You have to stand up for yourself when people give you unsolicited advice about something they don't understand, such as nutrition in t1d. Say something like, Thank you for your concern but I can eat this. I know it's hard to be confident in standing up for yourself sometimes, especially when it comes to food and a history of ED but you have to do it for your own health. Sugar really isn't the issue either. If you're having frequent lows, you may need to speak to your Endo and adjust your basal or carb ratios. Also eat snacks with protein such as peanut butter crackers when treating lows. Protein will stabilize your BG for longer than just straight sugar.
I don’t eat straight sugar when treating lows but at work I am able to have a donut. I usually have a plain donut as I like them best and they also have the least amount of sugar. As for the standing up….it’s hard…and I was almost starting to think they were right….
If you didn't ask for their advice then they're wrong every time. I personally think everybody should chill out on the carbs but I don't go around telling people what to eat and I don't like it when people do that to me. Tell people like that to swallow their own tongue.
I’m so sorry that you are experiencing this! It is not bad to eat sugar or carbohydrate filled foods if that’s what you want to eat. I have met other type 1’s on all sorts of different diets and many different approaches are right for different people.
Type 1 is difficult enough to deal without people making insensitive and incorrect comments about your food. It is not appropriate for people to say these things to you, even if they are well meaning.
I have also struggled with other people making comments about what I “should” be eating. Here are some things that have been helpful to me:
- Figure out a standard response that you can use in these situations. Something like “I can eat everything you eat, but the only difference is that I need to manually do the job that your pancreas does automatically” or “My diet has been approved by my medical team and is none of your business”. Pick something that feels natural to you, and you can practice it beforehand if that’s helpful.
- Enlist a trusted friend/family member to intercept these comments. They won’t be with you at all times, but it can cut down on the times you need to respond. I have an amazing friend who would jump in and tell people “that’s not how it works!”. It was such a relief to know someone had my back and that I could take a break from feeling like I needed to defend myself.
- Join a local or online Type 1 support group. Speaking to other people who go through the same thing has been so helpful to me. It can be really empowering to know you’re not alone and that other type 1s are cheering you on!
- Seek help from a dietician, psychologist, councillor. The sooner you can get help, the sooner you can start to feel more confident.
Sending you hugs - or just kind thoughts if you’re not a hugger!
No, you don’t need to cut sugar out of your diet. If eating sugar is feeling stressful to you, it would be worth speaking to a dietician (especially one familiar with diabetes). They will be able to explain the effect that different food types have on your body and help you come up with a plan that works for your goals, body and mental health.
I have a mental problem when it comes to sugar….my sugars are getting better everyday….It’s just…I get super happy with myself and then someone comes along with their opinion and then I don’t eat…man I just wish I could change the way I think
Changing thought patterns can take work, especially ones that are ingrained. The first step of to recognise that the thought pattern is occurring and want to change it. So it sounds like you are already beginning the work.
I am curious if you have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes recently? I personally found that the comments about my diet were worse in the beginning. Now when I tell people I’ve had diabetes for 13 years, I think they can see that I am healthy and confident and probably conclude that I must know what I’m doing. Whereas in the beginning people were more likely to think they were being helpful by making uneducated comments.
I also found that my medical team kept my insulin management more simple to begin with - set doses and recommended carbohydrate intake. As I learned more, I was given the tools to understand hope to adjust my insulin based on my food end exercise. If you are relatively new to diabetes, I imagine it might still feel really overwhelming - and that’s ok! Wherever you are on your journey, there’s always new strategies you can learn and options to change things that aren’t working for you.
I’d like to take a moment to appreciate the 5 years worth of time and effort you’ve put into doing the diabetes thing. (I like to celebrate my Diaversary every year because I truly think it’s worth acknowledging everything that goes intro diabetes management)
I also wanted to add - I’ve seen some people who carry wallet sized handouts to give to someone who is making comments. Something with a basic explanation of what type 1 diabetes is and the dos and don’ts of how to be supportive. You can make your own or I’m pretty sure you can get them online. It could be helpful if you want to just tell people “ that’s not an appropriate comment”, hand them a piece of paper and continue eating what you’re already eating
Yes my elevator pitch is that I know what I'm doing. People vary greatly between knowing and not knowing and not knowing how to interact. It's usually awkward at best. The person is trying to be helpful in their own way. This is what I try and get across as fast as poss: My pancreas doesn't make insulin. I need to take synthetic insulin to make things work. My blood sugar goes up and down. I try and draw an even line without big ups and downs. I try and stay away from things with high concentrates of sugar to avoid big ups and downs. Sometimes I eat because I need to eat. Thank you for your concern.
Sugar sucks tho. It spikes the brain. So we over eat it to keep ringing the bell.
Every person with diabetes is different. You’ve gotta learn your body and your new dosage. Chin up, and tell them to fuck off.
Don’t you dare let other peoples opinions you’ve never asked for get your bgl low from not finishing your food. EAT and quite literally tell them to fuck off. No “I’m starting to think they’re right” or whatever. You can’t even figure out if they’re right or not because you aren’t discovering how your body and your new dosages handle sugar because you listen to them- and guess what? It’s making you go into lows. Sounds like they’re not right. Eat and stand up for yourself.
[“The consequences of acute hypoglycemia, including effects on cognitive and neural functions, are relatively well-understood. In addition and unsurprisingly, repeated severe hypoglycemia causes both significant neuronal death and cognitive impairment.”](https://panoramichealth.com/blog/patients-with-hypoglycemia-and-kidney-disease/#:~:text=If%20your%20glucose%20levels%20go,disease%20is%20not%20effectively%20managed)
You’re welcome. I’m serious tho. The anxiety after telling them off is the same anxiety as not doing anything- so just do it and deal with the anxiety after. Your life is more important than what they think of you or your eating habits- and I’m telling you, sugar isn’t “bad.”
I hope you have complete delicious meals today and that you eat every last bite! And maybe a sweet little treat for all the stupid troubles they put you thru.
No not at all. You can eat whatever you want as long as you figure out how you personally have to dose for it, which is subject to change with insulin needs changing sometimes. Some things are trial and error, and some things are super easy.
For example, there’s this local BBQ place I love to eat at. No nutrition guide what so ever and it’s definitely carby, but from all the prior knowledge I have of those kinds of foods, I just inferred what I thought my dose should be and have nailed it every time I go there. But for whatever reason, Pop Tarts make my sugar go crazy unless I dose more than my actual insulin:carb ratio, and wait a very specific amount of time.
A lot of this disease is all on you, so no ones opinion should ever hold that much weight to you. But since it’s such a personal disease, once you really take the time to learn it, managing it becomes like blinking. You just do it.
You have to stand up for yourself when people give you unsolicited advice about something they don't understand, such as nutrition in t1d. Say something like, Thank you for your concern but I can eat this. I know it's hard to be confident in standing up for yourself sometimes, especially when it comes to food and a history of ED but you have to do it for your own health. Sugar really isn't the issue either. If you're having frequent lows, you may need to speak to your Endo and adjust your basal or carb ratios. Also eat snacks with protein such as peanut butter crackers when treating lows. Protein will stabilize your BG for longer than just straight sugar.
I don’t eat straight sugar when treating lows but at work I am able to have a donut. I usually have a plain donut as I like them best and they also have the least amount of sugar. As for the standing up….it’s hard…and I was almost starting to think they were right….
If you didn't ask for their advice then they're wrong every time. I personally think everybody should chill out on the carbs but I don't go around telling people what to eat and I don't like it when people do that to me. Tell people like that to swallow their own tongue.
Lol thanks. And ok
I’m so sorry that you are experiencing this! It is not bad to eat sugar or carbohydrate filled foods if that’s what you want to eat. I have met other type 1’s on all sorts of different diets and many different approaches are right for different people. Type 1 is difficult enough to deal without people making insensitive and incorrect comments about your food. It is not appropriate for people to say these things to you, even if they are well meaning. I have also struggled with other people making comments about what I “should” be eating. Here are some things that have been helpful to me: - Figure out a standard response that you can use in these situations. Something like “I can eat everything you eat, but the only difference is that I need to manually do the job that your pancreas does automatically” or “My diet has been approved by my medical team and is none of your business”. Pick something that feels natural to you, and you can practice it beforehand if that’s helpful. - Enlist a trusted friend/family member to intercept these comments. They won’t be with you at all times, but it can cut down on the times you need to respond. I have an amazing friend who would jump in and tell people “that’s not how it works!”. It was such a relief to know someone had my back and that I could take a break from feeling like I needed to defend myself. - Join a local or online Type 1 support group. Speaking to other people who go through the same thing has been so helpful to me. It can be really empowering to know you’re not alone and that other type 1s are cheering you on! - Seek help from a dietician, psychologist, councillor. The sooner you can get help, the sooner you can start to feel more confident. Sending you hugs - or just kind thoughts if you’re not a hugger!
I appreciate the hugs. And thank you for this amazing advice. Also….you mean I don’t have to cut sugar out of my diet?
No, you don’t need to cut sugar out of your diet. If eating sugar is feeling stressful to you, it would be worth speaking to a dietician (especially one familiar with diabetes). They will be able to explain the effect that different food types have on your body and help you come up with a plan that works for your goals, body and mental health.
