Exercising after eating

Ever since I had gestational diabetes, I started exercising (basically, cycling for 1/2 an hour) that immediately brings down my  postprandial blood sugar hike.

I am in a pre-diabetic stage currently. That means after every meal, my blood sugar hikes ranges from 140 to 180. If it crosses to 200 then I'll have to take metformin to control my diabetes. It is generally not good to have blood sugar more than 140. It starts damaging most of the organs.

This pre-diabetes stage principally has two parts - either 1) your insulin production is getting slower or 2) your muscles are not taking up the glucose even though you have adequate insulin production -basically,  insulin resistance. So, exercising after the consumption of food works up the muscle to take up more glucose from blood, there by effectively bringing down the sugar hike in the blood.

I feel this pre-diabetic stage is a blessing in disguise. Otherwise I would never have exercised or had a control on my diet. Being slim throughout my life, I had always gorged on food without any restrictions. The gestational diabetes came as an awakening call for my unhealthy lifestyle. That is when I painfully realized that my body had its own mind! Even having a cup of milk shot my blood sugar to a dizzying proportion. The only way I could tame the sugar level was exercising immediately after food - either walking or biking. Even that was not helpful if I consumed a heavy meal, say for example if I went to an Indian buffet.

Therefore, I had to control my diet too. I restricted my cab intake to 30 to 45 grams, included compulsory a free protein (not the carb+protein combo, like dal) and some good fat. It was a strict 50% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat combo!

Either I have a count on my carb intake or I immediately exercise after a meal. Not a vigorous exercise, but the setting in the exercise bike allow me to do aerobic combined with few resistance mode that miraculously brings down my sugar level.

The botom line to control blood sugar hike after a meal: combine both diet and exercise. Now, my postprandial blood sugar is almost within 130 after a meal. :)