Reactive Hypoglycaemia and exercise

[Suzy D]

I'm 61, newly diagnosed and just starting to come to grips with the funny eating.

Before RH was suspected, I had several weeks of a very low exercise tolerance (getting exhausted and breathless after 15 minutes of walking, and swimming totally out of the question).

It is starting to slowly, very slowly get better now. I am currently able to walk 30 minutes at a time, or up to a total of 60 minutes of walking a day in instalments. Or I can do half an hour of gentle pilates.

I would like to get back to at least 8000, ideally 10000 steps a day, three one-mile swims (front crawl, medium to fast lane) per week and the odd round of golf or bike ride. Plus pilates or tai chi three times a week.

At the moment, I don't see how I will manage the swimming with RH, which makes me sad. I used to – as recently as the summer – have dinner at 6 or 7 pm, sleep, get up at 6am, walk to the pool before breakfast, start my swim at 7 am, and be home having a big breakfast at 8.30.
At the moment, I am having a one-egg omelette with a small salad at 3.30 in the morning, get up at 6 and then have to eat again at 8 am.
I can currently just about imagine trying a tiny swim in the middle of the day, one hour after eating and one hour before eating.
Without swimming, my cardiovascular fitness will decline (and I will get more backaches). Mornings have always been my best time to swim, because I can feel my stomach being full even if I ate an hour ago.

My understanding is that the low exercise tolerance stems from my body not being able to get enough energy out of carbs/sugar, and it's harder to get energy out of protein and fat.

Has anyone on this forum managed to get back to their normal exercise levels after being hit by RH? Thanks in advance!

 

[Lamont D]

I'm 61, newly diagnosed and just starting to come to grips with the funny eating.

Before RH was suspected, I had several weeks of a very low exercise tolerance (getting exhausted and breathless after 15 minutes of walking, and swimming totally out of the question).

It is starting to slowly, very slowly get better now. I am currently able to walk 30 minutes at a time, or up to a total of 60 minutes of walking a day in instalments. Or I can do half an hour of gentle pilates.

I would like to get back to at least 8000, ideally 10000 steps a day, three one-mile swims (front crawl, medium to fast lane) per week and the odd round of golf or bike ride. Plus pilates or tai chi three times a week.

At the moment, I don't see how I will manage the swimming with RH, which makes me sad. I used to – as recently as the summer – have dinner at 6 or 7 pm, sleep, get up at 6am, walk to the pool before breakfast, start my swim at 7 am, and be home having a big breakfast at 8.30.
At the moment, I am having a one-egg omelette with a small salad at 3.30 in the morning, get up at 6 and then have to eat again at 8 am.
I can currently just about imagine trying a tiny swim in the middle of the day, one hour after eating and one hour before eating.
Without swimming, my cardiovascular fitness will decline (and I will get more backaches). Mornings have always been my best time to swim, because I can feel my stomach being full even if I ate an hour ago.

My understanding is that the low exercise tolerance stems from my body not being able to get enough energy out of carbs/sugar, and it's harder to get energy out of protein and fat.

Has anyone on this forum managed to get back to their normal exercise levels after being hit by RH? Thanks in advance!

Yes, me!
However, it's a big however.
It is so individual how much and what exercise we can do. And there is good days and bad, until you get your health improved from not going high and low all the time.
At the moment, because you are still in the altering your carb intake, and becoming less reliant on them for your energy. The lethargy, amongst other symptoms are because of the carbs. We are intolerant to the majority of carbs.
To explain more about intolerance with carbs, healthy foods etc. And why it is individual.
It is based on a percentage of carbs in a product.
I can only process around 4% of carbs in most items, you may be more or less. Before I get a spike above around 7mmols. Which is the trigger for my brain to get my pancreas moving with more insulin.
If you don't spike, you don't react, no overshoot, no hypo.
Staying in or just above normal levels, is the best way to control your BG levels.
Back to exercises. I love to walk and it helps with my restless legs syndrome. To keep busy. I am also my wife's full time carer, which means I'm on my feet and doing the shopping, cleaning, cooking etc every day.
And the best walk is for me early evening. Fifteen minutes after our evening food, anytime before 7(ish) cos I then can go to bed knowing it's more than four hours after food and not having a hypo. I walk or stroll for fifteen minutes or a bit more, to give me a short time away from the house and relax into the walk.
I don't think I need much more. I believe Pilates is good for your mind. Anything that helps is good.
You can only do, what you can do.
Take it easy on yourself, you have been given a reason why you have the symptoms. It will take time to adjust not only for your body but also for you mental health. And your state of mindset. Be proactive.
When I did my fasting test. The light bulb moment, that my lethargy disappeared and my energy levels improved. I am not far off seventy years young. I feel better than when I was fifty.
Best wishes, keto asking.