From 400 lbs to Half Marathons & Body Building: Michael's Type 1 Turnaround

In this episode of Rebel Health Collective, I sat down with Michael Fitzpatrick—type 1 diabetic turned fitness devotee—to unpack his astonishing transformation. Diagnosed at 14 and burdened by a BMI of 50, monthly hypoglycemic seizures, and arrhythmias, Michael dug into low-carb living and Dr. Bernstein’s principles. Over the next few years he slashed his A1C from the mid-6s to under 5%, went from couch to half-marathons, and now pumps iron to stay lean and strong. We dive into his precise hypo-correction with powdered dextrose, basal-rate fine-tuning, CGM & pump hacks, and the online communities that saved his life.

If you’re looking for practical, real-world tactics to take control of your diabetes, this episode is packed with game-changing insights!

Guest Bio

Michael Fitzpatrick (Instagram: @MikeFitz) is a lifelong type 1 diabetic, self-taught nutrition nerd, and endurance athlete turned body builder. After years of “normal” A1Cs but dangerous swings, he embraced a low-carb, high-protein lifestyle inspired by Dr. Bernstein. Today he consistently posts sub-5% A1Cs, races half-marathons, and shares insulin-management strategies to empower others.

Key Topics in This Episode

✔️ Michael’s 1997 diagnosis at age 14 and his early carb-heavy struggles
 ✔️ Hitting a BMI of 50, arrhythmias, & sleep apnea scare in his late 30s
 ✔️ Discovering low-carb living via Diet Doctor & Dr. Bernstein’s methods
 ✔️ Dropping his A1C from mid-6 % to under 5 % for three straight years
 ✔️ Transitioning from block-walking to 5Ks to half-marathons and then weight training
 ✔️ Precision hypo-corrections with powdered dextrose—no more guesswork
 ✔️ Basal-rate tweaks, micro-boluses & “sugar surfing” on the Tandem pump
 ✔️ Why CGMs & Control-IQ sleep mode are absolute game-changers
 ✔️ The power of Facebook groups: Type One Grit, Let Me Be 83 & Crushing Type One
 ✔️ Self-advocacy: crafting emergency plans & owning your care

Resources & Links

📌 Low-Carb Type 1 Intro (Diet Doctor video):
 https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/type-1-diabetes
 📌 Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution (Book & YouTube):
 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1118585469
https://www.youtube.com/user/drbernstein
📌 Type One Grit Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/typeonegrit
📌 Let Me Be 83 Facebook Group (search “Let Me Be 83”)
📌 Crushing Type One (Devin Holtz) Group (search “Crushing Type One”)
📌 Connect with Michael on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/itismikefitz/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Enjoyed Michael’s journey? Share this episode with anyone who’s ready to take back control of their diabetes. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and join our Rebel Health Collective community for more empowering stories and actionable health strategies!

**Disclaimer: Please remember that the topics and information discussed in this podcast are for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider or medical professional before making any changes to your health regimen or implementing any new treatments. Your health journey is unique, and it’s important to work with your trusted healthcare team to determine what’s best for you.**

Transcript

Michael: What's up, Josh?

Josh: Hey, how's it going? 

Michael: Hey, pretty good. 

Josh: Thanks for jumping on.

Michael: Sure. 

Josh: See, try to get all my crap outta the way and make sure my Dexcom won't beep if it goes off.

Michael: I hate when that happens. 

Josh: Always fun. 

Michael: Are you on the G six or G seven? 

Josh: I'm on the G seven. 

Michael: I like it really well. When I first started it, I absolutely hated it. Yeah. Because it was like losing connection with my pump and then my pump was giving me too much basal and I was having these super lows I'm like, I'm never doing G seven.

Michael: Then they fixed the connectivity. And I haven't had issues since. 

Josh: Yeah, it seems like people either love it or hate it, and like it either works really well for you or they're just totally trash. But thankfully they work well for me. I'll lose connection at night when I'm sleeping sometimes.

Josh: But other than that, pretty accurate. And for the most part, pretty happy with it. 

Michael: Do you wear it on your abdomen or arm? 

Josh: I was wearing it on my arm, but I've moved to my AB now, just because it stays closer to my pump, like at night I figured that really helped with the connectivities.

Michael: Yep. 

Josh: So I really just wanted to hear your story. I want to touch on how active you [00:01:00] are in some of the Facebook groups that we're in actually giving good information with resources and stuff like that 'cause I feel like that's so hard these days to come by.

