First Stumble

Since the end of March I have been losing between 1.5 and 3.4 pounds per week, every week and averaging a 2.3 pound/week loss.  My goal was and continues to be 2.0 pounds per week.  There has be a constant but variable drop in blood sugar along the way.  The only exception to the drop in blood sugar was when I went off Actos and there was a moderate (15-10 mg/dl) rise.  Last week my fasting blood sugar levels started to rise without apparent cause.  Two weeks ago my weekly average fasting blood sugar was 117 and dropping 3 to 4 mg/dl every week.  Last week my fasting blood sugar was 131.

When I looked for an explanation there were no obvious causes.  The change in eating habits was bringing me in line with my ideal weight (i.e., I was losing weight).  My exercise plan which seemingly was accelerating the loss a bit was steady, ongoing and seeming to work both building new muscle and increasing stamina.  I noticed I had a little congestion.  It could have been pretty much anything - an allergy to rising pollen counts or perhaps a summer cold starting up.

I didn't expect the numbers to stay up for very long.  About 10 days later they seem to be coming down slowly but I may have discovered the issue.  I say "may" because I'm not certain.  I have checked my blood sugar during the night and it seems to be between 112-118 until 4:00 or 5:00 am when it starts to rise a little.  This is called the "Dawn Effect" and apparently your body is getting ready for you to become active again.  Part of the process involves the liver releasing glycogen, which becomes two glucose molecules in the blood.  This is energy that's waiting for the body to start to work.

If I've nailed the problem down, I'm not too concerned.  My HbA1c will continue to drop but my baseline for evaluating my progress has changed.  This is a mixed blessing - it might be good or it might be bad.  I'm looking at it as a way to get my fasting blood sugar levels even lower and will monitor my "rising blood sugar" - meaning both when I rise and the fact that the level has risen above the fasting level.  My goals remains the same: I want my morning blood sugars under 100 as soon as possible and then I want them under 89.  Ideally these numbers will be without medicine.

If there was a way to get my body to extend the low fasting blood sugar levels that would be great.  I'm looking to see if there is a way that isn't 'trickery', like having a high carb snack late at night.  Building new muscle should increase my metabolism and might reduce my insulin resistance.  Logically, this should lower my fasting blood sugar levels.  Aerobic exercise burns fat which improves insulin efficiency and this too should lower my fasting blood sugar levels.  Good nutrition seems to help and perhaps over time as the body renews itself, my liver and pancreas can improve their insulin sensitivity and production, too.