Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on August 20, 2012 at 7:54pm

Because you are kicking ass! I was in the same boat a few years ago, felt like I needed to lose weight and get in shape. I started walking, partially to get more fit for martial arts classes, and have kept at it and at it and at it and it keeps going.

When I started saying "I need to do something, I'll walk around the neighborhood...", it was sort of weird but I just had to say "I'm going to do it and do it". I was inspired by a lady in our old neighborhood who'd do "laps" with her husband and walker. Rain/snow/ sleet, she was out there. I didn't ever walk up and say "way to go" but she was out there and, when I'd think, "nah, I'll just blow it off..." I'd remember her and head on out for a lap myself.

BG wise, I get a buzz when I'm running, a lot of times, I sort of "push it" to get home (or, maybe, I want to say "I'm DONE!"?) and my BG will drift up but the corrections are way over what they need to be and then I'll crash out. I've sort of got "habits" to work around that, a small bolus, take shower and eat something after more significant runs or do about 8-12G carbs/ 3 miles (185 lbs or so?) if I'm going farther. I "cheat" in that I have a CGM so, if I see it crashing out, I'll have something to eat. I bring stuff along but don't overdo it. I also figure some of the carbs are for "fuel" rather than BG. They usually have Gatorade at races, even 5K (although a lot of times, I can blow off carbs for a 5K, if I'm in the right spot beforehand...), so having a snack "en route" doesn't make you less sporty, it may make you more sporty? Keep it up!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by JohnG on August 21, 2012 at 6:34am

You may need to eat a small amount of glucose during your activity. If you continue to go low every time you walk you will lose your Hypo-sensitivity and this will add more risk for anyone that's using insulin...JMHO

[Today I waited intentionally and the results were the same. Why does this happen?]

When your BG is low your body will warn you but if you do not eat some carbs then your body will find some

other way to correct the problem (Glycogen), and if you do this repeatedly it will stop giving the warning signs.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Shawnmarie on August 21, 2012 at 9:32am

Others have addressed the decrease in BG during the walk and how to prevent going low, but it sounds to me like you're also asking about the rise after the walk. My first question would be how recently had you eaten before the walk? When I walk or exercise, I find that the activity eats up the glucose in the blood pretty rapidly, but if I've eaten with the last two hours or so, when I stop the activity, continued digestion of the food brings the BG back up. At least that's my best guess as to what's happening for me; might be the same for you.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by smileandnod on August 21, 2012 at 10:49am

The same thing happens for me when I walk, even if I bottom out at a point that's not below 70 and with no food or IOB. The key for me has been to try to figure out how much I drop to look for a pattern and then to balance a starting blood sugar or glucose consumption during that will bring me to a point that's not low. My bg drop and subsequent rise is usually 30ish points.

After I walk and watch the rise after, I wait until it stabilizes and then eat and correct if I need to. I never walk with active IOB if I can help it. Of course, all this is easier with a cgm.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Super_sally on August 21, 2012 at 7:39pm

Hello,

You don't want to go into the 50s on a regular basis. The lowest I'd be comfortable with is the 70s, and preferably the high 70s.

I reckon a small snack half way though your walk may help. How long do you walk for? I'd want to eat the snack about 15 minute before you expect to start going low.

Maybe something like 1/2 banana, or a small apple, a couple of squares of chocolate, a handful of nuts, or a half glass of milk (all small and able to be put in a walker's pocket) but aren't going to ruin your diet efforts.

The ideal thing is to keep things steady rather than to go low. You could experiment with snack and how much. This will be particularly important as you get fitter and start pushing the activity either further or faster.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stemwinder on August 22, 2012 at 5:43pm

Thanks everyone. I think maybe a small snack mid walk might be the answer. I did step up my walking. I was walking about 3 mile a day and had reached my goal and had tried to sorta back off a little and maintain but I started to regain a little weight. So I stepped it back up to get rid of to extra 5 pounds I had gained. Thats when I started having lows. Thanks Ya'll for your help.

Gary S

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by acidrock23 on August 22, 2012 at 8:16pm

It may also be useful to do the snack before the walk, depending on how long the walk is and what the snack is. If the walk takes an hour (easy math, LOL...), and the snack is a "food" snack, 30 minutes after 1/2 way, the snack may not even be hitting your BG yet? If you go faster, then I'd say more confidently but I know everyone goes at different speeds and the timing is important to figuring out where to put the snack.

• ▶ Reply