In my previous posts, you heard me talk about ways to successfully navigate life with diabetes. I may have come across as if I am the poster child for diabetes management. But I am far from it. If we’re going to help each other out, we need to be honest and open. So today, you get to hear about how badly I have been failing at managing my diabetes for the past few months. Here it goes.

The past six months have been challenging and life changing. My husband and I took a leap of faith and purchased a local gym that was failing. We both have a heart for helping people improve their health and fitness, so we decided to give the gym business a shot. Our agreement was that he would run the gym, and I would keep my full-time job, helping him out as much as possible. Big adjustments to our routine and finances were the expected results.

All of that was somewhat stressful, and I don’t do well with big changes to my routine. Yes, I chose this change, but it was-and still is-difficult. My husband was working all kinds of crazy hours to try to turn the gym around, so we weren’t eating together. I had to have our meals prepared ahead of time so he could have food to take to work with him. This involved lots of planning, stress, and adjustment-we had worked very similar schedules for the 20 years we’ve been married. The change was rough. Then, things took a turn for the worse: I was laid off from my full-time job, which was our only source of income. Unemployment only pays about one-quarter of what I was making at my job, so we’ve been in pretty dire straits, financially.

My husband and I are stress-eaters. We had both improved our fitness, lost weight, and gained strength in the past couple of years. But the stress from these new work and scheduling changes threw us off track in a big way. We were busy and tired. We started eating out more and coping with some of our stress through eating unhealthy foods. My blood sugars took a hit, along with my energy and confidence. I was struggling.

It’s pretty easy to “fall off the wagon” and always more difficult to get back on. I would say I have one foot back on, but until I am re-employed and have established a new routine, I don’t see things improving significantly just yet.

So, yep, we are all human. We all struggle sometimes. No one is perfect, and we shouldn’t expect anyone to be. You do the best you can with what you have in your current situation. That’s it. That’s all you can expect of yourself and all anyone else can expect of you. But that does not mean you shouldn’t continue to strive for excellent glucose control and healthy habits. Just don’t beat yourself up about times when you fall short. Tomorrow’s a new day-pick yourself up and start again.

Remember: Be healthy. Be smart. Live YOUR life!

Photo courtesy of Kool Cats Photography over 3 Million Views on Flickr