Type 2 diabetes and victory

[bepah]

I have been religiously focused on erging since December 27th after finally realizing that dieting my way to avoid medication for Type 2 diabetes was not workig. After suffering with a minor back issue (over time, I guess it just wears out), I can now bend over and straighten up without too much grief, but twisting and yawing is out of the question. So,...back to the erg after a nearly 10 year absence. Since that time, I have logged over 700,000 meters and only missed 6 days for a rest as leg fatigue sometimes wins over exercise.

At the beginning, my blood sugar was consistently over 130, sometimes as high as 200.....the VA told me to try diet prior to meds; a decision I agreed with. Not much change in the readings occurred until this week. I lost 30+ pounds, all due to erging, I believe, but the readings remained the same.

Until this prior Monday. Since then, the highest reading has been 117. Today, after the row, it was 96. It has been as low as 79. One may wonder what has caused this and I think I may know the answer.

MY H1ac readings have been going lower for the past year. The last one I had showed a 6.7 result. As a cardiac patient (I had a stent implanted in my LED artery -the widowmaker - March 2, 2011), the doctor wants a reading under 6.5 and I have been progressing slowly toward this over the past year. For those who do not know what the H1ac enzyme is; it is an enzymt that causes insulin resistance and prevent metabolism of glucose. It causes glucose to attach to the hemoglobin in your red blood cells (RBCs) and is one cause of Type 2 diabetes. The affected RBCs last in your body for about 3 months before your body flushes them out. H1ac reading show a long term diabetic condition and readings generally are taken twice a year. Curiously, I have been erging for......3 months!

Could it be that this exercise and diet are the key to eliminating Type 2 diabetes? I am not sure and will be continuing to monitor any changes, hopefully ones that indicate progress.

The reason for this long post is that I am now convinced that good things can come from erging or any aerobic exercise. Erging or rowing requies more energy than other non-impact aerobic exercise and it is one that I can continue to do.

With the March Madness and WEC, even my wife, who has seen the changes in me, has begun erging and will complete the March Madness.

Thanks for reading!

[Steelhead]

The rule of thumb is that if you lose 20% of your weight, your type 2 diabetes will either go into remission or you will be cured (cured that is if you keep the weight off). Looks like you hit the target! Excellent.

[bepah]

The rule of thumb is that if you lose 20% of your weight, your type 2 diabetes will either go into remission or you will be cured (cured that is if you keep the weight off). Looks like you hit the target! Excellent.

30 pounds amounts to about 12% and I think that I have 10, possibly 15 pounds to go. I am certian there are other factors at work here, though.

Thanks for the congrats, but I think I have a little more work to do. Nonetheless, I had a baked potato with dinner tonight, instead of foregoing it........I shall add a little to the workot rtomorrow to compensate.

Thanks again.

[wheeze]

I am glad that your HA1c is declining with the erg and exercise. Your definition of HA1c is incorrect. Basically it is a marker of your plasma glucose over the past 3 months (about 2/3 in last month, 1/3 in first 2 months) due to the turnover of your red blood cells every 120 days or so. The higher your blood sugars (both fasting and peak) the higher your HA1c and in fact with a HA1c number a fair extrapolation of your fasting blood sugar can be made. Your reasoning for why it is lower is most likely correct, so keep up the good work

Wiki ref http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycated_hemoglobin

[bepah]

I am glad that your HA1c is declining with the erg and exercise. Your definition of HA1c is incorrect. Basically it is a marker of your plasma glucose over the past 3 months (about 2/3 in last month, 1/3 in first 2 months) due to the turnover of your red blood cells every 120 days or so. The higher your blood sugars (both fasting and peak) the higher your HA1c and in fact with a HA1c number a fair extrapolation of your fasting blood sugar can be made. Your reasoning for why it is lower is most likely correct, so keep up the good work

Wiki ref http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycated_hemoglobin

Thanks for the correction.......

[kayakr]

Congrats. You might want to check out "forks over knives" DVD and "eat to live" for additional help/motivation.

[they85]

I'm sorry but let me verify something - as far as I know, diabetes (type 1 nor type 2) is not curable? Only gestational diabetes is "curable" - it disappears after pregnancy is over (but there is a great chance that it will develop to type 2 later in life). So what diabetes curing are you talking here?
Also, isn't a value 6.7 mmol/l still considered diabetes, or at least limit value (http://healthiack.com/health/what-is-no ... indication)?
Thanks.

