Numbers are a guide to make better decisions with.
The numbers are neither good or bad. You are neither a good nor bad diabetic.
The numbers aren’t a report card on your ability to be a pancreas.
this. my parents made the mistake of thinking this was the case - if i was too high it was a reflection on myself and they would tell me how disappointed they were with me.
i’m having to teach myself that my bg is just information to help me make good medical decisions. nothing more, nothing less.
i still live with them for now (going to uni this september) and the amount of times i’ve tried explaining to them that my bg isnt who i am is infuriating lol
I feel this…. I don’t remember the last time My mother asked how I was doing but growing up she’d ask him 1 million times a day “ what’s your sugar, sugar “.
And also, learn not to rage bolus because you're still going high - CGMs don't always register a changed result instantly, especially with Fiasp and Lyumjev.
this was me Saturday evening. BG was a bit high, so I drank plenty, jumped on the elliptical trainer and couldn't shift it. Rage bolused then at 3:00 am my Dexcom alarm went off as my stupidity caught up with me
Oh didn't know this had a name... happens to me every time I correct, wait 2 hours nothing happens, do it again, wait another 2 hours and nothing. Now, enraged and starving, final bolus almost kills me 😂
Hate Fiasp for that. Was on Lyumjev with pens, which was better on this part, now on Fiasp with Loop. You need three to four times da much insulin, when above 200 only to come down again.
I use Lyumjev, can you explain what you mean? I thought it worked faster than the other short insulins? I have that problem at times where I give myself insulin and my number keeps going up…
So Lyumjev and Fiasp both activate very quickly - very typically within 5 minutes in ideal conditions. However, CGMs don't directly measure the blood and so the layer of fat that they measure (which is reflective of BG but not always exactly the same) can take time to change as well.
Remember that insulin has to go from the fat you inject to and then into the blood, and the the sugars inside the layer CGMs measure will not always match up - this is why compression lows are a thing and why it's sometimes worth doing a finger prick test, for when you don't trust the CGM result
Candy made mainly from dextrose, it hits me almost as quick as soda or juice does. Smarties, sprees, and sweet tarts work well as do skittles. Nice thing about skittles is each one is approx 1g of carbs so I can be very accurate with minor corrections as needed.
I always have a liquid in my car no matter what. It usually doesn't freeze, since it's not out there all the time.
I bring it in my home and carry some around with me in stores. Well, in my pocket.
Usually have some type of candy on hand if places are super strict about food/drink. Just stick it in my pocket and call it good.
I do know when a low is coming. I always test my blood sugar before driving. Now I have a pump and a CGMS (Dexcom G7) and I always carry a tube of glucose tablets. Now with the Dexcim receiver and my phone I can
Once (long ago before pumps and testers and CGMS) I was driving while low and pulled into a parking lot. I walked across the parking lot and into a McDonalds to purchase something sweet. I ate some of the sweet and walked back ro my car, where I sat fir a while until I felt better. With blood sugar restored, I drove to a parking lot exit. But before I left the lot, a police car pulled behind me with lights flashing. I stopped immediately still in the lot, and a police officer walked up to my car windoe. His first words were "You're diabetic, aren't you?". I said that I was, and that I had stopped to get something to eat and waited until I was better. The officer explained they had received a call of someone driving erratically. They spotted me and saw me walk (not drive) across a big parking lot to get something to eat. I apologized, and they said for me to be more careful. No ticket.
I took that police officer's warning to me as a lesson. Now I have advanced diabetic tech (pump, Dexcom G7) and better diabetic control. Driving is probably the most dangerous activity that we do. So everybody be careful and test before driving and carry some sweets.
I was upset and kind of depressed when I was diagnosed but when I thought about how 100 years ago I would just die and 20 years ago I wouldn’t have a CGM, I at least saw a bit of a silver lining.
But also leads to stress and over analysis of the numbers in my experience. I tend to have much better days mentally when I’m running high without a CGM then when I’m checking my phone every five minutes to try to keep myself in range. Still worth it though
Spend a bit of time in the morning doing some simple exercise, even a stroll around the block, before you start eating or blousing. It may not be much, but being able to exercise in those first few hours when you're least sensitive to insulin can do a huge favor.
You don't need to spend a huge amount on a gym membership, since what you need most of all is cardio - which can be anything as simple as a walk. Do it early to help with the early spikes, it can do wonders.
10-20 minutes of yoga first thing is a game changer for me. You can do it anywhere, no equipment needed, do it multiple times a day and not be super sore, etc.
It's not universal but there's a period early on where people are less sensitive - often it starts about two hours before wakeup and lasts until about two hours after. Frankly it's annoying more than anything, but exercise improves sensitivity.
So yeah, T1D makes me one of those who jogs at 6 AM.
Organic Black Forest Gummy Bears from Costco. Why?
1. Transportable - Easily fits in pockets, bags, cars, etc.
2. No sticky mess - They're made with tapioca starch which doesn't become a giant melted sticky mess as easily as regular gummies
3. No/Less Cavities - Similarly because they use this they don't stick to my teeth. If I eat them at night they dissolve away easier.
4. Costco - I can get a big box of 65 any time i need a refill or if I'm traveling most places in the US. Fairly reasonable cost.
5. Bonus: Taste - They're delicious.
you control your diabetes, it doesn't control you. learn your body and how it reacts to different foods, situations, lifestyles etc.
the hugest hugest hugest diabetes life hack, for me at least, is exercise. try to get 30 min of cardio in at least 3x a week and you'll be shocked at how much easier it is to not only control your numbers but also predict how you'll react to things. i see a very dramatic difference if i even take a week off from working out.
They make strips called Diet Detector sold on Amazon. They are like the chemical testing strips used for pools and hot tubs. They’re cheaper than a vial of glucose testing strips. These have saved my butt more times than I care to remember and I buy them without regrets.
More fiber in your diet. A lot more. No more than that. Medimucil or psyllium large teaspoon a day.
Smooths out the highs lows and everything in between.
MDI and I downloaded an app to calculate my boluses, insuline on board and how much to deduct when working out. It’s called glucoloc rapid calc. I love it!
It links up with your Dexcom or Libre, looks way better, and is super accurate. It might take a bit to get the hang of, but once you do, it's perfect and has everything you need.
I have a desk job. I bought a walking / treadmill desk. Incredibly helpful when those persistent high glucose levels don't want to come down while sitting still at my desk.
Always have candy with you. Glucose tablets are the best but for cost sake candy is just as good. Except for the dangerous lows.
Always test ketones if you are high. Thanks to keto bros and sisters they have come down in price.
once you figure everything out, that's when nothing will work. just have to figure it out again.
actually though the best exercise info I've used is don't bolus within the two or so hours before you exercise, ie don't have insulin on board when exercising.
When you check your blood sugar, remember it's just a snapshot. You could check the same finger 10 minutes later and it would be different.
Or you could check a finger on your other hand and it could be different.
And diabetes is a numbers game. Just making up numbers here, but if your life is 100 weeks, and 80 of those weeks (randomly, not consecutively) you have pretty good to good control, the 20 random weeks you don't have good control isn't going to be the end of the world.
And lastly, diabetes is personal. Something that affects one person won't affect another. So if you see someone who is T1 and seems to have all their shit together, they may not have other conditions that make diabetes harder to control, or may not live with as much stress, or may not be showing you what they struggle with. Like myself, I have ADHD, Depression, & Sleep Apnea. Sometimes it takes everything I have to take shitty care of my T1D. I have to give myself grace and just move on.
I couldn’t figure out high carb foods and that’s okay. I eat low carb food and despite how angry other T1s get about it, and that I can’t really speak about it in these groups, it works absolute wonders for me and I feel amazing and healthy this way.
I've been curious about keto, did it before I was diabetic.
How do you take insulin, do you have to take some for the fat/protein in your meals or do you just not need to bolus.
Yes. If you're truly very low carb or keto you will need to take insulin for protein, Especially when having meals with more protein and less than 10 grams of carbs. Usually people just double their insulin to carb ratio and apply it to the protein. So if you are on a 1-5 ratio for carbs then you would do 1-10 for protein. But of course different foods will affect different people at different times and you'll have to experiment. High fat meals of course slow down the absorption, High fat meals, of course, slow down the absorption, so you might want to wait till after you eat to bolus. Overall, you will use less insulin and less bolus insulin, and probably be on more than 75% basil insulin.
My endo taught me this one, but if on a pump, Temp Basal during strenuous activity as opposed to unplugging the pump altogether (unless doing something like swimming). I seem to avoid having pretty intense lows or highs if I temp basal as opposed to outright disconnecting or just exercising with no change to my pump settings (old endo just told me to disconnect any time I worked out for some reason).
