Living life with type 1 diabetes
Can I live a full life with type 1 diabetes?
Although you will likely have to make some modifications to your lifestyle, living with type 1 diabetes shouldn’t prevent you doing anything you want to do in life.
Just like someone living without type 1 diabetes, taking care of your health and wellbeing is important.
Managing diabetes day-to-day demands physical and emotional energy but staying healthy will help to prevent long term complications, allowing you to live the life you want to.
Lifestyle changes for a person with
type 1 diabetes
Some lifestyle changes are inevitable for a person with type 1 diabetes. For instance, you will need to take insulin multiple times a day, with injections or via an insulin pump, and monitor your blood glucose levels carefully.
It may take some practice to find a balance between food, insulin and movement, but it gets easier with time. We explain more about this over on our page on type 1 diabetes and nutrition.
Your needs may also change at different points in your life - this is perfectly normal and something you can discuss with your diabetes team.
Choosing diabetes devices and tools to suit your lifestyle
Choosing how you deliver your insulin and manage your blood glucose levels is a personal choice, and your lifestyle will likely be an important consideration.
Rapid advances in diabetes research and the availability of technology such as insulin pumps, automated insulin delivery (including Omnipod® 5) and continuous glucose monitors are helping people with type 1 diabetes manage their condition and improve their quality of life1.
There are now lots of different diabetes devices and tools available, although this will vary depending on where you live - speak to your diabetes team to discuss your options.
There’s also a lot of information online that might help, through websites, forums and social media. This can be overwhelming so do speak to your healthcare team first, as they will know more about your individual needs.
You will have to use your type 1 diabetes tools every day, so it’s important that you feel empowered and informed about your choices.
Which type 1 diabetes tools are right for me?
For a closer look at glucose monitoring devices, look at this page on blood glucose monitors, and our page on continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).
Insulin Delivery
| Category | Multiple Daily Injections | Insulin Pump Therapy | Pod Therapy |
| What will you need to carry? | - Insulin pen - Alcohol swabs - Blood glucose meter - Test strips - Lancing device/lancets | - Insulin pump (connected to infusion set by tubing) - Blood glucose meter - Test strips - Lancing device/lancets | - Controller (Pod is attached to body directly) - Blood glucose meter - Test strips - Lancing device/lancets |
| Where to carry it? | Supplies are commonly carried in pockets or in a carry case. | Insulin pumps are commonly clipped to a belt or pocket. Insulin pump is connected to the infusion set by tubing. All other supplies are carried in a separate carry case. | Pod is worn on the body with no attachment to Controller. Pod will deliver basal insulin regardless of Controller location once programmed. Controller is commonly carried in a separate carry case with all other supplies. |
| Considerations | - No bolus calculator - No ability to adjust basal throughout the day - No mechanical device to maintain - No wardrobe considerations - Nothing to remove for water or intense activity - 4-6+ injections required per day - Must plan when/where to inject insulin | - Bolus calculator - Ability to adjust basal insulin to match your body’s needs - Must manage tubing - Need to disconnect for certain occasions - Insulin pump required to be near infusion site - Possible mechanical issues | - Bolus calculator - Ability to adjust basal insulin to match your body’s needs - No tubing to manage - No need to disconnect until site change - Pod is concealed under clothing - Possible mechanical issues |
Blood Glucose (BG) Management Considerations
| Multiple Daily Injections | Insulin Pump Therapy1 | Pod Therapy1 | |
| ILLNESS | - Basal insulin is hard to adjust for short term illness, but it may be adjusted for extended illness. | - Use the temporary basal feature to temporarily increase or decrease your basal insulin. | - Use the temporary basal feature to temporarily increase or decrease your basal insulin. |
| Most common: BGs go rise Sometimes BGs go low* | Bolus insulin may be adjusted with more frequent injections. | Bolus insulin may be adjusted without extra injections. | Bolus insulin may be adjusted without extra injections. |
| Stress | - Basal insulin is hard to adjust for short term stress, but it can be adjusted for extended stress. | - Use the temporary basal feature to temporarily increase your basal insulin. | - Use the temporary basal feature to temporarily increase your basal insulin. |
| Most common: BGs rise* | - Bolus insulin may be adjusted with more frequent injections. | - Bolus insulin may be adjusted without extra injections. | - Bolus insulin may be adjusted without extra injections. |
| ACTIVITY | - Basal insulin is hard to adjust for activity. You may need to snack or adjust your boluses to help prevent low BGs. | - You may need to disconnect during activity, resulting in disruption in insulin delivery. | - You do not need to disconnect your pod. |
| Most common: BGs go low* | - If not disconnected, the temporary basal feature can be used to decrease basal insulin for a given time period. | - You can use the temporary basal feature to decrease your basal rate while you are active. | |
| VARIABLE SCHEDULES | - You may need to bolus more often, which will mean more injections. | - You can bolus more often without extra injections. | |
| Variable schedules make it a challenge to manage BGs | - You will be unable to track insulin that is still working in your body from a previous bolus. | - Use advanced bolus features to help with high fat meals and/or extended eating at holidays or parties. | - You can track your active insulin from a previous bolus to help prevent insulin stacking, which can lead to low BG. |
Remember to follow your healthcare provider’s instructions and check BGs more frequently. The above are guidelines only.
- Edelman, K. Putting your patients on the pump. 2nd ed. American Diabetes Association. 2013.
More lifestyle resources from Pod University!
We have lots more information about how various lifestyle factors are impacted by type 1 diabetes - take a look at the topics below.
How can Omnipod® help?
Omnipod Pod Therapy is an insulin management system designed for people living with type 1 diabetes.
It’s what’s known as a patch pump, which means no multiple daily injections and no tubes. Pod Therapy could be the first step towards simplifying your diabetes management.
Order your free demo Pod*!
Our Pod Experience Kit contains a free, non-functioning demo Pod that is the same size and shape of the real Pod, so you can try it on for size.
*The demo Pod is a needle-free, non-functioning Pod. PDM/Controller is not included.