Pre-diabetes and exercise

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I have 2 low carb chicken/turkey sausages (1-3g carb total depending on which flavour) and coffee every morning before I bike to work. That seems to do the trick. If I'm out of sausage I scramble up a couple eggs instead. Eating something seems to halt my morning rise and a couple eggs/sausages are enough to get me through no problem (until my "10:30 nuts" snack!). I have just given in and eat the same thing nearly every day. Boring, but fairly effective.
Thanks. It's interesting that your snacks are very low/no carb and still work. I'd imagined that to fuel exercise they would have to be high carb.
 

Glink

Well-Known Member
Messages
252
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I had some trouble with exercise when I was super low carb (like <25g/day) but have had no problems with a more moderate LC diet (40-75g/day) as long as I get protein and fat (as with sausages, nuts). I'm not a marathoner or anything, but I do bike commute, hike, and do some lifting.
 

Murphyorky

Member
Messages
9
Thanks very much @Alison Campbell for your advice, and also to @daisy1 for your great advice here.

A further question and probably a 'dim' one: I notice that some of you have impressive HBA1C readings. If you are getting readings that are consistently below 41, at what point do you regard yourself as no longer pre-diabetic?
 

Glink

Well-Known Member
Messages
252
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Honestly, I don't know that I'll ever consider myself "regular" metabolically anymore, even with my (brand new; first time since diagnosis!) perfect blood test. This is because I still don't have non-diabetic responses to eating carbs. I still have to eat low carb (although maybe less hardcore as I had to be when first diagnosed) and I may continue on metformin (I have a weird situation; most people with an official "pre" diagnosis aren't on meds unless also PCOS) as well. (HbA1c was never my challenge, though; I was diagnosed based on fasting and postprandials along with symptoms.) Something changed in my metabolism a few years back that made me largely carb intolerant and while I can get my blood sugars under control with my action I can't make my metabolism non-diabetic again. Some people have different experiences; YMMV.
 
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Murphyorky

Member
Messages
9
Thanks @Glink and that makes sense.

A lot of the standard information that is out there on diabetes seems to assume a 'classic' and standard pattern in which diabetes is corrolated primarily with being overweight and needing to eat more healthily, and which will therefore respond to efforts on those fronts. This doesn't seem to apply to me, and it's refreshing to see how much variety shows up in these forums.

It sounds as though you have a very good understanding of your situation, and good luck with your continuing efforts.
 

Glink

Well-Known Member
Messages
252
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
It's so true--I had NO idea how diverse diabetes was until I entered this world myself! I work at a hospital (as a non-clinician) so I'm pretty well educated on health stuff, but I still had no clue about how complicated diagnosing or having diabetes could be.

I often feel like I still have no clue about what's going on with my own situation, over 2 years post-diagnosis, but your words make me realize that I have actually come a long way. When diagnosed I already did everything you're "supposed" to do (i.e., be thin, exercise, eat whole grains and veggies, etc.) and it was really hard wrapping my head around the weird-sounding dietary changes I had to make (eating meat--because I have allergies to a lot of things--was necessary for me, a former vegan!). Unfortunately, my diabetes consultants were not much help either (parroting the "party line" advice that I already knew and then giving a shrug when my situation didn't follow that conventional wisdom) but thanks to my metre and the support on this forum and my own reading of the research I've really learned a lot and gained much better control over my health.
 

Alison Campbell

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,443
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Coming up to 6 years now as prediabetic and would say that my HBA1C is down to increasing effort to stop progression.

@Murphyorky We have some truly inspiring people diagnosed with type 2 on the forum who have achieved amazing results. I would encourage you to check out their sucess stories.
 

Alexandra100

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,738
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
The rise after exercise is normal for many, you get the benefit either later or cumulatively. Some lower the intensity and increase the length if this is a concern.
On Saturday I tested pre and post weight training for the first time. I tested at the gym: 5.8 then did > 1 hour upper body weight training going as heavy as I dare, with lots of walking, as my gym floor is vast, but no HIIT or aerobic exercise. Tested straight after: 7.3. Rushed to the stair climber, did 10 minutes, re-tested: 5.2. Obviously I shall repeat this routine asap to see if I get roughly the same results. I am getting more and more sold on the idea of using exercise to lower spikes, both post prandial and post exercise. But only time and more testing will tell. I'm wondering if I'll end up like those athletes who took too much EPO and got up in the night to ride their bikes to keep their blood circulating!!!
 

Mbaker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,339
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Available fast foods in Supermarkets
Interesting that the cardio was the lowering factor, as it was with me on the static bike. For me it makes sense that in times gone by our jobs would mean that we were effectively exercising most of the day or even just on our feet which burns calories. It is widely accepted that muscle burns circa 50% more calories than fat which correlates to a usual rise in basal metabolic rate. On that note I am off to the gym for a mixed session.