For The Trainers: Did I Cross A Line?

When i was a trainer i would discuss eating on the road and health. The trucks didn't come with any inverters or fridges so it was a real issue.

I probably wouldn't have said anything about the diabetes since i don't know much about it other than some basic knowledge.

But i know where you're coming from because i had one student that just snacked for a week and i said something about eating mainly because i didn't want him to run out of energy driving while i was sleeping in the back.

If anyone wants more details I am happy to share.

As long as I take approximately the correct amount of insulin for the carbs I ingest, my blood sugars stay in acceptable (essentially "normal") ranges

That sounds like a recipe for permanent insulin addiction, does it not? I don't know if you can force the body to overcome this condition over time through changes in eating habits, but I know the body won't adapt to anything if it doesn't have to.

So at some point you must have tried something akin to the Keto diet where you stick almost exclusively to fats and proteins and nearly eliminate carbs altogether. Have you tried that for an extended period of time, and what happened with it?

Insulin addiction? Lol, yeah. All type 1 diabetics are insulin addicted, and some type 2, they will literally die without it.

Not all diabetics, type 1, or 2 are the same. What works for some, is disastrous for others. For too many years, we have had "1 size fits all" diets, programs, etc shoved down our throats. In Marc's case he has a way that works for him. The ONLY way he can become free of insulin dependence, is to be type 2. (And even then, the severity can determine the level of dependence.)

I am type 2, and I have tried countless fad diets, until I figured out my own system that works. I allow myself x amount of carbs, and x amount of processed sugars per day. "raw" sugars, from fruits and vegetables, I eat whatever I want. By doing this, my last a1c was 6.9 the best it has been in years. It is really easy to slack off, out on the road, but I have found that preparing my own food, has helped a lot.

I believe there is an element of truth to what Brett is suggesting. If it requires a type-2 diabetic twice the amount if insulin to process the same level of sugar as a non-diabetic, the long term affect of that is potentially devastating.

This is one of the reasons measuring blood insulin level is becoming another piece in managing sugar levels. I’m very aware of this and managing it now because due to my age and family history, I’m a more likely to face a type-2 diagnosis as I get older. Too much sugar is no joke...it is linked to all kinds of disease, many of which can be prevented by managing sugar intake.

Lowering both complex and simple sugars is absolutely the best path for anyone trying to maintain optimal health and weight.

I train 6 or 7 days a week as an endurance athlete and it's critical that I avoid carbs and focus on fats and proteins to make sure my body is as efficient at burning fat as possible. Once I got away from carbs and sugars it was amazing the difference in how I felt all the time. I have much more consistent energy, I almost never get food cravings, and I can go very long periods of time without eating even when exercising very hard.

Your body is designed to burn fat efficiently, but it will become addicted to burning sugars if you supply enough sugar for it to burn. Eating sugar is also a "high" that you mind experiences. So your body and mind both become addicted to taking in sugars if you do so regularly.

I find it very interesting that both of the people who said they are diabetic feel they can take in as much sugar as they'd like at times, including eating a candybar once in a while or eating all of the fruit you would like. You will never catch me eating a candybar and the only fruit I eat is some blueberries mixed into my yogurt. I never eat sweet fruits like apples and green grapes.

Your body will never adjust to burning fats if you keep eating sugars. I'm not diabetic so I can't speak to that condition specifically in great detail. But to say you're diabetic and yet you've found circumstances where you feel you can eat a lot of sugar makes no sense to me.

All inputs appreciated...

Couple of points...

1) Technically I am Type 2 (by definition). Type 2 is also know as Adult Onset. I was diagnosed at age 35... I have also been referred to as "Type 1 Like Type 2" and "Extreme Type 2".

As I understand it, what makes me a Type 2 diabetic is:

1) I don't produce enough insulin

and

2) I am not sensitive enough to the insulin I produce.

Metformin helps with #2.

When a "normal" person eats something which contains sugar or turns to sugar (almost everything which isn't "neutral" or a protein), the pancreas produces the required amount of insulin and the body uses it to process the food into energy.

