Years of Carb Horror

[Tuesday]

Hi All,

I have used this site quite a few times but have only just joined the forum.

I'm a 40 year old female who has had type 1 for 16 years. I first had gestational diabetes 21 years ago from 7 months pregnancy which was the first time I ever took insulin. Having read many different posts over the last four days or so, I feel like I have been horribly misled for all this time regarding carbohydrate intake. To find other people who can't eat potatoes, oats, rice and suchlike is amazing to me...I could cry! I should never have doubted myself when I was getting high readings for the foods I have been TOLD to eat an abundance of. I know my doctor thinks I lie about what I eat because of my readings but I have eaten healthy since the day I was diagnosed. All I can say is, thank God I found this website. In future, if I need any advice regarding anything diabetes related, I'll come here instead and ask other people who know it and live it instead of doctors who assume!

I started going to the gym last week for the first time in years. I am not overweight but have had a couple of cholesterol scares over the years. Would anyone here know when is the best time of day to exercise....morning-afternoon-evening? Or is it a case of, it doesn't matter, as long as you do something?

 

[Grazer]

Welcome to the forum - you'll get loads of good info here.

Would anyone here know when is the best time of day to exercise....morning-afternoon-evening? Or is it a case of, it doesn't matter, as long as you do something?

To a large extent, I think anytime is good. However, what seems to work for me in terms of blood sugar levels, albeit a little inconvenient at times, is doing some short sharp exercise just as my sugars peak after eating my main meal of the day to bring them down quickly. I know my sugars peak about 3/4 hr to 1 hr after eating my normal types of food, so I do ten minutes hard exercise on a "strider" type machine at that stage. As my main meal is normally evenings, I do this exercise then. My BGs 2 hrs after eating are consistently lower when I do that compared to when I can't be bothered and miss!
Good Luck!

 

[didie]

I always do some exercise 45 minutes - one hour after eating and my 2-hour readings in the morning (I only test in the mornings) are always pretty good.

 

[phoenix]

I try to avoid any strenuous aerobic exercise within 2 hours of a bolus. If insulin is at its peak it can cause glucose levels to fall very quickly. You may also, depending on the length and type of exercise you are going to do need to reduce the bolus for the meal before.

You also need to test your glucose levels before exercise.

If they are below about 5.5mmol you may need to eat some carbs
If they are above 14nmmol then you need to check for ketones (if present you ahould treat the high glucose level and shouldn't exercise with them)
If they are above 14mmol you can exercise with care, ie checking your glucose levels frequently to check that the are falling

This link has a lot of good info for starting exercise with T1
http://www.diabetes.org.nz/living_with_ ... l_activity

Can I ask what sort of insulin regime you are on,and whether you have learned to count the carb content of a meal and adjust your insulin accordingly?

 

[Tuesday]

Can I ask what sort of insulin regime you are on,and whether you have learned to count the carb content of a meal and adjust your insulin accordingly?

Thanks all for your tips, you're so very helpful.

Regarding my regime, I have had to start all over again following 3 weeks of flu and tonsilitis. My BG's went up to 25.2 during this time. My morning reading is now between 5.7 - 9.2 before breakfast, which is much better than the 16+ I was waking up to about 10 days ago. I take 1 unit of insulin per 10g of carbs and 16 units of Lantus at night for the moment. This appears to be working with the low GI diet which I am new to. Prior to my illness, I was having to take 1.5 units per 10g of carbs.

I can't see my doctor until 2nd November as I wanted to ask whether I need to adjust my basal dose. My readings straight after a workout are about 14 but then go down to about 10 after I've walked home from the gym, before dinner. Again, not brilliant but very good for me.

What do you think?

 

[marti]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Tuesday]

Thanks Marti.