[Diabetes-Talk] Not eating enough, or eating properly

Tue Feb 16 05:57:48 UTC 2021

Terri,
I commend you for your persistence and trying so hard to eat well. I can’t imagine how hard it must be having limited knowledge of cooking. I also would be glad to chat with you by phone about some easy to prepare meals and a little basic cooking skills if you want to connect you can email me privately at

pmaddix at comcast.net
Patricia 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 15, 2021, at 8:26 PM, Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Terry,
> 
> First, yes the Society for the Blind provides instruction on nonvisual
> cooking. Right now, it might do it via Zoom or phone, but it still very much
> can do this.
> 
> Second, I love cooking but not really in the morning. I tend to eat things
> like yogurt and toast for breakfast. I also don't like eating a lot in the
> morning. I eat very light in the morning, always have. But I recommend
> finding a few breakfast options that do not require cooking or very little
> cooking.
> 
> I'm also willing to help you learn a few things. It would have to be via
> phone, but email me at bkpollpeter at gmail.com and we can set something up if
> you like.
> 
> Bridgit
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Terri
> Stimmel via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Monday, February 15, 2021 10:02 PM
> To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Terri Stimmel <icecreamlover76 at outlook.com>
> Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] Not eating enough, or eating properly
> 
> Hello everyone,
> 
> 
> I hope that you all are doing well. And are staying safe.
> 
> 
> First of all, I just want to say thank you to all of you who offer me
> advice, and encouragement. It has been so very bennificial. It has also
> really meant a lot to me. You all offer me a lot of support, and I really
> appreciate it.
> 
> 
> I am still struggling. I am really trying hard. But this is definitely
> rough! Much more than I ever thought it would be.
> 
> Who knew eating well was such a chore. I think there has always been a part
> of me that felt it was tough. But until you really commit to trying to do
> this pretty much all of the time, it doesn't really click.
> 
> 
> I am struggling to cook. I am the person who cooks for my boyfriend and I,
> most of the time. I do have an aid that comes in 3 days a week. She can do
> some cooking. But the few times we have had her make some things, it didn't
> go well. I think she just gets too distracted, too easily. So we don't
> usually ask her to do much.
> 
> 
> But with my limited experience, it's making things rather difficult. I don't
> want to cook extravigant meals. But I do want things to taste flavorful. I
> have been finding recipes that sound great. But I don't know the first thing
> about how to prepare some of these things.
> 
> 
> For example, I don't know how to mince garlic. So I bought it already made
> this way.
> 
> We have a glass top stove. Therefore, you can't physically touch the
> burners. So we bought an electric skillet. We have to get the temperature
> knobb marked. But at least now we have something we can use. 
> I am also looking into purchasing a talking meat thermometer.
> 
> 
> But I don't know anything really about baking chicken. Much less, making
> sauces, or sautaeing veggies. I feel way out of my depth here.
> 
> 
> I have tried twice now to join the cooking in the dark email list. The 
> first time I never got a response. This last time, I got a message 
> stating my email was undeliverable. So I am not quite sure what is going 
> on there.
> 
> 
> I have also considered contacting the society for the blind, out here 
> where I live, to see if I could get some help with cooking. I know that 
> they used to help with this sort of thing.
> 
> However, I don't know if they are doing this currently, due to the 
> virus. Next Monday I might give them a call, and see what they have to 
> say. I would call this week. But the weather is pretty bad right now. It 
> is pretty much supposed to be this way all week.
> 
> 
> But I feel like I am possibly not eating enough. Much less, eating what 
> is good for me. Lately, I have been skipping breakfast. I know this 
> isn't necessarily a good thing. It is also not something that my doctor 
> really wants me to do.
> 
> But a lot of the times, I just don't know what I want. I also get bored 
> with eating the same things over, and over again. So I just don't eat.
> 
> 
> I usually have lunch around noon. I've been eating a turkey and cheese 
> sandwich, and some grapes. About 15 of them. Or I will eat about 10 
> vanilla wafers. Or a sugar-free chocolate pudding cup. For my drink I 
> either have a bottle of Gold Peak, diet tea. Or a bottle of water.
> 
> My bread for my sandwich is, Sara Lee, honey weat. I have tried buying 
> something else. But it is difficult to get my boyfriend to eat a 
> different bread. If we purchase 2 different breads, then too much gets 
> thrown out.
> 
> My turkey is Land O Frost. I think it is honey smoked. It's honey 
> something. But I can't remember exactly what it is. I usually use 3, to 
> 4 slices of the turkey.
> 
> My cheese is currently a sharp cheddar I got from the deli. I just use 
> one piece.
> 
> 
> If I have a snack in the afternoon, it is usually candy. Which isn't at 
> all good. I beat myself up for this, pretty regularly. But usually in 
> the afternoons I am upstairs, as I am as I write this. So it is the most 
> simple thing to access. If I am downstairs, I have a pudding, which is 
> sugar-free. Or a peach cup. Or some grapes. This afternoon, it was a 
> fun-size bag of skittles. As well as, a fun-size bag of M&M's. Also, a 
> small bag of cheese popcorn.
> 
> 
> For dinner this evening, we had Marie Calendar, chicken potpie. I think 
> they are about fifteen ounces, if I am remembering correctly. With that, 
> I drank a glass of Mylo's zero calorie sweet tea.
> 
> 
> Then later in the evening, I unfortunately had some more candy. I had 2 
> snack-size peanut butter cups, and a mini honeybun.
> 
> 
> I do drink a good amount of water during the day. So this is at least a 
> plus. Not every day is like this, when it comes to snacking, or meals. 
> But in the last week, or 2, most of the time this is how it is. This is 
> not at all good. I know only I can change it. And I do want to make it 
> happen. I just feel crushed by it all sometimes.
> 
> 
> My boyfriend, and friends are supportive. But most of my friends aren't 
> dealing with diabetes. So in many ways they just can't relate.
> 
> My boyfriend is willing to try new things, and tries to be supportive. 
> But he also wants us to have quick, and easy things for us to fix. I can 
> understand this. But at the same time, it's not as though we have jobs, 
> or kids to raise. So in a lot of ways, we aren't hurting for time. We 
> have a good deal of time on our hands, during the day.
> 
> 
> So this is the latest. I know things need to change. My blood sugars are 
> going low at times. Although, not as low as they were just as of about 2 
> weeks ago. It has gotten better since they adjusted my Triseba. The 
> lowest it has gone lately is, 65.
> 
> However, I have been getting nasty headaches lately. They will sometimes
> start not long after I am up. There are times where they will go away on 
> their own. Other times, I can't seem to get rid of them. They don't 
> always seem to happen when my blood sugar is low. But I can't help but 
> think that they are somehow related.
> 
> 
> Any thoughts are much appreciated. Also, I just appreciate you all 
> listening.
> 
> 
> Thank you. I will keep you all posted.
> 
> 
> Terri
> 
> 
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