My Journey with Fitness 

The Rollercoaster

My relationship with fitness has always been a rollercoaster. I’ve had waves of motivation where I would get super organized, plan out my workouts, and pay for a gym membership. I’ve tried various fitness approaches – group fitness classes, personal trainers, meeting with friends, and playing sports.

Group fitness classes and sports used to be my favorites, but the fear of experiencing low blood sugar during a class or game haunts me. What if I have to stop in the middle of the fun to drink juice or worse pass out from low blood sugar? The idea of drawing attention to myself in this way causes me to quit altogether.

I love, love to play volleyball or go out in the yard and play sports with my kids, but having extra attachments makes it hard. It hurts when my pump or CGM gets knocked loose and the adhesive tears a bit of skin off or it gets knocked off completely and I have to put on a new pump ($10 a pop) or CGM sensor ($100 a pop). Being lazy feels a bit easier. Maybe we can play a board game instead.

Diabetes, Weight, and A1C Levels

My initial experiences with Type 1 diabetes led to weight loss from consistently high blood sugars. However, as I learned to manage my diabetes and maintain healthier blood sugar levels, I started gaining weight as I should. I was too thin.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I, like many, found myself at home more often. This coincided with changes in my job and insurance, requiring adjustments to my diabetic management. As a result, I gained about 30 pounds. My A1C levels also went up, hitting 7.9, the highest since my initial diagnosis.

A Hope for a Balanced Routine

I’ve tried various approaches since then, but I’ve struggled to find a routine that sticks. It’s easy to blame diabetes, but I know that most people, regardless of their health journey, face challenges with consistency in their exercise routines. Life gets busy with work and family, and sometimes, let’s be honest, a bit of laziness takes precedence.

I understand the importance of exercise for my health and well-being. There are so many benefits, one being it helps me manage my diabetes. But I’ve found myself stuck in a rut, unable to maintain a consistent exercise routine.

As I sit here, knowing I should be working out, I’ve found myself writing this blog post instead. But here’s to tomorrow, and the hope that I can find that balance and consistency in my exercise routine to better manage my overall physical and mental health.

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