Long walk

[broads]

Don't seem to be able to get my sugar levels into the 4s and 5s how ever hard I try , they are mainly in the 5s and 6s. Fasting is usually the lower 7s, unless i have a glass of red wine before bed when it comes down a notch or two. Need to experiment there.
This morning, the sun was shining so I got up, got sorted out, forgot to take a fasting reading, had a couple of scrambled eggs and then decided to spend a large part of the day walking. I set off and walked 4 1/2 mile to where my husband works. Just before I met him I came to a sandwich shop where I bought him and me a cheese and tomato sandwich on brown bread. I had, unfortunately , neglected to take any food with me (still trying to get to grips with having to think about taking food on a walk) so really thought I should get something to eat as I had to walk the same distance home again.and there wasn't anything else to choose from. When I met my husband we had a slower paced walk along a canal bank for about 45 minutes, was beautiful with all the autumn colours, then I left him and walked home. I did a total of about just over 10 mile. All this took about 5 hours. When I got home I immediately took my BS reading which was 9.1. It shocked me.
Sorry for the length of this blurb but was trying to put the facts across so I could ask the one question that bothered me a great deal when I finally got home...was 9.1 a big reading or was it
ok. I am still finding it so hard to understand when levels are ok in different circumstances. I am type two on diet and exercise, no medication and 62 years old if that is of any help with replying to this lengthy rubbish.

 

[sugarless sue]

Sounds like you had used up all you energy and food walking and you may have liver dumped.Did you feel suddenly hot at any point on the way home?

 

[broads]

No I didn't suddenly feel hot but it was a warm day so I sweated a lot during the day as I do try and set a good pace and always manage to stick to it

 

[broads]

Just sort of put me off making a good effort with exercise with a BS reading of 9.1.

 

[sugarless sue]

Another thing may be ,did you have water etc with you?

 

[broads]

yes I drank 500 mlls in sips

 

[broads]

really did knock me for 6 with a reading of 9.1. You just get yer confidence up and it smacks you in the face like a wet fish.

 

[broads]

Sorry it's late, i am tired and don't know what to think. Just deflated at the mo. Hopefully tomorrow I will be my usual positive self. Thanks Sue. Good to talk.

 

[Vikingepigen]

I do long walks each day, well most days - and my Bg always go slightly higher if I test immediately upon my return home. I am warm/hot as after good exercise, but not sweating buckets, if you know what i mean. However, I will have a large glass of water and relax for 30 min and my Bg is right down to normal (for me) levels.

Could be the same for you?? Of course liver dumps etc could also be the cause, but unless you test a few times after a walk/exercise you will not know how your body reacts to the exercise.

As I said, my Bg tends to go up a bit but quickly settles down again, so these days I do not worry unduly about it, unless I get lightheaded etc.

Might be worth you checking your Bg after walks, just to see if this reading is "normal" for you?? I got surprised/a little scared the first couple of times I tested after exercise, but soon realised that this is how my body reacted, so this wold be "normal" for me. Hence I do walks at a good pace and swimming, but not heavy exercise as that sends my Bg sky high and the crashes down into hypo levels!! Far too much trouble to deal with, when a good walk is gentler on my Bg! LOL


Alice

 

[mikey]

I think Sue may well be right about the liver dump.
I try to walk for an hour every morning before work and I have had the same slap in the face as you describe.
The first time I did this I checked my blood before leaving the house, it was 4.8 which is good for me.
I walked at a good pace for 45 minutes, had a shower. got dressed and decided to test before breakfast.
I was expecting a low reading and was wondering if it would be low enough to treat myself to a slice of toast with my eggs. The result was 7.8 ! :shock: I couldn't believe it so I tested again, still 7.8.
It wasn't until I started reading the posts on here that I worked out was going on.

Your body allows your blood glucose to fall to a certain level and then your liver dumps a load of sugar into you to bring your level back up.(I'm guessing that the level people get to before this stress reaction kicks in varies from one person to another.)
If we were not diabetic this would be fine, but because we have a problem processing sugar we end up going too high.

10 miles is a long way to walk at a good pace and I would imagine that your levels went below what your body was prepared to allow.
My own limit seem to be 4, any lower than that and I get a liver dump.
I experimented with this by testing before I walk.
If I'm below 6 I eat an apple before setting off and when I get home I test again.
So far this has worked really well.
My BG is often lower when I get home than it was when I got up.

I hope this is some help to you, if only to let you know it isn't just you :wink:
Don't give up the exercise it's too important.

Good luck and best regards,
Mike.

 

[hanadr]

I walk a lot, but never eat. I do carry a bottle of water in my pack though.
I don't usually check BG either, but I haven't found the need to eat anything. Since I'm a low carber, I wouldn't have a sandwich anyway.
did you find yourBG control better afterwards?
I usually find it's better the next day.