Re: diabetes night and day

[Guest guest]

I think there's one important thing to remember: no one ever said exercising

with type 1 diabetes was easy. It's beneficial in the same way that it's

beneficial for everyone (fitness, keeps weight down, and for type 1 also

improves blood sugar and yes, lessens the amount of insulin someone needs if

they exercise regularly). But no one has ever advocated simply going out and

exercising on the spur of the moment, or else it definitely will cause havoc

with blood sugars.

Picture a scale. On one side of this scale is food, which raises blood sugar. On

the other side of this scale is insulin and exercise, which lower blood sugar.

In order to be able to exercise and keep good control you've got to know how to

keep the scale balanced. Exercise lowers blood sugar which tips the scale, so in

order to keep it balanced when you exercise you either have to eat extra food,

take less insulin, or a combination of the two. It is perfectly possible to

exercise and keep good control. I don't know if it is possible to do this on a

low carbohydrate diet, but I would think it would be much, much harder. But I

exercised for 45 minutes yesterday doing brisk walking and my blood sugar was

5.7 or 103 before starting, 3.8 or 68 mid-way through, 5.3 or 95 after

finishing, 5.8 or 104 several hours later at dinner, 6.2 or 112 after dinner,

6.7 or 121 before bed, and 6.3 or 113 at 2:00 AM. I was high this morning as I

usually am but by mid-morning my blood sugar was 6.2 or 113 and it was 4.9 or 88

at lunch. How did I keep it from going low? I ate food before I exercised, I ate

food during exercise, I reduced my Humalog at the next meal, and I reduced my

bedtime Lantus slightly (but not the morning shot of Lantus). What does that

slight low during exercise mean? That I should eat more before I start next

time, or start with my blood sugar slightly higher, or reduce my Humalog a bit

more at the meal prior to exercising.

So is it totally different? I'm not sure. I don't know if type 2s have the same

effects on their blood sugar as type 1s. Is it impossible to exercise?

Definitely not, although for a type 1 you are right that exercise is not

beneficial in the same way as it might be for a type 2, but it is still

beneficial. Does it take more work to exercise? Definitely! Read the books Using

Insulin (or Pumping Insulin) by Walsh, or visit his website at

www.diabetesmall.net, or read The Diabetic Athlete by Sheri Colberg to get

detailed guidelines about how to handle exercise (how much to eat, how much to

reduce insulin, when to time exercise after insulin shots, etc.). No, it is not

a precise science and occasionally things might go wrong, but then I have yet to

be convinced that diabetes is completely predictable. Also you must be careful

on recommendations. Just as aerobic exercise can cause blood sugars to plummet,

anaerobic exercise can cause them to skyrocket (even when they don't start out

high). Exercise in general for type 1s is very much an artful science and has

always been so in my experience. No, you can't just hop on a bike and go for a

four hour bike ride without any preparation and expect things to turn out, but

there's also no need to avoid exercise or certain types of exercise if you are

willing to put in the effort and time needed to figure out and fine-tune your

blood sugars.

Jen

[Guest guest]

Well said. In the context of exercise, one thing some folks may not be

aware of is, that should you happen to be running high, specifically above

240, it may be advisable not to exercise until the bg drops. I forget what

it is, but it has something to do with ketoses.

Dave

Life is but a blink of the eye--eternity is coming...

Re: diabetes night and day

>I think there's one important thing to remember: no one ever said

>exercising with type 1 diabetes was easy. It's beneficial in the same way

>that it's beneficial for everyone (fitness, keeps weight down, and for type

>1 also improves blood sugar and yes, lessens the amount of insulin someone

>needs if they exercise regularly). But no one has ever advocated simply

>going out and exercising on the spur of the moment, or else it definitely

>will cause havoc with blood sugars.

>

> Picture a scale. On one side of this scale is food, which raises blood

> sugar. On the other side of this scale is insulin and exercise, which

> lower blood sugar. In order to be able to exercise and keep good control

> you've got to know how to keep the scale balanced. Exercise lowers blood

> sugar which tips the scale, so in order to keep it balanced when you

> exercise you either have to eat extra food, take less insulin, or a

> combination of the two. It is perfectly possible to exercise and keep good

> control. I don't know if it is possible to do this on a low carbohydrate

> diet, but I would think it would be much, much harder. But I exercised for

> 45 minutes yesterday doing brisk walking and my blood sugar was 5.7 or 103

> before starting, 3.8 or 68 mid-way through, 5.3 or 95 after finishing, 5.8

> or 104 several hours later at dinner, 6.2 or 112 after dinner, 6.7 or 121

> before bed, and 6.3 or 113 at 2:00 AM. I was high this morning as I

> usually am but by mid-morning my blood sugar was 6.2 or 113 and it was 4.9

> or 88 at lunch. How did I keep it from going low? I ate food before I

> exercised, I ate food during exercise, I reduced my Humalog at the next

> meal, and I reduced my bedtime Lantus slightly (but not the morning shot

> of Lantus). What does that slight low during exercise mean? That I should

> eat more before I start next time, or start with my blood sugar slightly

> higher, or reduce my Humalog a bit more at the meal prior to exercising.

