# The journey has started



## YoanDJ (Sep 29, 2021)

Hi, This is my first post in DUK forum so be gentle!!

I started on a journey at the end of July to loose some weight, and I seem to be getting there! My life as a diabetic started some 35 years ago with vials and individual syringes injecting twice a day, lancets and test strips you had to wipe the blood off through pens and in recent years the Libre. Each year passed a few pounds would creep on the waistline until I got up to almost 18st. Something had to change as I'm approaching my 50th year!!

At the end of July this year I changed my lifestyle overnight, I'm trying to walk up the Brecon Beacons once or twice a week, Walking rugby when work allowed, Breakfast and lunch was substituted with a piece of fruit (apple/banana), no more stopping for a packet of crisps and a sandwich when out on the roads for work and drinking water. We still eat as a family the one healthy meal in the evening, lots of veg/salads, some protein and some carbs.

My insulin requirements understandably have remarkedly reduced which I take huge care of through the Libre 2 and a CGM app on my phone. yes I've had to dip into some glucotabs occasionally, but never dangerously low. My A1c last visit (Pre weight loss) was 52mmol/l and I'm expecting to be the same or hopefully better at my next visit, but after that 8-9 weeks in I'm down 1st 10lb to 16st 1lb. Climbing Penyfan (the highest peak in the south of the UK) has gone from 1hr 40m to 55min.

My target is 13st, yes still overweight but 3 more stone and a sustainable weight for long term.


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## rebrascora (Sep 29, 2021)

Hi and welcome and many congratulations on your weight loss and HbA1c result. Libre certainly helps with that doesn't it. 
Walking is a great way to get fit without putting too much strain on the joints and it sounds like you have really upped your game with that time reduction. Good luck with your continued progress towards your weight loss goal.

Out of interest, which insulins do you use and how do you find them?


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## mage 1 (Sep 29, 2021)

Well done


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## YoanDJ (Sep 29, 2021)

rebrascora said:


> Hi and welcome and many congratulations on your weight loss and HbA1c result. Libre certainly helps with that doesn't it.
> Walking is a great way to get fit without putting too much strain on the joints and it sounds like you have really upped your game with that time reduction. Good luck with your continued progress towards your weight loss goal.
> 
> Out of interest, which insulins do you use and how do you find them?


Thanks!! Its still a pull (only 2.1miles) up but gets the heart rate to >170 for a hour or so and as you said not to hard on the joints. I'm currently on Fiasp and Lantis. I split my Lantis dose AM (When I get up) and PM (Before bed). I was on two doses of 30units each. They're now down to am of 15 units although I may drop to 13 and pm 20 units. Control is still good at these levels


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## rebrascora (Sep 29, 2021)

How do you find the Fiasp? Have you been on it long? I found it frustrating at first and I have had two goes to get my head around using it, because NovoRapid was just so slow for me. I gave up after 3 months the first time and then promised myself I would stick at it for a year the second time and after about 4-5 months I seemed to make a break through and realize that I needed to be more generous with it. I follow a low carb way of eating, so I was used to just very small doses so I was indimidated by the idea of using more but once I accepted that I needed to be a bit braver, with my corrections particularly, it has worked quite well for me. Occasionally I find that a correction dose just sits there doing nothing for a couple of hours unless I go out for some exercise, but mostly it works pretty well now.    

I live at the bottom of a mile long pretty steep hill, so I know what you mean about it getting your heart pounding and you breathing deeply and a bit hot and sticky  especially if you "yomp" it as I do.

Anyway, good that you have found the forum especially after being diagnosed so long as it really helps to share thoughts and experiences with people who understand the same frustrations and challenges of diabetes and hope you find it as helpful as I have since diagnosis.


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## YoanDJ (Sep 29, 2021)

rebrascora said:


> How do you find the Fiasp? Have you been on it long? I found it frustrating at first and I have had two goes to get my head around using it, because NovoRapid was just so slow for me. I gave up after 3 months the first time and then promised myself I would stick at it for a year the second time and after about 4-5 months I seemed to make a break through and realize that I needed to be more generous with it. I follow a low carb way of eating, so I was used to just very small doses so I was indimidated by the idea of using more but once I accepted that I needed to be a bit braver, with my corrections particularly, it has worked quite well for me. Occasionally I find that a correction dose just sits there doing nothing for a couple of hours unless I go out for some exercise, but mostly it works pretty well now.
> 
> I live at the bottom of a mile long pretty steep hill, so I know what you mean about it getting your heart pounding and you breathing deeply and a bit hot and sticky  especially if you "yomp" it as I do.
> 
> Anyway, good that you have found the forum especially after being diagnosed so long as it really helps to share thoughts and experiences with people who understand the same frustrations and challenges of diabetes and hope you find it as helpful as I have since diagnosis.


Fiasp, I've learnt to to chase a high with more and more insulin as you can end up with a huge low 4-6 hours after. Yes take a walk as sometimes it doesnt seem to do anything. 

Even with superfast Fiasp I have to pre-bolus by 5-10 minutes, but its far faster than Novorapid that was usually 20-25 minutes.


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## rebrascora (Sep 29, 2021)

YoanDJ said:


> Fiasp, I've learnt to to chase a high with more and more insulin as you can end up with a huge low 4-6 hours after. Yes take a walk as sometimes it doesnt seem to do anything.
> 
> Even with superfast Fiasp I have to pre-bolus by 5-10 minutes, but its far faster than Novorapid that was usually 20-25 minutes.


Gosh you were lucky! NR was taking 1.25 hours on a morning to get going for me and Fiasp still takes 40-45mins so I inject before I get out of bed and then I have a morning routine to follow that eats up that time, showering and coffee etc. With NR I used to leave the house and try to get my horses fed and mucked out and back for breakfast after injecting first thing but it was too easy to lose track of time or get distracted and end up hypo. The Fiasp still takes 15 mins at lunchtime or evening meal unless I am eating a very fatty meal (ie lots of cheese) but NR was 20-25 so still a bit quicker, hardly what I would describe as "superfast" though! Just shows how we are all different!


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## YoanDJ (Sep 29, 2021)

I find most of my morning dose was taken up with the morning Dawn phenonium rise. Yes we are all different hence me splitting my Lantus in 2 doses AM&PM as the specialist team never believed I would crash on a night shift if I had my PM dose as normal. Need to do what works for us!


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## rebrascora (Sep 29, 2021)

Yes, I couldn't manage without my split dose Levemir as I need much less basal insulin at night, sometimes none at all, but quite a lot in the morning.... Currently 22 units as soon as I wake up and anything from 0-7units on a night depending on how much exercise I have had. You might find that Levemir would work better for you than the Lantus as it is slightly shorter acting and specifically designed to be split whereas Lantus isn't, although some people (like yourself) do manage to make splitting it work for them. That said, if you have found something that works well for you, then why change it.

As regards Dawn Phenomenon (DP) or it's more sociable sibling, Foot on the Floor syndrome (FOTF) which is thankfully what I experience, I inject an extra 1.5-2units of Fiasp to cover it added on to what I need for breakfast, as soon as I wake up and before I get out of bed and that deals with it. I don't consider this as a change in my breakfast ratio because if I don't have breakfast, I still need that 1.5-2 units to cover the rise due to FOTF, so I see it more as an add on to help my Levemir for that initial morning period. I still need to wait 40mins before eating breakfast otherwise I spike into the teens and then crash later. If I keep a close eye on my Libre and start eating when I can see the insulin kicking in I can sometimes time it really well and not get any breakfast peak at all. Don't you love it when you get it just right!! Almost makes up for all the frustrating times when you don't.   
Anyway, that's what works for me.


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