Gym advice for Type 1 (just joined gym)

G2ADY

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Hello,

Ok, so I've been type 1 for a couple of years. I'm 47, slightly overweight and looking to trim down.

I currently take 26 units of basal in the morning and I take 2 units of bolus for every 10g of carbs. I have some questions that hopefully some of you can answer.

1) If I intend to start slowly, i.e 45 minute sessions of mixed cardio and weights then how should I adjust my basal on that morning (I'll be doing 2/3 morning sessions each week in the gym)

2) Should I have breakfast before or after the workout and if so should I bolus for it?

3) Is there anything I should be mindful of?

Thanks in advance
Steve
 

tim2000s

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This picture is a really good one that describes the breakdown for aerobic exercise.

9d1f9b8f2229443c72e81baeff1965d8.jpg


Ultimately though, best thing to do is test and learn.

And a little advice. If you start with aerobic and finish with sprinting or other anaerobic exercise, you can reduce the risk of post exercise lows!
 
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G2ADY

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This picture is a really good one that describes the breakdown for aerobic exercise.

9d1f9b8f2229443c72e81baeff1965d8.jpg


Ultimately though, best thing to do is test and learn.

And a little advice. If you start with aerobic and finish with sprinting or other anaerobic exercise, you can reduce the risk of post exercise lows!

That's great advice Tim thank you.
 

TorqPenderloin

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My advice is that if you're looking to lose weight....spend less time on the cardio and more time on the weight lifting.

Cardio is great for overall health, but if your goal is weight loss it's not much more effective than simply eating fewer calories.

Cardio for 30 minutes or eat 300-400 fewer calories/day. That's basically the tradeoff.
 
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G2ADY

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My advice is that if you're looking to lose weight....spend less time on the cardio and more time on the weight lifting.

Cardio is great for overall health, but if your goal is weight loss it's not much more effective than simply eating fewer calories.

Cardio for 30 minutes or eat 300-400 fewer calories/day. That's basically the tradeoff.
Wow really? I was planning to spend more time on cardio and less on weights as I don't want to end up "massive" but instead lean and cut. So what split between the two would you recommend?
 

TorqPenderloin

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Wow really? I was planning to spend more time on cardio and less on weights as I don't want to end up "massive" but instead lean and cut. So what split between the two would you recommend?
That's the mistake most people make.

People devote their entire lives to looking "massive" and before that, they have to look lean and cut. I wish it were as easy as waking up one day with an extra 20 lbs of muscle.

There are a few reasons why weight lifting is so important:
1.) When you're maintaining a caloric deficit (losing weight) you want the weight loss to be primarily fat. Lifting weights will help with muscle retention.

2.) Lifting weights burns calories long after you stop working out (unlike cardio). It takes a considerable amount of energy for your body to repair itself after a heavy workout.

Oddly enough, my workouts are nearly identical whether I'm trying to gain (bulking) or trying to lose weight (cutting). My workouts are structured around targeting specific muscle groups (day1:legs, day 2: arms, day 3:back/shoulders, etc) and generally trying to do 6-8 reps per set (but never more than 10).

The other thing (and I wouldn't suggest doing this without a lot of research) I focus on is insulin intake- When I'm trying to lose weight, I try to take as little insulin as possible (of course, without jeopardizing my blood sugar levels). The only real way to do that is to low carb and moderate my protein intake.

Again, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't neglect cardio, but I wouldn't put a ton of emphasis on it if your goal is weight loss.
 
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G2ADY

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That's the mistake most people make.

People devote their entire lives to looking "massive" and before that, they have to look lean and cut. I wish it were as easy as waking up one day with an extra 20 lbs of muscle.

There are a few reasons why weight lifting is so important:
1.) When you're maintaining a caloric deficit (losing weight) you want the weight loss to be primarily fat. Lifting weights will help with muscle retention.

2.) Lifting weights burns calories long after you stop working out (unlike cardio). It takes a considerable amount of energy for your body to repair itself after a heavy workout.

Oddly enough, my workouts are nearly identical whether I'm trying to gain (bulking) or trying to lose weight (cutting). My workouts are structured around targeting specific muscle groups (day1:legs, day 2: arms, day 3:back/shoulders, etc) and generally trying to do 6-8 reps per set (but never more than 10).