>

> So is it totally different? I'm not sure. I don't know if type 2s have the

> same effects on their blood sugar as type 1s. Is it impossible to

> exercise? Definitely not, although for a type 1 you are right that

> exercise is not beneficial in the same way as it might be for a type 2,

> but it is still beneficial. Does it take more work to exercise?

> Definitely! Read the books Using Insulin (or Pumping Insulin) by

> Walsh, or visit his website at www.diabetesmall.net, or read The Diabetic

> Athlete by Sheri Colberg to get detailed guidelines about how to handle

> exercise (how much to eat, how much to reduce insulin, when to time

> exercise after insulin shots, etc.). No, it is not a precise science and

> occasionally things might go wrong, but then I have yet to be convinced

> that diabetes is completely predictable. Also you must be careful on

> recommendations. Just as aerobic exercise can cause blood sugars to

> plummet, anaerobic exercise can cause them to skyrocket (even when they

> don't start out high). Exercise in general for type 1s is very much an

> artful science and has always been so in my experience. No, you can't just

> hop on a bike and go for a four hour bike ride without any preparation and

> expect things to turn out, but there's also no need to avoid exercise or

> certain types of exercise if you are willing to put in the effort and time

> needed to figure out and fine-tune your blood sugars.

>

> Jen

>

>

[Guest guest]

I think you have it figured out for yourself. With your program you will

continue to have big swings in your bs levels, but you may even get some

good A1C readings. However for a type1 exercising as you do even before you

have normalized bs levels, I doubt you will ever have normalized bs levels.

Life is a gamble and a risk no matter what you do. At least one diabetic

type1 has shown the benefits with a long life without further complications,

and indeed he has reversed many, and he has rewarded others, and he runs

normalized bs levels. Dr. Bernstein's recommendations for running

normalized bs levels is not a quirk. It was developed after years of trial

and error, charting and observations, and experimentation and it works for a

type1. I do not know if it will work for a woman though. At least the good

news is that it will work for at least two type1 diabetics, and

Bernstein. It might even work for you if you gave it a try. At least you

know of another alternative, which might work for you when you are ready.

You are young and have a long way to go. I don't have that far to go. Even

so, I am going to give it a try. At first living a disciplined life is hard

to do. Once you can and do, after a while, it becomes a habit. I would go

so far as to say it might become a good habit. So I will see if a type2 can

do it, even though I think my beta cells are shot. It will just require

more insulin units than it would for a type1.

Castanada said in the Secret Doctrines of Don , " All paths lead

to the same place even as they crisscross each other. The important thing

is to always follow the path with heart in it. " If you find you are not on

the path with heart in it, just get on that path at the next fork in the

road. At least I think this is some kind of paraphrase of his statements.

Of course Yogi Bearrer was a great philosopher, too. He said, " When you

come to a fork in the road, take it! " <smile>

I wish both of us good fortune as we follow our paths. If I can help, just

ask. I will try to give a good answer or at least a good excuse.

Re: diabetes night and day

>I think there's one important thing to remember: no one ever said

>exercising with type 1 diabetes was easy. It's beneficial in the same way

>that it's beneficial for everyone (fitness, keeps weight down, and for type

>1 also improves blood sugar and yes, lessens the amount of insulin someone

>needs if they exercise regularly). But no one has ever advocated simply

>going out and exercising on the spur of the moment, or else it definitely

>will cause havoc with blood sugars.

>

> Picture a scale. On one side of this scale is food, which raises blood

> sugar. On the other side of this scale is insulin and exercise, which

> lower blood sugar. In order to be able to exercise and keep good control

> you've got to know how to keep the scale balanced. Exercise lowers blood

> sugar which tips the scale, so in order to keep it balanced when you

> exercise you either have to eat extra food, take less insulin, or a

> combination of the two. It is perfectly possible to exercise and keep good

> control. I don't know if it is possible to do this on a low carbohydrate

> diet, but I would think it would be much, much harder. But I exercised for

> 45 minutes yesterday doing brisk walking and my blood sugar was 5.7 or 103

> before starting, 3.8 or 68 mid-way through, 5.3 or 95 after finishing, 5.8

> or 104 several hours later at dinner, 6.2 or 112 after dinner, 6.7 or 121

> before bed, and 6.3 or 113 at 2:00 AM. I was high this morning as I

> usually am but by mid-morning my blood sugar was 6.2 or 113 and it was 4.9

> or 88 at lunch. How did I keep it from going low? I ate food before I

> exercised, I ate food during exercise, I reduced my Humalog at the next

> meal, and I reduced my bedtime Lantus slightly (but not the morning shot

> of Lantus). What does that slight low during exercise mean? That I should

> eat more before I start next time, or start with my blood sugar slightly

> higher, or reduce my Humalog a bit more at the meal prior to exercising.