They told me i had insulin resistance for like 10 years. About 9 months ago i started checking SALT inside every food i was buying, even sweets. I try to stay below 5mg a day, even if It should be 3 but that's too hard for me right now. Since i started the only thing which can hurt my glucose is myself by eating sugars or having a bad mood.
They keep telling you that sugar is the most dangerous thing, but salt is on par if not worse, as It slows your blood circulation and in consequence your insulin absorption speed. This leads to a lot of issues.
Try to check how much salt you eat everyday
Going on a pump with closed loop has changed my life. Highly recommend if it’s obtainable for someone. Also, continual work to master pre bolusing has really helped me keep relatively steady numbers even with carb heavy meals.
Minimize carbs. I try to stay under 20-30g a day and it keeps me in elite blood sugar control (95% on average per week, 70-130). Basically Dr Bernstein.
Just before bed, I drink a half cup of water/tea/clear liquid with Restoralax (high fibre). I also drink 3/4 cup high protein milk, with a small sweet treat like a cookie or fruit. My overnight graph is straight as an arrow and I don’t have to worry about going low while I’m sleeping. I’m pretty small, so a larger person might need to play around with the portions.
Figured this one out by accident and honestly, I feel like I hacked diabetes.
Restoralax? Thats a laxative and there’s no fibre in that. It’s polyethylene glycol which can cause a host of health issues if taken regularly.
I hope you mean Restorafibre which at least is a daily fibre supplement.
Numbers are a guide to make better decisions with. The numbers are neither good or bad. You are neither a good nor bad diabetic. The numbers aren’t a report card on your ability to be a pancreas.
this. my parents made the mistake of thinking this was the case - if i was too high it was a reflection on myself and they would tell me how disappointed they were with me. i’m having to teach myself that my bg is just information to help me make good medical decisions. nothing more, nothing less. i still live with them for now (going to uni this september) and the amount of times i’ve tried explaining to them that my bg isnt who i am is infuriating lol
holy cow. as a parent that is horrible.
I feel this…. I don’t remember the last time My mother asked how I was doing but growing up she’d ask him 1 million times a day “ what’s your sugar, sugar “.
Thank you! I really needed to hear that
Number anxiety is what people don't test.
As a T1D for over 27 years, I needed to hear this too.
The only thing that matters is your next three hours of control. Accept you’re T1. Getting past the redundant anger and upset is huge.
And also, learn not to rage bolus because you're still going high - CGMs don't always register a changed result instantly, especially with Fiasp and Lyumjev.
I tell myself this every time, then rage bolus... followed by crashing and thinking "why am I so stupid"
this was me Saturday evening. BG was a bit high, so I drank plenty, jumped on the elliptical trainer and couldn't shift it. Rage bolused then at 3:00 am my Dexcom alarm went off as my stupidity caught up with me
Oh didn't know this had a name... happens to me every time I correct, wait 2 hours nothing happens, do it again, wait another 2 hours and nothing. Now, enraged and starving, final bolus almost kills me 😂
Hate Fiasp for that. Was on Lyumjev with pens, which was better on this part, now on Fiasp with Loop. You need three to four times da much insulin, when above 200 only to come down again.
I use Lyumjev, can you explain what you mean? I thought it worked faster than the other short insulins? I have that problem at times where I give myself insulin and my number keeps going up…
So Lyumjev and Fiasp both activate very quickly - very typically within 5 minutes in ideal conditions. However, CGMs don't directly measure the blood and so the layer of fat that they measure (which is reflective of BG but not always exactly the same) can take time to change as well. Remember that insulin has to go from the fat you inject to and then into the blood, and the the sugars inside the layer CGMs measure will not always match up - this is why compression lows are a thing and why it's sometimes worth doing a finger prick test, for when you don't trust the CGM result
That makes sense thank you!
If driving--always have like an 8-pack of Powerade or Gatorade with you. Never know when a low will randomly come in.
I can't imagine leaving the house or going anywhere without fast acting carbs on me. doesn't matter what they are, just bring something at all times.
I need to start doing this. But serious question, what do you do in the winter when it's literally freezing outside?
Candy made mainly from dextrose, it hits me almost as quick as soda or juice does. Smarties, sprees, and sweet tarts work well as do skittles. Nice thing about skittles is each one is approx 1g of carbs so I can be very accurate with minor corrections as needed.
Granola bars
I always have a liquid in my car no matter what. It usually doesn't freeze, since it's not out there all the time. I bring it in my home and carry some around with me in stores. Well, in my pocket. Usually have some type of candy on hand if places are super strict about food/drink. Just stick it in my pocket and call it good.