[heartwood]

They85

Yes and No! Type I is incurable short of pancreas transplants- a few people with type I diabetes and end stage renal failure get combined pancreas and renal transplants, they then no longer need insulin but still have the many complications the diease has left. For those with recently diagnosed type 2 motivated people will get a sustained spell of normalisation of glucose handling, but for the majority in the end the diabetes returns maybe some years down the line. It will depend on how much the high sugars have to do with insulin resistance ie the glucose not getting into the tissues from the blood stream and how much is because of insufficient insulin release from the pancreas. bepah has undoubtedly made some good progress and be congratulated and encouraged to continue to normalise his weight continue exercise and eat a low carbohydrate high fibre diet, the rewards in maintenance of good health are huge.

[GrantM]

Hello

Resurrecting an older post but when searching the topic of Diabetes this is the latest one that popped up.

I'm Type 2, have been for about (est) 12 years now if my memory serves me correctly. Originally on oral meds but on insulin for a number of years since.
45yrs old Male. 185m tall and currently 77kg's
I have never been overweight a single day in my life. (yes we exist)
BMI currently around 20.
Have always been active, surfing mainly, short distance running (5km), enduro dirtbike riding and intermittent gym stints (where i first used an erg years ago).
Most I weighed in on was 88kg and I want it back.
Far to lean at the moment and its mostly muscle loss.

There is diabetes in my family (mom) so I guess I was just lucky . My penchant for sweet things and copious amounts of the finest brews in my misspent youth probably also never helped.

The last year or 2, work stress, general indifference on my part and the subsequent resulting lethargy has seen me doing sweet nothing, eating poorly and sugar levels completely out of control.
It ends here!

My cardio is poor as a result of inactivity and my main goal at the moment is to clock time on the erg to build, and hopefully improve this over time.
After a week I already just feel better, although still way off the times posted here. Being realistic, I set my own goals and they have me falling off the machine, with a sense of accomplishment at least.
It's all new, getting the technique down and trying to pace myself. Just between yesterday and today I shaved 2 minutes off my 5km time, racing myself on Rowpro. I suppose that just shows the other one was rubbish, but I'm taking it
I'm personally just logging 5km rows a day at the moment and trying to 'better' control my pace and spm while keeping the heart rate in check as to not exhaust myself, and edge off time as I go. Basically get an understanding of the concept as such.
Its getting better and better.

Still, the biggest challenge for any diabetic is energy and getting enough 'in' without blowing your sugar levels out.
Have a Physician review in 2 months and we need to chat about this point. Even with slightly elevated levels I still feel the energy factor is lacking and I know it lies in a bowl of pasta
Currently sugar in check though (good thing), but eating like a bird and monitoring everything to the point of weighing and food composition breakdown.

If there are any others out there cursed with this disease and can offer any advice it would be most welcome.

[hjs]

Low carb high fat is the best route for people with sugar problems. Teach your body to use fat instead of carbs.
Search for ketonic diets.

[Carl Watts]

Interesting post, especially those blood sugar levels.

My last couple of blood tests have come back with a "Pre-Diabetic" result and I have been told to change my diet.

Looking at your numbers should I really panic ? mine is 41, so is my mother as it turns out and the mate I row with. The Pre-Diabetic thing hence makes me a little skeptical.

I will not talk BMI because its rubbish, body fat wise I'm at 21% and to be quite frank literally rowing my ass off. Don't even have sugar in the house, so cannot add it to anything I eat. Have started looking at food labels and you find just about everything is loaded with sugar so some things have had to go completely from the diet.

Would have been interesting to know the sugar level from years and years ago, perhaps 41 is normal for me. I guess another test will confirm this next year.

[GrantM]

Low carb high fat is the best route for people with sugar problems. Teach your body to use fat instead of carbs.
Search for ketonic diets.

Never a truer word spoken, but there is a but!
Problem is that you still need the so called quick carbs in endurance sports or things like Erg'ing, or else you hit the brick wall when you run out. It is just 'so' incredibly difficult to manage the energy requirements.
I have done a lot of reading over the years, more poignantly so recently, am no expert, just trying to figure out what works for me. Everyone is different and with this disease especially.

