control blood sugar with excerise

I was recently diagnose with diabetes (found out after getting really sick) they put me on metformin, and long and fast acting insulin. I find if i am at work i dont need the fast acting and if i am home just a few minutes on the treadmill lowers my blood sugar so i dont need the fast acting. Just wondering if anyone out there is the same. I am trying to understand it all but it seems like doc etc wont tell you much. Thanks for any info.

Hi, I was called into the doctors office yesterday and my endocrinologist said that my fasting glucose test came back real bad: all levels are very high. She is giving me 31 days to try to lower it through diet, see if I can stay off metformin, but she thinks probably not. My isulin level was actually in the mid range. Just Glusose levels were at 122 fasting, then 234 and 235 after 1 hour and then 2 hours. Pfew. So I am trying today to read on the topic all I can, cause you are right: they don't tell you much.

I know when i was amitted my bs was 28 Canada or 500-520 USA now I average about 5.5 or around 100.
When they sent me home they told me to just eat as i normally did, until i see the dietian/nurse in a few weeks. Yeah right that normally included at least 2 liters of pepsi. . Then when i did see them I was still weak and my eyesight was bad. They asked how much do you weigh, i told her then she tells me to get on the scale. Really why ask if you are going to weigh me anyway. (i was off by 1lb) then scolded me for having juice among other things like i was a little kid. I told her that is what they gave me in the hospital. then she told me i needed to lose weight no really, i am overweight, I didn't know. AND then I had to fight to get any diet info. Look it up on line they say...but i cant see to read finally they gave me the food guideline with the carb choices on it.
Then I told them I use too be almost 300lbs and due to lifestyle changes i am now 245lbs AND they told me it was because my diabetes was out of control and that is why i lost the weight.
So i went home followed there rules and was eating so much i had no room for fluids which caused severe constipation. As I learned more and sugars came down, I became angry with them.
My next app I told them it is too much food I know you can show me how to adjust my fast acting either you teach me or I teach myself and OH by the way perhaps 5-10lbs of my weightloss was due to my sugars being out of whack.
Well needless to say they taught me and then i taught myself. And its funny they havent call me back for another app.
Sorry for that rant but it pisses me off when people behave like that.
Anyway I got off the fast acting in a few steps and this may or may not help you.
A) I researched herbs like chromium etc. Herbs my dietian wanted to here nothing of herbs or supplements.
b) Eat protein before/with carbs in a meal/snack
c) I do physical work but on my days off I do about 5 min on the treadmill when i eat.

I sympathize. I was diagnosed pre-D, HMO sent me to classes, I thought I was following their rules but each year my sugar crept up a little more. Following their proceedure wasted a lot of time.

What I believe they should have told me was to GET A METER and start testing and food logging. It is amazing how cutting carbs (in my case <20g/day)and moderating protein can get my sugar to normal in just a couple days. I walk 1-1.5hrs most days and that helps too. Also, I've switched to using coconut oil (around 3tbs per day, one of those at night before I go to bed) and I think that helps. Of course I make sure there is room in my daily calories for it (I'm trying to keep cals a bit low as my metabolism isn't young).

Walmart's Relion meters are very affordable and so are their testing strips. Get 100 strips because in the beginning you will test several times a day. Mine does run about 5pts lower than my Drs test but that's ok.

I've learned a ton from reading Jenny ruhl's website Bloodsugar 101, in particular her how to test methodology. Here is the link: http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php

You might also want to read Dr. Bernstein's book
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316093440
His book is often cited by people who successfully got their numbers down and got off and reduced their meds.

Get your meter, cut your carbs, watch out for too much protein and test and log. It will make a big difference.

good luck

I totally agree. Trust me I have a meter, the dietian was concern because i was/am testing quite often. She was concerned that i would get tired of testing and stop. I am a nosy creature I need to know what food or exercise makes it go up and down for me not just have some text book say blah blah blah. I only use 3-5unit of the fast acting every week or two if i plan to be bad and too burnt out from work for the treadmill. I have my long lasting down to 12 in the AM and 14 in the PM. And of course 500mg of metformin. When they sent me home I was 16/18 of long lasting and 9 rapid with every meal so I am getting there. My protein is pretty much dead on for what i need. My carbs are a little high but that i have too wait and see. I may have to drop my insulin again but i usually wait a week to see where i am before doing so. Diabetes is and never will be textbook, sure there are some general guidelines but everyone is at a different level. I can kayak for hours with little effect but 5 minutes on the tread and my bs drops. Someone else maybe just the opposite. I wish they would say that. Say this is not an exact science eat, exercise, test be your own guinea pig basically. I am going to check out those websites your mention thank -you. ? do you take any supplements?

Snugles you are so right that everyone is a little different, I should have pointed that out. Glad you are having good progress.

I should also point out that Jenny Ruhl Blood Sugar 101, who has done so much work to figure out her diabetes diet, continues to take metformin and thinks it is very good (it might even have some anti-cancer benefits). I don't need meds yet but I'm glad to know a good med is available.

As I don't take metformin nor insulin I have no idea how my supplement experience will apply to you but this is what I have tried:

Right now the only supplements I am taking are a daily vitamin and fish oil for the omega 3s. In the past I have tried a general "lower your blood sugar" sup from the health food store and cinnamon but I didnt see any difference and decided not to waste the money. A long time ago I tried chromium p but wasn't testing back then so just don't know.

I also tried Alpha Lipoic Acid 300mg sup but the results were very eratic. Taken with meals it didn't seem to do anything. Taken on an empty stomach and it lowered my sugar from 105 to 68 in about 4 hours and that scared me so I stopped taking it. That big of a dropped isn't normal for my body.

I do like the coconut oil as long as you are testing regularly as it can drop me down 10 points in a couple hours. I put it in black coffee in the morning, cook with it and eat a tablespoon at night (my sugar tends to be highest first thing in the morning, its called "dawn" or "Somagyi" effect) and the coconut oil seems to help. I also find it gives me quick energy and after following my diet plan and using it, my good HDL went up 8pts. Of all the things I've tried supplement-wise, that is the one thing I continue to see benefit from. When one is significantly cutting carbs and moderating protein (which can throw my sugar off if I get above 90g/day) the only place to get enough calories is fat and coconut oil seems to be a good one for me.

I am so glad you are figuring yours out. It amazes me, and a lot of other successful sugar controlers,what poor and sometimes bad advice the medical community gives regarding Type 2, how they just assume we can't possibly control ourselves and improve it - not to mention that they can't even recognize all of the work and great progress you are making.

p.s. snugles - Blood sugar 101 has some great info on possibly good supplements and worthless/dangerous supplements http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/sp2index.php