Originally Posted by JayEll:
I think that's a great approach!

I was going to say, if the candy bar keeps you satisfied and doesn't throw your blood sugar off (in whatever way you have been judging that), then it might be more evidence that you're not eating enough complex carbs as part of your food plan. So, I encourage you to take the approach you stated above. :yes:

Jay

My blood sugar descriptions are highly unscientific. I don't have a physician and I don't know the state of my blood sugar at all. :\

All I know is that I've fainted twice, and when I was heavier I'd get clammy, sweaty, dizzy, and this sensation of "pop rocks" in my brain if I didn't eat enough or if I ate aspartame, fruit, carrots, etc...it made dieting hard at my highest weight, because I'd nearly collapse if I ate some raspberries alone. It took time to learn what I could eat with what and when.

Luckily those symptoms are 90% gone. Aspartame is still horrible for me and I avoid it at all costs.

I definitely don't make grains a priority. I eat tons of vegetables and protein but I haven't quite figured out how to get grains in aside from cereal and still lose weight.

Originally Posted by wabrouq:
Maybe you should all (at the office) agree to choose a healthier snack/reward for the kids? I'm sure they don't need all that candy either. Stickers might be a better option?? Just a thought.

It's not really my place to suggest, I work for the adult side of the program and I don't have much say regarding the juveniles. Ya, candy is a weird reward for teenagers.

Originally Posted by sontaikle:
I know the temptation, trust me. Except I'm not working right now (I'm a teacher) but I have it at home! Candy and snacks everywhere!

I do what some other posters have said and just drink water when I'm tempted, but that doesn't always get rid of the craving for some CHOCOLATE. This is why I love, love love Fiber One bars. They taste pretty awesome and they have nowhere near the calories of actual chocolate bars. I usually eat them if I have a long wait in between meals or something of that nature (as they're really awesome at filling me up) but sometimes I just get that chocolate craving.

They're very good, I was eating them at the start of my diet but tapered off.

Originally Posted by kaplods:
You don't yet understand the best way to keep IR in check. You're following a cycle that seems to work, only because you haven't yet found what works better.

I do understand. Couldn't have lost the 93 lbs if I didn't, because when I didn't understand, I didn't lose weight.

Let me be clear: the candy bar thing was NOT self-medicating the blood sugar (I definitely used to!), it wasn't filling a craving for chocolate (I handle those much more intelligently than Kit Kats), it was boredom/stress eating compounded by not packing enough calories in my work lunch bag. I was only mildly hungry, not ravenous, and a cheese stick would have been enough, if I'd packed it. Now the problem was, I took my brain out of the game, so to speak, and had the audacity to think a candy bar was something I could eat. Really stupid thinking. I did it 3 times in a course of two weeks, and it was my first relapse to unhealthy food in 18 months. Haven't done it since I posted this thread, and I feel confident now I've given myself enough of reality check I won't be doing it again.

I struggle to find the right foods sometimes, mostly struggle to keep my menus practical, but that's just how it goes with a long term change in eating. I know a decent amount about foods and their impact on the body. The 18 months were spent pouring over information regarding diet/exercise, because I was and am dedicated to getting the monkey off my back. I wanted to know exactly what would make me feel better and lose weight, and what wouldn't. I have learned so much, I plan to continue my education to include a certificate in nutrition when I become a licensed counselor.

I eat 6-8 times per day. Protein out the wazoo, my hair grows ridiculously fast, though it falls out for reasons I cannot exactly pin down (could be PCOS, the pill, the weight loss, stress, something else). I eat 1500-1800 calories per day.

My problems are:
I eat more after work than during because I get overwhelmed packing what looks like a flatbed truck of food for work.
I eat too many calories some days. The 1800 is too much.
I don't exercise as regularly as I should.

Those are my downfalls, and I know them well and focus on them. Otherwise, I'm doing ok.

Originally Posted by kaplods:
I know you don't have medical insurance, but you really need to see a doctor, and ideally a diabetes and insulin resistance diet educator or dietitian. I'd recommend that you contact your local health department, planned parenthood, charity clinic, walk-in clinics, department on aging and disability resources, WIC (even if you're not eligible for some of these services, the people who work at these places be aware of resources), local hospital social services, or start calling doctors to see if they will do payment plans or cash discounts (many will give a huge discount for paying in cash, so you could save for the appointment).

I receive pap tests from my health department and know of the options available. The problem with finding a doctor who lets me pay cash with no insurance is, I don't have cash to pay, or I'd buy insurance. Right now, I'm a grad student, and it is what it is. Not in a financial place to receive medical attention.

Originally Posted by kaplods:
Metformin did wonders in stabilizing my blood sugar. My doctor said that it might help me lose weight, and it may have a little bit. The biggest difference was in preventing the blood sugar nose-dives that made me feel like I had to self-medicate with fatty, high-carb foods. You still have to be careful of food choices, but it helps prevent the drastic highs and lows.

Like I said, I don't have blood sugar issues nearly as bad as I did then, luckily. The symptoms are pretty much entirely gone. I must have really misrepresented myself in this thread :dizzy:

As long as I eat regularly, I'm fine. The weight loss saved my life, I swear. When I took Metformin, it really made my blood sugar low on a consistent basis. My doctor at the time admitted it wasn't her best decision to prescribe it to me, as high blood sugar wasn't my issue to begin with.

I appreciate the support and the time you took to lay that information out. I'm glad to have learned it already, and to be on the "other side" so to speak. I'm still learning, I'm still experimenting, I think blood work and profession intervention would really help me to formulate an even better diet, but until I land a good job that recognizes my need for medical help, it's out of the question.