Ep 173 - Aging With Type 1 Diabetes: 5 Things I'm Doing Differently After 44 Years

What if the things that worked for your type 1 diabetes at 30 simply don't work the same anymore?

Your insulin needs change. Hormones change. Sleep, recovery, energy and body composition can change too. Yet everywhere we turn, we're being told there is another diet, supplement, workout, peptide or strategy we should be doing to fix it.

After 44 years of living with type 1 diabetes, I'm learning something important: I don't need my old body back. I need to understand the body I'm living in right now.

In this episode, I'm sharing five ways I'm rethinking what it means to age well with type 1 diabetes:

1. Stop expecting your body to respond like it did 20 years ago.
Different doesn't mean worse. Hormones, insulin sensitivity, muscle mass, sleep, stress and recovery change—and our strategies may need to change with them.

2. More discipline isn't always the answer.
Before eating less, exercising more, adding another supplement or assuming you need to try harder, ask: What has changed?

3. Become curious instead of critical.
Blood sugar changes, hunger, poor sleep, slower recovery and changes in energy are not a grade on how well you're managing diabetes.

4. Change your definition of success.
A1C, time in range, weight and insulin needs matter, but they aren't the whole story. Strength, muscle, bone health, energy, sleep, relationships and confidence in your diabetes decisions matter too.

5. Make advocacy part of your diabetes management.
Don't automatically accept "that's just aging" or "that's just menopause." Ask questions about hormones, thyroid health, sleep, bone and muscle health, sexual and pelvic health, and changes in your insulin needs.

We're also talking about the pressure women feel to have the perfect CGM graph, perfect body, perfect diet and perfect routine—and why someone else's carefully selected moment shouldn't become the measuring stick for your health.

Aging with type 1 diabetes isn't about getting your 30-year-old body back.

It's about learning how to care for the woman you are today.

I also share why I wrote Highs, Lows & Hormones and how we're continuing these deeper conversations inside the Highs, Lows & Hormones Circle, where women with diabetes can ask questions, learn from one another and feel supported as their bodies and diabetes needs change.

Connect with Melissa Slemp:

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Purchase Melissa's book, Highs, Lows, & Hormones

Connect with other like-minded women in a supportive group coaching community:

Highs, Lows, & Hormones Circle

Visit diabetessisters.org to join. It's free, easy to use, and a great place to find community and support.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on this Type 1 in Midlife Podcast should substitute for professional medical advice. Please always consult your medical professional before changing your diet, insulin dosages or health care plan.