Reclaim Your Rise: Type 1 Diabetes with Lauren Bongiorno

Many challenges with your blood sugars can be grouped into one of the two categories: habit or infrastructure. Until you know which one you're dealing with, you're likely doing patchwork (making changes that don't move the needle) and getting frustrated by nothing really changing.

In this solo episode, Lauren breaks down the foundational framework she uses with every coaching client to identify exactly where the leaks are coming from. She walks through what falls under each category, why most people are unknowingly mixing the two up, and why that's one of the most common reasons people struggle to improve their blood sugars. She also covers the three most important things to understand about how habits and infrastructure interact, why 98% of people who come into coaching are convinced their settings are fine until they actually test them, and the specific order Lauren recommends starting with, so you can build momentum and start making changes that actually move your numbers.

WHAT WE COVER:

• The ship leaks analogy…. why patching what you can see on the surface never works if you haven't found where the water is actually draining
• What falls under the habit category What falls under the infrastructure category Why the most common mistake is treating a habit issue with an infrastructure change (and vice versa) and the real-life examples that show why this keeps people stuck
• Why 98% of people who come into coaching are convinced their settings are fine and what they find when they actually test them
• How to tell whether what you're experiencing is situational or a broader sign that your foundation needs to be strengthened 

WHAT’S NEXT:

🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.

🧡Ready to work through this framework on your own? Check out the A1C Shift Method and Insulin Sensitivity Course and get started today. 

💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.
📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

Stay connected with us: 

Email us at: [email protected]   

IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
YT: Reclaim Your Rise 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode made you stop and ask "is this a habit issue or an infrastructure issue?" for the first time, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find it.

Megan O'Neill is a physician associate who spent years in clinical practice before finding her calling at the intersection of diabetes care and psychology. While working at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Megan discovered the work of leading diabetes psychology researchers and it changed her entire practice, her perspective, and her passion. That foundation eventually led her to Abbott Diabetes Care, where she has spent the last eight years advocating for the emotional and psychological side of living with diabetes to be treated with the same seriousness as the clinical data.

In this conversation, Lauren and Megan dig into what diabetes distress actually looks like day to day — the exhaustion, the isolation, the feeling of doing everything right and still not getting the results you hoped for. They talk about why it often goes unrecognized in clinical care, how it differs from depression, and why a good A1C doesn't always mean you're okay. They also explore how CGMs can both reduce and sometimes complicate our emotional relationship with diabetes and what it actually takes to move the needle when distress is high.

WHAT WE COVER:

• What diabetes distress really is, how it differs from depression, and why it is still significantly underutilized as a screening tool in clinical care
• Why people with an A1C under 7 can still score in the moderate to high range on the diabetes distress scale and what that actually means
• The unequal energy exchange of T1D: putting in the effort but not getting the results, and why that cycle is so defeating
• How CGMs have overwhelmingly helped reduce distress and the honest acknowledgment that alarms and constant data can also add to it for some people
• What the research actually says about what helps most when someone is not reaching their diabetes goals: it is not just education or medication management alone
• The one tangible step you can take in the next 24 hours if any of this conversation resonated with you

WHAT’S NEXT:

🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.

📊 Diabetes burnout is real, and it can show up in ways you don’t always expect. Take the Diabetes Distress assessment and see where you score.

💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.

📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

Stay connected with us: 

Email us at: [email protected]   

IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
YT: Reclaim Your Rise 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If this conversation helped you put language to something you have been quietly carrying, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find it.

After coaching 2,500+ adults with T1D, Lauren discovered the T1D Archetypes. She notices there could be two people with the same A1C, and completely different remission experiences. The difference was never the numbers, it was the pattern underneath them.

In this episode, Lauren and Abby Cooper (Risely's Director of Coaching) unveil something 10 years in the making: the Risely T1D Archetype framework. If you've ever followed every prescription and still felt trapped by your diabetes, this episode will finally show you why.

WHAT WE COVER:

• Why people stay stuck with T1D (it’s never a discipline problem)
• The 5 T1D Archetypes: The Refiner, The Protector, The Reflector, The Devoted, and The Strategist
• How unconscious coping patterns quietly shape your relationship with diabetes
• Why you don't have to become someone you’re not to manage T1D well - you just need to understand your archetype

WHAT’S NEXT:

💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.

📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

Stay connected with us: 

Email us at: [email protected]   

IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
YT: Reclaim Your Rise 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode helped you feel seen - especially if you've been doing everything "right" and still feel stuck - subscribe and leave a review so more T1Ds can find their archetype.

Dylan Leonard is a filmmaker, lifelong athlete, and person with type 1 diabetes who has spent the last decade traveling the world, often in remote and high-stakes environments, while navigating the day-to-day reality of blood sugars, supplies, and unpredictability. In this conversation, Dylan shares how his early diagnosis at 15, shaped a mindset that became his anchor: “I’ll figure it out.” That belief carried him through near-miss travel moments, years on MDI without community, and the often invisible shame of managing diabetes while trying to feel “normal.”

What shifted for Dylan was not just upgrading tech. It was discovering community, finding the right support, and realizing he was uniquely positioned to serve the version of himself who once felt alone and uninformed. That is what led to Breaking Limits, a multi-year documentary project highlighting athletes with type 1 diabetes and the experts who support them. This episode is a powerful reminder that education, tools, and community can change everything, and that your next chapter with T1D can be bigger than your fears. 

WHAT WE COVER:

• Running out of low snacks in a foreign country, tech failing mid-trip, and insulin chaos abroad — Dylan shares the scariest travel moments he’s faced with Type 1.
• Diagnosed at 15 and convinced his basketball dreams were over — the moment Dylan had to decide if diabetes would stop him or fuel him.
• For 10 years Dylan managed Type 1 with finger sticks, MDI, and zero diabetes community — until one turning point changed everything.
• From hiding his diabetes on dates and during college recruiting… to publicly sharing his story with the world.
• The untold story behind the Breaking Limits documentary — the setbacks, funding struggles, and why Dylan is determined to release it free on YouTube.

WHAT’S NEXT:

🎥Help Support Dylan’s Film. Donate and share to spread the word.

📸Follow Dylan on Instagram

✍️Sign up for our Live Challenging Foods Workshop

💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.

📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

Stay connected with us: 

Email us at: [email protected]   

IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
YT: Reclaim Your Rise 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If Dylan’s story helped you rethink what is possible with T1D, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find these conversations.

Loren was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 18, right as she was starting college. What followed were 15 years of highs and lows, not just in her blood sugars, but in her relationship with herself. From struggling with diabulimia in her early 20s to feeling anxious, burnt out, and alone, Loren shares what it was like to look “fine” on the outside while silently fighting her diabetes behind the scenes.

In this episode, she opens up about the moment she realized she couldn’t keep living that way, when travel, friendships, and even future motherhood felt overshadowed by diabetes. Through coaching, she stopped dieting, shifted her focus from calories to patterns, lowered her A1C from 7.4 to 6.8 in three months, lost 10 pounds as a byproduct (not the goal), and rebuilt her relationship with food and insulin. Most importantly, she stopped seeing diabetes as the enemy and started seeing it as something she could navigate with confidence.

This conversation is about more than numbers. It’s about healing your relationship with diabetes so you can stop fighting yourself and start reclaiming your rise.

WHAT WE COVER:

• Loren’s 15-year journey with T1D, including diabulimia and hidden burnout
• The emotional toll of masking diabetes while feeling anxious and alone
• Why traditional therapy didn’t fully address the root issue
• How shifting from calorie counting to carb awareness changed everything
• The specific tools that helped her lower her A1C from 7.4 to 6.8 in 3 months
• Letting go of diet culture and rebuilding a peaceful relationship with food
• Traveling with confidence (and no blood sugar chaos)
• Preparing for pregnancy from a place of empowerment, not fear

WHAT’S NEXT:

‼️Finally eat pizza and ice cream without the blood sugar roller coaster: Join our free live workshop.

💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.

📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

Stay connected with us: 

Email us at: [email protected]   

IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
YT: Reclaim Your Rise 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If Loren’s story helped you feel less alone, especially if you’ve been trying to “figure it out” for years but still feel stuck, subscribe and leave a review so more people with T1D can find conversations like this.

