Any VF'ers with Type I or II diabetes?

GymRatt · 09-04-04, 09:44 PM

What symptoms did you have leading up to your diagnosis?
Also, how does the disease affect your workouts? (ie Do you have to workout more/less? Do you have to eat before and/or after your workouts?)

TIA

Lucysql · 09-04-04, 10:20 PM

Yes, you have to adjust food, exercise, and insulin--because for diabetics the balancing act among those three things doesn't happen automatically the way it does for most of us.

DH has been a Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic for many years; diagnosed as a child. Symptoms leading up to diagnosis were the classic ones--weight loss, extreme thirst, frequent urination, etc. See the American Diabetes Association website for full list of symptoms. Finally diagnosed when hospitalized w/ stomach pain and blood sugar of 800+ (very dangerous, BTW). His weight was normal until late thirties when he started gaining (sedentary lifestyle!). He started working out and making smarter food choices about a year ago and has lost almost 40# thus far.

He does 3X/week of hour-long intense cardio workouts, usually in the evening after dinner. His goal is to start working out with a blood sugar of about 200-220, otherwise it gets too low too fast (50-60) and he has to stop the workout early. He eats a 300-calorie snack before (best result so far has been a high-carb snack, w/ relatively little fat and protein) and about a 200-calorie snack after. He uses an insulin pump and although we are always tweaking the best combination of adjustments, usually gets good results by leaving the basal amount unchanged, and delaying the bolus for the pre-workout snack until after he finishes working out. He then gets about 75% of the bolus he would normally get, + the normal bolus for the post-workout snack.

He also does 3X/week of strength workouts totaling about 3-4 hours. He can usually get about half as much pre/post-snack for a strength workout.

He tests blood sugar before and after working out, and during if he doesn't feel right.

There aren't any silver bullets--what works well for several weeks or even a month or two will then have to be tweaked to keep his blood sugars as normal as possible--but it is doable with attention to detail and family support. His insulin pump and blood glucose meter are linked together with software, and we get very detailed reports that make it easier to analyze what adjustments to make. It's even more helpful if you log food intake so you can compare that side-by-side w/ insulin dosages and blood glucose readings.

This is probably more than you wanted to know, but feel free to msg me if other questions. I also highly recommend The Diabetic Athlete, by Sheri Colberg.

twiggy64 · 09-04-04, 10:29 PM

Hi GymRatt
I never post or reply so I hope I do this right. I was 11 when diagnosed, my symptoms were loss of weight , constant thirst and hunger. Its been so long now... Are you or someone you know a T1 or T2 diabetic?
I have been a type 1 diabetic for almost 30 years and exercising for at least 20. I have been wearing an insulin pump for 5.5 yrs now. which is way better than the 6 injections daily.
Exercise is pretty tricky for me. I check my blood glucose levels before and after working out. I will eat about 15 to 30 gms of carbs(depending on bg levels)or I may need a bit of insulin(high bg levels) and will sometimes remove my pump. It varies almost every time, and I workout a min. of 10 hrs. a week.
I will sometimes lower the amount of insulin I get from my pump for at least 4 hrs. after intense workouts, or I will have a snack, like peanut butter and corncakes to counteract the increase in metabolism. I also build muscle really easy. I have often wondered if this has to do with my insulin? I have read about bodybuilders using insulin.
Anyways I don't know if I've been of any help. I was just so surprised to see questions about diabetics. I wish I knew of other T1s' out there who juggle and struggle with exercise, food, insulin and such.
Bottom line is I love working out , even with all the hassles and ups and downs its worth it.Exercise has greatly benefited my disease.

cheers, kate

ooty · 09-04-04, 10:38 PM

GR,
As usual, yet another good question from you. I do not have an answer for you, but I just posted a note to Clare about her husand's heart problem. It would be a great service to everyone if VFers can post symptoms and specific changes that they have made to combat any kind of disease. I am particularly interested in this question because my mom is Type 2 diabetic....not diagnosed for a long time (which I am sure contributed to heart disease ). Anyways, the only form of cardio she does is walking and it is not really vigorous. She really cannot do a whole lot where she lives (south India). I am trying to encourage her to 'up' her cardio using videos (she does not have a VCR or DVD and refuses to accept one even if I offer to buy her one). She has been diligent about her medication as well as her walks...but her fasting sugar rarely goes below 120mg/dl. Being a vegetarian, her diet in India is heavily carb based. I am trying to do my best to modify her diet, but cannot come up with workable practical solutions. Any help from anybody else will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Cheers,
ooty

Lucysql · 09-04-04, 11:16 PM

Ooty--couple of thoughts--

1) 120 is at the high end of normal.

