Low blood sugar seems to be the theme for me lately, and I can’t figure it out. Maybe because I am exercising more? For the next few days I am going to experiment by reducing the amount of insulin I normally take – my four day blood sugar average is around 84. š
Knowing that Hannah and I were going to the gym last night, I slept in. As in I didn’t want to get up. At all. Finally at 7:20 I got up. I didn’t really have a breakfast/lunch plan so that’s when “throw shit in a bag” comes into play and I figure it out when I get to work.
Breakfast was my typical egg sammie with giant grapes and watermelon. I bought the grapes at Target of all places. Breakfast comes in at 8 points. It may have had really good bologna on it. š
I was just about to head out for my lunch time workout, checked my blood sugar and it was only 82 – wtf? So I ate another cup of grapes and a banana, and headed out for my walk. Just to be on the safe side, I put two baby snickers bars in my bag. About 2 miles into my walk, I can feel it – the sweat starting to drip – I ended up having to eat both snickers (5 points!) to get me back to the office – checked my blood sugar and it was 62. I did end up walking 3.3 miles in 53 minutes! š
So no insulin at lunch – just a bowl of my grown up spaghettios. Lunch comes in at 8 points.
I think I made quite possibly the quickest pasta sauce last night. While I don’t like the texture of mushrooms, I do like the flavor.
Super Quick Pasta Sauce
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 28 can tomatoes (I had crushed tomatoes)
- 8 ounces ground sirloin
In a stock pot melt butter. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for meat and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook beef in a separate pan. Puree sauce if you want (I did so there weren’t chunks of mushrooms) add in cooked beef and simmer for 5 more minutes.
The mushrooms give a depth of flavor to the sauce so it really tastes like its been cooking all day. Dinner comes in at 11 points.
So I decided to take half the amount of insulin because I knew Hannah and I were going to the gym. And pasta is high in carbs so I figured that would be enough fuel. We started by doing 30 minutes on a treadmill that goes to 50% incline! I ended up doing 30 minutes at 20% incline at 3.5 mph. It was hard.
Sure enough we are about to go to the pool and my blood sugar tanked again – it was 51. So I went to the vending machine, got gummies (4 points!) and I was fine to swim. We swam and played the ring toss game for 45 minutes, then ended up in the hot tub for 10 minutes. It was fun to catch up with Hannah. š
Stats for the Day:
- 36 points (9 points for eating food to get my blood sugar up!)
- 53 minute walk 3.3 miles
- 30 minute 20% incline treadmill
- 45 minutes swimming
Wanna see something gross? Last week when I made microwaved scalloped potatoes the recipe said to cook the butter, flour and milk in a bowl covered in plastic wrap for 5 minutes. When I reached in to take it out, a corner blew up and a burst of steam hit my thumb. Shizz did that hurt! That was a week ago and here is how it looks 7 days later.
Have you ever burned yourself bad in the kitchen??
Make it a great day!
Has your blood sugar changed since you stopped eating a snack before bedtime? I have worked in Diabetes Education for 21 years, and we find that a lot of our patients benefit from a snack of some carb and some protein before bed. Your salty snacks aren’t that bad if you keep it light and add some protein! Just wanted to throw this into the mix!! š
Good to hear you have a doctors appointment scheduled, Biz!
Hormones are a pain in the ass. I put on a lot of weight in the last 2.5 years, partly because I had an early menopause. When I started my hormone replacement therapy earlier this year things have been much easier for me..
I’ve been eating lots of Best Buffalo Chicken Chili lately.. š
Just an hour ago a popping sizzling blame chowder asteroid landed on my arm and gave me a burn just like your thumb souvenir. Cheers to rogue microwave action I guess…
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Sorry about your hand, sweetie!
š Marion
My finger looks like that too! I poured boiling hot bbq sauce on it accidently! it hurt like a you know what. Gah.
Hope you figure out the blood sugar sitch. I wish I could figure out my body too. I feel like it’s one thing after another. I went to the E.R. recently because my stomach has been a mess. Hate it! Wish our bodies could just tell us what’s wrong sometimes.
Ugh, your poor finger!! Burns are the absolute worst. My worst kitchen burn was earlier this year, I was a complete bonehead and reached into the oven rather than pulling the shelf out, and burnt my arm on the heating element! It was only touching for a second but burnt the hair off my arm and once it healed left a scar!
I hope you can get your blood sugar under control, my prescription is a nice weekend…good thing one’s about 24 hours away!
