Skip the Struggle: A Guide to Type 1 Diabetes
Why the Standard Info Leaves Gaps
When you’re first diagnosed, you’ll hear things like:
“Pre-bolus 15 minutes before eating.”
Pre-bolus timing actually depends on the type of insulin and the meal. For most rapid-acting insulins (aspart/lispro), 10–20 minutes often works well; for ultra-rapid options (faster aspart/Lyumjev), 0–10 minutes may be enough. Shorten or skip if you’re trending low, eating low-GI foods, or don’t know the carbs yet.“Don’t stack your insulin.”
Avoid blind corrections during your insulin’s active window unless you’ve accounted for insulin-on-board (IOB) and have a clear reason — like a rising CGM trend, missed carbs, or a delayed spike from a high-fat meal.“Better to be a little high than risk going low.”
Preventing severe lows is essential, but running high most of the time isn’t the goal. Work with your team on targets that keep you safe and improve time-in-range. Wider targets can be fine while you’re learning.
These are rules — and they’re well-intentioned — but they’re not the whole picture.
Here’s what’s missing:
Why timing matters and how to adjust it for different foods.
When “stacking” is actually the right thing to do — and how to do it safely.
How to read patterns, not just numbers, so you can act early instead of chasing highs and lows.
How to connect all the moving parts — basal rates, meal timing, correction factors, fat/protein impact, exercise, stress.
You’re left with puzzle pieces… and no picture on the box.
What Happens When You Rely Only on the Basics
If you follow only the generic rules, a few things often happen:
You get frustrated because your numbers bounce around despite “doing it right.”
You play it safe by keeping blood sugars higher than they need to be — just to avoid going low.
You feel stuck, unsure how to make adjustments without “breaking” something else.
You may start to think… “Maybe this is just what life with type 1 looks like.”
It’s not.
What You Really Need: Principles, Not Just Rules
Rules are rigid. Principles are flexible.
Principles give you the “why” so you can adapt to any situation.
Examples from real-world, lived experience with type 1:
“It’s not stacking if you need it — that’s bolusing.”
You can safely give more insulin if your body still needs it and you’ve considered IOB.“Timing and amount.”
Every blood sugar result comes down to using the right amount of insulin at the right time. Master these two levers and everything gets easier.“Trust what you know is going to happen.”
Once you’ve seen a pattern several times — a food spike, a post-exercise low — you can act early. Confirm with CGM trends and IOB to avoid being tricked by sensor lag or false lows.
The Power of Learning From Lived Experience
When you combine solid medical knowledge with lived experience, you get:
Context: The difference between theory and how it actually plays out.
Pattern recognition: How to spot what’s really causing that high or low.
Confidence: The ability to make adjustments without fear.
It’s like the difference between being handed a map with a red dot that says “You are here”… and walking alongside someone who’s already made the trip dozens of times, pointing out every shortcut and hidden hazard along the way.
You Can Shorten the Hard Part
You don’t need to spend years reinventing the wheel.
That’s why resources like the Sips with Jenny conversations exist — to give you:
The missing explanations behind common advice.
The real-world scenarios so you can recognize them in your own life.
The mental tools to adapt to any variable.
Type 1 diabetes will never be “easy.” But you can get so practiced at it that it feels easier — much sooner than you think.
If you’ve just been diagnosed, the most important thing you can do is start learning from people who’ve already solved the problems you’re about to face.
It’s not about replacing your doctor. It’s about adding lived experience to your toolbox so you can turn rules into skills.
You’re at the very start of your journey. The sooner you understand the why behind the numbers, the sooner you’ll stop feeling like diabetes is running the show.
🛠 Real-World T1D Quick Tips + Where to Learn More
⏱ Pre-bolus timing
Rapid-acting (aspart/lispro): 10–20 min before eating.
Ultra-rapid (faster aspart/Lyumjev): 0–10 min.
Shorten/skip if trending low, eating low-GI, or unsure of carbs.
➕ Stacking vs. bolusing
Stacking = giving insulin without considering insulin-on-board (IOB).
Bolusing again can be safe if:
CGM shows a rise with arrows,
carbs were missed or underestimated,
a high-fat meal is spiking you hours later.
Use pump/app IOB tracking to avoid overdoing it.
🥓 Fat & protein impact
High-fat/high-protein meals can cause a delayed rise 2–6 hrs later.
Options: split bolus, extended/square wave bolus, or a planned follow-up dose (account for IOB).
🏃 Exercise effects
Easy aerobic → often lowers glucose (may need temp basal/less bolus or carbs).
Sprints/HIIT → can cause a short-term spike (sometimes need correction after, not before).
💡 Trust patterns — with proof
Act early on a pattern you’ve seen repeatedly and confirmed with CGM + IOB.
Watch for CGM lag or compression lows before treating.
🎯 Learn Faster, Skip the Guesswork
The Bold Beginnings, Pro Tip, and Small Sips series on the Juicebox Podcast walk you through these principles — and many more — with clear explanations and real-life examples.
📌 Start here: JuiceboxPodcast.com/lists