>

> So is it totally different? I'm not sure. I don't know if type 2s have the

> same effects on their blood sugar as type 1s. Is it impossible to

> exercise? Definitely not, although for a type 1 you are right that

> exercise is not beneficial in the same way as it might be for a type 2,

> but it is still beneficial. Does it take more work to exercise?

> Definitely! Read the books Using Insulin (or Pumping Insulin) by

> Walsh, or visit his website at www.diabetesmall.net, or read The Diabetic

> Athlete by Sheri Colberg to get detailed guidelines about how to handle

> exercise (how much to eat, how much to reduce insulin, when to time

> exercise after insulin shots, etc.). No, it is not a precise science and

> occasionally things might go wrong, but then I have yet to be convinced

> that diabetes is completely predictable. Also you must be careful on

> recommendations. Just as aerobic exercise can cause blood sugars to

> plummet, anaerobic exercise can cause them to skyrocket (even when they

> don't start out high). Exercise in general for type 1s is very much an

> artful science and has always been so in my experience. No, you can't just

> hop on a bike and go for a four hour bike ride without any preparation and

> expect things to turn out, but there's also no need to avoid exercise or

> certain types of exercise if you are willing to put in the effort and time

> needed to figure out and fine-tune your blood sugars.

>

> Jen

>

>

[Guest guest]

I must say even Dr. Bernstein says his program is a difficult one to follow.

He does not promise an easy road.

Re: diabetes night and day

>

>

>>I think there's one important thing to remember: no one ever said

>>exercising with type 1 diabetes was easy. It's beneficial in the same way

>>that it's beneficial for everyone (fitness, keeps weight down, and for

>>type

>>1 also improves blood sugar and yes, lessens the amount of insulin someone

>>needs if they exercise regularly). But no one has ever advocated simply

>>going out and exercising on the spur of the moment, or else it definitely

>>will cause havoc with blood sugars.

>>

>> Picture a scale. On one side of this scale is food, which raises blood

>> sugar. On the other side of this scale is insulin and exercise, which

>> lower blood sugar. In order to be able to exercise and keep good control

>> you've got to know how to keep the scale balanced. Exercise lowers blood

>> sugar which tips the scale, so in order to keep it balanced when you

>> exercise you either have to eat extra food, take less insulin, or a

>> combination of the two. It is perfectly possible to exercise and keep

>> good

>> control. I don't know if it is possible to do this on a low carbohydrate

>> diet, but I would think it would be much, much harder. But I exercised

>> for

>> 45 minutes yesterday doing brisk walking and my blood sugar was 5.7 or

>> 103

>> before starting, 3.8 or 68 mid-way through, 5.3 or 95 after finishing,

>> 5.8

>> or 104 several hours later at dinner, 6.2 or 112 after dinner, 6.7 or 121

>> before bed, and 6.3 or 113 at 2:00 AM. I was high this morning as I

>> usually am but by mid-morning my blood sugar was 6.2 or 113 and it was

>> 4.9

>> or 88 at lunch. How did I keep it from going low? I ate food before I

>> exercised, I ate food during exercise, I reduced my Humalog at the next

>> meal, and I reduced my bedtime Lantus slightly (but not the morning shot

>> of Lantus). What does that slight low during exercise mean? That I should

>> eat more before I start next time, or start with my blood sugar slightly

>> higher, or reduce my Humalog a bit more at the meal prior to exercising.

>>

>> So is it totally different? I'm not sure. I don't know if type 2s have

>> the

>> same effects on their blood sugar as type 1s. Is it impossible to

>> exercise? Definitely not, although for a type 1 you are right that

>> exercise is not beneficial in the same way as it might be for a type 2,

>> but it is still beneficial. Does it take more work to exercise?

>> Definitely! Read the books Using Insulin (or Pumping Insulin) by

>> Walsh, or visit his website at www.diabetesmall.net, or read The Diabetic

>> Athlete by Sheri Colberg to get detailed guidelines about how to handle

>> exercise (how much to eat, how much to reduce insulin, when to time

>> exercise after insulin shots, etc.). No, it is not a precise science and

>> occasionally things might go wrong, but then I have yet to be convinced

>> that diabetes is completely predictable. Also you must be careful on

>> recommendations. Just as aerobic exercise can cause blood sugars to

>> plummet, anaerobic exercise can cause them to skyrocket (even when they

>> don't start out high). Exercise in general for type 1s is very much an

>> artful science and has always been so in my experience. No, you can't

>> just

>> hop on a bike and go for a four hour bike ride without any preparation

>> and

>> expect things to turn out, but there's also no need to avoid exercise or

>> certain types of exercise if you are willing to put in the effort and

>> time

>> needed to figure out and fine-tune your blood sugars.