Josh: Some of those groups can be such doom and gloom and people trying to pull each other down and it sucks. To have someone come in and say Hey, I'm doing this and it's working, and provide resources and all of that. Really want to touch on that. You're like me and.

Josh: Kind of outside the norm, figuring things out on your own. And so I'd love to hear your experience of, how that happened, how you got to that point. Were you just not happy with your management? What was the turning point where you're like, all right, I can do this on my own, and then started going down that path and, yep.

Michael: so I'll start from the beginning. I was diagnosed in, 1997 when I was 14 years old. I think I was a freshman in high school or something like that. So I got all the polyuria, the, super dry mouth. I was drinking like tons and tons of water. And a lot of sugared beverages because I was so hungry and so thirsty.

Michael: I just kept drinking. And little did I know that was making it worse and worse. my mother had a, like a medical textbook and she looked up the symptoms and she could smell the acetone in my breath, which was like, uhoh, we better get you in. So I went and saw my, My, physician, my primary care physician, he did like a, a urinary test, I think dipped the thing in the, urine, and said you better [00:02:00] pack your back.

Michael: Says you're gonna be spending some time in the hospital. So they rushed me over to the hospital, Georgetown University Hospital. I'm the, in the Washington DC area right now. and ended up spending about a week there and, totally changed my life. Learned how to do MDI. Check my blood sugars.

Michael: They taught me, carb counting, that sort of thing. And that's pretty much how I lived. I tried to maintain pretty good, pretty tight control. as a teen, I was in like the high sixes, maybe around sevens as a teenager, which really isn't too bad. 

Josh: no, not at all. 

Michael: But then, as the years went on, I was just, I was like feeding the insulin.

Michael: I would take the insulin and then, eat food to it and, I ended up gaining a ton of Weight. really my entire life since high school, I've been pretty obese, morbidly obese. and then fast forward, and then I got married, had kids, and, Couple years ago, I was, 38. I'm 42 now. COVID happened and I had some health scares, like with, cardiac arrhythmia.

Michael: and I was, I had really bad sleep apnea. My BMI was like around 50. I didn't have, I didn't think I was gonna see, my forties, to be honest. and then COVID happened and I was like, you know what? I don't wanna die. [00:03:00] I want to do everything in my life, everything that I can to save my life.

Michael: so I saw that people were, having success with low carb and I didn't really know too much about it, so I started Googling, type one diabetes, low carb. I did a ton of research. I became obsessed with it, and then I came across a video on the Diet Doctor website, if you're familiar with it, of, someone named Artie Dikeman, who is the head of the Type one grit crew on Facebook.

Michael: he's a big proponent of low carb living in Dr. Bernstein. I saw his presentation and it absolutely lit my head on fire, and it so inspired me deeply. it still inspires me deeply to this day, but then I, got into Dr. Bernstein. I read his book several times. his YouTube channel. I watched all his videos.

Michael: I, Learned as much as I could about, blood sugar management. And I was able to reduce my A1C from like the mid sixes to, it is been under 5% for the past, three years now. and I test on a monthly basis with the home monitor and I actually publish everything online, all my tests so everyone can see, what I'm doing, but basically, cutting out the carbs and cutting out the crap.

Michael: it really helped me get a handle on. My insulin management, my diabetes management. I was no longer on the blood sugar rollercoasters up and down. I was waking up every day with [00:04:00] blood sugars, like in the two hundreds, two fifties, something like that. 'cause of the dawn phenomenon and just eating so much junk.

Michael: and I was like 400 pounds. I combined that and I started losing weight and then I got to a point where I just couldn't sit on the couch anymore. I. so I started just like walking around the block slowly. That's all I could handle. and then that walking around the block turned into jogging around the block, which turned into running like a 5K every couple days, which turned into, running over 25 miles a week.

Michael: By the end of my endurance training sessions, I was running half marathons. I was running 10 Ks like every month. and then recently I got more into, weight training. So now weight training is really my passion. and to this day, I'm trying to keep the weight off. I'm trying to get, as lean and shredded as possible, and I'm, trying to spread the message of, low carb and normal blood sugars to everyone I can online.

Josh: Yeah, I appreciate all of that and I, it's amazing to see some of your progress pictures, that you, I've seen, you've posted a couple of them of when you first started, this journey of this tight control versus some of your workout. I. Pictures and updates now, and it's insane. it truly is crazy and just makes you realize how doable it is.