The other thing (and I wouldn't suggest doing this without a lot of research) I focus on is insulin intake- When I'm trying to lose weight, I try to take as little insulin as possible (of course, without jeopardizing my blood sugar levels). The only real way to do that is to low carb and moderate my protein intake.

Again, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't neglect cardio, but I wouldn't put a ton of emphasis on it if your goal is weight loss.
That's excellent advice, thank you!

I've already started to reduce my carb intake in an attempt to reduce my insulin needs. I've cut out bread, rice, etc and drastically reduced portion sizes of other carbs. Ideally I'd like to ditch pasta too but I'm conscious of designing a diet that I'm happy to stick to long term. I've tried to base more meal plans around protein and getting carbs from things like sweet potato.

As I've already said, I'm not after being massive but rather losing some pounds and feeling better about myself in general.

I really appreciate your input, thanks again :)
 
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Mrs Vimes

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I know massive amounts of cardio are a no no- but if you have dawn phenomenon and it's safe to do so, you could run the sugar off instead of taking insulin. I use DP for spin classes but I make sure that it's in the 7s before and aim for 5s after.
But I also do weights because muscle means burning energy after the session.
 
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G2ADY

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I know massive amounts of cardio are a no no- but if you have dawn phenomenon and it's safe to do so, you could run the sugar off instead of taking insulin. I use DP for spin classes but I make sure that it's in the 7s before and aim for 5s after.
But I also do weights because muscle means burning energy after the session.
Great idea! :)
 

Neemo

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Hi G2ADY,

Some good advice above. There are lots of different 'techniques'/routines that can be utilised to achieve fitness goals.

I posted the below comment recently in my local town's FB group after an individual who was asking for advice (similar goals to yourself), received a plethora of conflicting info (juice plus, hours of cardio, slimming world etc, don't weigh yourself etc) - thought I'd share with you, as you're also trying to lose weight/tone up.

Although the individual in question was not a diabetic, the principles below still hold true.

It's impossible to "convert fat into muscle". Gaining muscle and losing fat are 2 distinct things - i.e; you should prioritise one of them - as you'll go around in circles otherwise.

You've stated your explicit goal as; "Losing a few stone, 'toning up' and improving fitness" - perfectly achievable together (not conflicting).

IF your goal is to have a leaner, meaner and sharper 'look' (reduced bodyfat) - rather than becoming a smaller version of yourself...(doll pic at bottom of post..) then see below;

Resistance training should be central to your regimen - treadmill work should be kept to a minimum.

My advice would be to;

1. REDUCE food intake (gradual - not sharp reduction); it's obvious that your current diet is not 'adequate' for weight loss (for your unique metabolism). You need to be in a calorie DEFICIT (like the UK annual budget, ok, bad joke..) If the scales haven't budged after 3 weeks of 5x a week training...then you're at a maintenance level (food/energy)...

PROGRESSION is the key word, if you aren't seeing a change either in the mirror (increased definition in face/body), or scales - then you have to change something. Small deviations in your weight (up/down), can be attributed to glycogen > water in muscles. BUT the scales should definitely be your primary measure for gageing progress.

Your diet looks fairly decent, however you should reduce some of those high density, energy packed carbs. Replace with;

*Healthy Fats: cashews, avocado, pistachios etc - very good satiety (fullness factor), and actually improves cholesterol by decreasing bad lipids LDL, and increasing HDL.

*Lean proteins: Chicken breast, lean cuts of lamb/Beef, Eggs etc. Again really good satiety factor, and helps to preserve muscle when in a calorie deficit.

*Veg: can't go wrong with veg (bit boring, but excellent for your health in terms of nutrients, AND very filling)

2.Ensure you are working out at a high enough intensity; my recommendation is to stick to larger muscle groups (Legs, back etc) with a higher rep range 8-12, with short (60 second) rest window - worth getting a Gymboss timer to stay on track during workout. The measure of intensity should be your muscle 'soreness' (lactate level) and how hard you are breathing - it should completely kick your butt.

The rationale behind advocating this rep range/intensity is primarily; the glycogen depletion effect; this will optimise your insulin sensitivity (massively) - Insulin, is probably the *most* important factor. Secondly, this rep range will offer sufficient stimulation to preserve mass. And the other very important element is (epoc - Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) - basically your metabolism will remain heightened for a number of hours post exercise, which means you'll burn more calories at rest!!
 
