Gah fallen off the wagon

#1

Hey guys,

I am afraid to say I have fallen off the wagon this last month or so..

Workload has increased and I have had plenty of other things to contend with as well.

I am still testing around 10 times a day and my sugars are okay, although they are creeping up.

Exercise has been zero for the last four five weeks and I am really feeling that..

I kind of feel like I have been abusing my pump as well, I have managed to dial in my basals and I:C ratio so accurately that I have literally been eating whatever I want. I was on about 45g a day of carbs previously for around six months before and that was working great.. I was running 40 miles a week.

But I have been eating no no foods like cereals, fruit, bread and just bolusing the crap out of myself. My TDD has shot up about 20 units.

So I have put on about 8kg in 6 weeks, my TDD is up 50% and I feel lousy any tips on how to break this cycle of events?

I suppose I just have to man up and get back on the wagon!

#2

I feel your pain.
I find that eating carbs to excess and exercise are both habits.
When I am in the groove of good eating and good exercising,it's easy to stay on it,
When I'm eating poorly, I find I crave those foods even more.
Exercise is easy when it is part of a routine, its a bear when you realize you need to go but don't want to.

I think if you make a deal with yourself to eat right and go to the gym 3 times just for this week, then you may find next week, you want to do it again,

It works that way for me anyway.
And just so you know, everyone falls off the wagon even non diabetics.
It is just human nature!

#3

Yup, no way around it other than manning up and getting back on the wagon. I had a whiff of it last week, on vacation. We visited my in-laws and 1) mom was *alarmed* that I was too skinny (despite my chiseled physique...hee hee...) and 2) eats tons of carbs. My father in law seems to have inherited the gene that allows him to eat 3-4 servings of carbs/ meal and still weigh 150 lbs in his early 70s. My TDD shot up about 5-10 units although I managed to run about 30 miles up and down hills near San Diego so I only gained a couple of pounds.

I'd read that exercise doesn't matter but it seems to keep things "charged up" for me and, a couple of days after getting home, I'm back to about where I was when I left? I think it's also good for me mentally. I always feel better after I run, even when I have to drag my ■■■ out there. Last night, I lifted, felt smoked, ran up to check the chicken and then dragged my butt onto the elliptical and, even though I was dragging a bit, I still did 20 minutes before it was time to flip the chicken over.

#4

I guess it's OK to fall off of the wagon once in a blue moon -- just don't do what I tend to do and compound it by throwing yourself under the wheels. Sheesh.

The sooner you get back on -- especially the exercise part -- the better. Every day that you lose fitness makes it that much harder to get back in the groove. Start today. Start now, even if you just walk to the nearest wall and do three sets of ten wall push-ups.

#5

Well the sun is shining so I guess I should go for a run, I just know this one is going to be hellish.

Not looking forward to facing the fact that after a couple of months of progress, I will be back where I started ha!

I tend to be an all in or nothing kind of guy, so I will have to work on keeping diet and exercise sustainable and enjoyable. Rather than a bland spartan diet and running with shin splints I think!

#6

I think it's a good idea to take it easy running too, enjoy being out and the scenery without being too gonzo? I had done some intervals to run a fast 5K recently and had fun with that but am really working to stay at 10:00 miles for the longer runs, w/ an eye on improving my disastrous results from last year's marathon. I also have been working on form, really running on the balls of my feet a lot. No shin splints and my knees feel *great* but my calves are smoked for 2 days afterwards!!

#7

I am proud of you for coming here and being honest about things. I think we all struggle with this. We can be monks for a couple months and do really great, but in the end we have to find a place that we can sustain. Perhaps you are a bit burnt out. Maybe it is time to reexamine exactly what your goals are. Will you really be happy in the long-term eating 45g of carbs/day and running 40 miles a week? Is there a better compromise that would get you 80% of the way there and be something you could sustain? What about eating 75g/day and instead of 40 miles running, you do intervals three days a week for a half hour?

