# New diet - hypos



## Lau1220 (Jul 31, 2017)

Hi, I'm just looking for some advice. I've currently started a new healthy diet with no snacking and eating smaller portions less carbs. And also do aerobic exercises about 4 times a week. I'm currently finding I'm having hypos more often. 

I've been reducing my long lasting insulin but still getting lows after meals. I carb count and wondering whether my ratios of insulin to carbs may have changed, if this is possible?  or do I need to keep lowering my long lasting??

Any advice would be amazing.

Many thanks, Laura


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## Northerner (Jul 31, 2017)

Lau1220 said:


> Hi, I'm just looking for some advice. I've currently started a new healthy diet with no snacking and eating smaller portions less carbs. And also do aerobic exercises about 4 times a week. I'm currently finding I'm having hypos more often.
> 
> I've been reducing my long lasting insulin but still getting lows after meals. I carb count and wondering whether my ratios of insulin to carbs may have changed, if this is possible?  or do I need to keep lowering my long lasting??
> 
> ...


Hi Lau1220, welcome to the forum  Short answer is yes- your rations will more than likely change! Even though you are carb counting, the exercise will be making your body much more sensitive to the insulin - both basal and bolus - and the effect can last for many hours beyond the exercise session (up to 40 hours for me). Consistent, regular exercise should result in a more stable set of ratios, but increasing intensity may then require further reductions, and it can become quite significant. The only real solution is to test frequently before and after to try and see what patterns you fall into. I personally find that having a small snack after exercising (no extra insulin) can help to prevent later hypos. Often, after exercise your levels may go up as your liver releases extra glucose to 'top up' the glycogen stores that you have used up in your muscles. As the glucose is taken up by the cells, your levels can then fall back. That small snack will stop the liver releasing extra glucose (you now have food instead), so you can get better post-exercise results (well, I do - this is diabetes after all! ).


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## Lau1220 (Jul 31, 2017)

Northerner said:


> Hi Lau1220, welcome to the forum  Short answer is yes- your rations will more than likely change! Even though you are carb counting, the exercise will be making your body much more sensitive to the insulin - both basal and bolus - and the effect can last for many hours beyond the exercise session (up to 40 hours for me). Consistent, regular exercise should result in a more stable set of ratios, but increasing intensity may then require further reductions, and it can become quite significant. The only real solution is to test frequently before and after to try and see what patterns you fall into. I personally find that having a small snack after exercising (no extra insulin) can help to prevent later hypos. Often, after exercise your levels may go up as your liver releases extra glucose to 'top up' the glycogen stores that you have used up in your muscles. As the glucose is taken up by the cells, your levels can then fall back. That small snack will stop the liver releasing extra glucose (you now have food instead), so you can get better post-exercise results (well, I do - this is diabetes after all! ).



Thank you so much. I didn't think about being more sensitive to insulin. My ratios have never really changed so didn't think about that. I tried a lower ratio today and it has made a difference already. 
Also I didn't realise that exercise can have an effect for such a long period after!! This regular exercise malarkey is a new thing to me, I just thought it affected it the day after. That's really good to know. 

Thank you so much for your advice!!


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## Northerner (Jul 31, 2017)

Lau1220 said:


> Thank you so much. I didn't think about being more sensitive to insulin. My ratios have never really changed so didn't think about that. I tried a lower ratio today and it has made a difference already.
> Also I didn't realise that exercise can have an effect for such a long period after!! This regular exercise malarkey is a new thing to me, I just thought it affected it the day after. That's really good to know.
> 
> Thank you so much for your advice!!


Always happy to help! Glad it has made a difference already


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## OliverRobertson (Jan 12, 2018)

I think that this is a good way to lose weight, what is more, he interested me


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## trophywench (Jan 12, 2018)

Exercise effects last for 48 hours for most diabetics, DSNs joke that they'd like all diabetic to only do aerobic exercise every 2 days ......


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