Exercising and Diabetes plus a low carber

[Lessara]

Hi, I've been dancing for my exercise for a week now, but I have a concern.
I dance about 2 hours after I eat but 2 hours before I sleep. I test when I go to bed and my sugar is higher than when I test 2 hours after dinner (Before I exercise) Is this right? For I read exercise lowers your sugar. Is it because I'm so out of shape?

[johnnylol]

that has happened a few time's to me not sure about the answer..it depends i guess on what kind of food you eat..whether to took a nap after dinner...i also think excersize raises your blood sugar for awhile then lowers it as you rest...

[Lisa N]

Kassie, what do you typically eat at dinner? It may be that what you ate isn't enough to 'cover' the exertion of the exercise that you are doing and your liver is producing glucose in response to that. 2 hours of dancing is a lot of excercise.
Something that you could do to remedy that is to move your exercise session a little closer to your dinner (like maybe 45 minutes after you eat instead of 2 hours?) and see if it makes a difference. I have a feeling that it will. :)

[Lessara]

Thanks Lisa (and you too Johnny!) :)
I exercised an hour after dinner and it made a difference at
Bedtime my sugar was 108! My lowest since I started testing!!
I low carb and don't eat much "other" carbs other than veggies than might be higher in carbs such as tomatoes, broccoli, or green beans. My journal has my menus. But I think you are right. for yesterday my muscles felt so tired! The night before I had a tablespoon of potatoes (to top my hamburger, green bean "chinese pie)

[dina1957]

Thanks Lisa (and you too Johnny!) :)
I exercised an hour after dinner and it made a difference at
Bedtime my sugar was 108! My lowest since I started testing!!
I low carb and don't eat much "other" carbs other than veggies than might be higher in carbs such as tomatoes, broccoli, or green beans. My journal has my menus. But I think you are right. for yesterday my muscles felt so tired! The night before I had a tablespoon of potatoes (to top my hamburger, green bean "chinese pie)Kassie:
Being an avid exeriser myself, I've found some tricks helpful to avoid high BGs after a streneous workout:
1) get some carbs 20-30 monites prior, I am not kidding: high fiber cracker with PB, fruit and cheese, whole grain bread (yes, starches work the best to replenish muscle glucogen), whatever works for you. Very low carb diet is not suitable for streneous exercise even for a non-diabetic. Low carbs means low insulin, and after a prolonged period of 30-40 g a day, your muslce glucogen is depleted, so need to sort of carb-up before the workout. Your body uses fat for fuel, which is a steadyfuel to feed a low intensity prolonged workouts, like long distance walking. Dancing is something that uses glucose, rather than fat. So, liver will make sugar in response to cortisol surge brought on by any stressfull situation, in this case - physical stress like dancing. If you eat some carbs shortly before, those carbs will spike insulin, which in return will curb the liver sugar "dump". Non-diabetics get this liver activitied too, BUT they have good Phase 1 insulin response, so the pancrease releases stored insulin immediately avoiding the BGs spike. Unfortunately, we don't have this luxury.
2) Keep your streneous exercise sessions limited to no more than 45 minutes, better 30 if you are a newbie. Dancing for 2 hours looks a bit too much for me. Lower intensity prolonged workouts like walking (3-5 miles) are much better for lowering glucose and burning fat. You can also add 3-4 short weigth lifting sessions per week, starting with light weights. Just remember, exercise in a long run will LOWER your BGs, but immediate results can be completely opposite. Eat more carbs at dinner if you intent to dance for two hours or get insulin shot (like T1 do), the idea is to get insulin surge, so to spea,k to counteract liver. If you like and can only go dancing for exercise now, please, continue, simply match your carbs to your workout. BTW, dinner is the meal I can get away with eating much more cabrs than any other meal of the day, by dinner time we have more insulin build up in bloodstream compare to BF when insulin is the lowest.
Re-tired muscles, again, it's a sign of lactic acid build up. Are on Metformin? My muscles were screaming while on Metformin combined with very low cabrs, it made me very tired and unable to workout. Try some flax oil, it helps muslces to recover after a workout, and is good in general.
I've been using this tips for a while now, doing both: heavy lifting and aerobics, and managed to avoid exercise induced bgs spike.
HTH,
Dina:)

[Lessara]

:lol: I'm sorry but what I meant was that 2 hours after dinner, I danced! I only normally dance about 15-20 minutes now. Though recently I broke a toe (cat, table need I say more?).
But I'm still dancing with my upper body in the car! :lol:

[Lisa N]

recently I broke a toe (cat, table need I say more?).

Ouch! Did that myself a few years ago although my situation was dark room, canister vac where it didn't belong....4 year old daughter who heard some new words come out of mom's mouth and then promptly repeated them verbatim the next day in Sunday school. :blush: :lol:
Moral of the story? Never, EVER say things in front of your kids that you wouldn't want them to repeat because they most likely will and at the most embarassing moment possible.
Sorry...that was OT, but I just had to share. :D

[Lessara]

Oh Lisa! :lol: