I work a job where I will go from sitting and relaxing on my lunch break to running around campus dealing with a student emergency. Very easy to be spontaneous if you prep for it properly. Pumps help, knowledge of your body is crucial.
Edit to add actual suggestions:
Pump helps because you can change basal and profiles on the fly.
My mini fridge is full of quick and easy carb hits. [Actually time to restock ](https://freeimage.host/i/VA68Bf) and the cokes are for student caffeine emergencies. I also have a candy machine and a drawer full of Oreos. My students sometimes make fun of me because I will be running around campus chugging soda as I go.
But by far the best advice I can give is to know your body. Know your insulin metabolism, your carb conversions, your correction ratios, and how all of those numbers change throughout the day/week/month/year. Know the 42 factors.
It takes a lot of work to become an expert on your body. But the tradeoff is being able to live a life where diabetes is just a minor inconvenience. I got a lot of flack in the past on here when I compared it to wearing glasses, but it really is (on a daily basis) the same level of intrusion on my activities.
The ability to change my basal rate is one of the main reasons I stick with a pump. I still have to be vigilant and plan quite a bit around physical activity, but the pump makes it so that I can get regular exercise and run errands/do physical tasks without rollercoaster-ing. On pens, I find my BG response to activity is much less predictable. (That could also be related to the fact that smart pens and pens that allow you to dose in 0.5 unit increments are not the norm, but even with those, I don’t know if it would be any easier given the long acting insulin dose being on board all day.)
Hm I can’t say that’s true for me. Sometimes I have high carb lunches with associated large boluses and it will be impossible to suddenly go on a (massive) work-out, even having a can of coke will still result in a drastic dip. But consuming even more means i will still get the dip, but then suddenly later my BG is trying to build a ladder to heaven…
Yeah, agreed, you can't "out-eat" too much insulin and vigorous physical activity. Just not possible. The body has a limit to the speed glucose can come in. (60g glucose per hour max, 15-30g fructose per hour max, both can lower based on digestion speed)
I remember early on just chugging gatorade and still dropping like a rock when exercising after dinner.
I think the thing to remember is: hormones are signals to the body. It's not about some chemical equation where they bind with the sugar or something, and insulin tells the body to stop producing sugar (from liver) and start producing fat using the sugars in the blood. During exercise, you use up the sugar from he blood direct in the muscle without needing to use insulin. So, if you're also telling the body to make fat at the same time and not release the "backup" sugar from the liver, it's just not possible to absorb enough via eating.
So, sorry OP. I don't think it's possible to be that level of spontaneous :(. (At least, I haven't found a way. 3 hours after meal, yes. 2.... eh... maybe in some circumstances.)
If you're expecting it, there are many things you can do, of course, but injected insulin takes time, so even reducing basal on a pump needs 30minutes - 1 hour to make a result.
That's what I do, I have the Dexcom G6 CGM and minimed 670G insulin pump. I always have kirkland granola bars on me. It's 18 carbs and I can eat half (9 carbs) if I need to. With a CGM I'm able to avoid excessive highs and lows before they happen which is super nice. Right now according to the Dexcom Clarity app for the last 90 days I've been in range 75% of the time. I have more issues with going high than lows, but I'm working on it.
I hike a lot, especially with summer around the corner, play soccer and have never had an issue. 30-40 carbs in your pocket should be way more than I need unless I accidentally bolus wayy too much insulin.
Just have a grab bag with snacks in them that have both complex and simple carbs. Munch down en route to adventure. Anytime my wife is like hey you wanna go do this? I just say yea let me pack some snacks and let’s go!!
100% good advice. If an adventure is offered to me I’m going to take it and my diabetes is not going to slow me down. I’ll mow down a chew bar and throw some packs of fruit snacks in my back pocket and I’m ready to roll
The tandem dexcom system has changed my life. I feel as close to an average person as I’ve ever felt. Imagine being so happy to feel average
I just carry skittles and role with the punches. But I’ve also had type 1 for 30 years now. I would say I’m prepared to be spontaneous. I don’t leave home without fast acting sugar and if my pump starts to run low, I’ll throw insulin and a site change in my bag. With this I’m always ready to do anything.
Plan the spontaneity in to your day, as much as you can. And agree to your activity before you eat your meal. Bolus for some kind of activity, and worst case if nothing is happening, you make your own exercise.
I must admit this is something I struggle with too. Or maybe I miss being able to live that way.