Josh: And so you've mentioned that your [00:05:00] A1C was in the, like the mid sixes to sevens. So that's really not that bad, there's some people that are walking around with a a 9%, A1C and whatnot. Do you feel like during those times, after. High school and stuff. Were you trying pretty hard to have good control of your diabetes?

Josh: Of course not where you are now it sounded like you were doing your pre bolusing and, trying to do corrections and all that. do you feel like that's pretty accurate that you were trying to manage it well, 

Michael: yeah. I, I didn't, I've always been scared to death of the complications, ever since I was a kid, I think.

Michael: When I was in the hospital originally, I had a good doctor that told me that, you want to keep your blood sugars normal and this is what's gonna happen. you could lose your feet, you could lose your vision. after reading Bernstein, I, I learned that there's over a hundred different complications you can get that a lot of doctors don't know about it.

Michael: But basically, high blood sugars affect every single organ system in your body, from your bones to your kidneys, to your eyes, your skin, everything. So I set about maintaining my A1C in that range. But, I came later to actually get diagnosed with neuropathy in my feet. which came as a [00:06:00] surprise to me because my endo had always patted me on the back and said, Hey, you're in the mid sixties.

Michael: That's fantastic. That's a target for optimal control for diabetics. And then after reading Bernstein I come to learn that actually no, that's not, the, a normal blood sugar. Of a healthy, metabolically healthy person. That's what I want. That's what all, diabetics deserve. the same blood sugars as healthy non-diabetics.

Michael: so after I learned that then, I got my button gear and, got my A1C, as low as I could, under 5% and I was actually able to reverse my neuropathy. Something else I'll say, when, the diet, I was eating the high carb junk diet. even though I was having an A1C of the mid sixes, my standard deviation was super high, compared to where I'm at now.

Michael: It was like 73. For, the listeners that you have that don't understand what standard deviation is, that's basically how violently your blood sugar goes up and down throughout the day. and I was having multiple, hypoglycemic seizures. Per year, at least once a quarter. the medics were over [00:07:00] at my house constantly.

Michael: I was scaring my fam family. My kids were terrified. I couldn't trust myself o overnight, like I'd have these seizures overnight, especially. And, I'd wake up in agonizing pain with my whole body clenched, like my muscles all tightening up. And my family's oh, here we go again.

Michael: medics were over. I'd go over to the hospital and same song and dance. So even though I was having normal quote unquote blood sugars, it was, it really made life untenable, until I figured things out. yeah. And, I know, most diabetic, most type ones out there, they're living that on a daily basis, and my heart really breaks for them, especially, not being able to get an A1C below 8%.

Michael: I think the average is like eight to 9% or something like that. So I really feel for them. Yeah, 

Josh: and that's a part of this podcast and some of the information that I want to get out there is because a lot of the time we go into see our endos and we have that six to seven A1C, we get the pat on the back and that's it, and there's people like yourself that are in that range, but are having all of those terrible experiences, the highs, the lows, the seizures going into the hospital regularly, and it doesn't [00:08:00] need to be like that. And for me, I think. My first probably six months were so hard because my endo basically gave me insulin and said, as long as you use this before you eat, everything's gonna be fine.

Josh: you can live a totally normal life, you can eat whatever you want and it's all gonna be okay. And as much as I wish that was the case, it's just truly not. you can sure use the insulin and eat the pizzas and all the bad stuff and live the same life you were living before you got diagnosed.

Josh: But you're gonna have all those complications that you're talking about, even if you're keeping your A1C in range. And there's just so much more that goes into managing your diabetes. for me, when I sleep poorly, I know the next day I'm gonna be on a bigger rollercoaster than normal. if I only sleep three or four hours, it's the smallest things.

Josh: And it's not just food, it's stress, it's adrenaline, it's things of that nature. Just getting ready to talk to you. My, my blood sugar was tipping up just from some of the adrenaline coming in.

Michael: It happens every time. Yep. Yep. It's, yeah, we get horrible advice. the really it is, low expectations for type one diabetics and, in my opinion, the, it starts all the way at the top with the American [00:09:00] Diabetes Association.

Michael: they're the ones that set the guidelines for, norm for standard blood sugars and dietary, requirements and, that sort of thing. And, really people that wanna optimize their health, they're on their own. before social media, the only real group that was doing this, or the only person I, that I'm aware of was Dr.

