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Exercise and lifestyle balance issues?

Chloelox

Well-Known Member
Messages
133
Location
North Wales
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Okay,

so I’ve been trying to get out more and work on some light exercise through the day to help with blood sugar levels. I've been basal testing and have been well controlled for about a month since falling off the blood sugar wagon for 6 months lol.

It had been going well, however I’m struggling to find balance on how to place meals and snacks around the exercise as it seems any insulin on board is being absorbed all at once within 15 minutes.. I was out walking today and dropped from 10-3.4 in 15 minutes.. I drank quick acting sugar and then I ate a few biscuits and continued on, an hour later, another hypo. I’ve been struggling to keep my sugar up since if I’m honest.. needing no fast acting insulin for my evening meal.

anyone found a meal/exercise routine that works or helps avoid the hypos? I don’t want to continue feeling cooped up and sorry for myself because I’m scared of hypos.

I’m MDI and use a libre but I can physically feel my blood sugar dropping during these episodes.
 
When I experienced this issue myself the main issue seemed to be my sites being a bit on the overused. When I went out of my way to use the freshest possible areas the issue cleared up.

I’d still see a dip, but it wouldn’t be as dramatic as what you’re describing.
 


I do rotate quite well.. however strangely enough I have had a few lumps and bad bruises pop up after some injections lately. I’ll definitely keep an eye on my sites going forward.
 
Chloelox said:
anyone found a meal/exercise routine that works or helps avoid the hypos? I don’t want to continue feeling cooped up and sorry for myself because I’m scared of hypos.
Click to expand...

Hypos are the worst. I feel your pain. Any chance you could time your walks to happen before meals rather than after? Or experiment with drastically less bolus if you think you might be going for a walk after? Do you think you are still on honeymoon? If so, it could just be something you have to live with till your own insulin production dies. Use the walk to have an excuse for a decadently delicious carby snack before hand. If you've got to have the carbs you might as well enjoy them.

I find that if I walk the dog my levels tend to drop significantly, while if I do weights at the gym I have to inject a couple of units just to keep level. Like you, I'm on a basal/bolus regime, but I have a fair amount of insulin resistance so have to inject for everything.
 
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Try exercise on only long-acting insulin in the first instance. Before breakfast is a great starting point.
 
Chloelox said:
I do rotate quite well.. however strangely enough I have had a few lumps and bad bruises pop up after some injections lately. I’ll definitely keep an eye on my sites going forward.
Click to expand...
What was happening with me was I thought I was rotating, but I wasn't rotating enough. Basically, I was cycling through sites as much as was advised, but I got into a bad habit of using the same small area in each site, instead of making use of the full area available to me. I caught it before any Lipoatrophy developed, but I was still getting issues with absorption before that.
 
Bolus needs change if active after meals, so try experimenting. Along with hypo sweets I also carry some cookies, like the whole grain ones with a bit of sugar inside so I prevent a hypo if I see it coming down from 4-5...
It makes a difference what kind of food were you eating. I find if eating pasta, I can have a hypo or almost a hypo and then when I stop my activity, BG goes up again, as the stomach proceeds with digestion. So if eating something to treat or prevent a hypo I get a hyper

As for some more straneous excercise like swimming or running, eating low carb or no carb breakfast (I like almonds and other nuts in yoghurt) and exercising without bolus works for me. Sometimes I eat a small fruit just before I start.
Before dinner is also good, but I eat some carbs before.
Today I have eaten 8 tea cookies, the worst white flour, added sugar, supermarket kind and went swimming before dinner. They have all depleted from my system easily and I didn't have a hypo or a hyper.
 
I never exercise with quick acting insulin on board as it's a guarantee I will drop like a ton of bricks otherwise, it's all about trial and error and it does get easier once you learn how your body responds. Keep at it though, exercise is vital for all of us.
 
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