Reclaim Your Rise: Type 1 Diabetes with Lauren Bongiorno

Lauren Bongiorno
  • 4.8 (145)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

Lauren Bongiorno is a Nationally Board Certified Health Coach and the founder and CEO of Risely Health. Featured on the TODAY show and other media outlets, Risely helps people and families impacted by Type 1 Diabetes take ownership over their health so they can transform their life with more freedom and confidence. Lauren has lived with type 1 diabetes since she was 7 years old and has experienced firsthand that when health transforms, so does everything else - our relationships, our time, our career, our families, and, most importantly, ourselves. Each week she will bring you lessons from her own personal diabetes experience, strategies that are key to understanding your body’s patterns, and guests who will speak to everything from advances in technology to all things hormones, exercise, relationships, and mindset. All of this so that over time, you TOO can reclaim your rise.

  1. 6d ago

    226. Pregnancy With Type 1 Diabetes: Meg’s Real-Time Story of Insulin Resistance, Fear, and Letting Go

    In this episode, Meg Bomley shares her T1D journey from being diagnosed at 18 years old and spending eight years on MDI without a CGM, to becoming someone who feels deeply empowered in her body and her diabetes. Meg first came on the podcast in 2022 after graduating from Risely coaching. At the time, she had just come out of a season of constant lows, burnout, and feeling completely overwhelmed after switching to a pump without the support she needed. Today, she’s back as a nationally board certified health coach, and 35 weeks pregnant with type 1 diabetes, one of Risely’s top coaches. The majority of this conversation is the reality of navigating pregnancy with T1D: the nausea, insulin resistance, fear of highs, changing carb ratios, and learning to trust yourself in this season. WHAT WE COVER: Why Meg resisted pumps and CGMs for nearly 8 years after diagnosisThe “biggest disaster ever” that happened when she first switched to a pumpWhat finally helped her stop feeling resistant, overwhelmed, and burnt out with diabetesHow coaching helped her uncover mindset blocks that had nothing to do with insulin or carb countingThe first sign Meg noticed that told her her insulin resistance was changing after getting pregnantHow she managed nausea, vomiting, insulin on board, and eating mostly carbs during pregnancyThe difference between taking 5 units for oatmeal pre-pregnancy vs. 16 units during pregnancyWhat it’s actually like mentally to watch yourself take “large amounts of insulin” every day WHAT’S NEXT: 📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it.  🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.  💻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: hello@riseyhealth.com    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode helped you feel less alone or more prepared for pregnancy with type 1 diabetes, subscribe and leave a review so more T1Ds can find this support.

    46 min

  2. May 19

    225. Managing T1D as a Disney Performer: Rafael's Story of Burnout, Fear of Lows, and Finding Freedom

    Rafael Pepen was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 17, right in the middle of rehearsing for his very first musical in the Dominican Republic. Without access to a CGM or carb counting education, he learned to manage largely on instinct. Years later, he moved to the US, pursued his dream of performing professionally, and eventually landed at Disney, where he now performs five high cardio shows a day. In this episode, Rafael sits down with Lauren to talk about what it actually looks like to manage T1D in a life that never slows down. He shares the months of burnout, panic attacks around lows, and constant roller coaster blood sugars that led him to seek coaching, and what shifted on the other side of that. WHAT WE COVER: What it was like to be diagnosed at 17 in the Dominican Republic with limited access to education, CGMs, or carb counting guidanceThe unique challenge of managing T1D across five high cardio shows a day and why it is a completely different beast from a traditional performance scheduleThe moment things started to unravel at Disney and what five months of daily lows, panic attacks, and burnout actually felt like from the insideWhat shifted when Rafael started working with a Risely coach and the tools that made the biggest difference for his day to day managementThe emotional side of T1D that most people never talk about, including what it felt like to cry during a low and the moment that started to changeWhat Rafael is still working toward and the one thing he wants most from his relationship with diabetes going forward WHAT’S NEXT: 📱 The Risely App is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it.  🧠 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: hello@riseyhealth.com    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Rafael's story made you feel less alone in the harder seasons of T1D, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with this disease can find it.

