hypoglycemia during training and weight loss?

I've been diagnosed as hypoglycemic (blood sugar crashed to 38 during my diabetes test).  It wasn't related to losing weight - it was actually PREVENTING me from losing weight. While you're not as extreme, you probably do need to modify your eating quite a bit.  I'd strongly recommend seeing a dietician (preferrably a sports diectician) to get you on a meal plan.  I'm not entirely convinced you're hypoglycemic, since you say your spells are about once a month, but you can always adjust your eating and see if it works for you.  I'm also wondering if this isn't somehow tied in with your cycle or maybe iron deficiencies....

You mention that you are having orange juice or a carb powerbar to relieve your low blood sugar attacks.  This is about the worst thing you can do, as this just puts you on a sugar roller-coaster.  Instead, as a hypoglycemic, you ALWAYS have to have protein when eating carbs  (2 g carb to 1 g protein ratio) - and make sure that you're taking in low glycemic index carbs (as opposed to refined, high GI carbs).  This will even out the rollercoaster.  I'm also not supposed to go longer than 4-5 hours w/out eating, so I have 3 main meals and then 3-4 snacks throughout the day.

Depending on my workout, I will typically have a snack (nuts or part of a protein bar) about 30 min to 1 hr before my workout.  If I workout more than an hour, my dietician wants me to take in a sports drink with 60 g carb / 30 g protein for every HOUR of excercise (ie gatorade with protein powder - I have a super custom Infinit mix.).  And then I need a recovery drink with about ~20 g carbs / 10 g protein.

I had to completely change my eating habits, but I find that I am much more happy and functional without being on a rollercoaster all the time.  Good luck!

i definitely agree with eating more balanced meals more frequently - i started doing this shortly after my first  few spells, and they have decreased in frequency (which is why i think they only occur about once a month - when it's been 2 hours since i've eaten and i go work out in the afternoon, it's basically guaranteed to happen; i find i have to eat something like peanut butter on whole wheat about 20 min before working out, and then take in something like endurox with carbs and protein if it's more than a 60 min workout). i have found that since eating more frequently and always having protein with carbs, i have much more even energy levels during the day.

when i said i addressed the crashes with juice, etc - i mean in the immediate sense, when i felt like i was about to black out; i'd have some juice till i could see clearly again, and follow it with protein afterward (e.g. trail mix) to prevent a second crash. otherwise, once i get that low, trying to address it with more complex carbs on hand doesn't work. either way, i feel totally exhausted and unwell for several hours afterward.

i am trying to document how low my blood sugar gets during one of these crashes; my doctor gave me a glucose meter to test myself when i'm near-fainting, but it hasn't happened yet and i'm afraid to set myself up for one deliberately. since i was merely very tired with a splitting headache during the OGTT test when i was at 53, they want to know how much lower my levels are during these crashes i get while exercising.

i guess either way, it doesn't really matter if i get a formal diagnosis of hypoglycemia or not - having frequent, balanced meals is probably the answer no matter what. if i find out anything more from the doctor, i will post about it here. thanks for your advice and good luck with your hypoglycemia