Re: Diabetic IE

[Guest guest]

Hello Everyone, I am new to the group and i wanted to introduce myself, my name is Jenna and 2010 I decided to give up dieting, stop weighing myself and stop being miserable. I was in a place where it got so bad I was thinking suicidal thoughts... I was in a very sick sick place. I could not stay "thin" no matter how hard I tried, was unwilling to become obsessive compulsive about food, but at the same time I could just not love and accept my body as I am. I have been on the heavy side my whole life, started gaining weight at 7ish was as large as a size 20 and as small (for like 10 minutes) and fluctuate as a 12 but mostly 14. My self loathing came from a life of being terribly, terribly teased as a child (that would not happen noawadays to that extent) but the scars are

deep.So last year I stopped weighing myself (not even at the Docs I wont let them either after my doc last year who is not thin had a talk about losing weight.. F U no really, doc). I stopped the insanity of countnig calories. Because really my diet is very healthy. I am a vegetarian and I eat mainly whole grains and a lot of veggies and fruits. I dont even like sweets all that much. So in order for me to lose any weight I had to maintain a diet of 1200kcal a day. The turning point I think was when I was at a museum and saw this book: Rethinking Thin. I bought it and it changed my life.So now I blog at a fat acceptance site (shameless plug ha www.axisoffat.com) but my whole bent is body acceptance and body diversity. We are all so different and that is beautiful, really. Since then my psychology has never, ever been this good about my body. I am learning to really listen to my

body through IE... and it works which is crazy! I find I dont want things I used to eat cause I am not feeling horrible, guilty, sinful, I have dislocated eating from morality and listen to my stomach... things are so much better! I know that I will probably be a size 14 for life and for the first time I have come to totally accept it and who I am. Its a great place to be. I do struggle sometimes but I have gotten so much better than what I was. thanks for listening and I look forward to your collective wisdom,JennaTo: IntuitiveEating_Support Sent: Thu, January 27, 2011 5:25:46 PMSubject: Diabetic IE

Hi everyone!

I haven't posted in a long, long time, like many months. I was recently, (in October) diagnosed with diabetes, and I want to share my experience, in case it's helpful to anyone.

I started practicing IE in the fall of 2006. I got pregnant very quickly after that, and gained a lot of weight, like 50 pounds of body weight during my pregnancy. I was very disappointed with this, and started trying to manipulate and tinker in my eating after my son was born. I ended up only gaining more weight before finally seeing the light. I gave up on manipulating my eating forever, in May of 2009. My weight has been remarkably stable since then. I actually have no idea what my weight is, since I stopped weighing at that time. (I turn my back as my doctor's office weighs me). At that time I put my focus on my self-esteem issues, my body perfectionism, and body acceptance (with a bigger focus on a step further into body adoration). My life has changed dramatically since then. I have grown so much in my love of self and in my spiritual life since then. When I took my focus off superficial judgments, I could finally see.

After I stopped nursing my son (I nursed him 2 years), I became more and more averse to carbs. I should give a little more history here. I had gestational diabetes in my first pregnancy, and was quite thin. I had it again in my second pregnancy, while doing IE and had a VERY different experience. In my first pregnancy I craved carbs constantly and was always hungry. In my second pregnancy I can count on 1 hand the number of times I had something sweet my entire pregnancy. The thought of even having a sandwich (the bread) made me sick at my stomach. Doing IE made me much more aware of my cravings.

My comittment to total peace and freedom with eating and food has been great, but there has been a downside. I was so averse to the idea of any control of my food, I didn't want to face the obvious signs of blood sugar metabolism problems. I had become extremely averse to carbs (except right at the end when I finally got diagnosed, I was wicked craving carbs, which my doc says is normal once your blood sugar hits a certain threshold). I was urinating all the time to the point I had big problems with incontinence which has since vanished. I was dizzy after eating. I didn't feel well or satisfied after I ate, no matter what I ate.

So finally I decided to face facts and got tested. My blood sugar was crazy high by this time, like 250-350. It has taken a couple months and some meds to square me, (actos plus met, and basal insulin once a day), but my blood sugar has been really great the past couple of weeks.