For decades, people living with Type 1 diabetes have asked the same question: what would life look like if my body made insulin again? In today’s episode, Lauren sits down with Katie Beth Hand (13 years with T1D) and Chris (diagnosed at 10 months old, living 35 years with T1D), two of only ten participants selected for the first cohort of the Eledon clinical trial at the University of Chicago. As Patients 9 and 10, they received an islet cell transplant alongside the investigational therapy Tegoprubart, designed to prevent the immune system from attacking transplanted cells. Now, for the first time in decades, they’re watching their blood sugars rise and come back down on their own, coming off basal insulin, dramatically reducing boluses, and navigating what it means to trust a body that suddenly responds differently. This is not hype or a guaranteed cure, but it may represent one of the most significant shifts in Type 1 diabetes research in over 30 years.

WHAT WE COVER:

• What daily life looked like before the trial
• How they found the Eledon trial and what screening week in Chicago involved
• What actually happens during an islet cell transplant
• Why Tegoprubart may change the future of islet transplantation
• Mixed Meal Tolerance Tests, C-peptide, and what their data shows
• The transition off basal insulin and how they are “protecting” the new islets
• The emotional side: “Do I still say I have Type 1?”
• Current Blocks to Scalability and what the Islet Act Is

Support Links:

💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.

📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

🧑‍🧒‍🧒Our 8-week family group coaching program starts on March 25th. Enroll now to get the early bird discount that ends 2/28

Stay connected with us: 

Email us at: [email protected]   
IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
Watch the full episode on our Youtube: Reclaim Your Rise 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If Katie Beth and Chris’s story helped you feel seen, especially if you’ve been doing the work but still feel stuck in fear, burnout, or unpredictable lows, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find these conversations.

In this episode, Abby Cooper (Risely’s Director of Coaching and a parent of a child with type 1 diabetes) sits down with Jessie Bennett, a mom of two in California whose 13-year-old son, Samuel, was diagnosed with T1D two years ago. Jessie opens up about what the first year really felt like: survival mode, numbness, and the constant, invisible fear of low blood sugar that can hijack your body and your mind.

Together, Abby and Jessie talk about why this episode is intentionally different, because the goal is not to wait until everything feels “fixed” before you get support. Jessie shares what shifted through coaching: building a simple “order of operations” toolkit, learning to slow down the spiral, and redefining progress as being able to live even when fear still shows up.

WHAT WE COVER:

• What the first 6 to 12 months after a child’s diagnosis can feel like, and why it’s normal
• How fear of low blood sugar shows up physically, emotionally, and in decision-making
• The “invisible” anxiety parents carry, even when they look calm on the outside
• Why coaching is not about erasing fear, but changing how you live alongside it
• A practical toolkit for making decisions: insulin on board, trend, and “I have what I need to handle this”
• Redefining progress when you’re still in the middle, without rushing yourself to a finish line

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1️⃣ Fear is protective, but it comes with a cost. The goal is not to shame it away. It is to stop letting it run the whole day (or night).

2️⃣ Real change comes from experience, not explanation. Tools, repetition, and safety-building moments are what rewire confidence.

3️⃣ Progress you can’t measure still matters. Letting your child go play at 110, trusting the plan, and staying regulated, those wins change your whole family.

WHAT’S NEXT:
💻Learn more about our T1D parent coaching.
📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

Stay connected with us: Email us at [email protected]   

IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
YT: Reclaim Your Rise 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:
If Jessie’s story helped you feel seen, especially if you’re making progress but still feel fear hanging around, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find these conversations.

Dating with Type 1 Diabetes can stir up questions about worth, vulnerability, and whether you are asking for too much or are too much. In this solo episode, Lauren shows up as your T1D older sister, sharing real-life insight, personal stories from her own relationship, and the conversations most people avoid when it comes to dating with diabetes.

You will hear why Type 1 Diabetes does not actually make dating harder. It simply reveals compatibility faster. Lauren explains how your relationship with yourself and your diabetes shapes what you tolerate, attract, and believe you deserve. This episode breaks down the red flags to pay attention to, the green flags that truly matter, and how releasing shame can completely change your dating experience.

WHAT WE COVER:

• Why Type 1 Diabetes acts as a stress test for emotional maturity
• Red flags in dating that often show up early when you live with T1D
• How shame around diabetes quietly impacts relationships
• The difference between concern, control, and true partnership
• Green flags that signal emotional safety and long-term compatibility
• Why your relationship with diabetes sets the tone for how others show up

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1️⃣ Type 1 Diabetes does not make you “too much.” It filters out the wrong people faster.
 It brings clarity to compatibility and emotional readiness early on.