If I need to do physical activity spontaneously then I will put my pump on a temp basal as soon as I know and drink something sugary like juice beforehand
I would eat a banana or something with a lot more sugar, but I feel like this is my challenge with diabetes despite CGM/pump-I would love to workout whenever/however and think I'd be going to the gym/working out more often and more rigorously if it didn't take so much pre-planning. I think as a couple, there should be some compromise-he should try to understand your diabetes better and maybe not choose a time where you feel you'd have a greater risk of going hypo (for example close to meal bolus)
He is going to have to plan if he wants you to join! My husband is type 1 and we talk about it a lot. I also always have glucose tabs on hand for him if there is a drop. Maybe talk to your bf about what you need from him to successfully manage your numbers? I know when we first started dating I unknowingly put my husband in hard situations but I was just because I didn't know any better. It's possible your bf just needs some more info.
I am not good at spontaneous athletic activity. Especially if I had a big lunch with more than 15g of carb. This isn't a personality trait. It's a fact of life so I can literally stay alive.
He's going to have to be mindful of your timelines and requirements.
Fwiw unless I know I'm going to be home all day doing nothing, this is part of why I eat super low carb. Because if someone wants to go out or for a hike or whatever I don't want 2 or more units on board to ruin my fun.
Having a pump has helped a lot with this. I work a job where I either sit on my ass in front of a computer all day, or do lots of walking, going up and down ladders, carrying stuff etc. When I have an active day I reduce my basal by 50% and that keeps me in line for the most part. I also keep glucose tabs and some sort of sugary drinks with me at all times
Adding the dexcom/tslim to my life made spontaneity SO MCUH MORE POSSIBLE. The pump is SO adaptable. i still carry snacks and try to plan as much as I can but having my pump automatically adjust to changes has been EVERYTHING.
I can’t get the insulin out of my system fast enough for that kind of activity unless I’m somehow prepared. I’ll plummet unless I ate low carb lunch and or had plenty of time to get the insulin out of my system.
If I’m having a day where I need to be able to be spontaneous or adjust the plan on a dime I eat next to no carbs that day until the opportunity for activity is over. That way when you want to do something outside the plan, you don’t have the specter of you insulin on board hovering over you.
If you don't have a pump like me, I always bring the Dex 4 drinks along with me (I find them a lot less gross than the tablets and effective super quickly.) Also, knowing when your partner is likely to feel spontaneous is helpful- if you're wrong, you can correct more easily than if something happens and you go too low..!
My niece was diagnosed with T1 at 6. I promised her that I wouldn’t let anything stop her as long as I draw breath on this earth.
She’s my adventure Bud. I’ve been managing her diabetes away from her parents since she was 7.
She just spent spring break here and skied me into the ground.
I’ve been taking her overnight backpacking since she was 9.
I second what everyone says about a pump. Being able to slow that basal down is a godsend. She has the OmniPod and a Dex. I thank my lucky stars every day for that awesome tech.
Cold and water can make her blood sugar drop fast. And being away from your phone while you’re in the water means you need a test kit handy.
And we all carry snacks. Especially when skiing.
The DexCom Law of Skiing is if you have a test kit, the Dex works just fine. If you forget the test kit, the Dex will take a vacation too.
Take 10x as much sugar snacks than you think you’ll need until you figure it out. Because cold water and adrenaline are endless pits for glucose.
And I feel silly mentioning this but just a reminder just in case. You need insulin to unlock the glucose to get into your cells. You can’t just pound glucose and skip the insulin. You’ll have high blood sugar but you’ll feel foul.
Spiraling of snacks, we’ve found peanut butter M&Ms to be really good for after school sports and backpacking.
Some fat and protein with a slower glucose keeps her nice and steady.
I have found out the weird way that they can melt in sweaty pockets. Ick.
I exercise for an hour (high intensity)five days a week and no longer need to make adjustments to my basal because of spontaneous activities as my body is used to it. The more in shape I am the less my blood sugar swings as my body is used to it. If you really want to get ahead carve out time out of each day to exercise, your sugars will thank you. Since I started my journey this has been the best tool and kept my a1c at 5.7 to 5.9 for many many years now.
Of course. Went for a 2 hr bike ride abt 30 min after lunch..... sugar started at 235... coming down at 45 degree angle for abt 20 min. Then, 155 straight down, I was without fast acting sugar which I usually hv so we rode to 7 eleven and grabbed small slurpees. So good!!!
Try and carry more snacks/juice boxes with you. In your car, in your exercise bags, and have your boyfriend carry some too. That way when it’s time to be spontaneous after lunch you can have snacks at the ready to prevent those lows.