    33 min

  3. May 13

    224. I already corrected… why am I still high, and what should I do?

    In this solo episode, Lauren breaks down one of the most common and frustrating T1D scenarios: correcting and still running high. She starts by validating why it's so hard, and how it’s not necessarily because of the high itself, but because of the "boomerang decision" it creates.  Lauren walks through the exact decision framework she uses with clients at Risely to think through this scenario clearly. From checking your insulin timing and ruling out a site issue to widening the lens on what else might be driving resistance. The goal isn't just to fix the high. It's to build the muscle of thinking through situations like this so they get easier every time. She also shares how the Risely app's Decision Domains feature brings this kind of framework to life, with voice notes and written breakdowns for the real scenarios T1Ds face every day. WHAT WE COVER: Why correcting and staying high feels so frustrating and why the gap between what you expected and what happened is the hardest partThe urge to rage bolus, why it backfires, and what to do insteadChecking the timing of your correction and understanding your insulin action windowWhy ruling out a pump site issue comes first, and how to know when changing your site is worth it even if you're not sure it's the problemWidening the lens to consider fat, protein, stress, illness, and sedentary days as hidden drivers of insulin resistanceHow to use movement to activate insulin on board before reaching for moreWhen to look at your correction factors versus treating this as a one-time scenarioHow decision frameworks reduce the energy drain of T1D over time, and how the newly launched Risely app brings this to life through Decision Domains WHAT’S NEXT: 📱 The Risely app is here! Get support for the 180+ decisions you make every day, so you can build confidence with T1D without your life revolving around it. 🧠 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: hello@riseyhealth.com    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode gave you a clearer way to think through the next time you're stuck high after a correction, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find it.

    21 min

  4. May 5

    223. Insulin Sensitivity and T1D: Why It Shifts and What to Do

    About a month ago, Lauren went through a two week stretch of crazy work hours, disrupted sleep, missed workouts, and a few sick days. Her time in range started slipping and she had to figure out how to navigate it in real time. In this solo episode, she walks through exactly what happened, how she recognized her insulin sensitivity was changing, and the three options she always considers when life throws her off routine. Because waiting for perfect conditions to come back is never the answer. WHAT WE COVER: The first sign Lauren noticed that told her her insulin sensitivity was dropping The three options available when your insulin sensitivity changesHow Lauren used a hybrid of all three approaches to get her time in range from 65% back up to 80% during a chaotic two week stretchThe difference between temporary insulin resistance and a long term foundational shift in your sensitivity and how to know which one you are dealing withWhat factortends to creep up when you are out of your routine and how it impacts your insulin sensitivity more than most people realizeHow hormones, sleep, stress, illness, and exercise all play a role in shifting your sensitivity and what to do about each oneWhat parents of children with T1D need to know about insulin sensitivity changes during puberty 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. 🏋️ Join our upcoming free live workshop to discover smarter, more strategic way to work out with T1D, while staying in range. Two timessessions available on Tuesday, May 12th. 💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D. 📧Join 20+ thousand T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: hello@riseyhealth.com    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode gave you a clearer way to think through what is happening with your blood sugars when life gets in the way, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find it.

    14 min

  5. Apr 28

    222. 5 Things I Always Do After a Bad Blood Sugar Day

    In this episode, Lauren walks through a recent day in Florida where a combination of late night pizza, an exhausting night with a newborn, a long tennis session without enough food, and a handful of chips sent her on a full day roller coaster that ended with a scary low at dinner. Lauren shares the five things she always does to reset physically and mentally following a tough blood sugar day, and why how you respond matters just as much as what caused it in the first place. WHAT WE COVER: First and foremost: EVERY T1D has bad blood sugar days, what matters is how you respond How to get to a place where these days are more rare then they are normal   Lauren’s five steps for overcoming a bag blood sugar day Why reflecting on these days is important & how to stop procrastinating it Recognizing low TIR days as data to move forward *instead of* a reflection of failure Why communicating with the people around you on bad blood sugar days matters and how to ask for what you actually need 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 20+ thousand T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: hello@riseyhealth.com    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode helped you feel less alone after a tough blood sugar day and gave you something to reach for the next time one happens, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find it.

    33 min

  6. Apr 21

    221. A Scary Low, a Dexcom G7 Conversation, and Why You Should Always Trust Your Instincts

    On April 3rd, in the middle of a regular workday, Lauren's CGM read 245 with double arrows up. She did not feel high. She bolused anyway. Twenty minutes later she was on her kitchen floor, chugging orange juice, with her blood sugar in the 30s, headed down fast. Her CGM had been over 100 points off. In this solo episode, Lauren shares exactly what happened that day, why it scared her in a way that CGM issues never had before, and what she believes needs to change in the conversation around CGM accuracy. She also talks about how to hold gratitude for the technology that keeps us alive while still being honest about its limitations and why trusting your instincts and finger pricking more often might be the most important PSA she can share right now. WHAT WE COVER: How Lauren’s CGM was recently over 100 points off, and why it led to one of the worst lows she has had in yearsThe three issues she noticed immediately after switching to the Dexcom G7 last August and how they evolved over timeWhy she believes you can hold gratitude for diabetes technology in one hand and frustration in the other at the same timeWhat she would do differently next timeThe PSA every person with T1D needs to hear about finger pricking and what happens when you override your own instincts 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 20+ thousand T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox. Stay connected with us:  Email us at: hello@riseyhealth.com    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode made you feel less alone in the frustrating and sometimes scary reality of managing T1D with imperfect technology, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with this disease can find it.

