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Permalink Reply by meee on July 14, 2012 at 12:16pm

I also think a low carb diet will help everything, not just weight loss. I don't think you need to load carbs for a low. Do an experiment and see how much glucose tabs raise you without any food and then just take them when you're low, retest 15 minutes later to see if you are ok and then eat a low carb high protein snack.

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Permalink Reply by Monica on August 9, 2012 at 6:03pm

Ok, so I know how hard this is. I'm on a pump so carb to insulin ratio. Plus also blood sugar to insulin ratio. Still blood sugar all over the place and now I add walking to lose weight ?!?! My doc says to suspend pump just before walking but I still go low, and then need to take in way too many carbs, so even though I'm walking I'm still slowly but surely gaining weight !!! Help ! What to do, What to do ? In the past to stay thin I've played the " keep my blood sugar running high to stay thin" game. but after 40 years of Type 1, I no longer feel this is safe. So, I feel your pain, but really don't know myself what to do.

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Permalink Reply by Super_sally on August 9, 2012 at 6:42pm

If you usually run high, then a lot of the sugars from meals will not be absorbed and will instead be peed out (and can't be used). When you then use insulin to control blood sugars the sugar now becomes available to cells. This could mean that your total available calories has increased. I don't know how many calories you usually eat, but maybe you would need to reduce it a bit if this is possibly happening.

However, for health a normal woman should not eat less than 1500 - 1800 calories a day. If you are eating this or less, then the approach would be to change what you eat rather than to eat less calories. Ie. change the proports of carbs, fats and proteins. Counter to what many of us have been taught this may mean eating more fat and protein and less carbs.

From what I've read, the way to reduce weight is to reduce insulin doses. The safest way to do this is to eat lower carb, which will also help with lessening the swinging.

For exercise, corrections can be done using glucose tablets rather than by eating lots of food, combined with lots of testing to fine tune the actual amounts of carbs to the requirements.

Another option might be to walk after a regular meal, but to bolus less than usual for that meal. The rise in sugars that would usually be from that meal will be counteracted by the drop from the exercise. You'd have to test frequently to work it out, but may be something to try.

Am sure others will give excellent advice.

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Permalink Reply by Monica on August 9, 2012 at 7:22pm

thanks, any suggestions are welcome !

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Permalink Reply by PedsRN on August 10, 2012 at 1:53am

I have also been through this same thing. Why exercise when I have to eat more calories than I just burned? My advice would be to employ the rule of 15 for lows, test, test and test some more and figure out what your patterns are related to exercise. I don't suspend my pump but I decrease the basal rate 1 hour before I start or for however long it is I plan on working out. And depending on what the number is before I start determines whether or not I have a carb snack prior to starting. And I never exercise with active insulin on, your setting yourself up for a low.

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Permalink Reply by Jethro on August 27, 2012 at 5:09pm

It can be tough but from what I've seen us T-1 diabetics refuse to give up. I made a decision to lower my suppertime insulin shot. I used to raise or lower it depending on the meal, now I take the same amount every day and if the meal is high-carb then I eat less of it. It didn't seem like a very big change but I have dropped from 205 to 191 over the last four months. Also, I started swimming at night (7:30 ish) and then I had to lower my insulin even more because otherwise I would be low all night..

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Permalink Reply by Jethro on August 27, 2012 at 5:21pm

One more thing... My Son pointed out that after exercise our muscles use glucose to facilitate the repair process. I wish I could be more specific but the repair process has too many variables ie... which muscle group, how long was the workout, how are you feeling physically? emotionally? ......
If possible use a Dexcom CGM to become more familiar with the patterns in your blood sugar after meals, and during workouts.

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on August 27, 2012 at 8:32pm

Protein repairs muscles.

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Permalink Reply by Monica on August 29, 2012 at 10:42am

Thanks Jethro, your info is great ! And you're right, us Type 1 diabetics CANNOT give up ! I am on a Medronic pump and use a Contour Link to check my blood sugar which send wirelessly my blood sugar to my pump and then every two weeks I download my pump stats onto my computer and then email everything to my Endo. So he then emails me back with what changes to make on my pump. I used to figure all this out on my own but, now the doc is involved, so have less leeway to change things myself. I am trying just eating less carbs all the way around, or not putting the amount of carbs into my pump so therefore my pump is not giving me insulin if I don't put the carbs in. Trying more protein ? Maybe that will work.

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