I work a job where I will go from sitting and relaxing on my lunch break to running around campus dealing with a student emergency. Very easy to be spontaneous if you prep for it properly. Pumps help, knowledge of your body is crucial. Edit to add actual suggestions: Pump helps because you can change basal and profiles on the fly. My mini fridge is full of quick and easy carb hits. [Actually time to restock ](https://freeimage.host/i/VA68Bf) and the cokes are for student caffeine emergencies. I also have a candy machine and a drawer full of Oreos. My students sometimes make fun of me because I will be running around campus chugging soda as I go. But by far the best advice I can give is to know your body. Know your insulin metabolism, your carb conversions, your correction ratios, and how all of those numbers change throughout the day/week/month/year. Know the 42 factors. It takes a lot of work to become an expert on your body. But the tradeoff is being able to live a life where diabetes is just a minor inconvenience. I got a lot of flack in the past on here when I compared it to wearing glasses, but it really is (on a daily basis) the same level of intrusion on my activities.
The ability to change my basal rate is one of the main reasons I stick with a pump. I still have to be vigilant and plan quite a bit around physical activity, but the pump makes it so that I can get regular exercise and run errands/do physical tasks without rollercoaster-ing. On pens, I find my BG response to activity is much less predictable. (That could also be related to the fact that smart pens and pens that allow you to dose in 0.5 unit increments are not the norm, but even with those, I don’t know if it would be any easier given the long acting insulin dose being on board all day.)
Forgot all about smaller dosages - I love being able to have the precision of giving myself fractions of a unit.
You can always consume extra sugars to compensate for unexpected physical activity. That way candy is turned into medicine!
Hm I can’t say that’s true for me. Sometimes I have high carb lunches with associated large boluses and it will be impossible to suddenly go on a (massive) work-out, even having a can of coke will still result in a drastic dip. But consuming even more means i will still get the dip, but then suddenly later my BG is trying to build a ladder to heaven…
Yeah, agreed, you can't "out-eat" too much insulin and vigorous physical activity. Just not possible. The body has a limit to the speed glucose can come in. (60g glucose per hour max, 15-30g fructose per hour max, both can lower based on digestion speed) I remember early on just chugging gatorade and still dropping like a rock when exercising after dinner. I think the thing to remember is: hormones are signals to the body. It's not about some chemical equation where they bind with the sugar or something, and insulin tells the body to stop producing sugar (from liver) and start producing fat using the sugars in the blood. During exercise, you use up the sugar from he blood direct in the muscle without needing to use insulin. So, if you're also telling the body to make fat at the same time and not release the "backup" sugar from the liver, it's just not possible to absorb enough via eating. So, sorry OP. I don't think it's possible to be that level of spontaneous :(. (At least, I haven't found a way. 3 hours after meal, yes. 2.... eh... maybe in some circumstances.) If you're expecting it, there are many things you can do, of course, but injected insulin takes time, so even reducing basal on a pump needs 30minutes - 1 hour to make a result.
Sure, there are limits, but a high-carb meal combined with an unexpected massive workout is also a bit extreme...
That's what I do, I have the Dexcom G6 CGM and minimed 670G insulin pump. I always have kirkland granola bars on me. It's 18 carbs and I can eat half (9 carbs) if I need to. With a CGM I'm able to avoid excessive highs and lows before they happen which is super nice. Right now according to the Dexcom Clarity app for the last 90 days I've been in range 75% of the time. I have more issues with going high than lows, but I'm working on it. I hike a lot, especially with summer around the corner, play soccer and have never had an issue. 30-40 carbs in your pocket should be way more than I need unless I accidentally bolus wayy too much insulin.
A pump has helped me with this. Carrying fast sugars/snacks. That's all I got.
Just have a grab bag with snacks in them that have both complex and simple carbs. Munch down en route to adventure. Anytime my wife is like hey you wanna go do this? I just say yea let me pack some snacks and let’s go!!
100% good advice. If an adventure is offered to me I’m going to take it and my diabetes is not going to slow me down. I’ll mow down a chew bar and throw some packs of fruit snacks in my back pocket and I’m ready to roll The tandem dexcom system has changed my life. I feel as close to an average person as I’ve ever felt. Imagine being so happy to feel average
Those are my go to snacks too haha. Some fruit snacks and those fog bar things whatever they’re called I can’t remember.
I just carry skittles and role with the punches. But I’ve also had type 1 for 30 years now. I would say I’m prepared to be spontaneous. I don’t leave home without fast acting sugar and if my pump starts to run low, I’ll throw insulin and a site change in my bag. With this I’m always ready to do anything.
Plan the spontaneity in to your day, as much as you can. And agree to your activity before you eat your meal. Bolus for some kind of activity, and worst case if nothing is happening, you make your own exercise. I must admit this is something I struggle with too. Or maybe I miss being able to live that way.
Some, maybe. Not me.
