[suddenly susan]

Hello I have had an account here for almost a year, but haven't used it much in months. So, I thought I would make use of such a great place!
I have been diabetic for several years, but every time I try to control it with diet and exercise, I crash. It seems that when I reduce my caloric intake, I get these MASSIVE headaches. The more I drop my carb intake, the worse they get. I know I need carbs to thrive, but I was just curious if anybody else had this problem in the beginning? I assume as my body adjusts to having normal sugar levels, I will feel better? It seems that when my sugar gets into the normal range I start feeling all light headed and weird. Please tell me I am not alone :P




susan

[Ellen]

Hi Susan! You are not alone! I get all weird feeling when my bg drops below 90, but I used to feel pretty bad when it dropped even below 100, since I was so used to it being really really high. (like in the 400's and I did not know it!) Complications are totally avoidable if you keep the bg under control, so it is very worth the discomfort of getting used to the lower levels. Perhaps you can start with subbing whole grains for white flour, brown rice for white, sweet potatoes for white potatoes. Do it in steps. First cut out white sugar, and don't eat anything that has more than 3 grams of sugar per serving, unless it is fruit. Sugar withdrawal can be tough, but if you fight hard to get over it, after a few days, the cravings subside, and you can easily pass it up. If you need carbs to avoid headaches, just make sure you are eating GOOD ones. Like whole grains, sweet potatoes, fruits, veggies... You don't need sugar, or overly processed carbs. They are the ones that really mess with your bg levels. I hope you will join us in the Dieting with Diabetes thread.

[Learning2LuvMe]

Boy do I understand. I can't get my BS under 120 these days. When I cut back on the carbs I just get crazy and my addiction to the stuff kicks in and then I eat too much. So I have had to learn to have some carbs. Because of my addiction I am not doing too well dieting though. So I don't have an answer either except keep experimenting.

[oldwriter]

You might like the Glicemic Index diet. It tells you what the carbs are and how they effect you. I for one do not care that much for sweet potato. I can eat a little but chips are in the mid range and white potatos are high. I eat pringles or a small portion of potato-1/2 cup.