Recently, someone asked me if her insulin might be making her gain weight. She was making all the right food decisions, she had increased her activity, and her blood sugar was improving, but she was frustrated that all her clothes seemed to be getting tighter. She had posed the question to an internet support group and was answered with, “it’s what you’re eating. Eat less and you’ll stop gaining weight.” She felt shame about the weight gain but was sure she was doing everything she could. She wanted to know if I thought maybe it could be even a little bit about the medication.

Her story was almost identical to mine!

About 6-8 months after I was diagnosed with diabetes, I complained to my endocrinologist that I was gaining weight and that I thought the medication I was taking might be causing the weight gain. I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing: eating even less than prescribed and spending hours in the gym. I was trying so hard to LOSE...

 1. It’s not your fault

There’s a sentiment going around that if someone has diabetes it’s probably because they deserve it. They got this disease because they didn’t lead a virtuous life, free of sugar and full of exercise. No one says that someone with breast cancer has cancer because they didn’t live an exemplary life, even though many of the same lifestyle factors that increase genetic expression of risk of developing diabetes also affect gene expression in breast cancer. Also, many of those people who think diabetes is solely the result of lifestyle choices make the same or similar choices and live an apparently healthy life. It’s so much more complicated than exercise and dessert!

 2. It’s not your fault!

I was recently telling someone my diagnosis story. When I got to the part about stopping for a donut on the way home from the doctor’s office, he interrupted me with laughter. “Wow! That’s exactly...