Sometimes we can be very hard on ourselves. We are after all only human.

#8

First of all, remember that even if you've fallen off the wagon it's still there if you want to get back on, and we're here to give it a jumpstart when needed.

You said you should go for a run. 'Should' implies struggle, something you don't want to do. Saying something like I will, or I choose to, is much more powerful. This may sound like nitpicking, but it really does make a difference.

Kudos for posting here!

#9

Thanks BSC.

I think you are right, I was being very strict for a good few months and I guess it is a case of burn out. It doesn't help that the pump is giving me more freedom than I have ever had.

I think I will try and mix the running up with some cycling and drop down the miles. I agree that my approach from November-Feb may have been too much, whilst it has been great for my HbA1c, it is not sustainable in the long term.

I am considering fasting for a few days and only consuming glucose when and if I go low. I know this sounds foolhardy, but I always find fasting for 72hours gets rid of the carb cravings, my appetite reduces and my tastes for foods become simpler. It may simply be a mental thing.. But I feel like I need to give my body a rest and I hope a fast will kick start my return to the wagon.

#10

Sorry you're struggling, Buckley. Yep, it's kind of in some of our natures to do things all or nothing. But then we're subject to burnout. I call it the "twinkie granola syndrome" (hope that translates across the pond). You are really strict and somewhat restricted then you burn out and go wild. I think you said it all yourself above when you said you have to keep diet and exercise "sustainable and enjoyable". In the "getting back on the horse" thing maybe you will change the horse a bit (this metaphor is crashing) and make it more balanced so you won't feel deprived. I've very much learned that with food and enjoying my food (while keeping it healthy) is very much a requirement for me. I'm not an exercise person but I would imagine the same principal applies so enjoy your sunny day!

#11

Really brave that you are posting this. I guess I fell off as well and wouldn't know how to get back on. I will keep on reading the advices given to you :). Good luck getting back on!

#12

Well,

Just had my HbA1c done, last time in December 2011 it was 44/6.2 and yesterday it was 44/6.2!

Cholesterol, Renal, Thyroid is fine, weight is up 4kg since Jan though and TDD is up 15 units a day.

I really was expecting a HbaA1c of around 7.5 though!

#13

Well, this must be a relief and a dissappointment. A relief because it didn't affect your A1c. And a dissappointment not only with the weight gain and increased insulin, but it makes you question whether all that extra effort makes a difference.

In the end, you will know the answer. You want to feel good about yourself.

#14

Ha it does indeed bsc..

I think weight gain, increased TDD and insulin resistance go hand in hand, so I will work on getting the TDD and the weight down.

Back to logging everything I eat and counting calories.

I quite like the low carb diet though. Loads of steak, chicken, fish and fresh greens. I was getting through about 30 eggs a week though ha.. Doesn't seem to have caused problems with cholesteral though.

#15

Nice job! I'll join you slobbing around as I tore something in my calf last weekend.

#17

Hope the calf heals up nicely.

Beer and DVD box sets?

#18

Mmmm, yummy, we just watched "Game of Thrones". Perhaps I can figure out a way to leverage a "Battlestar Galactica" deal? Last night I had a "perfect storm". I tried to run, made it about .7 miles and something "tore" where the cramp was, a very uncomfortable situation. At the same time, I seem to have had the first ever monster infusion set infection, but wanted to "tough it out" and wait until the tank ran down so, when I finally yanked the sucker out, I was pretty severely ouched in two spots at once, neither particularly comfortable.

DVD box sets are definitely needed as the Cubs, Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks all lost yesterday. I was not a happy camper. I was sort of ready to ease back on the running as I have a 1/2 on 050612 but I'm like "what if it doesn't go away?".

#19

Controlling the Bete's is like juggling and it's only a mater of time before I loose concentration and start dropping the balls. I get bored and always need some kind of project or hobby to fill in idle time...I'm very obsessive so just about anything will keep me occupied...If I'm not busy I like eat it feels good...;-)