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  #1   ^
Old Sun, Mar-08-09, 14:11
LisaAC's Avatar
LisaAC LisaAC is offline
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Default How many carbs should be eaten before exercise?

I'm prediabetic, not full diabetic, but still have to watch for low blood sugar.
I walk at the gym, and do strength training, usually 3-4 days out of the week.
I also take my blood sugar before and after exercise. I get to the gym about 7:30am.

Anyone know how many carbs I should be eating if I'm going to exercise? I normally walk 1 1/2 miles, but have been known to walk 3-5 also. I was fine when I was eating breads like everyone else, but now since I'm fully back on Atkins, I'm finding more issues with exercise and blood sugar balancing. I do, however, have my Dr's blessing in this.

Any ideas would be great. And what should I be eating, carb wise, to keep the blood sugar stable. I noticed the last time I dropped 21 points glucometer wise in an hour and 20 min. (1 mile 3 laps). So I know I need to eat enough that the sugar burn off won't effect me so bad.
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  #2   ^
Old Sun, Mar-08-09, 16:00
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Elizellen Elizellen is offline
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Posts: 10,733
 
Plan: Atkins (DANDR)
Stats: 290/141/130 Female 65.5 inches
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Location: Bournemouth (UK)
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Maybe posting this in the exercise forum as well might be useful? http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdis...aysprune=&f=114
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  #3   ^
Old Sun, Mar-08-09, 18:21
LisaAC's Avatar
LisaAC LisaAC is offline
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Plan: Mostly General
Stats: 235/235/170 Female 5 ft 4
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Thanks, I'll post it there instead.
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  #4   ^
Old Sun, Mar-08-09, 20:24
jschwab jschwab is offline
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Plan: Atkins72/Paleo/NoGrain/IF
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Or the diabetes forum. I like 15 carbs an hour before I run, but I don't have special blood sugar issues - they would be able to help.
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  #5   ^
Old Sun, Mar-08-09, 21:33
M Levac M Levac is offline
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Plan: VLC, mostly meat
Stats: 202/200/165 Male 5' 7"
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Progress: 5%
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LisaAC
I'm prediabetic, not full diabetic, but still have to watch for low blood sugar.
I walk at the gym, and do strength training, usually 3-4 days out of the week.
I also take my blood sugar before and after exercise. I get to the gym about 7:30am.

Anyone know how many carbs I should be eating if I'm going to exercise? I normally walk 1 1/2 miles, but have been known to walk 3-5 also. I was fine when I was eating breads like everyone else, but now since I'm fully back on Atkins, I'm finding more issues with exercise and blood sugar balancing. I do, however, have my Dr's blessing in this.

Any ideas would be great. And what should I be eating, carb wise, to keep the blood sugar stable. I noticed the last time I dropped 21 points glucometer wise in an hour and 20 min. (1 mile 3 laps). So I know I need to eat enough that the sugar burn off won't effect me so bad.

There is not one form of carbohydrate that will allow your blood sugar to remain stable. All of them cause it to rise. The only difference is how fast this will happen. The more refined, the faster it happens. The more bio-available, the faster it happens.

The problem with low blood glucose is later on, when you still produce too much insulin to cover the carbs you eat. This lowers your blood glucose too low. The solution is to avoid carbohydrate. Maybe for a week or two. Maybe forever.

Instead of carbohydrate, which you shouldn't eat anyway because you're pre-diabetic, you should consider fat as the fuel to power your workouts. Preferably animal fat like lard or beef tallow or a plan old rib steak with a nice marbling and a layer of fat.
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  #6   ^
Old Mon, Mar-09-09, 12:40
LisaAC's Avatar
LisaAC LisaAC is offline
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Posts: 814
 
Plan: Mostly General
Stats: 235/235/170 Female 5 ft 4
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Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
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Fat didn't help. I burn up so much sugar that my blood sugar drops and I end up dizzy and cloudy minded. Which means, sugar intake to be able to think clearly again. So, the logical thing would be to put enough of the right type of carb into the blood stream to even out the usage and prevent this.

Fat just doesn't do it when you're using up sugar already there in the blood.
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  #7   ^
Old Mon, Mar-09-09, 13:46
M Levac M Levac is offline
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Plan: VLC, mostly meat
Stats: 202/200/165 Male 5' 7"
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Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LisaAC
Fat didn't help. I burn up so much sugar that my blood sugar drops and I end up dizzy and cloudy minded. Which means, sugar intake to be able to think clearly again. So, the logical thing would be to put enough of the right type of carb into the blood stream to even out the usage and prevent this.

Fat just doesn't do it when you're using up sugar already there in the blood.

The reason your blood sugar drops is not because you use it up. Instead, it's because you still produce too much insulin from the carbs you ate. Imagine you're a diabetic type 1 and you can't produce any insulin. It's your job to measure, or estimate, how much carbs you eat, and to inject the appropriate amount of insulin to cover it. But oops, you inject too much. The insulin takes care of the carbs you eat alright but since you injected too much, it will lower blood sugar further than intended. Well, that's what your pancreas is doing. It's producing enough insulin to cover the carbs, and then some more.
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  #8   ^
Old Mon, Mar-09-09, 14:11
Citruskiss Citruskiss is offline
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Posts: 16,864
 
Plan: LC
Stats: 235/137.6/130 Female 5' 5"
BF:haven't a clue
Progress: 93%
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Hmm - I am not diabetic or pre-diabetic, so my answer might be all wrong.