2) generally, diabetics don't need to avoid carbs. they do need to be sure they are counting them properly to ensure getting the right amount of insulin. outdated medical advice 10+ years ago was that they should avoid carbs, but that's no longer the best thinking on nutrition for diabetics. in fact, the exchange-counting system has been in large replaced by a carbohydrate-counting approach. dietary fiber helps control blood sugar (+ other benefits) and as a vegetarian she's probably doing great on fiber intake, so that's good news too. it's also easier in terms of overall control, establishing drug dosages, etc., if she eats about the same amount for a given meal each day (ie, lunch every day should be about the same amount as for lunch every other day).

3) upping cardio is certainly a worthy goal--good luck finding a way to help her do that! is the reason she isn't walking more related to culture, weather or personal preference? how long are her walks? could she walk a little faster, if not longer?

4) weight management is key. if she's overweight, it's important to address that.

5) a key thing to look at is her lab work, specifically all the lipid-related stuff (triglycerides, chol, etc.).

6) do you feel like she has helpful, supportive medical people that she works with on managing her diabetes? if not, that gap can be filled with reading by one or both of you, and there are lots of resources available via books/the web, etc.

ATB

lucysql

chrisjeffnick · 09-05-04, 01:33 AM

Hi! The person in question can buy urinalysis test (dip) strips at a pharmacy and test his or her urine for sugar levels. That is a very concrete indicator.

vdub · 09-05-04, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GymRatt

What symptoms did you have leading up to your diagnosis?
Also, how does the disease affect your workouts? (ie Do you have to workout more/less? Do you have to eat before and/or after your workouts?)

TIA

I was diagnosed as a Type II diabetic about 10 years ago. My major symptom was an unquenchable thirst, followed, naturally, by "potty emergencies," (not a good thing as the only adult in a room full of seventh graders who REALLY shouldn't have been left alone, even for a few minutes).

As to how the disease affected my workouts . . . well, in a sense, it caused them. It was only after I was diagnosed that I started to workout. I started with bicycle riding and had no problems with blood sugar fluctuations until I got up to two and three hour rides, but I was able to counteract any problems simply by stopping for a snack after an hour or so. (I took oral medication, not insulin, so there are fewer associated problems.) I was already off the meds when I began really intense exercise, so I don't know how those would have been affected.

Nowadays, I've thinned down enough that I don't take any medication at all. In fact, my doctor told me I'm technically not even considered diabetic now. The diabetes is totally controlled by diet and exercise, although if I eat badly, my sugar will still go sky high temporarily. I haven't stopped regular exercise for any extended period of time since then, so I don't know how that would affect the diabetes--negatively, I'm sure.

Hope this helps,
Shari

Lucysql · 09-05-04, 10:53 AM

FYI, at least in the US, test strips which detect the presence of sugar in urine are no longer generally available in pharmacies. You can buy strips which test for ketones, but not sugar. I don't even think they are manufactured for sale in this country any more, although not 100% certain.

It's really a shame, because DH used to get those strips to test soda in restaurants to make sure it was diet! (And you'd be surprised how often it was "regular" soda, too.).

GymRatt · 09-05-04, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucysql

It's really a shame, because DH used to get those strips to test soda in restaurants to make sure it was diet! (And you'd be surprised how often it was "regular" soda, too.).

That's scary...

Thanks for everyone's responses!! My mom's MD says she's pre-diabetic and she uses this as an excuse for 'not' exercising... :rolleyes: (I'm working on that...)

Also, lately, I've had some 'odd', seemingly unrelated symptoms, that all show up on the list for diabetes symptoms....itchy skin, gum problems, violent hunger, light headed after a tough workout until I have some carbs or recovery drink. I haven't had excessive thirst, but I drink water all day long...literally all day long...

Needless to say, I'm calling my doctor about on Tuesday!

Please keep the responses coming!!

