veggie and salad for dinner + dessert if Dad was home.

Number of persons with diabetes = 1, me.

For what ever it is worth. At least in my past over eating or being a "foodie" are not part of the equation.

Which does not change anything. )

[mbc1963 427]

Well... In my food-loving (LOVING!) family of seven siblings, starting with grandparents:

 

1 Grandmother diabetic (mother's side)

3 uncles died of CVD by their 60s (mother's side) - well before the new guidelines for diabetes diagnosis - who knows?

Father T2 diabetic, diagnosed in his 70s

Brother ("the skinny one") T2 diabetic, diagnosed in his 40s

Me T2 diabetic, diagnosed at 52.

 

So, 2/7 of my siblings have been diagnosed, but I would not be at all surprised to see it go up to 3 or 4 of us.

 

Now, my other brother has 3 daughters. He and his wife carefully watched what they ate and how they exercised; they were all thin through high school. But as soon as they went to college, each girl put on easily 50+ pounds. All around their bellies. I am concerned that they will be early-diagnosed T2s, based on their body types and our family history.

 

I picture my mother's family of coal-mining stock: getting up early, eating a huge breakfast, and going to the mines to work hard all day. Most men died in those days by their 60s; most women, too. So, who knows how many might have become diabetic if they had lived longer - or been tested diabetic if they had used the same criteria we use now, and gone to the doctor regularly?

[jwags 9,219]

Just because you grew up a certain way doesn't mean you have to continue it. I consider myself a carb addict and will always be. I grew up having bread and starches at every meal. I won't even start on the desserts. When you first start changing your Way of Eating (WOE) Stsrt with one food group like bread. Find a Sub for bread in your diet, then move to another food like rice or potatoes.

[JanetP 17,500]

I am a foodie.  I love to cook and I love to feed people.  There is so much emotion tied up in food and nourishing others that people can get very weird about it.  Just look at all the different religious and social customs surrounding meals.  My very first job ever was as a short order cook.

 

And food is also a drug.  The reasons why we eat what we eat are tied very strongly into our neurochemistry and genetics.

 

I had grandparents that were T2's.  I am the only one in the immediate family.  I have to admit that there are days when I resent the amount of time I have to spend in the kitchen to keep myself fed and the blood sugars in order.  And it has been hurtful when people have turned up their noses at some of the diabetic baking with almond flour, etc. that I have done.

 

So when feeding family and friends I stick to protein and veggies.  Sometimes I can slip in a D-friendly dessert, like some of the cheesecakes or the miracle brownies, but I have quite trying for the wheat substitutes.

[kooka 2,681]

In my family of a thin Mother and thin sisters and brothers including myself:

• Mother- type 1 insulin dependent
• Brother- type 2 insulin and oral dependent
• Brother -type 2 Metformin
• Sister type -2 insulin and oral dependent
• Sister - type 1 Insulin dependent
• Sister- type 2 Metformin
• Self- type 2 Metformin

Our basic foods, when available, were all starch (mainly potatoes) and greens but  mostly mush (cornmeal cooked in water) Meat was rare except for a bone donated by the butcher. Once here, however, we did eat meat or chicken at least once a week and after the majority of my siblings married or joined the service we had protein everyday. Of course my mother continued to bake bread and cakes of which she sold for more than quite a few cents along with her fudge.

[Fraser 7,383]

My mother could cook and bake (Dad no) but Mom did not enjoy cooking. When TV dinners were invented she felt she had been saved.

Later when the family would gather it would be either frozen breaded chicken breast (chicken bricks as my brother called them) or frozen lasagna. Or best was to go out to eat.

 

So as any good son does when I left home I rebelled, I cooked only from scratch with fresh ingredients. Thanks Mom for teaching me that processed food is bad!

 

She passed at the age of 94. She survived three bouts of cancer, but no other issues. Dad passed at 93 generally healthy.

[JanetP 17,500]

I have read that the reason carbohydrates are so common in our society is that carbs are cheaper to produce and store.  When you have to stretch a dollar till it squeals carbohydrates provide more volume and are more filling than protein or fat.  And if you are dependent on carbs for energy they are processed and used faster.  

 

The classic dishes combining beans and rice in order to get complete amino acids are an example.  And the three sisters companion planting common in the southwestern US, squash or pumpkin at the foot of corn to shade the roots and beans to climb the corn.  Everything is carbs.

 

Indigenous hunters used to prize organ meats above all parts of the animals they hunted because they were a primary source of iron and other essential elements not provided by plants.  Next in line was the fat and brains, then the rest of the muscle tissue.

 

I watched a documentary once on the history of the American diet.  They claimed the average colonial settler needed 6000 calories a day to maintain the hard labor they had to perform in order to survive.

[Draperygoddess 163]

My family always had special foods for different occasions.  My mother and grandmother were wonderful cooks, and my mom baked to work out her frustrations.  At that time my dad was very much a "meat and potatoes" guy, and we had bread with dinner every night.  I was skinny and my parents let me eat whatever I wanted just to put weight on me.  In my elementary school days, I had a bowl of ice cream after school every day! I had a sweet tooth and loved dessert.

 

Four years ago I found out i am gluten-intolerant.  That changed the way I eat forever.  It was hard to give up bread, cookies, etc., but it made me so sick when I ate it, it wasn't worth it.  I also can't eat most "gluten-free" baked goods because I cross-react to other flours. I missed those things, but no food was worth being sick for three days. So I gave them up and wasn't even tempted to cheat.

 

Because being diabetic doesn't produce immediate symptoms when we eat things we shouldn't (other than those astronomical numbers on the meter), it is easy to justify cheating because we think "one little thing won't hurt me." But the truth is, every time we cheat, we are raising the risk for problems due to elevated blood sugar.  We just might not see those problems for years.

 

I approach controlling my blood sugar the same way I approach being gluten-free:  I have a problem that means, in order to stay healthy, some foods will never be an option for me again.  I just focus on enjoying what I can eat and making those big family meals an occasion to enjoy my family as much as my food.  Other people are always worried that i won't have enough to eat, but I always bring along some safe food so I don't get hungry.