The more I try to fix it, the more it goes in the other direction. Something’s happening, and it’s more than just an elevated number, but I’m having a heck of a time understanding it. I’m working my way up to a very long post explaining all I’ve found about using the interstitial fluid as a way to get a bigger picture of what’s happening with my blood sugar, but I’m just not quite there. Something has changed DRASTICALLY in the last 6 weeks, and I’m here seeing if the smart people can explain some of the basics.
Long story short, my calibration factors have really jumped in range. But it’s not JUST a change in range… it’s also a change in blood sugar patterns. For example, yesterday, at a BG of a 120 and a calibration factor of a 9 (which, normally, would be VERY high), I decided to do a bolus for a 7g of carb salad. I also decided to stop ignoring that calibration factor and try to handle it the way I would’ve 2 months ago… and pull it back down before eating. So with a starting BG of a 120, I pre-boluses for my salad and set my timer for 15 minutes. I figured that would be good enough. 15 minutes later, I tested, and the numbers were very similar. I jumped on my trampoline 5 minute (this is usually a pretty powerful tool). Set the timer again for 10 minutes. Jumped again about 30 minutes later and accumulated a total of an hour and a half of timers going off before my blood sugar finally came down to a 70. From a 120??? I know a 120, and I know how fast that can become a 70 just while running around doing normal life stuff…
I don’t think I’m doing a good job explaining any of this. Something has changed, and now I’m wondering what insulin resitance is and how it works…
I know how crazy this sounds. I understand that. Maybe it’s because it is. But I’ve been watching these numbers all day every day for about 6 months now. When used carefully, they’re amazing. And now something has changed…
I am not sure if this applies to adults, but with our teenager we live with changes like this quite regularly. i.e. my son will go from 3 days of lows, and barely staying above low, to a couple of weeks of unrelenting highs that take huge amounts of insulin, back to 2-3 days of riding low or looking like perfect control.
Could be… yes. It could be that something has changed with my basal. If so, it’s very inconsistent and heavily dependent on behavior… so that isn’t basal, right?
Absolutely not in auto mode, and no suspends for at least 24 hours. And here’s the thing… even with a BG of a 70, it just starts floating and can continue to rise… and from what, I don’t know. I had to do a 30 minute jump last night instead of a run because of the heat, and I floated afterwards.
I’m trying to cut out all carbs, and I DO even wonder about a change in routine here… that maybe I’m spending more time on my butt with the Facebook and everything. I’m just thinking out loud.
That would describe it… kind of. I’m definitely in an odd kind of non-pattern with things changing, sometimes, by the day. But this has been a general trend for about 6 weeks, too…
So, what makes you think it’s the interstitial fluid? (Okay, okay I reread your post and decided you’re working on the reveal for that. Also I realized maybe this whole thing is a Medtronic issue and that I should delete the following. But instead I decided to post it because even using an Omnipod and Dexcom there are still issues…)
When I read your post I felt like maybe it was related to your recent exercise changes (although I admit to not having read all the threads in the last month or two here, so I might be wrong with that line of thinking…maybe you’ve been running with consistency for years?) And upon further thinking it seems like it’s moved in the opposite direction than one would expect with exercise.
My partner EH has certainly struggled with wacky patterns like you’re describing and even like @Chris is describing. We associate them with changes in activity level (working from home versus traveling for work - home means much more exercise, lower insulin to carb ratios, less basal).
Speaking of exercise…I think @Eric is correct about running and carb consumption for fuel and glycogen recovery, however we haven’t nailed that down for success at our house yet. Although EH is presently not trying, nor running as regularly as you, nor keeping as detailed of records as you are. Go you!
I’m sorry it feels like your BG is unpredictable and out of your control at time. That sucks. I do hope you’re going to figure out what’s happening with it soon!
Nope… no big reveal. I’m just trying to decide if it’s worth the risk of you all thinking i’m crazy… in case we’re not there yet.
It is a thing. I have been using it. And things have really changed… so that might make it, in the end, an unusable thing… if you have to reestablish your range every time something changes… I am going to go do my exercise right now before i let my blood sugar get away, speaking of which, but I’m coming back, when I have time to speak in full sentences, to read and consider what you’ve written and to explain a little more…
So here are the things you need to know about me at this point:
I’m flexible.
I know enough to know i don’t know much at all
I’m willing to try, and to try in the most open-minded of ways
In the end, i’m really, really just trying to find what works for my disease
Which means i’m flexible and am okay with knowing nothing at all.