Again... not advocating anything. Certainly I do not eat like am elite athlete in training.

However... I was able to access 5 years of medical history (as long as I have been with the current medical group). In that time I have not had a hemoglobin A1C reading greater than 5.9.

I am not sensitive enough to the insulin I produce

Again, I don't know enough about diabetes to be any sort of an authority, but the body can become less sensitive to anything it's overexposed to consistently. Even people without diabetes become less sensitive to insulin and more dependent on carbs for fuel if we eat too many carbs. Now that's not to say eating too many carbs consistently is what caused the lack of sensitivity to insulin, but it very well could be.

Regardless, getting the body to adapt to anything is a difficult process. The body is lazy and won't adapt unless it absolutely must. Not only that, but it will either become dependent upon or no longer respond to many things it's exposed to regularly. How's that for two glaring opposites, right?

Back when I ate a lot more carbs I was far more dependant on carbs and getting away from them was really hard. I had to do it very slowly and consistently over a period of a couple of months. If I went too far away from carbs too quickly I would crash hard. I would become super lethargic and wouldn't be able to lift my head off the pillow. All I wanted to do was sleep. No matter how long I would lay around sleeping I didn't feel any better. I had to eat some carbs to temporarily get back on my feet.

Doing a lot of low heart rate exercise made a massive difference too. If you do mild exercise that elevates your heart rate but not a whole lot, like a moderate bike ride, slow swimming, slow jogging, or a mellow hike in hilly terrain you'll be burning a lot of fats. The more often you do that the better your body becomes at burning fat and the less dependent you'll be on carbs.

So my training has entailed eating a lot of protein and fat, keeping carbs to a minimum, and doing a lot of exercise at a relatively low heart rate. That has radically changed my body's dependency on carbs and ability to burn fat. I would have to guess that a regimented program like that may very well help diabetics just the same. The key is to make the changes slowly and consistently over a long period of time.

Brett, are you on a KETO or Paleo routine? I'm trying to do the KETO as much as possible, but it can be difficult. I'm getting there, though.

I definitely do not eat sugar candy. All my candy is sugar free.

My processed sugar and carbs are in the form of rx bars, or cliff bars. My "raw" sugar is bananas, and vanilla Greek Yogurt. ( I lump the yogurt as raw, even though it is technically processed.) I am addicted to the various vegetable steamers. I tried the glucerna drinks, and while they taste great, they create, certain, shall we say, digestive issues.

I also have a a lot of pre prepared salmon and chicken breast for my suppers.

I think it's funny that instead of asking what my actual diet is, it is just assumed I am scaring down sugar and carbs left and right.

Marc, ask about Victoza, that stuff worked wonders for me.

Brett, are you on a KETO or Paleo routine? I'm trying to do the KETO as much as possible, but it can be difficult. I'm getting there, though.

I don't know if it's really considered either one. I just focus on meats, eggs, and full fat dairy like yogurt and cottage cheese. I also have a little oatmeal and protein bars a few times a week. But mostly meat, eggs, and dairy.

I think it's funny that instead of asking what my actual diet is, it is just assumed I am scaring down sugar and carbs left and right.

First of all, no one said anything of the sort. Secondly, you said you allow yourself:

"x amount of processed sugars per day. "raw" sugars, from fruits and vegetables, I eat whatever I want."

If you think that sounds like a very conservative amount of sugars for a diabetic then you need to work on your communication skills. Because the phrase "whatever I want" is rarely confused with "I'm highly disciplined"

f you think that sounds like a very conservative amount of sugars for a diabetic then you need to work on your communication skills. Because the phrase "whatever I want" is rarely confused with "I'm highly disciplined"

OK, you are correct. But I also clarified within my next post. The "whatever I want" was mainly concerning my steamers veggie addiction. Especially the Brussel sprouts!

My biggest thing now, is watching my sodium intake.

Big T

I think you did the right thing. As Brett said, being a mentor or trainer is much more than just showing them the ropes of driving, time management, and company procedures. My mentor did the same, with me. He even slapped a licorice stick out of my hand once! Granted we developed a crazy slap stick type friendship. He is a DM now.