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G2ADY

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Hi G2ADY,

Some good advice above. There are lots of different 'techniques'/routines that can be utilised to achieve fitness goals.

I posted the below comment recently in my local town's FB group after an individual who was asking for advice (similar goals to yourself), received a plethora of conflicting info (juice plus, hours of cardio, slimming world etc, don't weigh yourself etc) - thought I'd share with you, as you're also trying to lose weight/tone up.

Although the individual in question was not a diabetic, the principles below still hold true.

It's impossible to "convert fat into muscle". Gaining muscle and losing fat are 2 distinct things - i.e; you should prioritise one of them - as you'll go around in circles otherwise.

You've stated your explicit goal as; "Losing a few stone, 'toning up' and improving fitness" - perfectly achievable together (not conflicting).

IF your goal is to have a leaner, meaner and sharper 'look' (reduced bodyfat) - rather than becoming a smaller version of yourself...(doll pic at bottom of post..) then see below;

Resistance training should be central to your regimen - treadmill work should be kept to a minimum.

My advice would be to;

1. REDUCE food intake (gradual - not sharp reduction); it's obvious that your current diet is not 'adequate' for weight loss (for your unique metabolism). You need to be in a calorie DEFICIT (like the UK annual budget, ok, bad joke..) If the scales haven't budged after 3 weeks of 5x a week training...then you're at a maintenance level (food/energy)...

PROGRESSION is the key word, if you aren't seeing a change either in the mirror (increased definition in face/body), or scales - then you have to change something. Small deviations in your weight (up/down), can be attributed to glycogen > water in muscles. BUT the scales should definitely be your primary measure for gageing progress.

Your diet looks fairly decent, however you should reduce some of those high density, energy packed carbs. Replace with;

*Healthy Fats: cashews, avocado, pistachios etc - very good satiety (fullness factor), and actually improves cholesterol by decreasing bad lipids LDL, and increasing HDL.

*Lean proteins: Chicken breast, lean cuts of lamb/Beef, Eggs etc. Again really good satiety factor, and helps to preserve muscle when in a calorie deficit.

*Veg: can't go wrong with veg (bit boring, but excellent for your health in terms of nutrients, AND very filling)

2.Ensure you are working out at a high enough intensity; my recommendation is to stick to larger muscle groups (Legs, back etc) with a higher rep range 8-12, with short (60 second) rest window - worth getting a Gymboss timer to stay on track during workout. The measure of intensity should be your muscle 'soreness' (lactate level) and how hard you are breathing - it should completely kick your butt.

The rationale behind advocating this rep range/intensity is primarily; the glycogen depletion effect; this will optimise your insulin sensitivity (massively) - Insulin, is probably the *most* important factor. Secondly, this rep range will offer sufficient stimulation to preserve mass. And the other very important element is (epoc - Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) - basically your metabolism will remain heightened for a number of hours post exercise, which means you'll burn more calories at rest!!
Fantastic information Neemo, thank you! :) Obviously it's a little scary at first as I'm keen not to go into uncontrollable blood glucose lows and then having to compensate with glucose tablets / jelly babies etc as I'm just going to be stuck in a vicious circle. I realise that I'll have to learn to compensate my doses in order to balance not only the energy that I'm burning but also the increased insulin sensitivity that you've just spoke about.

I'm excited to start on Friday, I have no unrealistic goals, just a desire that I want to feel better by being more toned and fit.

I really appreciate you taking the time along with everyone else to give advice :)

Steve
 
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Bluemarine Josephine

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I am actually very interested in this topic because, I want, at some point, to continue with my ballet lessons and my jogging routine (I, sadly, gave up when I was diagnosed in 2012).

Can someone please explain to me the photo which Tim uploaded above?
I am not on a pump, so I don’t know if/how I could reduce my basal insulin prior exercise.

If my understanding is correct, the rough idea is to reduce quick acting insulin by 50% with the meal preceding exercise and then inject again 50% less of the quick acting regular dose with the next meal?

Please guide me, how do you do the trick!!??

Thank you
Josephine
 
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RuthW

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There is a ton of info in this on the Fitness, Exercise and Sports board here. How you reduce or increase insulin to cope with exercise will vary according to a lot of factors, including type of exercise, familiarity of exercise, your diet, timing of exercise (time of day, time since last bolus), etc. Like everything else in diabetes you have to start with a rule of thumb, then trial and error comes in, then after a stable patch, something changes (weather, muscle mass, familiarity with exercise type), and you have to change your doses again.
Also, on judging your body composition change - especially when trying to develop muscle mass and lose visceral fat (only thing that really reduces insulin resistance in reality), the best measure is your waist circumference.
 