Melrose · 09-05-04, 05:36 PM

I'm 52 years old, first showed symptoms 5 years ago. I was misdiagnosed as Type 2 because of my age until the doctors realized none of the oral medications did anything for me, then did blood work.

I had the usual symptoms - rapid weight loss even though I had a ravenous appetite, and incredible thirst - if I was awake, I was eating or drinking something.

I have been diabetic long enough now that I can tell if I'm starting to go low. If that's the case, I test my blood before exercise. Otherwise, I work out about 2 hours after breakfast on my days off (an optimal time as I never go low then) or as soon as I get home from work on work days. On those days, I make sure to eat something about 3 p.m., then excercise about 5-5:30 p.m.

It's a never-ending balancing act, and sometimes I throw self-pity parties for myself - but I try not to invite anyone else! And I consider all the ways in which my life is blessed - usually that helps.

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09-04-04, 09:44 PM
GymRatt VF Supporter Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: In Search of DDR	Any VF'ers with Type I or II diabetes? What symptoms did you have leading up to your diagnosis? Also, how does the disease affect your workouts? (ie Do you have to workout more/less? Do you have to eat before and/or after your workouts?) TIA __________________ ~GymRatt~ *CURRENT ROTATION * GymRatt's TaeBo PLUS: AM/PM Bikini Bootcamp! (For fat loss and FUN - Click here! )

09-04-04, 10:20 PM
Lucysql VF Supporter Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Texas	Yes, you have to adjust food, exercise, and insulin--because for diabetics the balancing act among those three things doesn't happen automatically the way it does for most of us. DH has been a Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic for many years; diagnosed as a child. Symptoms leading up to diagnosis were the classic ones--weight loss, extreme thirst, frequent urination, etc. See the American Diabetes Association website for full list of symptoms. Finally diagnosed when hospitalized w/ stomach pain and blood sugar of 800+ (very dangerous, BTW). His weight was normal until late thirties when he started gaining (sedentary lifestyle!). He started working out and making smarter food choices about a year ago and has lost almost 40# thus far. He does 3X/week of hour-long intense cardio workouts, usually in the evening after dinner. His goal is to start working out with a blood sugar of about 200-220, otherwise it gets too low too fast (50-60) and he has to stop the workout early. He eats a 300-calorie snack before (best result so far has been a high-carb snack, w/ relatively little fat and protein) and about a 200-calorie snack after. He uses an insulin pump and although we are always tweaking the best combination of adjustments, usually gets good results by leaving the basal amount unchanged, and delaying the bolus for the pre-workout snack until after he finishes working out. He then gets about 75% of the bolus he would normally get, + the normal bolus for the post-workout snack. He also does 3X/week of strength workouts totaling about 3-4 hours. He can usually get about half as much pre/post-snack for a strength workout. He tests blood sugar before and after working out, and during if he doesn't feel right. There aren't any silver bullets--what works well for several weeks or even a month or two will then have to be tweaked to keep his blood sugars as normal as possible--but it is doable with attention to detail and family support. His insulin pump and blood glucose meter are linked together with software, and we get very detailed reports that make it easier to analyze what adjustments to make. It's even more helpful if you log food intake so you can compare that side-by-side w/ insulin dosages and blood glucose readings. This is probably more than you wanted to know, but feel free to msg me if other questions. I also highly recommend The Diabetic Athlete, by Sheri Colberg.

09-04-04, 10:29 PM
twiggy64 Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: British Columbia	Hi GymRatt I never post or reply so I hope I do this right. I was 11 when diagnosed, my symptoms were loss of weight , constant thirst and hunger. Its been so long now... Are you or someone you know a T1 or T2 diabetic? I have been a type 1 diabetic for almost 30 years and exercising for at least 20. I have been wearing an insulin pump for 5.5 yrs now. which is way better than the 6 injections daily. Exercise is pretty tricky for me. I check my blood glucose levels before and after working out. I will eat about 15 to 30 gms of carbs(depending on bg levels)or I may need a bit of insulin(high bg levels) and will sometimes remove my pump. It varies almost every time, and I workout a min. of 10 hrs. a week. I will sometimes lower the amount of insulin I get from my pump for at least 4 hrs. after intense workouts, or I will have a snack, like peanut butter and corncakes to counteract the increase in metabolism. I also build muscle really easy. I have often wondered if this has to do with my insulin? I have read about bodybuilders using insulin. Anyways I don't know if I've been of any help. I was just so surprised to see questions about diabetics. I wish I knew of other T1s' out there who juggle and struggle with exercise, food, insulin and such. Bottom line is I love working out , even with all the hassles and ups and downs its worth it.Exercise has greatly benefited my disease. cheers, kate