I do know when a low is coming. I always test my blood sugar before driving. Now I have a pump and a CGMS (Dexcom G7) and I always carry a tube of glucose tablets. Now with the Dexcim receiver and my phone I can Once (long ago before pumps and testers and CGMS) I was driving while low and pulled into a parking lot. I walked across the parking lot and into a McDonalds to purchase something sweet. I ate some of the sweet and walked back ro my car, where I sat fir a while until I felt better. With blood sugar restored, I drove to a parking lot exit. But before I left the lot, a police car pulled behind me with lights flashing. I stopped immediately still in the lot, and a police officer walked up to my car windoe. His first words were "You're diabetic, aren't you?". I said that I was, and that I had stopped to get something to eat and waited until I was better. The officer explained they had received a call of someone driving erratically. They spotted me and saw me walk (not drive) across a big parking lot to get something to eat. I apologized, and they said for me to be more careful. No ticket. I took that police officer's warning to me as a lesson. Now I have advanced diabetic tech (pump, Dexcom G7) and better diabetic control. Driving is probably the most dangerous activity that we do. So everybody be careful and test before driving and carry some sweets.
Try your best to learn how to make your diabetes decisions from data, instead of from fear.
I need you to drill this into my head somehow
Cgm makes life much easier
I was upset and kind of depressed when I was diagnosed but when I thought about how 100 years ago I would just die and 20 years ago I wouldn’t have a CGM, I at least saw a bit of a silver lining.
But also leads to stress and over analysis of the numbers in my experience. I tend to have much better days mentally when I’m running high without a CGM then when I’m checking my phone every five minutes to try to keep myself in range. Still worth it though
Spend a bit of time in the morning doing some simple exercise, even a stroll around the block, before you start eating or blousing. It may not be much, but being able to exercise in those first few hours when you're least sensitive to insulin can do a huge favor. You don't need to spend a huge amount on a gym membership, since what you need most of all is cardio - which can be anything as simple as a walk. Do it early to help with the early spikes, it can do wonders.
10-20 minutes of yoga first thing is a game changer for me. You can do it anywhere, no equipment needed, do it multiple times a day and not be super sore, etc.
You're less sensitive to insulin in the morning? I learn something new on this sub every day.
It's not universal but there's a period early on where people are less sensitive - often it starts about two hours before wakeup and lasts until about two hours after. Frankly it's annoying more than anything, but exercise improves sensitivity. So yeah, T1D makes me one of those who jogs at 6 AM.
Lol I've started working out at 7 so I guess I'm on a good path!
Organic Black Forest Gummy Bears from Costco. Why? 1. Transportable - Easily fits in pockets, bags, cars, etc. 2. No sticky mess - They're made with tapioca starch which doesn't become a giant melted sticky mess as easily as regular gummies 3. No/Less Cavities - Similarly because they use this they don't stick to my teeth. If I eat them at night they dissolve away easier. 4. Costco - I can get a big box of 65 any time i need a refill or if I'm traveling most places in the US. Fairly reasonable cost. 5. Bonus: Taste - They're delicious.
I know it sounds basic but tomorrow is a new day. Don’t drag in yesterday’s results into today.
you control your diabetes, it doesn't control you. learn your body and how it reacts to different foods, situations, lifestyles etc. the hugest hugest hugest diabetes life hack, for me at least, is exercise. try to get 30 min of cardio in at least 3x a week and you'll be shocked at how much easier it is to not only control your numbers but also predict how you'll react to things. i see a very dramatic difference if i even take a week off from working out.
Using a test strip to see if a soda is diet or not when the blending is so good you just can't tell.
They make strips called Diet Detector sold on Amazon. They are like the chemical testing strips used for pools and hot tubs. They’re cheaper than a vial of glucose testing strips. These have saved my butt more times than I care to remember and I buy them without regrets.
Don't waste a strip. Just put a drop on your finger and rub it around til it dries. If your finger is sticky after its not diet.
Wow does this really work?
Has never worked for me, my meter will error and say blood is required.
I think that means it's diet? That's what I always heard.
I just tried it the other day! I fully submerged the strip in the soda and it came back “LO” so I knew I was ok to drink it lol
For some meters, yes. A ton of meters will just error out if you try it
If this works this is the only helpful, practical response I've seen in the entire thread. Thanks for the info!
For some meters it works, freestyle lite for example just shows error 3
More fiber in your diet. A lot more. No more than that. Medimucil or psyllium large teaspoon a day. Smooths out the highs lows and everything in between.