>>

>> Jen

>>

>>

[Guest guest]

I think it depends on what is considered good control.

I do not know if being young, or being a woman, makes any difference. I would be

curious to know how many of Dr. Bernstein's patients are, in fact, young women.

I went to his website and they all seem to be 50 or older for the most part.

This is not necessarily bad, but perhaps this is partly why he does not think

that there is any kind of randomness factor in diabetes, while I definitely

think there is.

The truth is that even non-diabetics have blood sugars of up to 8 after they

eat. They do not get complications. Is it necessary to keep blood sugars at 4.5

constantly, around the clock, and totally change lifestyle in terms of eating an

exercising to avoid complications? Why do some people get complications after 20

years and some after 45 years and a few, never? Who can say for certain whether

the danger zone starts at 6.0 or 8.0 or 10.0? Does it matter if blood sugar is

high for only a few minutes or hours compared to all the time? Which is worse --

having blood sugar which bounces from high to low, or having blood sugar which

is stable but high all the time? Who is to say how much bouncing can happen

before complications will start?

Maybe if I end up with complications some day I will change my opinion. But the

truth is that the people getting complications now are people who were diagnosed

20, 30, 40 and more years ago. Who is to say that those diagnosed sooner will

end up with as many or any complications? Will a pre-schooler diagnosed with

type 1 diabetes today who is put on an insulin pump six months after diagnosis

end up with the same complications as someone diagnosed before blood glucose

meters were available, even if the two eat identical diets?

I do not mean to say that those who are successful on a certain diet should

change it. But one change in food can't be the be-all-and-end-all of diabetes

control. If it works for some people that is great. I don't mean to say that it

wouldn't work for me. It might. But right now I would not be able, or maybe just

wouldn't be willing, to change my entire lifestyle to eat meals at set times and

have such a different diet and restrict exercise so much. Again, maybe in 10 or

20 or 30 years I will change my mind. But there are two types of people -- those

who shape their lives to fit around their diabetes, and those who make their

diabetes fit around their lives, even if it means they don't have quite as good

control as they could. I am not sure what makes the difference between those two

perspectives. I don't know if one is better than the other.

Jen

Re: diabetes night and day

>

>

>>I think there's one important thing to remember: no one ever said

>>exercising with type 1 diabetes was easy. It's beneficial in the same way

>>that it's beneficial for everyone (fitness, keeps weight down, and for

>>type

>>1 also improves blood sugar and yes, lessens the amount of insulin someone

>>needs if they exercise regularly). But no one has ever advocated simply

>>going out and exercising on the spur of the moment, or else it definitely

>>will cause havoc with blood sugars.

>>

>> Picture a scale. On one side of this scale is food, which raises blood

>> sugar. On the other side of this scale is insulin and exercise, which

>> lower blood sugar. In order to be able to exercise and keep good control

>> you've got to know how to keep the scale balanced. Exercise lowers blood

>> sugar which tips the scale, so in order to keep it balanced when you

>> exercise you either have to eat extra food, take less insulin, or a

>> combination of the two. It is perfectly possible to exercise and keep

>> good

>> control. I don't know if it is possible to do this on a low carbohydrate

>> diet, but I would think it would be much, much harder. But I exercised

>> for

>> 45 minutes yesterday doing brisk walking and my blood sugar was 5.7 or

>> 103

>> before starting, 3.8 or 68 mid-way through, 5.3 or 95 after finishing,

>> 5.8

>> or 104 several hours later at dinner, 6.2 or 112 after dinner, 6.7 or 121

>> before bed, and 6.3 or 113 at 2:00 AM. I was high this morning as I

>> usually am but by mid-morning my blood sugar was 6.2 or 113 and it was

>> 4.9

>> or 88 at lunch. How did I keep it from going low? I ate food before I

>> exercised, I ate food during exercise, I reduced my Humalog at the next

>> meal, and I reduced my bedtime Lantus slightly (but not the morning shot

>> of Lantus). What does that slight low during exercise mean? That I should

>> eat more before I start next time, or start with my blood sugar slightly

>> higher, or reduce my Humalog a bit more at the meal prior to exercising.

>>

>> So is it totally different? I'm not sure. I don't know if type 2s have

>> the

>> same effects on their blood sugar as type 1s. Is it impossible to

>> exercise? Definitely not, although for a type 1 you are right that

>> exercise is not beneficial in the same way as it might be for a type 2,

>> but it is still beneficial. Does it take more work to exercise?