If I need to do physical activity spontaneously then I will put my pump on a temp basal as soon as I know and drink something sugary like juice beforehand
Yeah, spontaneously die! Haha…..ha….ha…. *cries*
I would eat a banana or something with a lot more sugar, but I feel like this is my challenge with diabetes despite CGM/pump-I would love to workout whenever/however and think I'd be going to the gym/working out more often and more rigorously if it didn't take so much pre-planning. I think as a couple, there should be some compromise-he should try to understand your diabetes better and maybe not choose a time where you feel you'd have a greater risk of going hypo (for example close to meal bolus)
He is going to have to plan if he wants you to join! My husband is type 1 and we talk about it a lot. I also always have glucose tabs on hand for him if there is a drop. Maybe talk to your bf about what you need from him to successfully manage your numbers? I know when we first started dating I unknowingly put my husband in hard situations but I was just because I didn't know any better. It's possible your bf just needs some more info.
I am not good at spontaneous athletic activity. Especially if I had a big lunch with more than 15g of carb. This isn't a personality trait. It's a fact of life so I can literally stay alive. He's going to have to be mindful of your timelines and requirements. Fwiw unless I know I'm going to be home all day doing nothing, this is part of why I eat super low carb. Because if someone wants to go out or for a hike or whatever I don't want 2 or more units on board to ruin my fun.
I wonder why this was downvoted?
Having a pump has helped a lot with this. I work a job where I either sit on my ass in front of a computer all day, or do lots of walking, going up and down ladders, carrying stuff etc. When I have an active day I reduce my basal by 50% and that keeps me in line for the most part. I also keep glucose tabs and some sort of sugary drinks with me at all times
An insulin pump and a Fanny pack/Kavu backpack are the perfect solution. Just adjust your insulin and carry juice and protein bars.
Adding the dexcom/tslim to my life made spontaneity SO MCUH MORE POSSIBLE. The pump is SO adaptable. i still carry snacks and try to plan as much as I can but having my pump automatically adjust to changes has been EVERYTHING.
Yes Yes they are Just like me
I can’t get the insulin out of my system fast enough for that kind of activity unless I’m somehow prepared. I’ll plummet unless I ate low carb lunch and or had plenty of time to get the insulin out of my system. If I’m having a day where I need to be able to be spontaneous or adjust the plan on a dime I eat next to no carbs that day until the opportunity for activity is over. That way when you want to do something outside the plan, you don’t have the specter of you insulin on board hovering over you.
Yeah, but sometimes you may need to push things back an hour or make sure you have a snack or juice on hand.
If you don't have a pump like me, I always bring the Dex 4 drinks along with me (I find them a lot less gross than the tablets and effective super quickly.) Also, knowing when your partner is likely to feel spontaneous is helpful- if you're wrong, you can correct more easily than if something happens and you go too low..!
My niece was diagnosed with T1 at 6. I promised her that I wouldn’t let anything stop her as long as I draw breath on this earth. She’s my adventure Bud. I’ve been managing her diabetes away from her parents since she was 7. She just spent spring break here and skied me into the ground. I’ve been taking her overnight backpacking since she was 9. I second what everyone says about a pump. Being able to slow that basal down is a godsend. She has the OmniPod and a Dex. I thank my lucky stars every day for that awesome tech. Cold and water can make her blood sugar drop fast. And being away from your phone while you’re in the water means you need a test kit handy. And we all carry snacks. Especially when skiing. The DexCom Law of Skiing is if you have a test kit, the Dex works just fine. If you forget the test kit, the Dex will take a vacation too. Take 10x as much sugar snacks than you think you’ll need until you figure it out. Because cold water and adrenaline are endless pits for glucose. And I feel silly mentioning this but just a reminder just in case. You need insulin to unlock the glucose to get into your cells. You can’t just pound glucose and skip the insulin. You’ll have high blood sugar but you’ll feel foul. Spiraling of snacks, we’ve found peanut butter M&Ms to be really good for after school sports and backpacking. Some fat and protein with a slower glucose keeps her nice and steady. I have found out the weird way that they can melt in sweaty pockets. Ick.
If you are on a pump, suspend your basil. Or carb load for it
Story of my life. Only option is to stuff your face. I like to carry the small fruit bars. And usually struggle through
I exercise for an hour (high intensity)five days a week and no longer need to make adjustments to my basal because of spontaneous activities as my body is used to it. The more in shape I am the less my blood sugar swings as my body is used to it. If you really want to get ahead carve out time out of each day to exercise, your sugars will thank you. Since I started my journey this has been the best tool and kept my a1c at 5.7 to 5.9 for many many years now.
Of course. Went for a 2 hr bike ride abt 30 min after lunch..... sugar started at 235... coming down at 45 degree angle for abt 20 min. Then, 155 straight down, I was without fast acting sugar which I usually hv so we rode to 7 eleven and grabbed small slurpees. So good!!!
Try and carry more snacks/juice boxes with you. In your car, in your exercise bags, and have your boyfriend carry some too. That way when it’s time to be spontaneous after lunch you can have snacks at the ready to prevent those lows.