The “I Don’t Want to Track” Episode
Tracking doesn’t mean writing down everything. It means tracking what actually matters, so we can stop feeling blindsided by our own blood sugar. Today, We’re Covering: What to track for the biggest impact on your diabetes The difference...
The episode, word for word
Hey, welcome back to Our Best T1D Year! I'm Neil Greathouse, and if you've got 5 minutes, you've got time for this podcast, whether you're making coffee, avoiding emails, or questioning why tracking blood sugars feels harder than filing taxes.
Look, I get it. Tracking sounds like work. Nobody wants another thing to do.
In fact, I'd bet that as soon as we started this challenge, some of us thought, "Nope, not for me." And that's totally normal.
So today, we're talking about why tracking feels like such a pain, and how to make it so easy, we won't even notice we're doing it.
Let's be honest, tracking has a bad reputation.
When someone tells us to "write everything down", our brain immediately goes: "Ugh, sounds like homework." "I'm too busy for this." "I'll just remember it in my head." (Spoiler: We won't.)
But here's the problem: If we're not writing it down, we're just guessing.
Imagine if we had to take a test without studying or notes. Or if Indiana Jones went out looking for the Holy Grail without his dad's Grail Diary?
That's what we're doing when we try to manage T1D without tracking anything.
But tracking doesn't have to be a full-time job. It just needs to be simple enough that we actually do it.
Here's the trick: Make tracking work for you, not against you.
Option 1: The One-Liner Method Just write down ONE thing after each meal or insulin dose. Example: "7:30 AM, BG 143, in range, 6 units, eggs & toast." Takes 5 seconds. Done.
Option 2: Voice Notes or Photos Hate writing? Use voice memos or take a picture of your meal. Later, jot down the basics.
Option 3: Apps That Do It For You If you love tech, use MySugr, Gluroo, or Carb Manager. They sync with most CGMs and insulin pumps.
Tracking doesn't mean we obsess over every number, it just means we give our future selves the gift of better decisions.
Listen, if we've ever felt frustrated by blood sugars that make zero sense, tracking even a little bit will start revealing clues.
And remember, we're not doing a bad job, we're doing a difficult job.
This isn't about perfection. It's about having a few notes to work with so we're not completely lost.
Because the less we have to guess, the easier T1D gets.
Reminder! We're giving away a One Sheet Journal from Risely Health to help make tracking easy. It's free and a really cool resource.
To get yours go to the link in my bio on Instagram or TikTok and sign up at yourbestt1dyear.com.
New episodes drop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so if you haven't yet, hit subscribe so you don't miss what's next.
Alright, see you in the next episode. Remember, we got this! Nobody remembers easy, what we're doing is pretty much incredible. I'm excited to hear about Our Best T1D Year Ever.
10 - March 7
This is the script as read on the mic, lightly tidied for reading. Education, not medical advice. Talk to your care team before you change anything about your insulin.