If anyone has, or suspects they have blood sugar metabolism problems, I cannot highly enough recommend the book BLOOD SUGAR 101. It explains how important it is to get diagnosed as early as possible, as high blood sugars actually destroy the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin, making your problem way worse than it could have been.

One important lesson I've learned in the book is that there is plenty of evidence that high blood sugars cause weight gain, rather than the reverse. Researchers studied and compared thin people with and without family members with diabetes. The thin people with diabetic family members already had insulin resistance. As your cells become insulin resistance, your fat cells aren't nearly as resistance as your muscle cells. This is particularly true of visceral (belly) fat cells. So your muscle cells become resistant, there's extra glucose floating around, your fat cells suck it up, and lo and behold, you gain weight, particularly belly weight.

This made me wonder about the correlation between dieting history and diabetes. Dieting history is correlated to higher weights, particularly belly fat, right? Is insulin resistance the mechanism by which our bodies achieve weight gain extra weight after the "famine" of dieting? Do the ancestors of those of us with a high genetic history of diabetes hail from areas where famine was frequent, and where higher weights during times of feast, protected them from times of famine?

I diverge. The point is, diabetes is very, very highly genetic with environmental factors, such as pollution and dieting history, and stress playing a significant role. But being fat does not cause diabetes. The book makes this case in a number of different and persuasive ways.

And back to my eating. When I was diagnosed with such huge sugar numbers it really freaked me. I committed to getting my sugar down first, and then seeing where I was at with IE, etc. I was still dedicated to not going hungry no matter what. It was really hard initially, but my sugar/carb cravings quickly disappeared again. When I went on insulin, I finally enjoyed eating again. I hadn't really enjoyed eating since I stopped nursing my son. I finally felt satisfied with my food, and my appetite went way down. I think my body could finally use the few carbs I was eating with the help of the extra insulin. So I feel grateful with each daily injection I give.

Now I must say, I'm very happy with the food I eat. Happier than before I was diagnosed. I feel very satisfied. I have much more energy and strength, and I just feel so much healthier. And when I need to eat something off plan, I give myself permission. I know I'd end up binging on it eventually, if I didn't. I'm considering asking my doctor for a fast-acting insulin for those moments when I go off plan, just to really square my health long-term. But I'm mostly happy and very satisfied with a diet of 15-20 grams of carbs per meal.

If you're diabetic, or if you're close to anyone who's diabetic, I can't highly enough recommend Dana Carpender's cook books. I've got her 15 minute low carb cookbook, the 500 recipe low carb cookbook, and the low carb smoothie book. These recipes are a big part of the reason I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything by eating low carb.

As far as weight, still holding steady. I actually think my weight has redistributed a bit, since bringing my sugar under control. My butt feels a tiny bit bigger, and my stomach feels a bit smaller. My doc says my weight has been more or less the same for the last 5 months. Remarkable considering I've added so many medications that are supposed to add weight (particularly insulin). I think doing IE,and naturally responding to decreasing appetite with decreased eating has been the key.

Will I ever lose weight. I don't know. Maybe now that my body is metabolizing carbs more normally, and now that my blood sugars are normalized, maybe I will. And maybe I won't. I've accepted that. And I've realized that it makes absolutely no difference to the quality of my lovely life. I still have down days of judgment, but I now realize that these moments have nothing to do with my weight, only with my love and acceptance of self. (I would also highly recommend, When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies).

Good luck,

Sara

[Guest guest]

Thank you for sharing your story, Jenna.

The fact that you say that you were very sick and near suicidal at size 14 (and now are so much happier, despite being the same size, yay!) shows clearly that we all have our pain, and it's not related to outward size, but to how we feel on the inside.

And also that losing weight is not necessarily the key to finding happiness!

Your story is inspiring. Thank you for sharing... I hope you continue to share your successes as well as your challenges.