Ouch! That thumb looks painful!
Sorry about your blood sugar stuff. Looks like you are pretty smart about it though.
With your weight loss and increased exercise, maybe you should give your doctor a call and get some help with regulating your insulin. Your body is changing a lot!
I stabbed myself with a knife in the kitchen once and had to get 3 stitches in my palm. That was fun.
It sounds like a constant battle with your blood sugar. I hope you work it out!
That really look like it hurts. I burn myself in the kitchen all the time but never anything too serious.
I love your quick sauce too! Anything with garlic is a winner with me š
EW! Yeah, I did the same thing with honey in the microwave. It exploded on my hand and I still have the scars months later. My insulin sensitivity changes throughout the month and I typically need half as much the week before my period, so maybe yours is hormone related too?
oh no! glad your thumb is healing. i’ve got some burns on my arms from cookie sheets/oven racks…
yummy looking sauce, and hopefully you figure things out soon!
I’m sorry to hear that your blood sugar is giving you grief lately. š How frustrating that you thought you had it all figured out and then everything changes on you. Hopefully your doctor has some good answers for you!
That sauce looks amazing! And good tip with pureeing it. My husband and I love mushrooms, but our son’s not a fan of the texture. Pureeing it will make everyone happy!
Worst kitchen burn I ever had was when I was draining some spaghetti noodles. I poured the hot water out too fast and it backsplashed out of the sink and onto my stomach. Who knew cooking was such a hazardous occupation???
Ah, hope you figure out why your body is acting like that! I’ve been trying to figure out some digestive issues lately so I feel ya!
And that burn looks nasty! I’ve heard that putting honey (I know crazy but it has good bacteria in it!) on it will help!
All that exercising sounds awesome – I always feel amazing when I manage to get in 2 workouts in one day! Good luck with figuring out the right balance of insulin to get you through your workouts!! Have you tried using the glucose tablets at all? That’s what my boyfriend keeps around for blood sugar emergencies (although he has Type I, so perhaps that is a different deal?), and maybe it would be lower in terms of points since there’s no fat or whatever in there.
I have those glucose tabs, but for some reason I don’t feel they work quick enough for me – if I start to feel my blood sugar dropping its fine, but the all of a sudden drop I need candy or orange juice.
You poor thing! If it makes you feel any better, I dropped my curling iron on my arm last week and it still looks pretty nasty. I’m pretty sure I’ll have a nice big circle scar. š
Burns are so scary! My goodness. I’ve burnt myself wayyyy too many times while baking. Hope you get the blood sugar figured out! Pretty breakfast! Mmm to grapes!
I hope you can figure out your blood sugar levels. I know Rich goes through periods like this, not sure what he does to get it back on track.
I find that if I eat carbs before I work out my sugar tanks. Every time. Maybe try a high protein snack and then work out? While our diseases are different and our eating regimens are different, I found that this worked like a charm for me (even before the low carb diet).
That sauce sounds awesome!
Thanks for the tip Vicki – I may give it a try. š
What a pain, with your blood sugar not behaving. If this keeps up, I wonder if you shouldn’t visit with your doctor about it, especially since (as he’s noted) you usually have it so well-managed. Maybe (I hope not!) something else is messing this up?
Jeff got a microwave steam burn once similar to yours and it’s made me super-cautious around the microwave ever since. Ouch to both of you!
Hi Vat. sigh. It must be so frustrating to monitor your blood sugar when it’s wonky like that. I feel your pain. I also feel your pain for the burn. I’ve burnt myself (and utensils and oven mitts) more times than I should confess to, and I’ve also burned my forehead with a flat iron. It was a very sexy look. NOT…. Take care!!! Hugs your way.
Ha! When have I NOT burned myself in the kitchen? I am like the world’s biggest klutz or dumb ass in the kitchen when it comes to hot things. My favorite thing to do is pick up a pan that I KNOW I just took out of the oven without an oven mitt. That way, I can have big blisters on my fingertips and the palm of my hand. Yeah, it’s pretty awesome.
Whoa – that burn is crazy!
When I was in high school I worked at McDonald’s. Well, in the kitchen one day I slipped and put my hand down to catch myself, not realizing I had just set my hand on the hot pancake grill. I never experienced pain so bad. It took almost a month for it to heal!!
