Managing diabetes is a personal journey. It's wonderful to have people who support you in getting your medications or who are there to listen when you need to express frustration. However, it's important to set boundaries in diabetes management — especially when it comes to your weight, food choices, and physical activity.
Let’s explore why boundaries are so important in managing diabetes and how to establish them in your relationships with others.
Why Is It Important to Set Boundaries in Diabetes Management?
Setting boundaries is a key part of building healthy relationships with others.
Boundaries can manifest in different ways, including:
- Physical — involving your space, your body, and your privacy
- Emotional — relating to your feelings
Setting boundaries has many benefits, including:
- Feeling little to no resentment toward others
- Creating more balance in your responsibilities
- Building healthier relationships
- Preventing conflicts
- Becoming more independent
When it comes to managing your diabetes and related issues—such as what you eat and your body size—there are various ways to create boundaries.
How to Define a Healthy Body Weight?
People often feel entitled to comment on others’ bodies.
In today’s culture, dieting is tied to misconceptions and unrealistic expectations around food and weight. Size is also often equated with health—even though research shows that people can be healthy at any size.
Still, old habits die hard, and people may think it’s okay to make negative (or what they perceive as positive) comments about someone’s body.
Whether your body size has stayed the same or changed, it is never okay for someone to comment on it. Body shaming has many harmful effects, including contributing to eating disorders, low self-esteem, depression, and body image issues.
Fortunately, There Are Ways to Set Boundaries Around Comments About Your Body
1. Change the Subject
If someone comments on your body—whether it's a "positive" remark like "Oh wow, you look amazing! What’s your secret?" (which might actually be praising an illness or disordered eating), or a negative one like "Don’t you know being too fat/thin is bad for you?"—a good first step is to simply change the subject. This shows that you don’t want to talk about your body.
2. Be Direct
If you prefer a more direct approach, let people know you don’t welcome comments about your body.
You don’t need to explain why. The most important thing is that your boundaries are respected.
3. Leave the Room
If someone continues commenting on your body, it's perfectly okay to walk away.
Whether that means stepping into another room or going for a walk to clear your head, there is no wrong way to remove yourself from a body-shaming situation.
How to Set Boundaries Around Your Food Choices
In addition to body comments, people might also make remarks about what you eat. Like body size, food choices are personal and not up for public commentary.
Because you have diabetes, people might feel justified in "monitoring" you to make sure you’re eating the "right" foods. But the truth is: you get to decide what you eat. You are in charge of managing your diabetes.
You don’t need others’ opinions—especially when they’re unhelpful.
How to Respond to Food Comments
Examples of food-related remarks might include:
- "Are you sure you want to eat that bread? It has carbs."
- "Why are you eating sugar if you have diabetes?"
- "I heard fruit has too much sugar. Maybe you shouldn’t eat that apple."
There’s no single right way to respond, but here are a few ideas:
- “Thanks for your concern! I feel confident in my food choices and would appreciate being allowed to make them myself.”
- “Not eating sugar when you have diabetes is outdated advice. I’ve learned how to manage my blood sugar while still eating sugar and carbs!”
- “Fruit contains lots of nutrients like fiber and vitamin C. It’s part of the eating pattern I enjoy. But thanks anyway!”
You could also offer to share some resources that helped you learn about food and diabetes if they’re open to it.
How to Set Boundaries Around Exercise
How you move your body is another area where unsolicited opinions aren’t necessary.
If someone suggests a specific workout or tells you to move more, you can respond in various ways:
- If it’s an exercise you're not interested in, simply say: “Thanks, but no thanks.”
- If you’re open to trying it, say: “Thanks… I might give it a try.”
Other comments people might make include: “You should work out an hour every day like I do,” or “You need to do CrossFit. My friend reversed his diabetes that way.”
You might respond with:
- “Thanks for the suggestion, but I have a routine that works well for me and my schedule.”
- “CrossFit isn’t really for me. I actually enjoy Zumba—it gets me moving and it’s fun! Even if I don’t ‘reverse’ my diabetes, I prefer doing something I don’t see as a chore.”
- “I want movement to be something I look forward to. I really enjoy yoga/walking/running/etc. But thanks for your suggestion!”
You can also ask others not to comment on your exercise routine and to trust that you’ve got it handled.
Try Different Strategies to See What Works
Remember, there is no one right way to set boundaries with others.
Try different strategies to see what works best for you so you can enjoy healthy relationships while managing your diabetes.
Source:
beyondtype1.org