Best,

Abby

> Hello Everyone,> > I am new to the group and i wanted to introduce myself, my name is Jenna and

> 2010 I decided to give up dieting, stop weighing myself and stop being > miserable. I was in a place where it got so bad I was thinking suicidal > thoughts... I was in a very sick sick place. I could not stay " thin " no matter

> how hard I tried, was unwilling to become obsessive compulsive about food, but > at the same time I could just not love and accept my body as I am. > > > I have been on the heavy side my whole life, started gaining weight at 7ish was

> as large as a size 20 and as small (for like 10 minutes) and fluctuate as a 12 > but mostly 14. My self loathing came from a life of being terribly, terribly > teased as a child (that would not happen noawadays to that extent) but the scars

> are deep.> > So last year I stopped weighing myself (not even at the Docs I wont let them > either after my doc last year who is not thin had a talk about losing weight.. F > U no really, doc). I stopped the insanity of countnig calories. Because really

> my diet is very healthy. I am a vegetarian and I eat mainly whole grains and a > lot of veggies and fruits. I dont even like sweets all that much. So in order > for me to lose any weight I had to maintain a diet of 1200kcal a day. The

> turning point I think was when I was at a museum and saw this book: Rethinking > Thin. I bought it and it changed my life.> > So now I blog at a fat acceptance site (shameless plug ha www.axisoffat.com) but

> my whole bent is body acceptance and body diversity. We are all so different and > that is beautiful, really. Since then my psychology has never, ever been this > good about my body. I am learning to really listen to my body through IE... and

> it works which is crazy! I find I dont want things I used to eat cause I am not > feeling horrible, guilty, sinful, I have dislocated eating from morality and > listen to my stomach... things are so much better! I know that I will probably

> be a size 14 for life and for the first time I have come to totally accept it > and who I am. Its a great place to be. I do struggle sometimes but I have gotten > so much better than what I was. >

> > thanks for listening and I look forward to your collective wisdom,> Jenna> > > > > > > ________________________________>

> To: IntuitiveEating_Support > Sent: Thu, January 27, 2011 5:25:46 PM> Subject: Diabetic IE

>

> > Hi everyone!> > I haven't posted in a long, long time, like many months. I was recently, (in > October) diagnosed with diabetes, and I want to share my experience, in case > it's helpful to anyone.

> > > I started practicing IE in the fall of 2006. I got pregnant very quickly after > that, and gained a lot of weight, like 50 pounds of body weight during my > pregnancy. I was very disappointed with this, and started trying to manipulate

> and tinker in my eating after my son was born. I ended up only gaining more > weight before finally seeing the light. I gave up on manipulating my eating > forever, in May of 2009. My weight has been remarkably stable since then. I

> actually have no idea what my weight is, since I stopped weighing at that time. > (I turn my back as my doctor's office weighs me). At that time I put my focus > on my self-esteem issues, my body perfectionism, and body acceptance (with a

> bigger focus on a step further into body adoration). My life has changed > dramatically since then. I have grown so much in my love of self and in my > spiritual life since then. When I took my focus off superficial judgments, I

> could finally see. > > > After I stopped nursing my son (I nursed him 2 years), I became more and more > averse to carbs. I should give a little more history here. I had gestational

> diabetes in my first pregnancy, and was quite thin. I had it again in my second > pregnancy, while doing IE and had a VERY different experience. In my first > pregnancy I craved carbs constantly and was always hungry. In my second

> pregnancy I can count on 1 hand the number of times I had something sweet my > entire pregnancy. The thought of even having a sandwich (the bread) made me > sick at my stomach. Doing IE made me much more aware of my cravings.

> > > My comittment to total peace and freedom with eating and food has been great, > but there has been a downside. I was so averse to the idea of any control of my > food, I didn't want to face the obvious signs of blood sugar metabolism

> problems. I had become extremely averse to carbs (except right at the end when > I finally got diagnosed, I was wicked craving carbs, which my doc says is normal > once your blood sugar hits a certain threshold). I was urinating all the time

> to the point I had big problems with incontinence which has since vanished. I > was dizzy after eating. I didn't feel well or satisfied after I ate, no matter > what I ate.> > So finally I decided to face facts and got tested. My blood sugar was crazy

> high by this time, like 250-350. It has taken a couple months and some meds to > square me, (actos plus met, and basal insulin once a day), but my blood sugar > has been really great the past couple of weeks.