>> Definitely! Read the books Using Insulin (or Pumping Insulin) by

>> Walsh, or visit his website at www.diabetesmall.net, or read The Diabetic

>> Athlete by Sheri Colberg to get detailed guidelines about how to handle

>> exercise (how much to eat, how much to reduce insulin, when to time

>> exercise after insulin shots, etc.). No, it is not a precise science and

>> occasionally things might go wrong, but then I have yet to be convinced

>> that diabetes is completely predictable. Also you must be careful on

>> recommendations. Just as aerobic exercise can cause blood sugars to

>> plummet, anaerobic exercise can cause them to skyrocket (even when they

>> don't start out high). Exercise in general for type 1s is very much an

>> artful science and has always been so in my experience. No, you can't

>> just

>> hop on a bike and go for a four hour bike ride without any preparation

>> and

>> expect things to turn out, but there's also no need to avoid exercise or

>> certain types of exercise if you are willing to put in the effort and

>> time

>> needed to figure out and fine-tune your blood sugars.

>>

>> Jen

>>

>>

[Guest guest]

I agree. For me I have defined good control as having an A1C of 5.5 or

lower, and I have met this goal for the past year and a half quarter after

quarter. What do you define for yourself as good control? Just for the

hell of it I am going to have normalized bs levels at some point in the

future, but not right now. It is at least another option to try. Us old

fogies also like to have some goals to shoot for. You raise many points,

practically every one I have pondered. I believe genetics sets the limits

and how we interact with the environment will tell how far these limits will

be realized for the most part. In the end the proof will be in the pudding.

You are doing well so far, and I hope you continue to do well. After all we

must remember even Dr. Bernstein did not start on his quest to have normal

bs levels until he was 36 years of age. It took many years for him to

master control.

Re: diabetes night and day

> >

> >

> >>I think there's one important thing to remember: no one ever said

> >>exercising with type 1 diabetes was easy. It's beneficial in the same

> way

> >>that it's beneficial for everyone (fitness, keeps weight down, and for

> >>type

> >>1 also improves blood sugar and yes, lessens the amount of insulin

> someone

> >>needs if they exercise regularly). But no one has ever advocated simply

> >>going out and exercising on the spur of the moment, or else it

> definitely

> >>will cause havoc with blood sugars.

> >>

> >> Picture a scale. On one side of this scale is food, which raises blood

> >> sugar. On the other side of this scale is insulin and exercise, which

> >> lower blood sugar. In order to be able to exercise and keep good

> control

> >> you've got to know how to keep the scale balanced. Exercise lowers

> blood

> >> sugar which tips the scale, so in order to keep it balanced when you

> >> exercise you either have to eat extra food, take less insulin, or a

> >> combination of the two. It is perfectly possible to exercise and keep

> >> good

> >> control. I don't know if it is possible to do this on a low

> carbohydrate

> >> diet, but I would think it would be much, much harder. But I exercised

> >> for

> >> 45 minutes yesterday doing brisk walking and my blood sugar was 5.7 or

> >> 103

> >> before starting, 3.8 or 68 mid-way through, 5.3 or 95 after finishing,

> >> 5.8

> >> or 104 several hours later at dinner, 6.2 or 112 after dinner, 6.7 or

> 121

> >> before bed, and 6.3 or 113 at 2:00 AM. I was high this morning as I

> >> usually am but by mid-morning my blood sugar was 6.2 or 113 and it was

> >> 4.9

> >> or 88 at lunch. How did I keep it from going low? I ate food before I

> >> exercised, I ate food during exercise, I reduced my Humalog at the

> next

> >> meal, and I reduced my bedtime Lantus slightly (but not the morning

> shot

> >> of Lantus). What does that slight low during exercise mean? That I

> should

> >> eat more before I start next time, or start with my blood sugar

> slightly

> >> higher, or reduce my Humalog a bit more at the meal prior to

> exercising.

> >>

> >> So is it totally different? I'm not sure. I don't know if type 2s have

> >> the

> >> same effects on their blood sugar as type 1s. Is it impossible to

> >> exercise? Definitely not, although for a type 1 you are right that

> >> exercise is not beneficial in the same way as it might be for a type

> 2,

> >> but it is still beneficial. Does it take more work to exercise?

> >> Definitely! Read the books Using Insulin (or Pumping Insulin) by

> >> Walsh, or visit his website at www.diabetesmall.net, or read The

> Diabetic

> >> Athlete by Sheri Colberg to get detailed guidelines about how to

> handle

> >> exercise (how much to eat, how much to reduce insulin, when to time

> >> exercise after insulin shots, etc.). No, it is not a precise science

> and

> >> occasionally things might go wrong, but then I have yet to be

> convinced

> >> that diabetes is completely predictable. Also you must be careful on

> >> recommendations. Just as aerobic exercise can cause blood sugars to

> >> plummet, anaerobic exercise can cause them to skyrocket (even when

> they

> >> don't start out high). Exercise in general for type 1s is very much an

> >> artful science and has always been so in my experience. No, you can't

> >> just

> >> hop on a bike and go for a four hour bike ride without any preparation

> >> and

> >> expect things to turn out, but there's also no need to avoid exercise

> or

> >> certain types of exercise if you are willing to put in the effort and

> >> time

> >> needed to figure out and fine-tune your blood sugars.

