Hypoglycemia and losing weight

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I have a really big problem with my eating, and it's because of this that I am struggling to lose weight. I have reactive hypoglycemia, so I went to a dietician, who gave me a eating plan, everything was whole wheat, the whole wheat helps to stabilize it. Then because of the whole wheat I became very sick, the whole wheat wasn't good for my tummy. So the dietician put me back on white bread white pasta etc. So now I have to eat every 2 - 3 hours. And I don't like meat at all. I will only eat fish or sometimes chicken. So the problem is that I'm not always sure what to eat that will stabilize the hypoglycemia, and that will not upset my tummy, and will also help me to lose weight and have a healthy diet. Can anyone help me with this?

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  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    I have a really big problem with my eating, and it's because of this that I am struggling to lose weight. I have reactive hypoglycemia, so I went to a dietician, who gave me a eating plan, everything was whole wheat, the whole wheat helps to stabilize it. Then because of the whole wheat I became very sick, the whole wheat wasn't good for my tummy. So the dietician put me back on white bread white pasta etc. So now I have to eat every 2 - 3 hours. And I don't like meat at all. I will only eat fish or sometimes chicken. So the problem is that I'm not always sure what to eat that will stabilize the hypoglycemia, and that will not upset my tummy, and will also help me to lose weight and have a healthy diet. Can anyone help me with this?

    Your dietician is whacked.. she put you on REFINED carbohydrates - no wonder you are crashing!!!! That dietician is a whackadoodle... there, I said it.

    It would be more helpful if you would open your food diary - very hard to make suggestions where you have locked it from viewing.

    Youre definitely gonna need to be MUCH better about getting in pure proteins in.... Im not a fan of meats but with proper seasonings, rubs, herbs, spices, its much easier to 'stomach'...
  • Julie7741
    Julie7741 Posts: 93 Member
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    I struggle with reactive hypoglycemia at times as well. I have PCOS and hyperinsulinemia.

    The best thing for stabilizing blood sugar-
    limit refined carbs. Eat low GI carbs, they produce a steady stream of sugar into the blood, rather than a sudden spike. You can find lists of low GI foods online. Just search glycemic index.

    Combine carbs with protein. From what I understand, protein slows the digestion of the carbs, again resulting ina steady stream rather than a sudden spike.

    Examples:
    peanut butter with triscuit crackers or whole grain bread, cottage cheese with fruit, apple with peanut butter, greek yogurt. If you like eggs, they are great. Egg salad with bread or crackers. String cheese with fruit, veggies with hummus, etc...

    Try to combine healthy protein sources with whole grain. I know you're not a meat fan, but try maybe some sliced turkey or chicken?

    I wouldn't keep trying to go for refined carbs- they will just make the blood sugar worse.

    Just my 2cents... hope the snack ideas help.
  • ninanieuwoudt
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    Thank you so much for the ideas. Sorry I'm very new at this, only started today :blushing: . I opened my food diary for viewing. The only thing with whole grain is that I get really bad stomach aches when I eat whole grain food. However I will try to get more protein in my diet. :heart:
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
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    How much whole grain were you eating? A serving size is pretty small- 1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup pasta, etc. If you suddenly start adding a lot of whole grain and it's high fiber, that will lead to stomach aches. Mind your portion sizes on this stuff and go with 1 serving at a time. Meanwhile, dress your carbs-wrap them in protein as mentioned earlier in the thread. Protein will help stabilize your blood sugar as well, where as refined carbs like white bread will definitely spike it. If you can't take the whole grains, skip the grains as much as you're able. Eat more vegetables instead.

    I'd also consider asking your doc for a different recommendation of dietitian. This one doesn't seem to be giving you the best advice.
  • hendinerik
    hendinerik Posts: 287 Member
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    I also need to eat frequently, and protein levels me out - my nutritionist said to pair protein and fiber. Fruit has fiber, and there are some foods like Lentils that have both! I don't know as much about vegetarian proteins but you might look into that.

    Another poster mentioned yogurt - I love mixing fat free greek yogurt with fruit and some nuts. The yogurt is supposed to have probiotics in it that may help digestion.

    I also have acid reflux and Feta cheese was on the safe list for me - I am not sure what the fat content is in it though.

    Good luck!
  • ninanieuwoudt
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    I had to eat whole grain for breakfast lunch and dinner. Im feeling much better now that Im not eating that much whole grain, but now Im back to square one with the hypoglycemia. Im always tired, always jittery.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    I struggle with reactive hypoglycemia at times as well. I have PCOS and hyperinsulinemia.