09-04-04, 10:38 PM
ooty Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Beautiful Northeast	GR, As usual, yet another good question from you. I do not have an answer for you, but I just posted a note to Clare about her husand's heart problem. It would be a great service to everyone if VFers can post symptoms and specific changes that they have made to combat any kind of disease. I am particularly interested in this question because my mom is Type 2 diabetic....not diagnosed for a long time (which I am sure contributed to heart disease ). Anyways, the only form of cardio she does is walking and it is not really vigorous. She really cannot do a whole lot where she lives (south India). I am trying to encourage her to 'up' her cardio using videos (she does not have a VCR or DVD and refuses to accept one even if I offer to buy her one). She has been diligent about her medication as well as her walks...but her fasting sugar rarely goes below 120mg/dl. Being a vegetarian, her diet in India is heavily carb based. I am trying to do my best to modify her diet, but cannot come up with workable practical solutions. Any help from anybody else will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Cheers, ooty

09-04-04, 11:16 PM
Lucysql VF Supporter Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Texas	Ooty--couple of thoughts-- 1) 120 is at the high end of normal. 2) generally, diabetics don't need to avoid carbs. they do need to be sure they are counting them properly to ensure getting the right amount of insulin. outdated medical advice 10+ years ago was that they should avoid carbs, but that's no longer the best thinking on nutrition for diabetics. in fact, the exchange-counting system has been in large replaced by a carbohydrate-counting approach. dietary fiber helps control blood sugar (+ other benefits) and as a vegetarian she's probably doing great on fiber intake, so that's good news too. it's also easier in terms of overall control, establishing drug dosages, etc., if she eats about the same amount for a given meal each day (ie, lunch every day should be about the same amount as for lunch every other day). 3) upping cardio is certainly a worthy goal--good luck finding a way to help her do that! is the reason she isn't walking more related to culture, weather or personal preference? how long are her walks? could she walk a little faster, if not longer? 4) weight management is key. if she's overweight, it's important to address that. 5) a key thing to look at is her lab work, specifically all the lipid-related stuff (triglycerides, chol, etc.). 6) do you feel like she has helpful, supportive medical people that she works with on managing her diabetes? if not, that gap can be filled with reading by one or both of you, and there are lots of resources available via books/the web, etc. ATB lucysql

09-05-04, 01:33 AM
chrisjeffnick Join Date: Jan 2003	Hi! The person in question can buy urinalysis test (dip) strips at a pharmacy and test his or her urine for sugar levels. That is a very concrete indicator.

09-05-04, 10:53 AM
Lucysql VF Supporter Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Texas	FYI, at least in the US, test strips which detect the presence of sugar in urine are no longer generally available in pharmacies. You can buy strips which test for ketones, but not sugar. I don't even think they are manufactured for sale in this country any more, although not 100% certain. It's really a shame, because DH used to get those strips to test soda in restaurants to make sure it was diet! (And you'd be surprised how often it was "regular" soda, too.).

09-05-04, 05:36 PM
Melrose Join Date: Jul 2004	type one here I'm 52 years old, first showed symptoms 5 years ago. I was misdiagnosed as Type 2 because of my age until the doctors realized none of the oral medications did anything for me, then did blood work. I had the usual symptoms - rapid weight loss even though I had a ravenous appetite, and incredible thirst - if I was awake, I was eating or drinking something. I have been diabetic long enough now that I can tell if I'm starting to go low. If that's the case, I test my blood before exercise. Otherwise, I work out about 2 hours after breakfast on my days off (an optimal time as I never go low then) or as soon as I get home from work on work days. On those days, I make sure to eat something about 3 p.m., then excercise about 5-5:30 p.m. It's a never-ending balancing act, and sometimes I throw self-pity parties for myself - but I try not to invite anyone else! And I consider all the ways in which my life is blessed - usually that helps.