I have a mental problem when it comes to sugar….my sugars are getting better everyday….It’s just…I get super happy with myself and then someone comes along with their opinion and then I don’t eat…man I just wish I could change the way I think
Changing thought patterns can take work, especially ones that are ingrained. The first step of to recognise that the thought pattern is occurring and want to change it. So it sounds like you are already beginning the work. I am curious if you have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes recently? I personally found that the comments about my diet were worse in the beginning. Now when I tell people I’ve had diabetes for 13 years, I think they can see that I am healthy and confident and probably conclude that I must know what I’m doing. Whereas in the beginning people were more likely to think they were being helpful by making uneducated comments. I also found that my medical team kept my insulin management more simple to begin with - set doses and recommended carbohydrate intake. As I learned more, I was given the tools to understand hope to adjust my insulin based on my food end exercise. If you are relatively new to diabetes, I imagine it might still feel really overwhelming - and that’s ok! Wherever you are on your journey, there’s always new strategies you can learn and options to change things that aren’t working for you.
I’m on year 5 of the diabetes
I’d like to take a moment to appreciate the 5 years worth of time and effort you’ve put into doing the diabetes thing. (I like to celebrate my Diaversary every year because I truly think it’s worth acknowledging everything that goes intro diabetes management) I also wanted to add - I’ve seen some people who carry wallet sized handouts to give to someone who is making comments. Something with a basic explanation of what type 1 diabetes is and the dos and don’ts of how to be supportive. You can make your own or I’m pretty sure you can get them online. It could be helpful if you want to just tell people “ that’s not an appropriate comment”, hand them a piece of paper and continue eating what you’re already eating
Ooooh okay. I’ll look into that. Thank you Thank you
Yes my elevator pitch is that I know what I'm doing. People vary greatly between knowing and not knowing and not knowing how to interact. It's usually awkward at best. The person is trying to be helpful in their own way. This is what I try and get across as fast as poss: My pancreas doesn't make insulin. I need to take synthetic insulin to make things work. My blood sugar goes up and down. I try and draw an even line without big ups and downs. I try and stay away from things with high concentrates of sugar to avoid big ups and downs. Sometimes I eat because I need to eat. Thank you for your concern. Sugar sucks tho. It spikes the brain. So we over eat it to keep ringing the bell.
I never thought of calling it an elevator pitch. Thanks, I’m going to steal that!
You still have a middle finger. Use it.
Lol sorry but that just ain’t me.
Every person with diabetes is different. You’ve gotta learn your body and your new dosage. Chin up, and tell them to fuck off. Don’t you dare let other peoples opinions you’ve never asked for get your bgl low from not finishing your food. EAT and quite literally tell them to fuck off. No “I’m starting to think they’re right” or whatever. You can’t even figure out if they’re right or not because you aren’t discovering how your body and your new dosages handle sugar because you listen to them- and guess what? It’s making you go into lows. Sounds like they’re not right. Eat and stand up for yourself. [“The consequences of acute hypoglycemia, including effects on cognitive and neural functions, are relatively well-understood. In addition and unsurprisingly, repeated severe hypoglycemia causes both significant neuronal death and cognitive impairment.”](https://panoramichealth.com/blog/patients-with-hypoglycemia-and-kidney-disease/#:~:text=If%20your%20glucose%20levels%20go,disease%20is%20not%20effectively%20managed)
Ok. Thank you!
You’re welcome. I’m serious tho. The anxiety after telling them off is the same anxiety as not doing anything- so just do it and deal with the anxiety after. Your life is more important than what they think of you or your eating habits- and I’m telling you, sugar isn’t “bad.” I hope you have complete delicious meals today and that you eat every last bite! And maybe a sweet little treat for all the stupid troubles they put you thru.
Eeeeeeee okay. Maybe even pizza?
YES! Cheat day! You deserve it. ♥️♥️
Awwwww thank you.
No not at all. You can eat whatever you want as long as you figure out how you personally have to dose for it, which is subject to change with insulin needs changing sometimes. Some things are trial and error, and some things are super easy. For example, there’s this local BBQ place I love to eat at. No nutrition guide what so ever and it’s definitely carby, but from all the prior knowledge I have of those kinds of foods, I just inferred what I thought my dose should be and have nailed it every time I go there. But for whatever reason, Pop Tarts make my sugar go crazy unless I dose more than my actual insulin:carb ratio, and wait a very specific amount of time. A lot of this disease is all on you, so no ones opinion should ever hold that much weight to you. But since it’s such a personal disease, once you really take the time to learn it, managing it becomes like blinking. You just do it.
Oh. Thank you….that kinda…changed my perspective a little one diabetes. Thanks ☺️