Michael: Bernstein and he had his book out and a lot of people didn't even know, about the book. So I thank God every day for. the low carb type one diabetes, the, grip groups, the let me be 80 threes. if it wasn't for them, I don't think I, I would be here right now. 

Josh: have you ever interacted with Lucy Fisher?

Josh: Before? Yes. Yep. Okay. I always 

Michael: told her podcast, before she were You. 

Josh: Okay, perfect. yeah, she is that for me. I stumbled upon her podcast and heard all these stories. I maybe even listened to yours 'cause I've listened to almost all of her podcasts. that was the same thing for me. I was like, there's a whole new world out there that I had no idea existed.

Josh: And once I started digging deeper and talking to more people, just outside the doctor's office, people. That are living with type one and have taken it into their own hands, things got so much better. And because you're [00:10:00] right, a lot of the pamphlets and stuff that I've got, the dietary guidance that they gave when I first got diagnosed was in the morning you should have, some yogurt with fruit with some bread and orange juice.

Josh: And just from the get go, my day was starting off bad and I couldn't recover the blood sugars basically.

Michael: Yep. And just. for imagine what it's, how bad we have it as adults. Imagine if you're like a newly di diagnosed kid. If you're like a toddler or something like that and you're being told, you need to eat all this fruit, all this oatmeal, and you're just one gram of, glucose that's gonna send your blood sugar north of what, like 20 points, 30 points, something like that. Imagine eating a breakfast of 20 carbs. That's untenable. You can't do that. And as far as Lucy's concerned, we actually met in a, in a fasting group back in the day. I used to be really into extended fasting. I'm not anymore, but, she saw my story and, she reached out to me and we, connected and she's totally awesome.

Michael: So I was, I'm a big fan of her podcast, so 

Josh: yeah, Lucy's definitely great. And Nowadays you have made all these changes. Do you, I'm trying to think of the right way to word it. It's obviously a big commitment. you're, it's a lifestyle 180 for the most part. you're, cutting out carbs, you're dedicating yourself to be more [00:11:00] active, focus on your health more.

Josh: How long did it take for your it to just become your new normal? Because it is a challenge. I don't think either of us are. On here saying, read this book, it'll be easy and everything will be fine and dandy. it's a commitment and it's not something that you can just do overnight.

Michael: Yep. It's, I'm, I do not, I will be the first to admit, I do not have everything a hundred percent figured out, but I'm a hundred times better than I was, just a few years ago when I first got into this, I was really into the, like the low carb, high fat I was. Eating sticks of butter and I was fasting for seven days and really unhealthy type stuff.

Michael: And then I moved in. Would you, 

Josh: yeah, go ahead. Would you say it was like keto guidelines almost? I was testing

Michael: ketones, multiple times a day, wasting tons of money on blood ketones strips. I was sacrificing protein, in order to get higher ketones. it was bad. and then I moved to, carnivore.

Michael: I was strict carnivore for a whole year. I shandal plant fruits and vegetables. I was into, I, Chaffee and, Saladino and, all those folks saladino before he started eating food again, which is fine. But, and then I found, The low carb, high protein [00:12:00] approach, which is what I'm doing now.

Michael: And now I'm really into, more of a Ted Naman, Marty Kendall style of eating where it's, it's not so much about the, the name of the diets, it's the nutrients that you need. But as a type one diabetic, I have to, scale back on things that make my blood sugar out of control.

Michael: So I really, I'm. I'm really trying to prioritize protein. so I'm eating tons and tons of protein and then, trying to cut back on the fats and the carbs to, to try to stay lean and muscular. but like I said, nutrition and exercise. I'm a podcast junkie, so I spend my free time, reading books and listening to podcasts and watching shows, all about this kind of stuff.

Michael: So it's something that really interests me. 

Josh: And so what does a day look like for you as far as eating? what would some of your meals consist of? I don't know if you do meal preps and eat the same thing throughout the week, or walk us through some of that. 

Michael: Yep. So I've tracked every single. thing that I've eaten since 2023.

Michael: I use, macro Factor, which is a great tracking app for, body composition and training. but basically i'll, these days, I've been in a cut since January, so I'm trying to eat about 2,400 calories. on training days. So these days I'll do spinach, some frozen spinach with egg [00:13:00] whites and maybe a couple, hold eggs to get some fats.

