<span class="ev_code_BLUE">I am really having a tough time in stopping this food control I have allowed myself to get into. I am severely Agoraphobic and very seldom leave my house. I am also hypoglycemic so I have to eat smaller meals more often daily. The trouble is I can't determine if I need to eat because of low sugar or because of panic now. Both resemble the same symptoms and when I start feeling them I run for the kitchen to get something to eat. I am pretty sure there have been times that it was a panic attack that hit and not low blood sugar because once I fixed the food and sat down to eat it within seconds I was calming down and the shortness of breath and freaked out feeling had started easing up. I am very curious if anyone here has problems with this also and if so please share your feelings on this subject. I would love to hear from anyone that knows first hand what I am talkng about. I want to lose weight but at this rate, until I can get a grip on letting the food be my "security calm down" I don't see that happening anytime soon. I would love to be able to start controlling these darn panic attacks as well as stopping the food from being my crutch and being the way to calm down the panic. Thanks for reading everyone and for any imput.
God bless,
Susan</span>
Panic attacks And Letting Food Control Us
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Guest
hey Susan. I understand what u are going through. I'm not hypoglycemic, but I have a fear of not eating enough and passing out. Say if i didn't eat too much during the day like a tiny breakfast or a salad for lunch. If I have the feelings of a panic attack coming on, I'm not sure if it's that or if I didn't eat enough and I get all freaked out and start eating anything in sight cuz I'm afraid of passing out from not eating enough. I was thinking of going to a nutritionist to find out how much and what my body needs to be healthy. Maybe that will ease my worries
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Guest
i to have the same problem. i have to make sure i eat enough during the day so i dont pass out i havent passed out in years but i still panic about it expecially if i dont eat. and im gaining weight cuz i eat so much to make sure i dont pass out then my stomach hurts and my heart feels funny when i do eat its hard but if u dont think about any of it it will be okay. i kno its hard to do that cuz i can barley do it myself but we all have to stick together and get through it together
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Guest
Thank you for responding Corinna and Julia. Thats part of the reason I think I get panicked and make sure I eat something before I do anything else when I start feeling hunger pains, because I am so freaked out I will get light headeded again or worst yet pass out. This happened to our nephew just last week. He is a diabetic and was taking to much insulin. He passed out in their back yard and was luckily found by a neighbor who called the ambulance. Thank God they found him when they did. This scares the crud out of me and I sure don't want that happening to me. I am glad there are others out there that know what I am going through with this food thing, it helps to not feel so much alone with this problem. God help us all get our lives back in control, the sooner the better. 
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Guest
Hi there-
Make the commitment to eat about every 3-4 hours. And when you eat, always have some protein or fat with the carbohydrates that you have. That way, your blood sugar will rise more slowly and evenly. Do not EVER skip a meal.
This plan will help you guys to avoid the spikes and crashes of waiting until you are feeling the anxiety and then eating.
Food is just fuel for your body. It's not magic. Put the fuel in, use your body and use the fuel. You need to fill up again.
And try to stay away from sugar and food out of boxes. You will feel SO much better.
I'd say the average weight woman should have about 1500 calories per day if sedentary. If you exercise, you need more. Going to a dietician would be a great help to help you know how many calories per day to aim for and to help you make wise choices in terms of getting your nutrients in that amount of food. Or you could check out a book from the library like WeightLoss for dummies or Idiot's guide to weightloss or something like that. I know there is a simple formula to help you figure out your basal metabolic rate and then how many calories to add based on your activity level.
If you go to a gym to workout, check out their offerings in this area. Mine is great.
Make the commitment to eat about every 3-4 hours. And when you eat, always have some protein or fat with the carbohydrates that you have. That way, your blood sugar will rise more slowly and evenly. Do not EVER skip a meal.
This plan will help you guys to avoid the spikes and crashes of waiting until you are feeling the anxiety and then eating.
Food is just fuel for your body. It's not magic. Put the fuel in, use your body and use the fuel. You need to fill up again.
And try to stay away from sugar and food out of boxes. You will feel SO much better.
I'd say the average weight woman should have about 1500 calories per day if sedentary. If you exercise, you need more. Going to a dietician would be a great help to help you know how many calories per day to aim for and to help you make wise choices in terms of getting your nutrients in that amount of food. Or you could check out a book from the library like WeightLoss for dummies or Idiot's guide to weightloss or something like that. I know there is a simple formula to help you figure out your basal metabolic rate and then how many calories to add based on your activity level.
