Losing weight with hypoglycemia??

kenderkc

I don't know if this has been brought up before. Honetly, I don't feel like wading through the backlog to check. Does anyone here have advice/suggestions for eating less and eating healthier for people with hypoglycemia? I eat fairly normal because when I stick to mostly veggies and lean protien it seems like I have a blood sugar episode daily. I do moderate to intense cardio regularly and notice that I can't make it through a workout if I don't eat immediately before I start and immediately after. And it has to be food. If I just eat an apple or a banana or something like that my stomach is growling again in minutes. Literally. Yogurt, smoothies, fruit, crackers, etc. None of that seems to be substantial enough to get me by. I am so frustrated. I feel like I have to eat ALL THE TIME and it sucks! I am just looking for any ideas or advice from anyone who may be in a similar situation. PS- I go to the doctor about once every eight years so I'm not going to make an appointment just to ask for advice. I HATE doctors.

AlabasterVerve

Don't eat lean anything and limit highly processed foods as much as possible. Go for full fat everything and fatty cuts of meat. I used to not be able to go more than a couple hours without eating or I'd feel sick and shaky but now I can comfortably skip meals so it might be worth a try... if eating fat doesn't freak you out.

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

ahviendha

oh man girl i am with you. i also have it.

some things which have really, really helped me are :

cut down on sugar!!! sugar crashes me really hard and gives me a headache. if i eat that donut i have to prepare for the consequences.

pack protein with everything. i eat greek yogurt, with ground flaxseed and fruit. i don't eat just bread, i put almond butter on it. i don't eat just a salad, i have olive oil and avocados for fat which fills me up.

less caffeine, makes me jittery and hungry.

i just eat a lot. often, and a lot. nuts are always at my desk for when i feel the shakes coming on.

girlinahat

if your stomach is growling when you give it food, that's because your stomach is not getting what it wants - and what it wants is more substantial..

eat more protein and healthy fats, and have some carbs too. It's what your body wants.

Ge0rgiana

Opening your diary would be helpful.

BL_Coleman

I am also hypoglycemic. Foods that help me and won't breakt the calorie count...
1. Peanut butter crackers about 200
2. Steak - 100-200 depending on the cut
3. apples or celery with peanut butter

Also one of the small 80 calorie gatorades is nice when i am doing a lot of cardio it makes me feel better and you only need 8 min more of a workout to cancel it out.

T1mH

If your diagnosed with hypoglycemia it seems like you should visit a doctor more often than every 8 years. If you don't like doctors how about consulting with a nutritionist?

MommaKit79

I dont seem to have an issue with tummy growling but, i understand the low sugar issue.

Limit, Limit, Limit your daily sugar intake...even when it comes to fruit or juice!

I used to have DAILY sugar drops, even directly after I ate. BUt, once I started going low sugar to NO sugar, it helped a LOT!! I havent had any "issues" with my sugar, unless I forget to eat. I try to increase my protein and make sure I get plenty of water in!! Carbs are tricky as well so watch out for them. I try to eat every 3 hours, if possible!

I dont quite agree with the FULL FAT or LOADED FAT comment but...to each their own.

cmoreno65

Good topic! I also have this problem. :-)

Erica262

I'm hypoglycemic as well and had a few scary fainting episodes before getting diagnosed. Ironically, I had virtually no symptoms before I started endurance running. Increasing my protein and fat intake helped. Not necessarily low-carb diet, but choosing the right carbs helped. Crappy processed food (especially carbs) and too much sugar will almost always cause a sugar crash later. I do 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. (You can set this up by doing the custom goals setting on MFP.) I always make sure I have a sports drink or juice (orange or grape) handy after work outs in case I get a bad blood sugar drop, though I rarely have them anymore. And I try to make sure to have a protein-packed snack or meal after a hard workout, like Greek yogurt or something. You can check out my diary and friend me if you want.

cmoreno65

That's great that you have lost weight with the hypoglycemia. Could you post a sample day or two of your food intake?

I can't get this to reply to the right person, so let it apply to anyone that has been successful... :-)

domgirl85

I'd suggest going to see a doctor. Every 8 years? So much can change with your body in just a year. You might have some other issue. If you're that adamant about not seeing a doctor, try researching it. It's pretty easy to find (credible) information searching google. Just read as many articles as you can. Many will overlap, others will be totally off the wall making it easier to tell which ones are actually credible and which aren't. People here may have or not have some other reason for why they are on a particular food plan so it might not for you. I say this (and I'm purposely being vague) because I also have two iron deficiencies I have to stay on top of.

With all that said, I don't test hypoglycemic but my blood sugar does trend low. I'm not sure what your sugar episodes are. Does your blood sugar drop to where you're extremely tired or does it suddenly shoot up. For me, I do a good job with keep my blood sugar normal by having some sugar, usually in the form of fruit and yogurt. I believe whole grain has small amounts of sugar as well. All of those have healthy amounts of sugar that your body can use without being in excess. I do have dessert too but I usually keep the sizes small. As far as other foods, having a good balance of fiber, protein, carbs, and healthy fats also helps. The easiest way to get a good balance is to watch portion size (usually you can just eat the correct serving size) and reduce/eliminate processed food as much as you can.

But I recommend spending some time reading up on it on your own. You'll gain better knowledge that way through what foods are best. Then you'll be able to branch out on your own as far as variety within your meals.

bandswife

I have hypoglycemia and am fighting the same battle. Actually I've been fighting the battle for YEARS. Its a continuous trial and error. I have found that drinking a glycerna has helped immensely before a work out and coming off of a fast. If you get the snack its only a 140 calories and its a balence of protein and carbs all by itself. I have also found that yes I am eating all the time too. It isn't pleasant but if you just "snack" is isn't so bad. I'll do something like peanuts and a fruit juice in the afternoon. or for my 10 am break snack I'll have a mini bagel and peanut butter. If I don't start and end my day off right I'm screwed. I am a mother of 4 and often hit the morning running. This is why I started with Glucerna for a quick fix within 30 min of my getting up and my evening snack about 7ish ( I go to bed about 10 ish) is a solid protein ( ie. turkey, greek yogurt, etc...) and a complex carb ( mini bagel, oatmeal, rolls from dinner.) No straight sugar or sugar substitutes these will cause me to crash in the middle of the night or early morning. I save my sugar subititues, and fruits for the middle of the afternoon. Its a pain and I don't have it down or even close to licked. But someday this side of heaven.'

Great breakfasts with complex carbs and protein.
mini bagel and peanut butter, greek yogurt and granola, Special K with milk in the ceral and as a glass of milk, Hard Boiled Egg and mini bagel, Hard boiled egg and Oatmeal,

Lunches: I like to buy the premade meals such as Healthy choice, or Lean Cuisine.

Blessings.

bandswife

kenderkc

I have read on it some and will continue with the reading. I am not sure how to open my diary...Didn't realize it was closed. Sorry.

RLehotsky

Protein drinks after the workout is great and will help build muscle. As I am also hypoglicimic.

BeagleHQ

I am hypoglycemic as well and learning how to manage it. The main thing for me, something I struggle with, is NO sugar and NO simple carbs. At all. If I have it, I am sorry - it causes my body to launch into a severe insulin dump and I feel awful. Nuts, nut butters and whole grains have become my best buds. Oh, and apples. I have to eat every 2-3 hours or I get sick.