Proteins form the better part of my diet, carbs are unavoidable, protein rich diets bring their own complications, but you can manage good carbs against bad, low gi vs hi gi.
It's hard and pretty much an individual learning experience depending on how your own body metabolizes and deals with them.
The real black art is, getting the energy required from protein to build muscle mass and have the energy boosts in reserve when required and not nuking your sugar levels at the same time, carbs metabolize so much quicker for the quick fix.

Notwithstanding all above, good control has to be the 'primary objective' forsaking everything else if you don't want to end up on dialysis or worse one day.

Don't even have sugar in the house, so cannot add it to anything I eat. Have started looking at food labels and you find just about everything is loaded with sugar so some things have had to go completely from the diet.

Basically when you walk into a supermarket its divided up into 3 sections, left, right and middle. Fresh produce one side, meat/fish other side and the rest in between (the big bit).
Avoid everything in the middle! Its loaded with sugar.

Pre diabetic panic: NO, but be aware higher than normal levels may indicate being ever so slightly insulin resistant which is the same thing to a much lessor extent.(onset of but a long way of yet)
The only (and easy way) to address this is by what you consume, unless you want to end up on meds one day later like me and many other. (trust me, you don't want that)

The levels you mention I presume relate to a HAB1C test? (without knowing the units or test its patently wrong to make a conclusion) We use different numbering system and unit measure here, like the pomms, so best check with your physician. On face value though, if that's the number (and test) it looks ok, albeit a little elevated, with room for improvement.
HBA1C in basic terms produces a number which is an average over a period of time, typically 3 months.
Change your diet, and go back in 3 months and see if the Doc approves.

Alternatively, you can practically walk into any pharmacy these days and get a immediate reading, worth a check, best to do it though 2 hours or so after youo have last eaten anything, as that will give a better indication of how your body has handled what you have thrown at it.

[hjs]

Low carb high fat is the best route for people with sugar problems. Teach your body to use fat instead of carbs.
Search for ketonic diets.

Never a truer word spoken, but there is a but!
Problem is that you still need the so called quick carbs in endurance sports or things like Erg'ing, or else you hit the brick wall when you run out. It is just 'so' incredibly difficult to manage the energy requirements.
I have done a lot of reading over the years, more poignantly so recently, am no expert, just trying to figure out what works for me. Everyone is different and with this disease especially.

We don,t carbs for endurence, but for anaerobic work. You can do a lot pure on fat. And the energy we need shoud be in the muscle themselve already. If you are pre diabetic a ketonic diet could even cure you. Read about it.

And everybody is not different, our energy system works pretty much the same. Its lack of phycical work and overeating carbs that ruins our metabolism.

[left coaster]

Carl, the 41 you reference, what scale are you using? From the 2 I have, it is either really low or really high...

This has always been a point of concern for me as my mother and her brother are both diabetic. Thankfully, in spite of my 'chubber' status these days, I'm rarely over 6 on a mmol/l scale. I must be able to attribute this to my father's side as there is no history of diabetes there... whew!! I still own a glucose meter though, and check periodically. Just did now actually, 4.9 about an hour after eating a low g/i meal (chicken, brown rice and pineapple). If anything, I could use a little glucose as I'd like to go for a run.

[left coaster]

Low carb high fat is the best route for people with sugar problems. Teach your body to use fat instead of carbs.
Search for ketonic diets.

Never a truer word spoken, but there is a but!
Problem is that you still need the so called quick carbs in endurance sports or things like Erg'ing, or else you hit the brick wall when you run out. It is just 'so' incredibly difficult to manage the energy requirements.
I have done a lot of reading over the years, more poignantly so recently, am no expert, just trying to figure out what works for me. Everyone is different and with this disease especially.

We don,t carbs for endurence, but for anaerobic work. You can do a lot pure on fat. And the energy we need shoud be in the muscle themselve already. If you are pre diabetic a ketonic diet could even cure you. Read about it.

And everybody is not different, our energy system works pretty much the same. Its lack of phycical work and overeating carbs that ruins our metabolism.

The reading I've done indicates the ketones contain less total energy than glycogen/glucose and that they 'lag' in terms of production by the liver. most of the literature I've been reviewing indicates a need for glycogen in order to reach maximal performance, especially for short distance, high intensity exercise.

Another interesting tidbit is that when the body goes ketogenic tryptophan levels in the blood also rise, this is a precursor for serotonin. You actually don't want too much serotonin circulating in your blood and brain during exercise, tyrosine and dopamine are better -- serotonin causes mental fatigue and the feeling of 'I just can't carry on'.