Michael: Lunch is probably gonna be like some, lean, chicken breast with some salsa, something like that. Dinner's gonna be like, some kind of, low carb vegetable, like edamame beans. I'm a real big fan of with, maybe some shrimp. And then, dessert I have every night, which is my absolute favorite, is, protein ice cream, which is basically some frozen berries.

Michael: I love frozen raspberries. a couple scoops of protein powder, some, skim fairlife milk, and a little bit of sweetener. And that keeps me full for the rest of the night. And that's basically a day of eating. So the past year or so, I'm eating probably an average of, around 400 grams of protein, which I think is like.

Michael: Four to five pounds of chicken equivalent or something like that. But, I really love the, the high protein approach. 

Josh: And you think the high protein keeps you full longer? I, feel like I've. Realize that when I have a higher protein meal versus a higher fat meal Yep. I feel like I'm satiated longer.

Michael: You're satiated longer, for less calories. I, that's the key. You can eat a whole [00:14:00] pizza. A whole pizza has a ton of satiety, but you're also eating a million calories. Whereas eating three pieces of, lean chicken breast, that's gonna be. Like 800 calories and you're full for the rest of your life.

Michael: So, really you're trying to balance the carbs, the satiety, and the calories all at once. So 

Josh: definitely. Yeah. Protein. 

Michael: Protein and the fiber are the biggest triggers that you can pull, in terms of, satiety and body composition. 

Josh: And what do you use for your lows whenever you need to Correct.

Josh: what's your go-to? 

Michael: That's a great question. A lot of diabetics will use food, which is incorrect. They'll use juice boxes, which is incorrect. the best thing in my, 27 years of living with type one is to use pure glucose or dextrose. I buy these big 10 pound containers of dextrose like once a year, once or twice a year from Amazon for 35 bucks, 10 pounds of powdered dextrose.

Michael: I keep a small bowl of it next to a food scale, and when I get a low, I will measure out precise amounts. Of glucose into a cup, then I'll mix it with water and then I'll [00:15:00] chug it. Nothing works faster, nothing's more predictable. it's precise. I know for example, that four grams of glucose, which is the equivalent to one glucose tablet, will raise my blood sugar, by about 12 points.

Michael: So from there, if I'm low, I can, work the math backwards. and know exactly how much glucose I need to take to get to my target level, which is in the eighties. a lot of people are told, just take 15 units or 15 grams of carbs if you're low. And if you're a child especially, that's gonna send you into a roller coaster.

Michael: You should be, we should be taking as much glucose as is required to get us to, a normal blood sugar level and no more and no less. 

Josh: Yeah, when I first started on my pump, I was following that 15 grams of sugar for a low, and I'd realize I'd start spiking up and then my pump would give me insulin and I'd just go right back down and have to recorrect.

Josh: And until you figure it out, you know that you need to suspend insulin on your pump until you level out. It's just a rollercoaster, like you mentioned. So I, I use those tabs a lot. I didn't know you could buy it in just a straight powdered form. You just add it to water or something.

Josh: That's pretty [00:16:00] cool. 

Michael: Yep. IUI use the dextrose powder and then when I'm out of the house, I keep, a pocket size tube of glucose tablets in my pocket at all times no matter what. And in my car I keep, a bottle of glucose tablets as well for emergencies. 

Josh: We got 'em in all the cars, all the nightstands, all the rooms 

Michael: in any in my office space, in my room, for emergency hypos.

Michael: I haven't had an emergency hypo, since I. switch to this lifestyle, but I keep, gvo, hypo pens, taped into the wall next to my bed in case they're, I have a seizure at night because I used to get terrible seizures, like I said, at night. And, I always teach my family how to give it to me if I'm incapacitated.

Michael: and I make sure that, there's always backup plans, and contingency plans if something falls through, if I need help. 

Josh: That's super, super important. I actually got the flu about two weeks ago and it just knocked me on my butt to where we were about to have to go to the hospital, and I realized that I didn't have any of those [00:17:00] plans put together at all.

Josh: we didn't have a go bag ready. I didn't have directions for my wife with my insulin if we, if I had to have some sort of a procedure or something, laying out what I wanted and how that I. Have things treated and we've been put a lot of focus on making sure that, we have that ready now.

Josh: And kind of one of those things until it's too late sometimes you don't realize how bad you need it. 

