Dieting with Obstacles Those with special health concerns such as diabetes, fibromyalgia, pregnancy, etc can post here for extra support and help.

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Old 03-09-2013, 10:09 AM   #1  
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Default Trying to diet with low blood sugar. Grrrrrr!!!!

Hey Everybody!

I'm 44 years old and I need to lose 20-30 pounds before I go in to full blown obesity and diabetes. I'm definitely struggling with an obstacle and I wonder if I can get advise.

I can't even tell you how many times I've tried to diet with Weight Watchers point system over the last 10 years. Usually after about four days I become ravenous and succumb to shaky and lethargic hunger.

I've had success with Weight Watchers way back in the 80's with their exchange program. I thought I would give it try only to have the same problem.

I've talked to my doctor about it but he won't say I have hypoglycemia because it is pretty much impossible for health insurances to approve testing. (From what I hear it is pretty much torture with the fasting and pumping of glucose.) I'm probably going to change my doctor because he just chops my complaints that I just didn't like being hungry. I can handle the initial hunger from starting a diet because I've done it in the past. That is not the problem. It is so frustrating!

I probably have hypoglycemia and if have any deficit of calories my body has a fit. I'm tired of this roller coaster.

Is there anyone out there that can help me?
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Old 03-09-2013, 10:58 AM   #2  
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If you truly believe that you are actually experiencing episodes of hypoglycemia, whether or not they are related to hunger doesn't matter... You should insist that your doctor investigate further... in the meantime my advice would be to go out and get a cheap glucometer (they have disposable ones that include the testing strips, so all you would need is some sort of lancing device... but you can find all of that at any drug store...) and test your blood sugar on your own to see if you are indeed hypoglycemic...

In my experience and I include myself in that as well is that most people who think they have low blood sugar when they are hungry find that their blood sugar is in the normal range... But if you are indeed experiencing true hypoglycemia that is symptomatic than of course that's a matter to be handled between you and your doctor...
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Old 03-09-2013, 02:59 PM   #3  
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Get a new doctor!

Secondly, your ravenous hunger is probably related to pre-diabetes or IR -- your new doctor will be able to tell you what's going on (based on your comment about needing to lose weight or you will get diabetes sounds).

I have IR and the way to mange the ravenous hunger is to lower my carb intake -- eating breads, rice, pasta, cookies, cakes, pies, and so on, cause my body to raise my blood sugar too high, then it crashes, then I get so hungry I could eat a horse.

When I eat higher fat and higher protein, I am not as hungry and I can stick to the number of calories I need to maintain/lose weight.

You may want to try to eliminate those things to see if it helps. And get yourself a doctor that will listen to you -- there are ways of handling prediabetes/IR if that's what you're developing!
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Old 03-09-2013, 04:39 PM   #4  
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Thank you for the advise. I'm going to lower the carbs and add protein and fats to the exchange program. In the meantime, I'll keep bugging my doctor. I've had these episodes for a long time, but they've gotten worse as I've gotten older.
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Old 03-10-2013, 11:23 AM   #5  
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The diet for hypoglycemia is the same as the diabetic diet. Have you tried that?
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Old 03-14-2013, 02:11 PM   #6  
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Hi. I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia a few months ago. I would eat breakfast or lunch and then an hour later, I was sound asleep. Also, very light headed, to the point I was afraid to drive my car. I had the fasting glucose test, and then went out and ate a meal and in exactly 2 hrs. from when I first start to eat, had to go back for another blood draw.

The glup (which is what that test is called) showed a drop in blood sugar 2 hrs after eating.) You don't have to do it on the same day as the original draw, but the 2 hrs. apply. There is also the glucose drink test, where you drink the bottle of syrupy orange drink and sit for 2 hrs. They take your blood before you get the drink and two times during. I would think your Dr. would order one of those for you. I am in Canada and we don't pay for blood work, so perhaps that is a problem.
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Old 03-22-2013, 06:29 PM   #7  
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I understand how frustrating and difficult it can be to diet with hypoglycemia. I have Type II Diabetes, and since I started loosing weight, have gone from being constantly hyperglycemic, to normal with a tendency to go hypoglycemic. It's frustrating because I am supposed to be limiting my sugar intake, but in order to keep my blood sugars up within normal levels, I have to intake 2 to 3 times more sugar than recommended at this stage.

I am a phlebotomist, and we do glucome testing several times throughout the day. But as with the last poster, I am in Canada, and the testing is free. Sorry I don't have any suggestions on that front, but it is very important to know if you are hypoglycemic, as it is far more dangerous than having high blood sugar, and can be a medical emergency.
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Old 05-17-2013, 10:47 PM   #8  
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I struggle with that too. I have PCOS and IR and would be lost without grains and breads, pasta and potatoes as I'm a picky eater and there aren't that many of the low-carb diets that I can handle.

I try to do damage control and stay away from most super-refined stuff. I drink unsweetened green tea instead of soda, I try to figure out what vegetables I can tolerate, and what things I can eat besides just meat, meat, meat. Years ago I went to eating meat only once a day or less. I figure I'm getting less cholesterol and too much meat feels heavy in my stomach.

Since I'm not employed outside the home if I get a low blood sugar I can do something about it. When I worked it was terrible trying to not run out of fuel all the time. My mom was Type 1 diabetic and was always having lows. In the last few years of her life she could have really wild fluctuations. But she was also on a feeding tube so the nursing home could know what her intake had been and calculate her insulin accordingly.

I still have her meter if I need to use it. But basically if I feel like cr-- and am a mean she-bear and my stomach is growling even a tiny bit, I don't need any test to know what's going on. The trick is to keep the sugar level. I know sweets will spike it.

Do the best I can but don't foresee myself going Atkins or Paleo or anything like that, ever.
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