I love carbs. I hate carbs. I want them to not be so complicated. When i cut them out, i do better. I also understand that that is a result of my not really understanding my disease and how insulin works. I’ve spent the better part of 15 years in the dark but have more than made up for whatever I lacked in the first 14 years in the last year… in exploring, learning, failing, trying…
I also suck at cutting out carbs. Big failure.
So…
What have we got here? I hope not a problem?? I can work with a program, but it really not be pretty to watch.
With training, hard days are hard, and easy days are easy. That is by design. The reason the easy days are easy is so that you can work hard on the hard days.
On the hard days, your body will need fuel. You need to get a certain amount. You can’t perform at your top level with only lipolysis, using only fats for fuel. You will also need carbs to fuel yourself at your top level of performance.
I am not saying it’s donuts for lunch. What I am saying is that a reasonable percentage of your total calorie intake needs to come from carbs, or else you will be short-changing yourself on every hard effort.
What is your current calorie intake per day? And your avg carbs per day? Let’s make sure you are in a general area that is decent for what you are hoping to do.
It does not need to be high carb. But when you said “I’m trying to cut out all carbs” that was a huge red flag for me on the training thing.
No red flags. That was my point about knowing enough to know i don’t know squat. Sometimes i just grab at things… and dropping all carbs is just grabbing. As i said, i can’t even do it anyway. It’s an attempt to get better control, but all of this is an attempt, and in that way I’ll get there.
Things I can eat that don’t cause bigger problems are bananas… other fruits… sweet potato… applesauce… low carb wraps… salad. i don’t think you actually asked for a menu, but what I’m getting at is that once i taste a salty, starchy yummy thing, all bets are off. But i can do carbs in the form of nature. Things i can pick off trees. I can only imagine how these words are hurting your brain…
That’s all good stuff. Natural is better than processed. No problem with that.
I want you to be in the right general area. When we get up to 1 hour a day of daily running, about 5 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight would be ideal (give or take a little bit). And that should be about 60% of your total calorie intake.
Something like 50% or 40% is manageable. But when you get too high or too low it becomes a detriment. So let’s shoot for something close to ideal. Just in the neighborhood.
Nope. I really don’t have the slightest. Carbs, yes. I could figure that easily enough, but I have never in my life counted calories or considered any of the things you’ve mentioned. It’ll take me a couple of days to get an idea. Okay. This is not a bad thing to know anyway. Maybe.
It’s funny because sometimes I get “what?” and other times I am mansplaining. It’s a fine line to walk.
Here is a very simple example.
Suppose you calculate that you ate 2000 calories.
You google everything you ate and count up calories from the different things - carbs, fat, and protein.
Suppose you have 1000 calories from carbs, 500 calories from fat, 500 calories from protein. That’s a total of 2000 calories.
The math shows that your total caloric intake is
50% carbs (1000/2000 total calories)
25% fat (500/2000 total calories)
25% protein (500/2000 total calories)
That is what we are looking for. Those percents.
If you want to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain, we just adjust total calories up or down. But we try to maintain the right percentages of carbs, fat, and protein for what you are doing.
Okay… now I’m not getting defensive or anything BUT I’ve been losing weight my whole life without doing these things. So, yes, it may be a fine way of doing it, but it’s not the only way to do it, and that is NOT defensive at all in the least.
Kidding. But seriously. I get how you do it, I’ve just never needed to do it that way. But now that you’ve mansplained… I mean EXplained how to, I’ll get it done. Sir. Should I count the 3000 calories of fries I’ve had this evening? Or did they only count if there were witnesses?
The way you are losing weight is if you are burning more than you are eating. I’m not saying you need to count percentages to lose. Or eat a certain percent of carbs to lose. The counting is to get an idea of your current percentages.
You can eat 100% carbs and still lose. Or gain.
Eat less total calories than you are burning, and you lose weight. Eat more and you gain. It’s really that simple.
But if your calorie intake is too low, your metabolism starts to change. And that can make it harder in the long run.
Trust me. My calorie intake has NEVER been too low.
Seriously, I’ve never skimped on calories. Never skimped on food. I’ve made better food choices where possible and increased workout length, frequency, etc. wherever I couldn’t do better with food. I happen to love exercise. That has always helped.
But I can handle numbers. I’ll go see about getting the ones you need. I’m just giving you a hard time… I’ve got no problems with any of this. Some of it, much of it, is new to me so it just takes a second to assimilate…
You sure you want to proceed?? I don’t want to be the cause of high blood pressure…
BUT I’ve been losing weight my whole life without doing these things. So, yes, it may be a fine way of doing it, but it’s not the only way to do it, and that is NOT defensive at all in the least. 