Michael: Yes, especially in the hospital, hospitals are extremely dangerous places for type one diet effects because they have no idea how to, control blood sugar. They will run you high, which will keep you sick.

Michael: if you're in there for a surgery or something like that, if and running high, guess what? It's gonna take a lot longer to recover. so a lot, all of this information is in Dr. Bernstein's book, but he actually has a letter that, he wants people to bring with them. It's, Pre-published and basically it says I, run my blood sugar at this level.

Michael: I expect my blood sugar. I expect, to be able to control my own blood sugars if I'm incapacitated. I expect the care team to run my blood sugars at this level. you hear of hospitals actually confiscating insulin and, testing supplies, which is a absolutely barbaric. I've heard that before online.

Michael: And then you're held hostage [00:18:00] to these, terrible dice in the hospital and then being underdosed for insulin, which is unacceptable. And that needs to change, worldwide. 

Josh: Totally agree. Yeah. I was, it was probably like 1130 where we were trying to decide, do we need to go to the hospital? can we wait it out?

Josh: And a good friend of mine, Trevor Watson, who I had on, I think it was like episode number two, I text him and I was like, Hey, I might be gonna the hospital. I need you to put your phone on loud. These are all the things that I want. This is where I want my blood sugar to stay. If anything happens, Marissa knows to call you and you're my caregiver.

Josh: if they're gonna do something, I want them to run it by you and you sign it off just because his son is type one. So he's, really, he does really good managing his and, my wife is just not as comfortable. And so someone who lives it every day, I was like, he's perfect to have.

Josh: On my side if needed. So yeah, that's great to have, 

Michael: an expert in your corner at those times. So that's, one of my biggest fears personally is, not being able to control my diabetes. if I'm, years from now, if I'm in the old folks' home and, nurse Patsy comes over and gives me my, one unit of insulin for, a 50 gram oatmeal.[00:19:00]

Michael: Meal. that's, I'm not gonna last long, so I, that's why I wanna get as healthy as possible so I can be as independent and strong, for the rest of my life. So I don't have to rely on anyone else. 

Josh: Definitely. Yeah. And I think we're in a positive spot with technology too, and I wanted to talk to you about that since, you were diagnosed at a younger age when all the technology that we have now wasn't around.

Josh: How has that changed from everything being. Pretty manual back then, you were doing the, multiple daily manual injections and then you were relying on the, finger prick sticks for your blood sugar. how has that changed and how has it helped if, you think it has? 

Michael: Yeah. I'm a big fan of technology, obviously.

Michael: when I was a kid, we didn't have CGMs or. we, they did have pumps, but I actually didn't switch to using a pump until 2021, I wanna say. So I'm, I was pretty late to the pump game, but, I can say that I absolutely love my tandem, control IQ pump. I run it in sleep mode 24 7, and I, my blood sugar control is, really good.

Michael: There's, I hear from other people that they [00:20:00] have. trouble. I think they don't run it in sleep mode. And I also do micro boluses throughout the day to help. I don't wait for the pump to make corrections. I get ahead of it. I'm washing the arrow, so I'm su sugar surfing at the same time.

Michael: But CGMs are huge. I think CGMs are probably the biggest game changer when it comes to diabetes management. I wear smartwatch, so I actually get my, my blood sugars on my watch. I don't know if you can see that. And I also have, these, Pixels, which are clocks that I keep, in my gym and in my bedroom.

Michael: So I, I can just glance over and see what my blood sugar is. helps me keep tabs on everything. but there's a lot of really cool stuff coming out in the future, better CGMs, more accurate CGMs, and I'm, I want to keep myself healthy so I can see the next big thing to be released.

Josh: Definitely. Yeah. And I've started the stance of. Not so much holding out for a cure necessarily. where I'm gonna be producing my own insulin someday again. But I'm more excited about the technology and the continuation of that, [00:21:00] and really just becoming an external pancreas where you're not even thinking about it.

Josh: There's some talks of some of these pumps having glucagon in there so that if you're going low, it can sense that and start to correct before you even get to a point to where you need to eat something. I think that's the really exciting stuff. 

Michael: Yep. Absolutely. Lot of,

Josh: yeah. Yeah, there is for sure.

Josh: And a lot of the groups that we're in have started being more positive about some of those things, and I. That was how I came across you is, I'm not sure when you started to be so active in the groups, but I've, I started to notice you commenting more and, presenting some of Bernstein's stuff and just talking about your personal story.