Good luck regulating your insulin/blood sugar. Maybe since you’re losing weight & getting more exercise in, you should meet with your doc again for some guidance š
Hmmm looks like the weight loss and exercise is affecting your Blood glucose levels. You may need less insulin now that you are a MACHINE!! Like Aimee said, you may visit with your doc and watch him or her jump up and down wishing all their patients were like you! See you soon! I am going downtown today to see what trouble I can find!
So excited to meet you tomorrow Robin! š
Dang Bizzy – that looks like it hurt like heck. OUCH.
I know I have asked this before, so forgive me, but what should your blood sugar be to make you feel wellI? And able to exercise.
And which type of diabetes do you have. I was researching diabetes on line last night [I have a friend who’s husband has developed it and the doctor is giving them a weird food plan that doesn’t match his diabetes, long story] but if you don’t mind sharing I would like to know more. I know there is Juvenile, Type 1 and Type 2. The first and third have to be managed with insulin? I think.
It gets confusing. Sorry. I would just like to point her in some direction that would help.
Thanks Biz. Hugs to all!
Typically normal blood sugars are like 90 – 120. I was a type 2 diabetic, but around 4 years ago the oral medication I was on just stopped working, so insulin was introduced. I managed my diabetes with diet and exercise, but with insulin all of a sudden things I never ate (i.e. loaded french fries?!) we’re welcomed with open arms – just take more insulin!
Hence, the 35 pound weight gain in 4 years!
I am my own worst enemy in the kitchen and I have scars to prove it. I rarely bake something without burning myself.
My Mom was diabetic for 30 years and did very well but was also super careful about everything. Would it be rude to ask when you last checked with your doctor or at least told him/her about the low sugar readings? I hope you get it figured out soon. š
Sorry you’re having so many sugar issues! I wonder if not only your exercise but your weight loss is having something to do with that. Maybe time for a doctor’s appointment?
I severely blistered my thumb and forefinger once the same way – heating up collard greens covered with plastic wrap. That’s a sucky lesson to learn!
P.S. Your comments are “sticking” again.
Yeah! So glad my comments are sticking again! That was so frustrating.
BTDT. I have many, many scars on the tops of my wrists from touching the oven as I’m lifting a pan out. Ouch! (You’d think I’d learn?)
I wish all of my patients were so diligent in monitoring their blood sugar and treating it accordingly. I wish I knew why your blood sugar has been running low. Just out of curiosity Biz, do you see an endocrinologist periodically or has your diabetes been managed by a primary care physician? I do wonder how the weight loss is affecting your condition. I really love that you post about your experience with insulin controlled diabetes. I think that there are so many people out there who don’t fully understand the disease.
I hope your finger feels better! Ouch!!
I have an appointment in November with my endo – I skipped my July appointment because we didn’t have insurance then – maybe he can help me figure it out. š
I know this blood sugar problem is really scary for you. I don’t know anyone who has diabetes so really didn’t have an idea what diabetics have to go through. I will have to say though that reading your blog and all the efforts you have to go thorough to control your blood sugar makes me really want to redouble my efforts at weight loss to hopefully not become diabetic.
Ouch! I’ve burned myself before, but never that bad :/
I hope you get things figured out with your blood sugar!
Owee!! I hope your finger gets better soon.
I dunno about that low blood sugar thing. I don’t understand it much.
I hope you figure out what is going on with your blood sugar soon. Are you eating differently than normal (more carbs?)
I pretty much burn myself every time I’m in the kitchen! Right now i have a healing burn on one hand, and a cut on the other from the food processor blade (I was only getting it out of the dish drainer and managed to cut myself).
You may need less insulin since you’ve lost weight maybe? Hormonal changes? More exercise? So many factors can affect blood sugar!
Oh wow-ouch!!! Hope you enjoy your day!
I hope you find what works with your blood sugar, Biz! That must be so scary when you feel it drop so suddenly!
Ouchie to your thumb! š
Have a great day!!
I hope you figure out your body!!!
Yikes, your poor hand! I worked at Penn Station, a hot sandwich restaurant, as a kid. The teriyaki burns were always the worst. My worst kitchen injury occurred when I ran my hand through the potato cutter. I actually passed out. š
You totally reminded me that I got my hand stuck in a meat grinder at a bar I worked at – I was grinding up big blocks of cheese, a friend walked by and I got distracted, and the next thing you know there is blood in my bowl of cheese – I was lucky I didn’t cut my fingers off!
Aaaah, just thinking about this stuff makes me light headed. š