2️⃣ The way someone responds to your diabetes often reflects how you relate to it.
 Confidence and self-trust naturally attract healthier dynamics.

3️⃣ Healthy relationships are built on communication, respect, and safety, not perfection.
 You do not need a caretaker. You deserve a partner who can meet you with empathy and maturity.

WHAT’S NEXT:

💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.

📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

🧴Check out Healthy Sites: Post-site recovery patches designed to calm irritation, reduce visible marks, and support site recovery after pump and CGM removal.

Stay connected with us: 

Email us at: [email protected]   

IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
YT: Reclaim Your Rise 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode helped you feel seen, especially if you have ever worried about being “too much” while dating with T1D, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find these conversations and stop struggling alone.

Rachel Smith is an OB-GYN, lifelong mountain-lover, and person with type 1 diabetes who set out to summit Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s tallest peak, in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. After climbs like Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua, she realized the biggest curiosity was not just the summit itself, but the diabetes strategy behind it: insulin safety, altitude, tech failures, and what it takes to navigate unpredictable blood sugars when you are far from help.

In this episode, Rachel takes us into a 13-day Antarctica expedition (8 days on the mountain), where the sun never sets, the cold hits -50°C, and even treating a low can become complicated. You will hear what surprised her most, what she would do differently next time, and the message she wants every person with diabetes to carry with them: progress over perfection, and your goals do not have to shrink because you have T1D.

WHAT WE COVER:

• Why Rachel chose Mount Vinson and why she decided to share the diabetes side publicly this time
• The realities of climbing in Antarctica: 24-hour daylight, extreme cold, and carrying everything yourself
• Managing T1D on Kilimanjaro (manual testing) vs. Aconcagua and Vinson (pump + CGM)
• What happens when diabetes tech fails at altitude and in the cold (pump alarms, sensors cutting out)
• How Rachel kept insulin from freezing and built in backups (including guide support)
• Fueling strategy on long climb days: lower-carb mornings, steady carbs during breaks, and why it mattered
• Safety conversations with guides: how hypoglycemia symptoms can mimic altitude sickness
  
  

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1️⃣ Your plan needs redundancy. Remote climbs demand extra supplies, backup delivery methods, and contingency plans for freezing, loss, and tech failure.

2️⃣ The environment changes everything. Altitude, cold, disrupted routine, stress hormones, and long-duration exertion can make blood sugars feel unlike your norm. That is not failure, it is data.

3️⃣ Zoom out to rebuild trust. Rachel’s CGM graphs looked more stable in hindsight than they felt in the moment, which is a reminder not to let one chaotic window define your confidence.

WHAT’S NEXT:

💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.

📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

Stay connected with us: 

Email us at: [email protected]   

IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
YT: Reclaim Your Rise 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If Rachel’s story helped you feel more capable, especially if you have been telling yourself “I cannot” because of diabetes, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find these conversations.

This bonus episode takes you behind the scenes of a moment that made many people with Type 1 diabetes feel truly seen. Lauren visits Breakthrough T1D headquarters in New York City to sit down with Pam Morrisroe and uncover how the T1D Barbie went from an idea to a global symbol of representation. Pam shares her role in bringing community voices into the process and why getting the details right was not just important, it was everything.

What unfolds is a powerful conversation about visibility, confidence, and the emotional weight of representation for kids and adults living with an often invisible condition. This episode is not about perfection or optics. It is about normalizing devices, embracing difference, and shifting the narrative from hiding diabetes to owning it with pride.

WHAT WE COVER:

• How Mattel and Breakthrough T1D partnered to create the T1D Barbie
• Why community input was essential in the doll’s design
• The intentional choices behind the CGM graph, pump number, and devices
• Navigating criticism and misconceptions around representation
• What visibility means for kids growing up with Type 1 diabetes
  
  

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1️⃣ Representation matters, especially for an invisible condition like Type 1 diabetes

2️⃣ Getting it perfect is not the goal. Getting it real is what builds confidence

3️⃣ Embracing what makes you different can change your entire relationship with T1D

WHAT’S NEXT:

💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.

📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.

Stay connected with us: 

Email us at: [email protected]   

IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth
YT: Reclaim Your Rise 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If this episode made you feel seen or reminded you that you do not have to hide your diabetes, subscribe and leave a review so more people with T1D can find these conversations.