My 6 Bad Diabetes Habits

Everyone has bad habits.

Whether they’re diabetes related or not, I bet you have your bad habits too.

Just as I have mine.

Just because I do what I do, helping people with diabetes to feel healthier and more confident in their own care, it certainly doesn’t mean I’m perfect when it comes to my own care. Not even by a long shot.

But I didn’t lure you here to complain about bad blood glucose readings; I don’t mean that kind of perfect (mainly because I think that’s a complete myth – you can’t be a perfect diabetic.) I mean habits that could be improved, that I’ve always been told I “need” to do, but, for some reason, don’t.

Note: I’m not talking about not taking insulin or not measuring my blood glucose; those are givens in order to have an ok level of your self care.

I’ve thought of 5+1 bad diabetes habits I have, and only higher powers above know I have plenty more non-d-related, too.

1) Never changing my lancet

I’m fairly certain this is something pretty much e v e r y person with diabetes is guilty of.

I just never change the lancet in my finger-pricking device.

Why? Because I’m lazy? Probably. But also because I just never think of it. There are so many other things I keep track of every day, and changing a lancet is just not on that list.

2) Throwing away test strips

When I’ve checked my blood glucose, I put the used test strip into my meter case (I use a small pouch instead of the supplied cases, I think they’re painfully ugly, and diabetes is sometimes ugly enough without having to be reminded every time I check my sugars, am-I-right?), to just forget about them.

When I finally DO empty my case, it’s because things don’t fit into the case anymore. Here is a video of me emptying my case, it’s almost like snowfall at Christmas!

Again, why? Good question. Secret hoarder? Saving up for winter? Hiding something? Your guess is as good as mine.

3) Suspending pump for hypos

When my blood sugar goes low, unless it’s superlow, I simply suspend the insulin delivery on my pump rather than eating something and just put on a minimal basal dosage until I’m ok again.

So far I have never forgotten it off, perhaps because she (Doris, my insulin pump) reminds me angrily when I do?

4) Mistakes in carb counting

I have to confess I don’t always count every single carbohydrate in a meal. (Unless I write how many carbs it is on Instagram, then there might be some severe googling behind it…)

This has gotten me into BG-trouble in the past, but a lot less so after I started eating low carb meals.

Sometimes I just didn’t want to see, realize or recognize just how many carbs I was eating in a meal, which is another problem solved with eating low carb meals.

Why? D-Nial. Not just a river, peeps.

5) Not being open enough about diabetes

Having shared a picture of myself in a bikini and revealing the names of my medical gear, have been huge steps for me.

I used to hide every aspect of my medical condition(s).

I’m getting better at this though, and am starting to enjoy sharing more and more of my d-experience with you and my clients.

Yet, every time someone else is hiding something that is such a big part of their lives, I almost get offended. If we’re ever going to get a bigger public understanding of chronic conditions, like diabetes, it’s up to us to share how it is to actually live with it.

+1) Not eating 60% carbs with every meal

Simply because I don’t feel well when I do so. But I was told for 26 years that this was an absolute necessity to diabetes management.

Well, turns out it isn’t.

These may seem pretty harmless to you, and whilst you’re probably right, they are things I want to get better at in my self-care. If I don’t take the outmost care of myself, no one else is going to either.

Sometimes it’s the smallest thing that throws the whole thing over. This probably wont be an unchanged lancet or not emptying the used test strips out, but it could be letting a hypo go too low or miscalculating the carbs in a meal.

What are your bad habits? Even if they’re not diabetes related, share them below!