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Body fat percentage and hypos?

SB.25

Well-Known Member
Messages
369
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all,

I have been diabetic for just over a year now. Of course when first diagnosed I lost a stone in 3 weeks - which was great but then the insulin started and I put it all back on and some ....

As I’m getting married I decided to join a gym, get a PT and reduce my calories. I now go to the gym a minimum of 5 times a week and I feel great as I’m having much much less highs.

I now have the opposite problem of having lows a lot more (approx 2-3 times a day on a gym day).

These lows have only started in the past 2 weeks but I have been going to the gym for the past few months.

The only change which has happened in the past fee of weeks is my body fat percentage dropping. I wondered if this could be effecting insulin absorption at all and contributing towards the lows?

Any advice welcome
 
Last edited:
It could be that as your programme has developed you put more effort in? Are hypos only happening on gym days? Do you adjust insulin for exercise?
 
Diakat said:
It could be that as your programme has developed you put more effort in? Are hypos only happening on gym days? Do you adjust insulin for exercise?
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The hypos are mainly happening on gym days .. although I do have some on non gym days (although not as many).

Previously, I wold do a unit of insulin before a work out as I was drastically spiking. Now I do not but yet I’m having hypos after? The type of excercises during my workouts hasn’t changed ... so not sure why this has started to happen.
 
It sounds like you no longer need your pre-workout insulin - this could be because you're out of your "honeymoon" period, and your body is starting to react differently to the insulin.
Your basal might be too high for all the exercise you are doing, especially if you are going hypo in between gym days. Talk it over with your DSN before you make any changes, but i'd suggest trying either less basal or lower bolus ratio to fit in with your lifestyle.
 
As a T2 one major change advised is to up the exercise and build more and fitter muscle.
This helps to reduce Insulin Resistance and to use insulin more effectively to get glucose out of the bloodstream and into the tissues.
I assume that the same must apply to T1s.
You may not have significant IR but developing muscles which clear glucose faster would suggest less insulin and/or more carbs on exercise days might be worth considering.
 
Less body fat or more muscles would normally mean more insulin sensitive. So your basal dose could be adjusted for exercise days assuming you don't want to be putting sugar back into you!
It is normal for the bg to drop post exercise because during the exercise you are using up all your muscle glucose (glycogen) which the body then strives to replace afterwards. It is an effect most likely after slow and steady cardio e.g. spin class, long walk on a treadmill. Anyway its pretty common so don't let it put you off and keep the jelly babies on stand by!
 
Hey,
I no longer have my pre workout insulin and I’ve reduced my background insulin too ... the hypos still keep happening ... .

I have a few jelly babies just before my workout and then af r my workout I’ll have a Carby dinner such as noodles, rice, pasta etc - seems even with doing that I still hypo!
 
One hypo makes more likely within a 24hr period. Also muscles tend to take glucose back later in the day (6hrs I think) so possibly be prepared to be testing and nudging sugars up.
Further basal reduction may be needed, or exercise with no insulin n board so 4/5 hours after your last bolus.
 
What basal are you on if you don't mind me asking? Could be worth looking into a change (again, don't take my word for it, talk to your DSN).

Are the hypos happening 1-2 hours after your carby meal? Could be that the carbs aren't breaking down in time to catch the workout crash. High carb foods (mainly pasta, rice and noodles to a lesser extent) take a long time to break down when digested, as they are more complicated than simple sugary carbs.

I know egg pasta (spaghetti, tagliatelle etc) doesn't make a change to my sugars until about 2 hours after i eat, so if i inject early (or eat post workout so i get the crash either way) i try to have something fast acting that will tide me over until the carbs kick in. This could be a couple of biscuits. If i don't, i go hypo.

Hope you get down to the bottom of this, having that many hypos must make you feel grumpy!
 
I joined a gym a year ago and still go about 3 times a week. I have noticeabely more hypos on gym days, but have managed to reduce them a bit. I usually go at about 7:30am, but try to have a light breakfast at 6:30 (maybe 2 poached eggs on 1 toast). I don't take any Novorapid at all for that food. I used to have few units but was often hypo just after a workout.

I've also noticed that I need a lower rapid dose for meals later on gym days too.

My gym bag always has a bottle of lucozade just in case, but I've found that not injecting for my pre gym breakfast has definitely helped.

Hope you get sorted and hope the wedding prep is going well. I got married in October and there was so much to do!!
 

Unfortunately I don’t think I can do much more excercise... I go to the gym 5-6 times a week. I also always do 10,000 steps a day minimum ... more often than not it’s 15,000.

I also know my body fat percentage has gone down so I must have more muscle..:: I think anyway!
 
I actually don’t tend to do much cardio... I do a lot more weight training but my levels still seem to drop about an hour later!!

I want to get my body fat percentage even lower so looks like I may need to drop my basal a bit more!
 

thank you! I am very grumpy and tired at the moment!! I just feel exhausted from always being low.....

I am currently on split dose levemir and my quick acting is humalog. Although even with a previous bolus I do still spike....

I may try eating a biscuit or something post gym then have my dinner.... although I don’t really want the calories from the biscuit as I’m trying to be in a calorie deficit lol!
 
I can understand that, but make sure you're not dieting so much your diabetes becomes unmanageable. Also, i think you've earned yourself a biscuit or 2 after a workout!
Dieting AND going to the gym are 2 big reasons for blood sugars to go low, a lot of people struggle managing just one. Make sure you aren't overdoing it and rushing to get fit/lose weight at a detriment to your diabetes control
 
Thanks!

I don’t get married until August - so I thought I would give myself as much time as possible as I knew managing both would be hard lol!
 
SB.25 said:
Thanks!

I don’t get married until August - so I thought I would give myself as much time as possible as I knew managing both would be hard lol!
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I haven't said it yet so i'll say it now - CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Please tell me you're not doing what my step mum has recently done and picked a dress 2 sizes too small as motivation to lose weight.
Also, not sure if you are aware but it is notoriously difficult for diabetics to lose weight, so you need to give yourself an extra big pat on the back for any steps you do take! But don't lose it all months before you need to, maybe slow down a little or don't push yourself quite as much but spread it out
 
Thank you!

I already have my dress... and it fit when I bought it!!

I know it is soooo difficult to lose weight. To be honest I’m slim anyway so for me it’s just about toning up and losing a bit of bossy fat. Somehow I have already lost some body fat and I’m being measured again this week - hoping to have shed a little more!
 
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