> >>

> >> Jen

> >>

> >>

[Guest guest]

You're right Dave. Exercising over a BG of 250 can make your sugar rise

even more and put you into dka-especially if you are type 1.

Re: diabetes night and day

Well said. In the context of exercise, one thing some folks may not be

aware of is, that should you happen to be running high, specifically above

240, it may be advisable not to exercise until the bg drops. I forget what

it is, but it has something to do with ketoses.

Dave

Life is but a blink of the eye--eternity is coming...

Re: diabetes night and day

>I think there's one important thing to remember: no one ever said

>exercising with type 1 diabetes was easy. It's beneficial in the same way

>that it's beneficial for everyone (fitness, keeps weight down, and for type

>1 also improves blood sugar and yes, lessens the amount of insulin someone

>needs if they exercise regularly). But no one has ever advocated simply

>going out and exercising on the spur of the moment, or else it definitely

>will cause havoc with blood sugars.

>

> Picture a scale. On one side of this scale is food, which raises blood

> sugar. On the other side of this scale is insulin and exercise, which

> lower blood sugar. In order to be able to exercise and keep good control

> you've got to know how to keep the scale balanced. Exercise lowers blood

> sugar which tips the scale, so in order to keep it balanced when you

> exercise you either have to eat extra food, take less insulin, or a

> combination of the two. It is perfectly possible to exercise and keep good

> control. I don't know if it is possible to do this on a low carbohydrate

> diet, but I would think it would be much, much harder. But I exercised for

> 45 minutes yesterday doing brisk walking and my blood sugar was 5.7 or 103

> before starting, 3.8 or 68 mid-way through, 5.3 or 95 after finishing, 5.8

> or 104 several hours later at dinner, 6.2 or 112 after dinner, 6.7 or 121

> before bed, and 6.3 or 113 at 2:00 AM. I was high this morning as I

> usually am but by mid-morning my blood sugar was 6.2 or 113 and it was 4.9

> or 88 at lunch. How did I keep it from going low? I ate food before I

> exercised, I ate food during exercise, I reduced my Humalog at the next

> meal, and I reduced my bedtime Lantus slightly (but not the morning shot

> of Lantus). What does that slight low during exercise mean? That I should

> eat more before I start next time, or start with my blood sugar slightly

> higher, or reduce my Humalog a bit more at the meal prior to exercising.

>

> So is it totally different? I'm not sure. I don't know if type 2s have the

> same effects on their blood sugar as type 1s. Is it impossible to

> exercise? Definitely not, although for a type 1 you are right that

> exercise is not beneficial in the same way as it might be for a type 2,

> but it is still beneficial. Does it take more work to exercise?

> Definitely! Read the books Using Insulin (or Pumping Insulin) by

> Walsh, or visit his website at www.diabetesmall.net, or read The Diabetic

> Athlete by Sheri Colberg to get detailed guidelines about how to handle

> exercise (how much to eat, how much to reduce insulin, when to time

> exercise after insulin shots, etc.). No, it is not a precise science and

> occasionally things might go wrong, but then I have yet to be convinced

> that diabetes is completely predictable. Also you must be careful on

> recommendations. Just as aerobic exercise can cause blood sugars to

> plummet, anaerobic exercise can cause them to skyrocket (even when they

> don't start out high). Exercise in general for type 1s is very much an

> artful science and has always been so in my experience. No, you can't just

> hop on a bike and go for a four hour bike ride without any preparation and

> expect things to turn out, but there's also no need to avoid exercise or

> certain types of exercise if you are willing to put in the effort and time

> needed to figure out and fine-tune your blood sugars.

>

> Jen

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have never advocated that a type1 never

engage in aerobics. I am advocating that a type1 engage in aerobics on an

intermittant program. This will give the type1 greater control over their

bs levels. Any diabetic will only be able to tell the effect of a specific

exercise program only by pre-exercise testing and post-exercise testing of

the bs. Having some constancy in the type, duration, and level of exercise

performed is the only way I know for a person to gain some mastery and

control over their bs level within certain limits. If limits don't matter,

then there is little need to check if one can reach and maintain them. As

far as I am concerned the same holds true for diet and insulin dosage for

the type1, and it also applies to the type2.

The diabetic will have to decide for themselves whether mastering control

over the limits is worth it to them or not. I do not expect any diabetic to

master a whole host of things at once like diet, medication dosage,

exercise, .etc. I advocate mastering control over the limits with one thing

at a time. I also know that firm mastery requires consistent achievement

over time within established limits. When one masters one thing, then try

another. I know they are all interrelated, but I do not believe bs level

control and mastery with the type1 or the type2 has to be a crap shoot. Do

one thing at a time. I feel that diet and medication dosage is the most

important things for the diabetic to master first. Once he has mastered

that, then master the exercise thing. It all takes time and effort. Maybe

we need to develop more patience with ourselves. I can predict within a

point or two how many bs points will be raised by a single carb consumed. I

can also predict within a point or two how many bs points will be lowered by

a single unit of Humalog. You can, too. Therefore it is reasonable to one

day predict the limits diet, medications and ultimately exercise all

combined will affect your bs levels within limits. I never said it would be

easy. I just believe it can be done.

