When I was a kid, “carb counting” didn’t exist. I was put on something called the “exchange diet”. At every meal, I was assigned a certain number of carbs, milks, meats, proteins, and fruits (i.e. breakfast would be 1 carb, 1 milk and 1/2 a fruit, lunch would be 2 carbs, 1 milk, 2 proteins, etc). And that’s what I ate every day. Rinse and repeat. It’s truly amazing to think how far the advancements in T1D technology and diet regimens have come.
So when I went to diabetes camp, everyone was assigned a number to represent what they were “allowed” to eat. I was assigned a “two”. Which meant I was allowed to roast ONE marshmallow at the campfire. I was SO jealous of the three’s and four’s because they got TWO or more marshmallows.
I WAS a two. In my mind, a TWO defined me.
I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. For two reasons:
A Person First
I always appreciated how my parents never used the term “diabetic”. My mom always said, “Lauren is a person who HAS diabetes. She is a person first”.
Mom- did you secretly take life coaching? I love that you thought that way!
- I am a person with T1D
- I am NOT my diagnosis
- T1D is NOT me
- I am NOT measured by a blood sugar
- Or a number
- Or the number of marshmallows I used to be “allowed” to eat
Circumstances Have No Effect
When I was told I was only allowed to have ONE marshmallow, I thought “it’s not fair, I only get to have 1 marshmallow, I’m only a two”. So I felt frustrated and deprived.
I wish I had known a few things:
- Being a “two” is a completely neutral circumstance. It is not positive or negative until I have a thought about it
- I could have picked a NEW thought about that circumstance
- I could have thought “roasting marshmallows are literally my FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD, I never get to do this at home!”
- That thought would have created feelings of joy and luckiness!
Do you feel defined by a thought or a circumstance? You have ALL the power! I can show you how! #LifecoachingwithLauren
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