    Well hello fellow 'cyster'....
    While my ovaries are cyst-free, the hormonal levels have to be heavily medicated to remain stabilized... the Endo Im seeing has no idea what type of metabolic syndrome I have where my thyroid is in normal ranges... my insulin was so bad that I was forced to remove the entire bread/grains group... I was nearly hospitalized with induced insulin shock about 16 years ago... it was so bad and I never want to get that again!!

    So, no breads, potatoes, rice, corn, pasta, flour and a significant limitation on carrots....
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    I had to eat whole grain for breakfast lunch and dinner. Im feeling much better now that Im not eating that much whole grain, but now Im back to square one with the hypoglycemia. Im always tired, always jittery.

    Amp up the healthy proteins, fresh vegetables but avoid the heavily starchy ones...

    DONT BE AFRAID OF FAT!!!!!!!!!!!! lower carb intakes require healthy fats for proper nutritional balance. Dont go bat-crap crazy but, enjoy them so long as they are naturally occuring.
  • Crystalclear22
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    Hi! I was just searching the forums for topics related to reactive hypoglycemia, as I was recently diagnosed with this as well. I lost 18 lbs this year using MFP. I started feeling even more tired and jittery than normal, and finally saw my doctor.

    They put me with a nutritionist and in my case, she asked me to basically double my protein and fiber, cut my sugar in half, and start eating more complex carbs (and cut out the white stuff). They also said I need to lose about 12 more lbs to be at a healthy BMI (I'm 5'7 and need to get down to 164 lbs basically. I was 190 at one time. 175 now). I wasn't monitoring any of these things previously. Now that I'm watching it, I feel MUCH better in the sleepy, jittery department.

    I spent a a month concentrating on how to properly change my diet. Now I need to concentrate on losing that pesky 10 lbs. Anyone with these same issues? Please feel free to add me. It would be nice to view others' diaries to learn some new foods and exercises.

    Btw, my new best friends are: Quinoa, string cheese, cottage cheese, plain (low sugar) greek yogurt, lower sugar protein bars, eggs, turkey, Flat out wraps, lentils. Exercise-wise: I have 2 dogs and get a lot of cardio walking them and doing agility with my collie. It's a crazy good work out, if not a little nerdy. Ah well. Also, the squat machine and rowing machine. Wow, are those ever great work-outs.

    Thanks!
  • DebCowans
    DebCowans Posts: 1 Member
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    What are some PORTABLE snacks for someone with hypoglycemia who has chewing problems? My husband cannot eat nuts, granola, crunchy type foods due to his dental issues. But he has hypoglycemia so he needs snacks that he can take with him when we go for our walk, pay bills, get groceries, etc. Any suggestions? :)
  • charlottemmarks
    charlottemmarks Posts: 61 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Some great alternativees for wheat would be brown rice, wild rice, or quinoa. The latter not only has fiber, but protein, as well. One thing you should strive for is a balance between your carbs and protein... fish and chicken is fine if that's all you like. As another poster said, there are a lot of ways to prepare meat to make it more delicious (spices, stir-fry, etc.). Whatever you do, don't cut out carbs altogether - I too have reactive hypoglycemia and cutting them out makes me crash just as hard as I would if I was eating too many.

    @DebCowans What about peanut butter? Creamy is great for someone with dental issues. You could pair it with a banana, or an apple if your husband can tolerate it. They sell peanut butter in individual packets, to make transport more easy. Another option might be applesauce or yogurt, though you'd need to eat the latter quickly after leaving the house. But if you're close to home, you could definitely make a smoothie or protein shake to take with. Also, you may want to look into Larabars. They DO have nuts in them, but some varieties have the nuts pureed and only as flavor (especially the peanut butter cookie ones). Other than that, they're fairly moist.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I had reactive hypoglycaemia too. I blame insulin resistance for that. I ate carbs and insulin went up and up to handle the slightly elevated blood glucose until finally insulin was too high which caused my BG levels to plummet below where I had started. I would get the shakes, be light headed and cranky. I felt like I needed a sugar hit every couple of hours.

    Switching to a low carb high fat diet completely eliminated the problem for me. I no longer have elevated BG so there is no spike in insulin. If there is no insulin spike my BG doesn't crash. It fixed itself. :)

    My BG never went too low before, it just felt really low. When BG falls from a 9 to a 4 in one hour, it feels pretty wrong. On the other hand, now that I rely on fats for my fuel, if my BG is a 4, or even slightly lower, it is almost imperceptible because my body is relying on ketones for energy.

    It may not be a fun idea but a LCHF diet will probably help... I found the idea of a LCHF diet harder to handle than actually doing it. Once I got started and felt better, eating LcHF became easy.

    Good luck.