Re: diabetes night and day

>> >

>> >

>> >>I think there's one important thing to remember: no one ever said

>> >>exercising with type 1 diabetes was easy. It's beneficial in the same

>> way

>> >>that it's beneficial for everyone (fitness, keeps weight down, and for

>> >>type

>> >>1 also improves blood sugar and yes, lessens the amount of insulin

>> someone

>> >>needs if they exercise regularly). But no one has ever advocated

>> simply

>> >>going out and exercising on the spur of the moment, or else it

>> definitely

>> >>will cause havoc with blood sugars.

>> >>

>> >> Picture a scale. On one side of this scale is food, which raises

>> blood

>> >> sugar. On the other side of this scale is insulin and exercise, which

>> >> lower blood sugar. In order to be able to exercise and keep good

>> control

>> >> you've got to know how to keep the scale balanced. Exercise lowers

>> blood

>> >> sugar which tips the scale, so in order to keep it balanced when you

>> >> exercise you either have to eat extra food, take less insulin, or a

>> >> combination of the two. It is perfectly possible to exercise and keep

>> >> good

>> >> control. I don't know if it is possible to do this on a low

>> carbohydrate

>> >> diet, but I would think it would be much, much harder. But I

>> exercised

>> >> for

>> >> 45 minutes yesterday doing brisk walking and my blood sugar was 5.7

>> or

>> >> 103

>> >> before starting, 3.8 or 68 mid-way through, 5.3 or 95 after

>> finishing,

>> >> 5.8

>> >> or 104 several hours later at dinner, 6.2 or 112 after dinner, 6.7 or

>> 121

>> >> before bed, and 6.3 or 113 at 2:00 AM. I was high this morning as I

>> >> usually am but by mid-morning my blood sugar was 6.2 or 113 and it

>> was

>> >> 4.9

>> >> or 88 at lunch. How did I keep it from going low? I ate food before I

>> >> exercised, I ate food during exercise, I reduced my Humalog at the

>> next

>> >> meal, and I reduced my bedtime Lantus slightly (but not the morning

>> shot

>> >> of Lantus). What does that slight low during exercise mean? That I

>> should

>> >> eat more before I start next time, or start with my blood sugar

>> slightly

>> >> higher, or reduce my Humalog a bit more at the meal prior to

>> exercising.

>> >>

>> >> So is it totally different? I'm not sure. I don't know if type 2s

>> have

>> >> the

>> >> same effects on their blood sugar as type 1s. Is it impossible to

>> >> exercise? Definitely not, although for a type 1 you are right that

>> >> exercise is not beneficial in the same way as it might be for a type

>> 2,

>> >> but it is still beneficial. Does it take more work to exercise?

>> >> Definitely! Read the books Using Insulin (or Pumping Insulin) by

>> >> Walsh, or visit his website at www.diabetesmall.net, or read The

>> Diabetic

>> >> Athlete by Sheri Colberg to get detailed guidelines about how to

>> handle

>> >> exercise (how much to eat, how much to reduce insulin, when to time

>> >> exercise after insulin shots, etc.). No, it is not a precise science

>> and

>> >> occasionally things might go wrong, but then I have yet to be

>> convinced

>> >> that diabetes is completely predictable. Also you must be careful on

>> >> recommendations. Just as aerobic exercise can cause blood sugars to

>> >> plummet, anaerobic exercise can cause them to skyrocket (even when

>> they

>> >> don't start out high). Exercise in general for type 1s is very much

>> an

>> >> artful science and has always been so in my experience. No, you can't

>> >> just

>> >> hop on a bike and go for a four hour bike ride without any

>> preparation

>> >> and

>> >> expect things to turn out, but there's also no need to avoid exercise

>> or

>> >> certain types of exercise if you are willing to put in the effort and

>> >> time

>> >> needed to figure out and fine-tune your blood sugars.

>> >>

>> >> Jen

>> >>

>> >>

[Guest guest]

Hi Jen,

I would tend to agree with you.

Ruth

Re: diabetes night and day

I think it depends on what is considered good control.

I do not know if being young, or being a woman, makes any difference. I

would be curious to know how many of Dr. Bernstein's patients are, in fact,

young women. I went to his website and they all seem to be 50 or older for

the most part. This is not necessarily bad, but perhaps this is partly why

he does not think that there is any kind of randomness factor in diabetes,

while I definitely think there is.

The truth is that even non-diabetics have blood sugars of up to 8 after they

eat. They do not get complications. Is it necessary to keep blood sugars at

4.5 constantly, around the clock, and totally change lifestyle in terms of

eating an exercising to avoid complications? Why do some people get

complications after 20 years and some after 45 years and a few, never? Who

can say for certain whether the danger zone starts at 6.0 or 8.0 or 10.0?

