Inconvenience, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. The intent of this discussion about fully committing to diabetes self-management and healthy eating is to elevate the importance of this task among your many priorities. When tasks are seen as important, the effort required can be accepted as an investment, not an inconvenience.
You may find, for instance, that when you accept the importance of preparing healthy meals at home, you begin to enjoy cooking.
The truth is that no matter how committed you become, there are aspects of diabetes self-management that are simply inconvenient. People with type 1 diabetes understand this all too well. There’s really no case to make that sticking your finger for a blood glucose test eight or ten times a day should be enjoyable.
Nor can lugging around syringes, insulin, a meter, and test strips; or dealing with low blood glucose in an important meeting; or getting an alarm from an insulin pump while waiting in line at the department of motor vehicles (the universal symbol for long lines).
People with type 2 diabetes don’t usually share the same kind of frustration that comes with type 1, where it’s impossible to “escape” for more than a few hours. Still, each person is different, and what comes easily to one person may be extraordinarily frustrating and inconvenient for another.
The bottom line is that dealing with a certain amount of genuine inconvenience is necessary if you’re going to manage diabetes well and eat healthy. Accepting the unavoidable inconveniences with a smile is the only solution in some cases.