So apparently I am Hypoglycemic!

JauntyBigHat

Hello!

I'm not quite sure how I should go about putting this post together but I'll try to keep it as short and to the point as I can. I think I should start with a little background on myself.

For the last few years I have been working very hard on losing weight and in general getting into shape. I stopped eating tons and tons of food, made better and cleaner choices in what food I DO eat, and started going to the gym 2 and eventually 3 times a week. For cardio I started biking in place of running because even though I really wanted to, I just couldn't get into running as much as biking. I have made an enormous amount of progress sense I first started. Last summer I biked a total of about 240 miles.

Everything has been going well until this summer. I've never been able to handle going a long time with out eating. Even when I was a kid I would sometimes get moody and tired if I hadn't eaten in a long time. But that's as far as the symptoms went as far as I can remember. It sounds kind of dumb now but I never really gave it much thought. Over this past summer, though, things started to get worse. If I went more than about 3 or 4 house without eating then I would get very tired and shaky. So I started eating all of the time. And pretty quickly my diet turned to crap. It took me a quit a while to see a doctor (I have very little money) and in that time I gained a lot of weight back.

Now I've finally gotten to the doctors and have been diagnosed with Hypoglycemia. I have gotten a little more familiar with how to manage myself better but I'm still pretty new to this wonderful new world I now live in. I am currently trying to clean up my diet again but I'm having a hard time finding the motivation. It's much easier for me to do this when I'm also going to the gym and doing cardio.

Now my question!

I really want to get back on track. I feel very frustrated with the weight that i gained back after making so many changes in my life and working so hard and for so long to take it off. But I'm not very confident on how to safely go about it. The last thing I want to do is pass out on my bike or at the gym. What foods would be best to eat before working out? If I need to take a break during cardio or lifting, what would be the best thing to eat? Should I call it a day after that, or if I feel up to it should I finish? And what about on a day to day basis? What kinds of things should I eat in between the main meals of the day?

Druhim

I'm diabetic (managing it well) which is different from your situation, but since we both have problems with blood glucose my first question would be, have you consulted with a licensed dietitian yet? Because this is really something you should be discussing with a professional. And I don't just mean the doctor that made the diagnosis but someone that specializes in this such as a nutritionist (again, licensed not just some dude who's a personal trainer at a local gym) or an endocrinologist. My apologies if you have already, but it looks like you're asking really basic questions that would best be addressed by a professional.

Fuzzy Cumulonimbus Cloud

Hypoglycemia suuuucks and I have it too! YAY FOR THAT. I always keep some beef jerky around because protein gives you a decent glycemic spike over time without boosting it too fast and then it dropping again (like eating a candy bar or something). Peanut Butter on a piece of bread will also do well for a decent snack when you are getting the low blood sugar shakes.

JauntyBigHat

Druhim: I haven't talked to anyone other than my doctor. I didn't think this would be serious enough to consider talking to someone else that's going to charge me money.. I wonder if my health insurance would cover something like a dietitian? I'll have to call them up and find out.

Darkewolfe

You might want to call your doctor instead of your insurance. Your doctor may know a way to refer you to a dietician in a way that your insurance would cover.

Druhim

JauntyBigHat wrote: »

Druhim: I haven't talked to anyone other than my doctor. I didn't think this would be serious enough to consider talking to someone else that's going to charge me money.. I wonder if my health insurance would cover something like a dietitian? I'll have to call them up and find out.

Yeah, check with your insurance. Don't count on your doctor because in the end, it's your insurance that has the final say and your doctor saying, "well I was sure that was covered" ain't gonna mean much when you're looking at a bill that your carrier is paying at a reduced rate or not at all. And the reason you want to talk to a medical professional about how you should be eating is precisely because you don't want this to become a bigger deal. It's about managing it well so you reduce the risk of later complications.

JauntyBigHat

Alright, Cool. I'll check with my insurance and then go from there.

Thanks guys

Druhim

Let us know how it goes.

SwashbucklerXX

In the meantime, I'll add cottage cheese and natural yoghurt (i.e. not the stuff with all the artificial sweeteners and crap) to the list of foods that help without being totally crappy for you. (I have mild hypoglycemia myself.) Also peanut butter on celery if you want to avoid bread.