If you go to a gym to workout, check out their offerings in this area. Mine is great.
I went through a period like that where I was OBSESSED with food. I had the opposite effect though. I lost weight when I did it. I had bought a couple of books about Hypoglycemia and was trying to follow all of the instructions. At the time, I had started seeing this counselor that had told me to watch my diet. Anyway, I was afraid to eat anything with sugar in it, even fruit, which is my favorite food! I stayed away from all white flower or pasta. . .it was really hard for me.
Then I got rid of all the books and went back to eating what I wanted (still staying away from sweets) and after a few months of that I sort of "crashed" last week with a pretty bad attack much like the one I had before I started the whole diet thing about a year ago.
So. . . I think the answer lies somewhere in the middle. At one point I was even checking my blood sugar with a meter to see what foods did what and to try and tell when it was panic and when it was low sugar. However, I later found out that is not a good gauge because by the time you feel the anxiety surge, your body has already sent out the insulin to adjust your sugar. . .
Anyway I guess my point is to say yes I understand. . .and the others here are right. If you get someone to help you design a diet that works for you with the right amount of calories, then you'll know.
Right now I'm trying to recover from taking birth control pills which quickly put 14 pounds on me. . .which is weird for me because I'm normally thin.
I've been walking 30 minutes every day. . . and trying to choose my foods wisely. Less processed foods, more good proteins and less carbs. No candy and caffeine and cakes. . . I do enjoy nuts for a salty snack. I have to limit them some though because they do mess with my tummy if I eat them all day long.
My biggest problem last week was I was really having anxiety but couldnt' force myself to eat or drink anything. . .then of course as you know my blood sugar was a disaster. . . but I couldn't break out of it.
I'm praising God that I stopped that cycle. . . and now I'm back on track with my 3 meals and HEALTHY snacks.
Then I got rid of all the books and went back to eating what I wanted (still staying away from sweets) and after a few months of that I sort of "crashed" last week with a pretty bad attack much like the one I had before I started the whole diet thing about a year ago.
So. . . I think the answer lies somewhere in the middle. At one point I was even checking my blood sugar with a meter to see what foods did what and to try and tell when it was panic and when it was low sugar. However, I later found out that is not a good gauge because by the time you feel the anxiety surge, your body has already sent out the insulin to adjust your sugar. . .
Anyway I guess my point is to say yes I understand. . .and the others here are right. If you get someone to help you design a diet that works for you with the right amount of calories, then you'll know.
Right now I'm trying to recover from taking birth control pills which quickly put 14 pounds on me. . .which is weird for me because I'm normally thin.
I've been walking 30 minutes every day. . . and trying to choose my foods wisely. Less processed foods, more good proteins and less carbs. No candy and caffeine and cakes. . . I do enjoy nuts for a salty snack. I have to limit them some though because they do mess with my tummy if I eat them all day long.
My biggest problem last week was I was really having anxiety but couldnt' force myself to eat or drink anything. . .then of course as you know my blood sugar was a disaster. . . but I couldn't break out of it.
I'm praising God that I stopped that cycle. . . and now I'm back on track with my 3 meals and HEALTHY snacks.
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Guest
<span class="ev_code_BLUE">Thank you for your replies Newrunner and Faith. I have been trying to pay more attention to what I eat. I know that sugar is one of my downfalls as well as caffeine but both are very hard for me to just let go of. I quit smoking in 2006 and I tell you it was much easier putting the nasty cigarettes down than getting rid of the sugar and caffeine from my diet. 
I have not been able to stop drinking things with the sugar in it (like my sweetened iced brewed tea but have cut back on the sugar at least) and caffeine with both tea and Pepsi being at the top of the list. That is probably where I get the most sugar from though as I am not a sweet/dessert eater and rarely have it. I eat cheese and peanut butter for snacks as well as popcorn. We eat basically canned veggies and fruit because we just can't afford the fresh stuff usually. We eat hamburger and chicken mostly, rarely eating any pork or fish. I hope that all of us who are still fighting to get our lives back can soon have success stories like so many have here in the group. I just want my life to be free of this anxiety soon and that the control will go from it to me controlling it.
Thanks again everyone for your replies, I really appreciate them.
