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Obese, diabetic with high BP; need help with food addiction
Diagnosed 1 year ago. Can't take Metformin or Glipizide due to side effects. Felt like a zombie, could hardly do my work. Didn't make much difference in my levels as I am also a food addict. Weight at 312 (was 320 2 1/2 weeks ago). A1C at 10.2 and sugar was 345 on Saturday morning. Feel better off the Meds, actually walking and getting to the gym. I know a lot of this will get better if I lose the weight.
Anyone out there a food addict like myself? How are you coping?
Also would like to know if there are any vitamins that help with the high blood pressure or the diabetes since the meds only make it worse for me.
Thank you in advance for any help.
Minda
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I think what helped me the most was having the meetings and getting to know other people who knew what I was going through. We were also on the same basic "food plan", so we could share recipes, etc., call each other, get to know each other.
I did check into the Mayo Diet plan, but it was more than I could afford. We are on social security, and can't afford any more payments.
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1 ReactionI haven't heard before of myfitnesspal.com. What is it like, how does it work, & does it cost anything? I've always felt that I would do better with actual meetings, where I can talk with others who are dealing with the same weight struggle that I am. I've looked into a couple of E-meetings, but don't get what I need from them. I can't afford to join a gym, anything like that. I have a good treadmill, which I don't use right now. I guess I just need someone to share the weight loss "work" with, and that gives me the encouragement to stay with losing weight?
@noreenf, myfitnesspal basic, which is what I use, is free and connects with your smart phone -- Iphone and androids I believe. I personally shy away from meetings.
Myfitnesspal is what you make of it. Initially I was sooooo good. I would not grab some little snack on the way by simply because it was there, I realized if I did I would HAVE to put it into myfitnesspal. Some days I would try so hard to be good that my caloric input was not what they deemed was healthy in which case they would chide me and not give the end of day assessment! The end of day assessment tells you calories, fat, carbs, sodium and a couple of other things, if you have a fitness monitor that connects with your phone it also connects with that data and subtracts the number of calories it calculates you burned. Then it tells you if you keep that up what you will weigh in five weeks.
I am pretty much where I want to be, I would like to lose a few more pounds as a "cushion" so I have less incentive now and am cheating a bit. I had my calorie goal set at 1200 but now I have upped it to 1300. They add how many additional calories you can have based on that day's activities. You can manually input activities too if you can estimate what you have done.
Get back on your treadmill. I know it's tough. I hadn't done the treadmill at my club in many, many months but I did it yesterday and overdid it. I was on it for more than a half hour and did three miles. My legs are very tired today but I did still go to my morning water aerobics. I swear, if I don't exercise I gain a pound!
If you know other people using myfitnesspal, you can connect with them and encourage each other. My daughter told me about this app and she is my friend on it but she very rarely uses it. Occasionally she puts on a couple of pounds and then she does it until she loses that.
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1 Reaction@noreenf, I had the RnY gastric bypass nearly 3 years ago and lost 85 pounds. I was 65 years old at the time. I have diabetes (still, although it's much better now), and high blood pressure, and was using a CPAP machine at the time. I had lost and gained more weight than I can count over the years after my son was born. Most of the time, when I look at photos from those years, I was beautiful and my weight was just fine. However, between my ex, and my mother telling me I was fat, I grew to believe it. I had very low self-esteem at the time and was pretty easily manipulated. I know better now.
I had my surgery on the recommendation of my physician. I am so glad I did! I have maintained my weight, and recently lost 6 pounds when I started taking Jardiance for my diabetes. It is working well and I'm sure that is the reason for my recent weight loss. I don't understand how some people gain weight after WLS. I can barely eat 1 cup of food at each meal. I try not to snack in between meals, and if I do, I always have nuts and fruit available so I can grab them. I love plain Greek yogurt (Fage), strawberries, Splenda, and ice in a smoothie if I want something sweet. It is filling. I also eat 4%cottage cheese as a high protein snack. You can put some fruit in it too if you like the sweet and salty taste, yum. There are many ways you may be able to take control of your situation. You still have your "tool". Perhaps you can make an appointment with your original surgeon's office and request their help in re-establishing your weight loss. What kind of WLS did you have? I belong to a couple of WLS private Facebook sites and can let you know what they are if you would like. They are very helpful and discuss many ways to get back on track.
