Diabetes and weight

[watervole]

 It's surprisingly hard to gain weight when you actually want to.

I'm down to 48.2k (go back four or five years and I was probably closer to 58k)

The loss is because my insulin doesn't work as effectively as it used to, so what I eat isn't all converted into useful energy for the body.

I'm now eating larger portions at meals, and I'm adding in snacks of nuts/cheese/fruit/other nibbles between meals, but the catch comes whenever I'm ill.

I gain gradually, then I get an asthma attack.  One steroid course, and I've lost half a kilo.

Then I catch a bug from Theo - sick one day and not eating the next - I lose weight again.

It's rather like the old analogy of a frog climbing out of a well.  As fast as I climb up, I start to slip down again...

But, at least I know what the problem is, and I'm doing what I can to improve it.  As long as I can stay well, I'll hopefully get a bit more weight and energy...

It's still important to avoid foods with a high glycemic index - if too much sugar enters the system, it gets overloaded and enters shutdown mode for a while - that causes blood sugar to spike (which is a BAD thing).  one thing I've learnt from what I'm being taught is that bananas have a high GI - best to only have half a banana, unless they are very small ones.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[feng_shui_house]

*HUGS* Bodies are difficult to manage. I wish I could magically send you some of my extra adipose.

In looking up 'banana glycemic' Google thinks *green* bananas are a low GI food, and might actually be helpful at improving sugar management. It's an interesting read.

https://www.signos.com/blog/glycemic-index-of-banana

[watervole]

Yes, ripeness is a big factor. I'm eating them less ripe than I used to, but I've no real urge to eat them green.

[feng_shui_house]

*nods* It might be healthy, but if you don't enjoy your food, what's the point? I have two bananas I've ignored while sewing & doing other tasks, but now they are black and beckoning to be made into cake... I... don't think I will resist.

[ranunculus]

I can't do fruit sugars but have been enjoying plantains. Just got a bag of plantain chips which were really yummy and apparently have no sugar. Also flax seed crackers which also have no sugars and lots and lots of nice fiber...

[watervole]

We don't see plantains over here - never even tasted one.

[ranunculus]

Plantains look like bananas and are closely related to them. Apparently originally from Southeast Asia. Instead of being sweet, like bananas they are starchy, and are likely to be used as a starch in dishes or ground into flour. They do ripen eventually (I think they must develop a little sugar then). Ripe plantains often look like really overripe bananas. I've always liked them

[igenlode]

You're probably too rural -- in the big cities there are lots of Indian/African shops with plantains and okra displayed out front for the local cuisine...

[watervole]

Not so much rural, as Dorset. We have a low immigrant population compared with most parts of the country. There's a Polish supermarket in Poole, but that's about it.

Heck, I know more Ukrainians than I do Indian/African origin people.

[watervole]

Ah, I never did like them much when black. The optimum flavour for me was bright yellow with the occasional brown spot. So, I'm just going a bit less bright - and actually discovering I like that just as much.

[feng_shui_house]

I wouldn't eat them as fruit when black- far too strong a taste-, but they make great cake and ice cream when they're at that stage.

For me, the yellow just past green is the stage I like best for eating as fruit.

[vera_j]

Well, most of other people have totally oposite problems...isn´t it annoying?
Just try to stay healthy to let your system settle - and go on. Your metabolism is rather difficult, I must say...

[lexin]

[[[hugs]]]

I’m so sorry that you’re struggling with this. You have the opposite problem to me, who has been trying to lose weight my whole life and usually failing.

[watervole]

I suspect you're probably cursed with a set of genes that have a very strong response to sweet things.