I have to say, there are times when I wonder if diabetes should have it's own little section under eating disorders. Now, all joking aside, I know that there actually IS an eating disorder associated with Type 1, where usually teen to early 20-something females don't use their insulin properly, and let their blood sugars run high, because then they lose weight. Of course, it's from their body basically eating all their muscle. But, they weigh less. And do irreparable damage to their bodies. Sad, yet true.
OK, back to joking. Semi-seriously...I constantly think about food. When I wake up, I wonder if I have time to shower and get ready before I have to eat. Do I feel low? Shaky? Normal, not-ready-to-wake-up-yet shaky, or hypoglycemic shaky? Must eat breakfast, although I have never in my life been much of a breakfast person. (I LOVE breakfast food, but I like it more at dinner. Or at least brunch. Maybe it's because I've never been a morning person. Huh.) Must plan snacks, food thrown in purse, in the car, meals for the rest of the day...where can I get them? When I'm at work, it's fine, because I kind of have that down. And there are juice boxes in the fridge. Just for me. And any patients that exhibit symptoms that look very familiar to me. If I'm running errands, I have to think about whether there is somewhere to get a snack nearby or on the way. How much walking is going to be involved in my errands? If someone offers me a drink, a piece of candy, a stick of gum...I must mentally analyze it before I accept it. Even stupid, non-fun things like cough drops.
If I go to Fred Meyer or Costco, I seriously need a snack with me. I don't consider walking around there exercise, but apparently it is. Someday I will learn to check my blood sugar before I start shopping. Because I never can remember to, and I can't even count how many times I have ended up shaky and sweaty and seriously hoping I can complete my shopping without acting like a fool. I really do carry glucose tablets, but food tastes WAY better. I do use this as an excuse for really non-diabetic friendly food. You know, the stuff that is right there, nice and convenient at the checkout. Yummmm. Bad choice, but SO easy.
And one of biggest pet peeves of diabetes and food is when I eat too much, but don't accurately count my carbs and take too much insulin. So, when I check my blood glucose and it's too low to go to bed and I need a snack, and I'm not even REMOTELY hungry and HAVE TO eat or drink something. That's just a plain old waste of calories. I don't even get to enjoy it. And, on a similar note, when I am trying to lose weight and am counting calories, and have eaten all my calories and am all proud of myself...and then need to have a snack. And the snack has to be full calorie, of at least full carb...And it puts me over my calorie count for the day. That TOTALLY shouldn't count against me.
So, although I know that eating disorders are really serious, and I'm not making light of them, I just think that we should have a subcategory. For those of us whose lives literally revolve around food. And the balance of food and exercise and insulin.
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