    18 min

  7. Apr 14

    220. Living With T1D Through Breast Cancer, Retinopathy, and the Road Back to Yourself (ft. Erin Provost)

    Erin Provost was living a busy life as a wife and mom when she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 30. In 2023, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and spent the better part of a year fighting her way through it. Just when she thought the hardest part was behind her, a routine eye appointment introduced her to one more word she never expected to hear: retinopathy. In this episode, Erin sits down with Lauren to talk about what it looks like to manage T1D through a cancer diagnosis, radiation, a hysterectomy, and the complete loss of her ability to feel her lows and highs. She talks about the guilt, the burnout, the deep fear of insulin that took root after a terrifying low, and the moment the retinopathy diagnosis finally pushed her to get the support she had been needing. She shares how coaching helped her go from 50% to 75% time in range by taking it one small step at a time, and what it meant to finally stop being angry at herself and start forgiving herself for the years of hardship. WHAT WE COVER: What it felt like to manage T1D while fighting breast cancer, how her A1C climbed to an 8.5 during treatment, and why she does not blame herself for itHow accidentally doubling her metformin dose led to a terrifying low that created a lasting fear of insulin, affecting every bolusing decision she made from that point forwardWhat it was like to lose the ability to feel both lows and highs after a hysterectomy, and how she learned to navigate T1D without any of the physical signals she had relied onThe moment at her eye doctor appointment where she finally decided she could not keep going the way she had been and sought supportHow coaching helped her take one step at a time, starting with something as simple as eating breakfast, and how those small steps compounded into real momentumWhat it means to stop wallowing, forgive yourself for the hard years, and find your way back to yourself 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: hello@riseyhealth.com    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If Erin's story helped you feel less alone in the weight of everything T1D can bring, subscribe and leave a review so more people navigating this disease can find it.

    45 min

  8. Apr 7

    219. Hacking Your Tandem Pump with These Top Tips (ft. Coach Lindsey)

    Coach Lindsey has lived with Type 1 Diabetes for 19 years and has been coaching with Risely for over two years. Lindsay was already a health coach in her primary role when she came to Risely as a client. She came through our group coaching program, found her footing with her own diabetes management, and knew she wanted to bring that same support to others. After completing the program, she went on to earn her National Board Certification in coaching and trained under the Risely team before officially joining as a coach. She now works with clients through the exact challenges she once navigated herself, which makes her one of the most grounded voices on what it actually takes to move from reactive management to intentional decision-making with T1D. In this episode, Lauren and Lindsey dig into the Tandem pump features that many T1D’s either don't know exist or don't know how to use to their full advantage. They cover the features most people are only using at surface level (Control IQ, sleep mode, exercise mode, temp basal, and extended bolus) and share the real-life context behind when and why to use each one. The conversation is honest about the fact that none of these are one-size-fits-all, and that getting to a place where these tools feel second nature takes time, pattern recognition, and a willingness to test and learn. WHAT WE COVER: The biggest gaps we see when people are using pumps but not actually optimizing themHow to think about your pump as a tool you can adjust, not something that controls youThe difference between reacting to your numbers and making intentional decisionsWhat Control IQ is actually doing in the background, including correction limits most Tandem users aren’t aware ofHow to use exercise mode and sleep mode beyond their intended use to help prevent highs and lows 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: hello@riseyhealth.com    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth TikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealth YT: Reclaim Your Rise  SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode gave you one tip you can take back and test this week, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find it.

    40 min
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4.8
out of 5
145 Ratings

About

Lauren Bongiorno is a Nationally Board Certified Health Coach and the founder and CEO of Risely Health. Featured on the TODAY show and other media outlets, Risely helps people and families impacted by Type 1 Diabetes take ownership over their health so they can transform their life with more freedom and confidence. Lauren has lived with type 1 diabetes since she was 7 years old and has experienced firsthand that when health transforms, so does everything else - our relationships, our time, our career, our families, and, most importantly, ourselves. Each week she will bring you lessons from her own personal diabetes experience, strategies that are key to understanding your body’s patterns, and guests who will speak to everything from advances in technology to all things hormones, exercise, relationships, and mindset. All of this so that over time, you TOO can reclaim your rise.

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