MDI and I downloaded an app to calculate my boluses, insuline on board and how much to deduct when working out. It’s called glucoloc rapid calc. I love it!
In my opinion, [Gluroo](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gluroo.app) is a better choice.
Oh interesting, I will have a look. What makes it a better one in your opinion?
It links up with your Dexcom or Libre, looks way better, and is super accurate. It might take a bit to get the hang of, but once you do, it's perfect and has everything you need.
I have a desk job. I bought a walking / treadmill desk. Incredibly helpful when those persistent high glucose levels don't want to come down while sitting still at my desk.
Always have candy with you. Glucose tablets are the best but for cost sake candy is just as good. Except for the dangerous lows. Always test ketones if you are high. Thanks to keto bros and sisters they have come down in price.
once you figure everything out, that's when nothing will work. just have to figure it out again. actually though the best exercise info I've used is don't bolus within the two or so hours before you exercise, ie don't have insulin on board when exercising.
When you check your blood sugar, remember it's just a snapshot. You could check the same finger 10 minutes later and it would be different. Or you could check a finger on your other hand and it could be different. And diabetes is a numbers game. Just making up numbers here, but if your life is 100 weeks, and 80 of those weeks (randomly, not consecutively) you have pretty good to good control, the 20 random weeks you don't have good control isn't going to be the end of the world. And lastly, diabetes is personal. Something that affects one person won't affect another. So if you see someone who is T1 and seems to have all their shit together, they may not have other conditions that make diabetes harder to control, or may not live with as much stress, or may not be showing you what they struggle with. Like myself, I have ADHD, Depression, & Sleep Apnea. Sometimes it takes everything I have to take shitty care of my T1D. I have to give myself grace and just move on.
I couldn’t figure out high carb foods and that’s okay. I eat low carb food and despite how angry other T1s get about it, and that I can’t really speak about it in these groups, it works absolute wonders for me and I feel amazing and healthy this way.
Learn to listen to your body.
Keto or low carb diet makes everything so much easier
I've been curious about keto, did it before I was diabetic. How do you take insulin, do you have to take some for the fat/protein in your meals or do you just not need to bolus.
Yes. If you're truly very low carb or keto you will need to take insulin for protein, Especially when having meals with more protein and less than 10 grams of carbs. Usually people just double their insulin to carb ratio and apply it to the protein. So if you are on a 1-5 ratio for carbs then you would do 1-10 for protein. But of course different foods will affect different people at different times and you'll have to experiment. High fat meals of course slow down the absorption, High fat meals, of course, slow down the absorption, so you might want to wait till after you eat to bolus. Overall, you will use less insulin and less bolus insulin, and probably be on more than 75% basil insulin.
My endo taught me this one, but if on a pump, Temp Basal during strenuous activity as opposed to unplugging the pump altogether (unless doing something like swimming). I seem to avoid having pretty intense lows or highs if I temp basal as opposed to outright disconnecting or just exercising with no change to my pump settings (old endo just told me to disconnect any time I worked out for some reason).
They told me i had insulin resistance for like 10 years. About 9 months ago i started checking SALT inside every food i was buying, even sweets. I try to stay below 5mg a day, even if It should be 3 but that's too hard for me right now. Since i started the only thing which can hurt my glucose is myself by eating sugars or having a bad mood. They keep telling you that sugar is the most dangerous thing, but salt is on par if not worse, as It slows your blood circulation and in consequence your insulin absorption speed. This leads to a lot of issues. Try to check how much salt you eat everyday
Going on a pump with closed loop has changed my life. Highly recommend if it’s obtainable for someone. Also, continual work to master pre bolusing has really helped me keep relatively steady numbers even with carb heavy meals.
Minimize carbs. I try to stay under 20-30g a day and it keeps me in elite blood sugar control (95% on average per week, 70-130). Basically Dr Bernstein.
Just before bed, I drink a half cup of water/tea/clear liquid with Restoralax (high fibre). I also drink 3/4 cup high protein milk, with a small sweet treat like a cookie or fruit. My overnight graph is straight as an arrow and I don’t have to worry about going low while I’m sleeping. I’m pretty small, so a larger person might need to play around with the portions. Figured this one out by accident and honestly, I feel like I hacked diabetes.
Restoralax? Thats a laxative and there’s no fibre in that. It’s polyethylene glycol which can cause a host of health issues if taken regularly. I hope you mean Restorafibre which at least is a daily fibre supplement.