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Fitness, good shape, crossfit & co

michisiu

Newbie
Messages
3
Location
Aberdeen, Scotland
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hello everyone!

I am a university student living with type 1 ever since 1997 (i.e. don't really remember what life was before that).
I have lived abroad in different countries for the past few years (I'm often "on the move" as well) and I am (have always been) a quite active person. I'd say on average I exercise 5 times a week (gym, cardio, b-ball, you name it) and well, I believe I have a quite balanced diet as well (everything in moderation, that's my policy). In the past few years (probably due to lifestyle changes related to my movings) I had gained quite a few extra kg that I have now managed to get rid of.
My last DCCT-HbA1c (%) was 6.5 and, truth is: my specialist did not really have anything much to say about it other than "you're doing a pretty amazing job. I don't really have anything to tell you". (Spoke with a dietician the very same day and got same reply "You're quite an interesting case actually!")
To be honest, I was quite impressed with the result myself (was expecting like a 7 or something) so than I thought: well, you know, I could be doing even better right?!

I then came to the conclusion that I could be in much better shape. Both for my diabetes and myself. I know that, in theory, a lot of physical exercises are not really recommended for people with diabetes, but I do strongly believe that, as long as everything is done with control, balance and moderation, those limits do not really apply (it's just a LOT of extra effort/responsibility involved). I've been researching a little bit now on "how to push myself" a little bit further but I haven't quite found lots of info about it so I was wondering:
Does any of you have any experience with CrossFit trainings or intense workouts of that sort?
How about trainings and diets? How are you managing?
I am just trying to really evaluate and find a way to increase my routine workouts properly and effectively while maintaining a good balance (carbs/calories intake VS insulin VS consumption)...

Thank you very much in advance for your replies/tips/suggestions/messages/

All the best,

M
 
Well done on what your achieved @michisiu

There's a website that was set up for people like yourself who have type 1 diabetes and enjoy sport/keeping fit, here it is:

http://www.runsweet.com/
 
I’m not a big fan of CrossFit because I consider it more of a “Fitness Cult” than a gym.

The problem I have with it is that pretty much anyone can create a CrossFit gym and market it to people in the area. While that sounds good in theory, what can happen is that you get some clown teaching people improper lifting techniques that can eventually lead to injury.

For every injury I’ve heard of in a “Regular” weight room, I can think of 10 injuries that occurred in CrossFit gyms.

The other thing to consider is that in CrossFit gyms there can be a tendency to try to keep up with the pace of others. Ultimately, that's a good thing, but it could be problematic if you're struggling with blood sugar issues.

Now, I will say that the good thing about CrossFit is that it’s a “Fitness Cult,” lol. It’s good in the sense that it increases accountability and it can certainly have positive benefits for the social aspect of things. I respect that some people find that valuable.
 
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