Just started up a brand new weight training regimen, and it was recommended that I have a 'tiny' bit of carbs in advance of weight training sessions. I didn't know what that meant - so have been experimenting here and there.

One morning I had half a pork chop and about 1/3 of an apple.
Another morning I had a Larabar (too sugary for diabetics I would think, but am not sure about this)
Another morning I had a half a Larabar instead.
Many mornings I've had nothing.

I'm just sort of experimenting a wee bit. But, then again - I'm not dealing with blood sugar issues.

That said - after my first 'leg' day, I experienced some nausea. That could have been from not breathing properly during the newbie-weight-training that I'm doing, or - could have been low blood sugar, not sure. This is when I began 'experimenting' with just a tiny amount of carbs OR protein/carb mini meal in advance of hour-long weight training sessions. I'm fine (ie. no food) if it's just a cardio day. Weight training seems a bit different.

Martin might be 'onto' something too - especially if you're struggling with blood sugar issues.

You know what? I'd highly recommend posting this thread over in the diabetes section of these forums - just start a new thread and put a link to this thread in it. I'm thinking they'll know what to do - they manage their diabetes and would have experience in figuring out how the whole 'blood sugar/exercise' thing works.

Don't forget one thing - Dr. Atkins did sort of hint that his induction wasn't really meant for a ton of exercise. Yes, it's true - he says 'exercise is non-negotiable' - but there's also some hinting around that it may not be such a hot idea in the very beginning of induction. Induction's a tough time...and it takes a bit of time to sort of get over the hump.

Hmm...one last thought - the more refined the carb, the more it sort of 'spikes' - which you would think would lead to a 'crash' (ie. low blood sugar), so if there's going to be some consideration as to what to eat in advance of exercise - and there's going to be any carbs - might wanna make them the 'slow' kind. Trouble with this is that you'd have to eat this earlier in advance of exercise.

Something like that anyway.

I'm just throwing out some ideas - would strongly suggest asking some people over in the diabetes section too.

editing to add: if anyone's curious - the Larabar is 18 total carbs (fiber in there) and contains only the following ingredients: dates, almonds, pecans. Nothing else.

Last edited by Citruskiss : Mon, Mar-09-09 at 14:35.
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  #9   ^
Old Mon, Mar-09-09, 14:17
Citruskiss Citruskiss is offline
I've decided
Posts: 16,864
 
Plan: LC
Stats: 235/137.6/130 Female 5' 5"
BF:haven't a clue
Progress: 93%
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Another option...

Are you new to low-carb? Newly inducting? Then, I'd get the 'low carb' down pat first, stabilize your blood sugars, that kind of thing - before adding in a whole bunch of strenuous exercise.
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  #10   ^
Old Tue, Mar-10-09, 06:37
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LisaAC LisaAC is offline
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Posts: 814
 
Plan: Mostly General
Stats: 235/235/170 Female 5 ft 4
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M Levac
The reason your blood sugar drops is not because you use it up. Instead, it's because you still produce too much insulin from the carbs you ate. Imagine you're a diabetic type 1 and you can't produce any insulin. It's your job to measure, or estimate, how much carbs you eat, and to inject the appropriate amount of insulin to cover it. But oops, you inject too much. The insulin takes care of the carbs you eat alright but since you injected too much, it will lower blood sugar further than intended. Well, that's what your pancreas is doing. It's producing enough insulin to cover the carbs, and then some more.


That's right, I'd forgotten about that! It's been so long since I was hypoglycemic I'd forgotten about the insulin factor. I was used to managing things with hypoglycemia, but since I've become prediabetic I'm finding things are a bit more difficult to adjust.

The reason I was thinking in terms of how much sugar was in the blood stream is the fact that my diabetes education teacher told us that after eating we should move in some way, shape, or form, for 20 minutes. For some that's walking, for her wheelchair bound or bed ridden patients it's doing something as simple as wiggling your hand for 20 minutes. The whole idea is that movement helps get out what sugar is in the blood stream, if I remember her class correctly. That's why I was thinking of exercise in that aspect, and why I was worrying if I was eating enough carbs in the morning. You see, right after I have breakfast that's when I go walk, but I think a simple apple will give me just the right amount of carbs to handle the amount of walking I do.

For instance, at 175 I'd start feeling my BS drop when I was hypoglycemic. I'd get the usual symptoms, but now with the prediabetes and adding in walking I'm getting symptoms at 95 instead. Where before I could handle walking without issue being on a regular diet, not low carb.

I'll definately talk to my Dr. about this on my next visit with her.

Last edited by LisaAC : Tue, Mar-10-09 at 20:37.
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  #11   ^
Old Tue, Mar-10-09, 06:40
LisaAC's Avatar
LisaAC LisaAC is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 814
 
Plan: Mostly General
Stats: 235/235/170 Female 5 ft 4
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Citruskiss
Another option...

Are you new to low-carb? Newly inducting? Then, I'd get the 'low carb' down pat first, stabilize your blood sugars, that kind of thing - before adding in a whole bunch of strenuous exercise.


Actually, no, I'm not new to low carb at all, just newer to prediabetes. When I was hypoglycemic, lowcarb took care of the bad health issues. Now that I'm prediabetic though, it's just going to take a little bit more juggling to figure out the right level of carbs for me before exercise, otherwise though the day I'm fine. It's only when I exercise.

Thanks for the apple idea. It's low glycemic enough apples don't bother me, but would provide enough sugar for me to handle the walk.
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