The Central Question of Diabetes (type 2)

A letter from Uncle Pesky to me:
When we have a Dependency, or When we need to change something, or When we need some will-power.....I've been dwelling on that lately.

Re: Food. If it's around, I will usually sample. Once I start a meal, it's difficult for me to stop at the 'full' level. I love it, and I just keep on eating as long as I have some to eat.

OK, so we are programmed as "wee small chirren".It's generally accepted that we wont ever change what we are.That's what I've been dewlling on. Changing something really deep.

When I quit smoking, I quit cold Turkey.It took some time to think it out.I figured I had at least three Dependencies.The Emotional habit.The Psychological need.The Physical need.The Reach...a sort of a crossectional between Psychological need and Psychological Habit.The "Reward" feeling that calls for a smoke.The feeling that wants a smoke whenever nothing else is happening.Probably more that all that too.Those things can all be 'ignored' and a person eventually will no longer 'need' the Cigarettes.But all of those things are the surface symptoms of something deeper.

Food is different. Since we must have food everyday, we cannot ignore Food and just never touch it again, like we can Cigarettes.

So in order to beat the urge to eat, we need to reach way back into our Psyche.Somewhere back in those early days is the 'Program Bit' that calls for Food, whether we need it or not, and convinces us that we will just do it, and ignore all the warnings.Our 'evil twin' tells us it's OK.That 'evil twin' is a name we give to something we cannot understand and cannot seem to control.It's that 'thing' we cant see but it can sure reach out and control us, that I'm trying to locate.Moving away from food for a minute.Whatever this 'thing' is, it contributes to lazyness, fear, lack of interest, Depression and probably some Hyper activities as well.I tried to reach it with the 'quiet room' technique. (Pogo called it his Ponderin stump)It's amazing what that activity will help out with. But I never got far enough back in time with it.

When I got up from thinking (this happend once) I had a headache from the effort.I went to the medicine cabinet for some Asprin. When I looked in the mirror, my forhead, ears and cheeks were bright red. Flushed with blood.I guessed thinking was a lot rougher on me than I first thought it would be.
So what do you think about this, Lori?
Can we ever reach back into our early childhood and change that program bit?

A reply to Uncle Pesky:

I think you've hit on what is, in my opinion, one of the central issues of living with type 2 diabetes. I kinda call it the question of change.

Can we change? If so, what method is the best method for producing a change?

I view a diabetes diagnosis as a call to health, a call to change our habits of life to produce the greatest health we can in our physical bodies.

Part of that involves changing our eating habits: changing what foods we choose to eat and changing the amounts of food we choose to eat. There may also be some change of the timing of eating foods.

There are many people who advocate the cold turkey technique. Make a BIG change and make it at a specific time. No turning back.

There are many people who advocate the gradual implementation technique. Make several small changes at specific intervals. Give yourself time to adjust before moving on to the next necessary change.

I do think that it's possible to change that deeply programmed stuff, but I don't think it's easy. My mother's treats (mayonnaise cupcakes, thin pancakes, and waffles) will always call to me. (Oh, and the choco-nugget cookies. So good!)

I think different people use different methods to change that early childhood programming. Some call it re-parenting, where you imagine that you're your own parent, a loving, perfect, wise parent, with all of the life-lessons that the adult knows (instead of those well-meaning idiots who actually got to raise you and made all those mistakes). And you can tell your younger self some different things about eating, and satisfaction and love and worthiness.

Some might use hypnosis or subliminal techniques. Some would use adversion therapy, where you snap a rubber band on your wrist whenever you make a poor eating choice.

Something I sometimes try, especially at church picnics or giant buffets, is to take a sample or small portion of a few things I want to try. I don't heap the plate. I give myself permission to go back through the line several times, but I don't take large portions of any one thing. That's good for those of us who were taught to eat all of the food that we put on our own plate.

Other behavioral technigues might include eating more slowly. Putting the fork down on the table between bites is one example. I believe this is meant to retrain the brain-stomach connection, to let you feel when your stomach and appetite are full, rather than just continue eating automatically.

Hang in there. Keep on treating yourself well.