> > > If anyone has, or suspects they have blood sugar metabolism problems, I cannot > highly enough recommend the book BLOOD SUGAR 101. It explains how important it > is to get diagnosed as early as possible, as high blood sugars actually destroy

> the cells in your pancreas that produce insulin, making your problem way worse > than it could have been.> > One important lesson I've learned in the book is that there is plenty of > evidence that high blood sugars cause weight gain, rather than the reverse.

> Researchers studied and compared thin people with and without family members > with diabetes. The thin people with diabetic family members already had insulin > resistance. As your cells become insulin resistance, your fat cells aren't

> nearly as resistance as your muscle cells. This is particularly true of > visceral (belly) fat cells. So your muscle cells become resistant, there's > extra glucose floating around, your fat cells suck it up, and lo and behold, you

> gain weight, particularly belly weight. > > > This made me wonder about the correlation between dieting history and diabetes. > Dieting history is correlated to higher weights, particularly belly fat, right?

> Is insulin resistance the mechanism by which our bodies achieve weight gain > extra weight after the " famine " of dieting? Do the ancestors of those of us > with a high genetic history of diabetes hail from areas where famine was

> frequent, and where higher weights during times of feast, protected them from > times of famine? > > > I diverge. The point is, diabetes is very, very highly genetic with > environmental factors, such as pollution and dieting history, and stress playing

> a significant role. But being fat does not cause diabetes. The book makes this > case in a number of different and persuasive ways. > > > And back to my eating. When I was diagnosed with such huge sugar numbers it

> really freaked me. I committed to getting my sugar down first, and then seeing > where I was at with IE, etc. I was still dedicated to not going hungry no > matter what. It was really hard initially, but my sugar/carb cravings quickly

> disappeared again. When I went on insulin, I finally enjoyed eating again. I > hadn't really enjoyed eating since I stopped nursing my son. I finally felt > satisfied with my food, and my appetite went way down. I think my body could

> finally use the few carbs I was eating with the help of the extra insulin. So I > feel grateful with each daily injection I give. > > > Now I must say, I'm very happy with the food I eat. Happier than before I was

> diagnosed. I feel very satisfied. I have much more energy and strength, and I > just feel so much healthier. And when I need to eat something off plan, I give > myself permission. I know I'd end up binging on it eventually, if I didn't.

> I'm considering asking my doctor for a fast-acting insulin for those moments > when I go off plan, just to really square my health long-term. But I'm mostly > happy and very satisfied with a diet of 15-20 grams of carbs per meal.

> > > If you're diabetic, or if you're close to anyone who's diabetic, I can't highly > enough recommend Dana Carpender's cook books. I've got her 15 minute low carb > cookbook, the 500 recipe low carb cookbook, and the low carb smoothie book.

> These recipes are a big part of the reason I don't feel like I'm missing out on > anything by eating low carb. > > > As far as weight, still holding steady. I actually think my weight has

> redistributed a bit, since bringing my sugar under control. My butt feels a > tiny bit bigger, and my stomach feels a bit smaller. My doc says my weight has > been more or less the same for the last 5 months. Remarkable considering I've

> added so many medications that are supposed to add weight (particularly > insulin). I think doing IE,and naturally responding to decreasing appetite with > decreased eating has been the key.>

> Will I ever lose weight. I don't know. Maybe now that my body is metabolizing > carbs more normally, and now that my blood sugars are normalized, maybe I will. > And maybe I won't. I've accepted that. And I've realized that it makes

> absolutely no difference to the quality of my lovely life. I still have down > days of judgment, but I now realize that these moments have nothing to do with > my weight, only with my love and acceptance of self. (I would also highly

> recommend, When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies). > > > Good luck,> Sara> > > > > >