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Rrar

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The only way of knowing how to adjust your insulin is trial & error. My blood sugars shoot up sky high after a workout which I couldn't get my head around as its always been drummed in to me that exercise = low sugar levels. I don't know how to explain it in scientific words so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but because I go to the gym in the morning on an empty stomach, I wasn't giving insulin as I wasn't having food, it's something to do with when you exercise, your muscles need more glucose to supply energy. In response, your liver increases the amount of glucose it releases into your bloodstream. Obviously on waking & going straight the gym, my body didn't have enough insulin to cope with the extra glucose my liver was making to supply me with energy for my workout so was actually raising my blood sugars. I spoke to my Diabetes team about it who have programmed it into my blood meter for me to take exercise into account so it just tells me how much insulin I should take for my exercise. Hope this makes a bit of sense.
 

RuthW

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The only way of knowing how to adjust your insulin is trial & error. My blood sugars shoot up sky high after a workout which I couldn't get my head around as its always been drummed in to me that exercise = low sugar levels. I don't know how to explain it in scientific words so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but because I go to the gym in the morning on an empty stomach, I wasn't giving insulin as I wasn't having food, it's something to do with when you exercise, your muscles need more glucose to supply energy. In response, your liver increases the amount of glucose it releases into your bloodstream. Obviously on waking & going straight the gym, my body didn't have enough insulin to cope with the extra glucose my liver was making to supply me with energy for my workout so was actually raising my blood sugars. I spoke to my Diabetes team about it who have programmed it into my blood meter for me to take exercise into account so it just tells me how much insulin I should take for my exercise. Hope this makes a bit of sense.
Usually anaerobic exercise and competitive exercise raise BS, aerobic or less stressed training sessions lower it.
 

Rrar

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Usually anaerobic exercise and competitive exercise raise BS, aerobic or less stressed training sessions lower it.
I do a mixture of cardio & weights in my morning workouts :)
 

RuthW

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I do a mixture of cardio & weights in my morning workouts :)
The weights can really raise blood sugar if you lift very heavy. Then cardio can bring it down again if you do it for long enough. I have started lifting heavy weights recently but prefer to keep weights and cardio on separate days now because it is easier then to keep my blood sugar 'in the zone. :)
 
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Mrs Vimes

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The main trick to this is to test test and test. And test a bit more. Most figures are a recommendation so that's a place to start. Then you begin tweaking it. If you don't feel confident contact the hospital dn.
It's well worth it though.
 
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TorqPenderloin

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In terms of the relationship between exercise and higher/lower blood sugar levels, the best way I've heard it explained actually has nothing to do with diabetes at all.

Slightly elevating your heart rate generally targets fat loss. That's why you'll often see bodybuilders walking in a treadmill rather than running. As we know, fat is rich in energy (9 calories vs 4), but is not a particularly good source for quick energy.

Significantly elevated heart rates require a significant amount of energy and that energy must be called upon very quickly....that's when carbohydrates become valuable. Most people don't engage in this level of exercise which is why carbs can be almost completely absent from their diet.

Realistically, you'll burn both fat and carbs during either type of workout, but certain types of exercise favor one vs the other and it's generally based on your heart rate.

Of course, when you add in the fact that we are type 1 diabetics, it significantly complicates the equation:

-Do our bodies primarily resort to carbs or fat for this type of exercise?
-What is the absorption rate of the artificial insulin we are injecting?
-Does this type of exercise make us more sensitive to insulin? (Most types do)
-Does this type of exercise promote a "Liver dump" in anticipation of higher intensity exercise?

Plenty of other variables that I didn't think of off the top of my head.
 
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RuthW

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All that boils down to "Is it aerobic or anaerobic?" There's a book called Diabetic Athlete's Handbook that explains very clearly (and scientifically) the body's use of different fuels for different types and levels of activity, and then goes on to give lots of tables of suggestions for dosages, etc. Plus a ton of case studies of diabetic athlete's. Still it boils down to the same thing: test, exercise, test, exercise, test, and respond to the patterns you observe with carbs or insulin.
 
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