Diabetes Talking

Question:

Here is my philosophy for losing weight: Eat like a diabetic. This entails: 1. Eat things that it takes your body awhile to digest. 2. Eat sloooowwwwwly. 3. Eat frequent small portions.

   Well, I’m doing at least one of those, #3.  I wasn’t aware that diabetics ate slowly.  And as far as #1 goes, I assume it means eating fiber rich foods, which I am doing.  I admit I don’t know much about the dietary advice diabetics are given, but I thought that one of the main things they are told is to limit they consumption of complex carbohydrates.  I would not like to have to do this.  I’m dieting the way I am, and losing weight, with the hope that I don’t one day *have* to eat like a diabetic. — Annie 258/221/140  Standing at 5 foot 4. 37 pounds lost.  81 left to go. Started February/07/05

Response:

Here is my philosophy for losing weight: Eat like a diabetic. This entails: 1. Eat things that it takes your body awhile to digest. 2. Eat sloooowwwwwly. 3. Eat frequent small portions. Long ago I tried losing weight by eating fewer calories. I did not realize it at the time, but I was short circuiting my effort by eating quickly when I did eat. This was natural enough, because by the time I ate, I WAS STARVING. But I realize now that this would only cause me to be hungrier later. Why??? The higher up one drives one’s blood glucose levels (and therefore insulin level) the lower the blood sugar level will go as the insulin level chases it down, after it peaks. There is a lag between the levels of glucose in the interstitial fluid and in the blood stream. As a result, when the glucose level is high and the glucose level falling, perhaps 45 minutes after finishing a meal, the interstitial fluid will have a lower glucose level than the bloodstream. Before the pancreas realizes it, the isf glucose level is very low, leading the bloodstream glucose level low. Suddenly, the subject feels like he/she is starving. The glucose and fat in the blood stream has been packed away into body tissue, and little is left in the bloodstream. It has been a long time since I have dared to think about limiting calories, because those hunger experiences were so painful. Now, however, I plan to begin, and will start contributing to the eating/exercise posts, because I feel more confident that I can limit calories without having painful hunger as a result. My thought is that one should eat so slowly that the process of lypolisis????? (the process of tissue fat entering the blood stream and being burned up) never comes to a complete halt, just slowing down directly after eating (as it is well nigh impossible [unless you are on an IV drip] to consume calories at a precisely uniform rate throughout the day). That way, the nutrients in the blood stream never fall to such low concentrations that the subject feels painful hunger. Another way of thinking about it is: once that process has started, for heavens sake don’t stop it. — Glycemic

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