Does it matter if blood sugar is high for only a few minutes or hours

compared to all the time? Which is worse -- having blood sugar which bounces

from high to low, or having blood sugar which is stable but high all the

time? Who is to say how much bouncing can happen before complications will

start?

Maybe if I end up with complications some day I will change my opinion. But

the truth is that the people getting complications now are people who were

diagnosed 20, 30, 40 and more years ago. Who is to say that those diagnosed

sooner will end up with as many or any complications? Will a pre-schooler

diagnosed with type 1 diabetes today who is put on an insulin pump six

months after diagnosis end up with the same complications as someone

diagnosed before blood glucose meters were available, even if the two eat

identical diets?

I do not mean to say that those who are successful on a certain diet should

change it. But one change in food can't be the be-all-and-end-all of

diabetes control. If it works for some people that is great. I don't mean to

say that it wouldn't work for me. It might. But right now I would not be

able, or maybe just wouldn't be willing, to change my entire lifestyle to

eat meals at set times and have such a different diet and restrict exercise

so much. Again, maybe in 10 or 20 or 30 years I will change my mind. But

there are two types of people -- those who shape their lives to fit around

their diabetes, and those who make their diabetes fit around their lives,

even if it means they don't have quite as good control as they could. I am

not sure what makes the difference between those two perspectives. I don't

know if one is better than the other.

Jen

Re: diabetes night and day

>

>

>>I think there's one important thing to remember: no one ever said

>>exercising with type 1 diabetes was easy. It's beneficial in the same

way

>>that it's beneficial for everyone (fitness, keeps weight down, and for

>>type

>>1 also improves blood sugar and yes, lessens the amount of insulin

someone

>>needs if they exercise regularly). But no one has ever advocated simply

>>going out and exercising on the spur of the moment, or else it

definitely

>>will cause havoc with blood sugars.

>>

>> Picture a scale. On one side of this scale is food, which raises blood

>> sugar. On the other side of this scale is insulin and exercise, which

>> lower blood sugar. In order to be able to exercise and keep good

control

>> you've got to know how to keep the scale balanced. Exercise lowers

blood

>> sugar which tips the scale, so in order to keep it balanced when you

>> exercise you either have to eat extra food, take less insulin, or a

>> combination of the two. It is perfectly possible to exercise and keep

>> good

>> control. I don't know if it is possible to do this on a low

carbohydrate

>> diet, but I would think it would be much, much harder. But I exercised

>> for

>> 45 minutes yesterday doing brisk walking and my blood sugar was 5.7 or

>> 103

>> before starting, 3.8 or 68 mid-way through, 5.3 or 95 after finishing,

>> 5.8

>> or 104 several hours later at dinner, 6.2 or 112 after dinner, 6.7 or

121

>> before bed, and 6.3 or 113 at 2:00 AM. I was high this morning as I

>> usually am but by mid-morning my blood sugar was 6.2 or 113 and it was

>> 4.9

>> or 88 at lunch. How did I keep it from going low? I ate food before I

>> exercised, I ate food during exercise, I reduced my Humalog at the next

>> meal, and I reduced my bedtime Lantus slightly (but not the morning

shot

>> of Lantus). What does that slight low during exercise mean? That I

should

>> eat more before I start next time, or start with my blood sugar

slightly

>> higher, or reduce my Humalog a bit more at the meal prior to

exercising.

>>

>> So is it totally different? I'm not sure. I don't know if type 2s have

>> the

>> same effects on their blood sugar as type 1s. Is it impossible to

>> exercise? Definitely not, although for a type 1 you are right that

>> exercise is not beneficial in the same way as it might be for a type 2,

>> but it is still beneficial. Does it take more work to exercise?

>> Definitely! Read the books Using Insulin (or Pumping Insulin) by

>> Walsh, or visit his website at www.diabetesmall.net, or read The

Diabetic

>> Athlete by Sheri Colberg to get detailed guidelines about how to handle

>> exercise (how much to eat, how much to reduce insulin, when to time

>> exercise after insulin shots, etc.). No, it is not a precise science

and

>> occasionally things might go wrong, but then I have yet to be convinced

>> that diabetes is completely predictable. Also you must be careful on

>> recommendations. Just as aerobic exercise can cause blood sugars to

>> plummet, anaerobic exercise can cause them to skyrocket (even when they

>> don't start out high). Exercise in general for type 1s is very much an

>> artful science and has always been so in my experience. No, you can't

>> just

>> hop on a bike and go for a four hour bike ride without any preparation

>> and

>> expect things to turn out, but there's also no need to avoid exercise

or

>> certain types of exercise if you are willing to put in the effort and

>> time

>> needed to figure out and fine-tune your blood sugars.

>>

>> Jen

>>

>>