Some of us will always struggle with our weight and our body dysphoria. I sometimes think I weigh 230 pounds rather than 148 pounds. I awaken in a sweat some days fearing I have gained all my weight back. But then I step on the scales and see that I am the same weight. I am always relieved. I am hoping the best for you. If there is any way I can support you I will do my best. Gail B
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3 Reactions@noreenf, I just reread your initial post. I have a hunch that you will not be able to keep your weight off until you get some counseling. I had to establish myself as a separate, strong individual/ before I was willing to do good things for myself. I had to be willing to cook for myself and let my husband cook for himself. Your husband may have to learn how to cook. I had to be willing to put myself and my health in first place. It is hard to do, especially for those of us who are "caretakers" and have been taught that this is our role in life. I recommend that in addition to working on your weight loss, you also work on your emotional health. Once I began my journey to self discovery I loved it. Gail B
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1 Reaction@gailb, every couple has it's quirks. If I expected my husband to cook for himself he would be very hostile and either eat out of just unhealthily graze.
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1 Reaction@contentandwell, You are right that every couple is different. What I heard in @noreenf's post is that she cooks food for her husband that isn't good for her to eat. But, being a food addict makes it hard, if not impossible for her to turn down eating the same food. My recommendation is that she only cook for herself and her husband can cook for himself if he wants different food from what she is eating. If her husband wants to support her, he will be willing to help her in this way I think. Perhaps he'll eat the same healthy food she has made for herself as another way to help her and be more healthy himself. There are times when we have to put ourselves first in our lives. I think this is such a time for her.
So, I am wondering why you felt the need to protect @noreenf from my comment? I think she is stronger than she knows and doesn't need protection. I try to be helpful and not harsh or intrusive in my comments to others. Please let me know if you think I was inappropriate.
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1 Reaction@gailb, I apologize if you took my comments personally, they were not intended that way. When I prepare dinner I generally prepare something that we both can eat but then additional things for my husband. I usually have some meat or fish and a salad, but I make a starch for him also. Some nights I do cook a different meal for him, generally I will try to do something where the two meals can be somewhat coordinated so they are not totally different, for instance I will have fish and prepare a steak for him, or if he wants pizza or something that I do not want to eat I will have a salad with something on it like chicken, or shrimp.
This was not to "protect" @noreenf, it was simply a statement that we cannot all do as you suggest.
I do not want my husband to sound unkind for not wanting to prepare his own meals. In other ways, particularly in the last month and a half prior to transplant, he was a saint, doing basically everything. He was good through the whole thing but for most of the waiting time I felt well and was pretty self-sufficient.
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2 ReactionsThe Mayo clinic diet experience is a lot more than food plan. It's a big physical assessment with a stress test, body composition, movement assessment etc. You're making a plan for wellness. That includes nutrition, physical activity, and resilience. It's customized for the individual. They try to help you find activities you will actually do. Right now I'm signed up to monitor bluebird boxes in state park. That is a plan that is customized to me because I like hiking and nature. The route will be 4 miles hiking per week up and down hills. My resilience plan includes taking a bath every night and taking part in hospitality ministry at church. I bring snacks and put them by coffee pot. My nutrition plan includes putting smaller portions of leftovers from supper in plastic containers that I can microwave during day. That's to cut down on unhealthy snacking on high calorie foods. I'm going camping today. It's been a big project to figure out what I need. The first try i just rented camp site and came back at 6pm. Now I have a heater and some food packages in aluminum foil. I am going to heat them up on Smokey Joe. I had to get Firestarters because last time it was difficult to light charcoal. I have a wellness coach that I talk with about what I'm doing. She's my support person. She cheers me on, gives me ideas, and helps me think through my plans. The wellness coaching is such an important part of the program. The wellness experience is supposed to be a major intervention on your life. I signed up when they ran a special last December. I think you can also make payments until you have it paid off. Then they schedule you. That's what I did. I made $100 deposit initially and then paid off the balance. I also think it's good to try to exercise and eat well before you go. I had already been hiking since last summer so we already could see the results of my hiking. Following a wellness plan is way way cheaper medicine than developing chronic health conditions and the effects of those conditions. I have type 2 diabetes. I'm avoiding complications like peripheral neuropathy and eye problems with following my plan. How can this plan be too expensive to avoid medical complications? One CT scan costs more than the program I think. People always end up getting what they pay for. There's no free lunch. But in the case of healthy living program you can get a lot more than what you pay for. That happens if you actually engage with it and do the program with diligence and enthusiasm. You do that from your home, in your kitchen, in the health club. They are giving you a plan. You have to do it. I'm sure there are people that go through program and don't end up doing anything. They don't talk to coach. They wait for coach to call them. To me that's for kids, not grow ups. In my case I am really engaged. I send coach photos of things like hiking trail or meals I cooked. So I am getting a lot out of the program and now I am convinced it was a very good deal financially. I paid once and have my coach following me for a while year. I don't need meds for diabetes now. I don't take statins. I lost 9 pounds. And today I am going camping by myself because it scares me. The plan includes doing things that are hard so you can have a fuller life. You learn and grow so much just to overcone something that scares you. Peace.
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3 ReactionsThanks @contentandwell. I appreciate your response. Gail B