{"id":48660,"date":"2018-03-01T09:34:39","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T14:34:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=48660"},"modified":"2018-03-01T09:34:39","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T14:34:39","slug":"how-to-stop-over-eating-and-over-treating-low-blood-sugars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=48660","title":{"rendered":"How To Stop Over-Eating and Over-Treating Low Blood Sugars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever have one of those low blood sugars where you stumble from your bed and consume the contents of your fridge?\u00a0 You know the lows I\u2019m talking about\u2026 the ones where the logical portion of your brain knows that a few grams of quick-acting carbs will fix the problem, but the rest of your brain is in panic mode and wants to dive straight into a vat of Golden Grahams.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Having the wherewithal to only consume the carbs I need<\/strong> in order to treat a low blood sugar has always been a struggle for me.\u00a0 Sometimes my low blood sugars come with a heavy-handed dose of adrenaline, making me feel like the only way to survive is to chomp on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chasing it with a handful of jellybeans.\u00a0 It\u2019s a horrible, panic-infused experience, often ending up in out-of-range blood sugars as a result of over treating, which also comes with its own side of guilt.<\/p>\n

We talked with some A Sweet Life readers<\/a> and they also feel the intense need to shovel food during episodes of hypoglycemia (and hyperglycemia).\u00a0 \u201cWhen I’m low I sometimes have these ridiculous cravings. I usually want to just eat everything in sight,\u201d wrote one reader.\u00a0 \u201cI feel like I am starving to death and could eat everything in the house,\u201d said another.\u00a0 Seems like I\u2019m not alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How do we curb our body\u2019s enthusiasm about overeating when we\u2019re experiencing a low blood sugar?\u00a0 We have a few ideas.\u00a0 (And if you have your own tips and strategies for managing the urge to overeat and over-treat during a low, we\u2019d love to hear them!)<\/p>\n

Portion control.<\/strong>\u00a0 Keep a stash of treatments for low blood sugar that are pre-measured and single-portioned.\u00a0 For example, keeping 15 grams worth of raisins or glucose tabs in a Ziploc bag on your bedside table is a good way to have hypo treatments at the ready without the option of over-indulging.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t pick your favorites.<\/strong>\u00a0 When choosing your glucose sources, steer clear of your favorite treats. Swedish Fish are quick-acting glucose sources in a pinch, but they are my favorite candy indulgences, so I refuse to purchase them to treat lows.\u00a0 Instead, I\u2019ll pick glucose tabs or raisins, knowing I won\u2019t ever want to eat those things unless I\u2019m hypoglycemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Keep it convenient.<\/strong>\u00a0 Arming your bedside table, kitchen counter, office desk, or other areas you frequent with pre-portioned low blood sugar treatments can also help keep you from over-eating during a low.\u00a0 Keeping your glucose stash close at hand can prevent you from venturing into the kitchen, where you\u2019re more likely to start panic-grazing.<\/p>\n

Graze responsibly.<\/strong>\u00a0 If you know you\u2019re the type of person who needs to crunch on something in order to work through hypoglycemic panic, have snacks on hand that you can eat while waiting for your fast-acting snack to work.\u00a0 Keep carrot sticks or cucumber slices on hand so you can continue to munch without compromising your attempt to responsibly treat a low.<\/p>\n

Set a timer.<\/strong>\u00a0 Hearing a clinician say, \u201cEat 15 grams of carbs and wait 15 minutes\u201d when your blood sugar is in the trenches can be so frustrating because it\u2019s hard to wait those 15 minutes without climbing the walls.\u00a0 Even when you\u2019re doing your best to wait fifteen minutes, time feels like it slows to a crawl.\u00a0 Use technology to your advantage and set a timer on your phone to help you wait out the dreaded 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

Distract yourself.<\/strong>\u00a0 Waiting out a gross-feeling low blood sugar?\u00a0 Try and distract yourself.\u00a0 Listen to a song on the radio.\u00a0 Doodle on a scrap of paper.\u00a0 Pick up some yarn and crochet up a scarf (yeah, I\u2019ve been known to actually do that<\/a>).\u00a0\u00a0 I know a guy who keeps crayons at work and he colors in a coloring book while low.\u00a0 (He says he\u2019s outside the lines most of the time, but whatever works, right?)<\/p>\n

While some of these tips might work for you, I know it can be hard to be reasonable and rationale during a low blood sugar.\u00a0 (We all have those lows where we\u2019ve had to bolus mid-way through because of mass consumption, right?\u00a0 No?\u00a0 Just me?)\u00a0 If you find that you\u2019ve over-treated a low, don\u2019t add guilt to that high blood sugar.\u00a0 Do what you can to correct it quickly and move on.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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