God bless,
Susan</span>
I have not been able to stop drinking things with the sugar in it (like my sweetened iced brewed tea but have cut back on the sugar at least) and caffeine with both tea and Pepsi being at the top of the list. That is probably where I get the most sugar from though as I am not a sweet/dessert eater and rarely have it. I eat cheese and peanut butter for snacks as well as popcorn. We eat basically canned veggies and fruit because we just can't afford the fresh stuff usually. We eat hamburger and chicken mostly, rarely eating any pork or fish. I hope that all of us who are still fighting to get our lives back can soon have success stories like so many have here in the group. I just want my life to be free of this anxiety soon and that the control will go from it to me controlling it.Thanks again everyone for your replies, I really appreciate them.
God bless,
Susan</span>
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Guest
Fish is really healthy for you. . . you probably know that. I don't eat it much either but I do take fish oil 3x a day. It's supposed to be really good for a lot of things, anxiety and depression being one of them.
It was really hard for me to give it up too. What I had to do at first was give it ALL up. And I had headaches and was so grouchy for awhile. But, once you get it out of your system, believe it or not you don't crave it as much.
The book I started with that gives the diet is The Low Blood Sugar Handbook by Edward and Patricia Krimmel. I even talked to Patricia once. she's so sweet.
I have to warn you though their diet is pretty extreme. You basically start out living on veggies and meat and slowly add some stuff back in until you get where you have to be. And, before bed every night you eat a little plain yogart to give your body something to work on while you sleep.
It was really hard for me to give it up too. What I had to do at first was give it ALL up. And I had headaches and was so grouchy for awhile. But, once you get it out of your system, believe it or not you don't crave it as much.
The book I started with that gives the diet is The Low Blood Sugar Handbook by Edward and Patricia Krimmel. I even talked to Patricia once. she's so sweet.
I have to warn you though their diet is pretty extreme. You basically start out living on veggies and meat and slowly add some stuff back in until you get where you have to be. And, before bed every night you eat a little plain yogart to give your body something to work on while you sleep.
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Guest
hi Susan-
Can you change from canned veggies to frozen? And if you must have canned fruit, get the kind in natural juice-- not the sugary syrup stuff. Can you stick to the fruits that are kind of staples-- like apples, bananas, pears, grapes. They often are on sale at the store. Save the others for when they are in season and then the price drops alot. And I'd say, if hamburger it is, try to get to 85% or higher leanness. How about tuna packed in water? Or eggs? I often will make scrambled eggs with a few slices of diced Canadian bacon in it, and right before I take it out I sprinkle some shredded cheese on top, put a lid on it and let the cheese melt with the burner turned off. I pair it with bagels and cream cheese. That seems to be enough protein and be filling enough for my 4 sons. Or grilled or baked chicken? And brown rice is cheap and great. As are sweet potatoes or yams.(Bake these wrapped in foil just like a regular baked tato. Don't need butter or anything, just a sprinkle of cinnamon.) Or any kind of squash for veggies. And ANY kind of beans are awesome for you. Lentils, black beans, garbanzo beans, etc. The dried ones are so cheap and all you have to spend is a little time soaking them before you cook with them. Or if you are in a hurry, use the canned ones and rinse them well before you use them. That will rinse about 1/2 of the added salt off of them.
I love all this stuff-- I feel so much better since I got my diet under control.
Hope these ideas will help someone else.
Can you change from canned veggies to frozen? And if you must have canned fruit, get the kind in natural juice-- not the sugary syrup stuff. Can you stick to the fruits that are kind of staples-- like apples, bananas, pears, grapes. They often are on sale at the store. Save the others for when they are in season and then the price drops alot. And I'd say, if hamburger it is, try to get to 85% or higher leanness. How about tuna packed in water? Or eggs? I often will make scrambled eggs with a few slices of diced Canadian bacon in it, and right before I take it out I sprinkle some shredded cheese on top, put a lid on it and let the cheese melt with the burner turned off. I pair it with bagels and cream cheese. That seems to be enough protein and be filling enough for my 4 sons. Or grilled or baked chicken? And brown rice is cheap and great. As are sweet potatoes or yams.(Bake these wrapped in foil just like a regular baked tato. Don't need butter or anything, just a sprinkle of cinnamon.) Or any kind of squash for veggies. And ANY kind of beans are awesome for you. Lentils, black beans, garbanzo beans, etc. The dried ones are so cheap and all you have to spend is a little time soaking them before you cook with them. Or if you are in a hurry, use the canned ones and rinse them well before you use them. That will rinse about 1/2 of the added salt off of them.
I love all this stuff-- I feel so much better since I got my diet under control.
Hope these ideas will help someone else.
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Guest
