The gap between knowing what to do and understanding why. You leave your doctor's appointment with prescriptions and good advice…but you're still trying to make sense of it all. You know you're supposed to eat differently, move more, and take your medications. But no one really had time to explain why and how your body changed in the first place.
That gap, between instructions and understanding, is where confusion, frustration, and self-doubt often begin. Recently, I hosted the inaugural session of The Missing Conversations About Type 2 Diabetes. It confirmed something I've believed for years as a nurse, health coach, and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist: Understanding your diabetes is just as important as knowing how to manage it.
The Myth That Changes Everything:
If someone told you type 2 diabetes is simply about diet and exercise, they only told you part of the story. These things are incredibly important, but it’s not the whole story. During the webinar, we talked about what often gets left out of the conversation:
‣ How insulin resistance develops
‣ Why the pancreas changes over time
‣ How aging can affect blood sugar
‣ Why medications are tools, not signs of failure
‣ How Blood Glucose Finger Sticks and Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) help us understand patterns and our bodies.
When people understand what's happening inside their bodies, something remarkable begins to happen. The shame starts to fade, curiosity replaces frustration, and people begin making decisions from a place of understanding instead of fear.
The Conversation That Stayed With Me
One of my favorite moments happened after the webinar recording stopped. The attendees stayed behind to continue the conversation. It was honest and without judgment.
One person described something I hear occasionally, but we don’t talk enough about: the constant mental chatter around food, always thinking about what's next to eat and wondering if you're making the "right" choice. And, feeling guilty when your blood sugar doesn't cooperate. "I feel like my brain never stops," she shared.
Another participant, who had experienced many of those same struggles, offered a perspective that resonated with everyone in the room. She discussed how unstable blood sugar, along with the body's complex hunger and satiety signals, can cause food to occupy much more mental space than we realize. When she began eating more protein and healthy fats at breakfast and reduced foods that caused sharp blood sugar spikes and crashes, she noticed something unexpected. The constant mental chatter around food became quieter.
Others shared similar experiences. One person described how wearing a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) helped connect the dots between meals, stress, physical activity, and blood sugar levels. Instead of judging herself, she became curious about the patterns. Another realized that not every urge to eat was physical hunger. Sometimes it was stress, fatigue, or simply a habit. Taking a short walk, having a cup of tea, or a few quiet minutes outside often helped reset her day.
The conversation reminded all of us of something important: When we better understand our bodies, we can respond with greater compassion instead of self-criticism.
When Understanding Changes Everything
One thing I've noticed throughout my career is that when people finally understand what's happening instead of simply following rules, something shifts. Instead of asking, "Why can't I control this?" they begin asking, "What is my body trying to tell me?" That single shift, from blame to curiosity, can change everything.
What Your Numbers Are Really Saying
If there's one message I hope people remember from the webinar, it's this: High blood sugars are information, not failure. That number isn't judging you, it's teaching you. It's showing you what your body needs right now.
The next time you check your blood sugar, try asking yourself one simple question: "What can I learn from this number?" Instead of judging yourself, become curious. Curiosity is where better decisions begin. The decisions don’t need to be perfect, but better decisions can fit into real life. A life that can be messy and is never perfect. And over time, those small decisions begin to add up, and a healthier life may result.
Looking Ahead
One of the greatest privileges of being a nurse is witnessing the moment when someone stops blaming themselves and starts understanding their body. That's when confidence begins and when healthy habits become sustainable. The conversation after this first webinar was so meaningful that it inspired the topic for our next Missing Conversations session. I'm not quite ready to share the details yet, but I can tell you we'll be exploring another aspect of living with type 2 diabetes that many people experience but rarely talk about. Because those are often the conversations that matter most.
I'd Love to Hear From You
What's one question about type 2 diabetes that you wish someone had taken the time to explain? Or what conversation do you find yourself having over and over again in your own mind?
I'd genuinely love to hear it in the comments. Because maybe...it's the next Missing Conversation we should have. The Missing Conversations isn't about having all the answers. It's about creating a place where we can ask better questions, learn from one another, and replace confusion with understanding. Because no one should have to navigate type 2 diabetes feeling like they're missing part of the conversation.