Josh: And one of the things that I really noticed is that you're just positive. It's not so much like a shaming, Hey, you should be doing this, you should be doing low carb, you should be working out, but it's just a hey. I understand where you're coming from. I was in that place. And I've made these changes and my life has turned around, and I'd really appreciate the stance and the way that you go about it, because some of those groups can be pretty deep, [00:22:00] dark holes of, just Yeah.

Josh: It's visible of negativity. Yeah. 

Michael: There's for, I would say for most type ones out there, there's absolutely zero hope. they live the nightmare rollercoaster every day. And, if you've ever been on a rollercoaster, you know how absolutely depressing it can be. suicide rates for type one diabetic is off the charts, just because blood sugar control is so terrible.

Michael: so when I'm communicating with people I wanna show them that this can be done. you, there is hope out. There are people who are living normal, healthy lives who are. Have families, successful careers. you can live to be, 90 plus years old like Dr. Bernstein. He's still practicing medicine to this day.

Michael: and it's not all doom and gloom there, you can be captain of your own ship. All it takes is just a little bit of planning and some consistency. And you can go from being 400 pounds with a, 56 inch waist like me with, neuropathy in your feet and having, hypoglycemic seizures every month, to having a one Cs under, 5% to exercising 15 hours a week.

Michael: you can do it. Anyone can do it, 

Josh: definitely. And it's just, it's too bad that. It has to be finding someone like yourself or Lucy [00:23:00] or those other resources out there who are trying to help people with information that just isn't talked about in the doctor's offices. And I just think that's su such a shame because there's so many things that we can be doing and it's just not talked about.

Josh: It's just, here's your insulin, take it before your meal, take your bolus at night. Or sorry, take your basal at night. Yep. And. Just deal with it. 

Michael: Yep. Patients are, they're left on their own. and oftentimes endos don't even do that much. Like they'll leave a lot of this up to, diabetes educators that dunno, a lot, or dieticians that they're pushing a lot of the carbs and stuff that makes your blood sugar, unmanageable.

Michael: so really the last place left is social media. Online. And that's where I found, my salvation really is, Googling the, how to manage my own type one diabetes. And then I came into the groups, and it worked for me and I just share my story. 

Josh: yeah, and podcasts have become such a big thing too, where you get someone's real personal experience and it is a little dicey because you are taking advice from someone who.[00:24:00]

Josh: Is it necessarily a doctor or anything like that, but you've always just gotta take it with a grain of salt and, not imp imple implement something that's just a crazy 180 switch. You've gotta think things through and take small steps, but, I've actually started taking, semaglutide as the type one, which is just, you ask any doctor and it's an absolute no, but I'm doing a microdose twice a week, and so like a normal person would be doing, let's say 10 units of it, and that's for someone who's trying to lose weight and, all of that.

Josh: I'm doing less than a unit, usually about 0.5 of a unit, and I'm doing that twice a week. It has helped my blood sugars so much, just, from not necessarily trying to lose weight, but just as a tool to be more in Yeah. Just I'm way more insulin sensitive on it. 

Michael: Yep. I've heard, a lot of good things about some of blues height and, type one.

Michael: I really hope that they do more research on that. I know if you're familiar with Ginger Vira. If you've ever heard, no, I'm not someone to look up. She's very active in the, T 1D space and she's a huge proponent of semaglutide, in Tirzepatide and all that stuff for, type one diabetic. So I think [00:25:00] we, should be using any of the tools that we have at our disposal to, make us successful in managing our blood sugars and our health so that we can be around.

Michael: So that's great that you're taking that. 

Josh: What turned me on is I've, I was just looking into studies and, I was wondering, so type twos can use it, could it help me at all? maybe not at as big a doses as type twos are taking, and just the people in general trying to do weight loss. But in doing a bunch of the research, I found that there were studies showing that people that still had beta cells producing insulin, those were actually being preserved and lasting longer and whatnot. So I was like, heck, if I can preserve them. I'm gonna give it a shot. And that was my main goal is I'm just gonna try to use it a little bit to preserve those beta cells, but have had really good, control with the blood sugars with it as well, 

Michael: yep. Now when were you diagnosed, Josh? 

Josh: I was diagnosed in 2022, February 13th, 2022.

Josh: So just hit the three year anniversary. but had. Had gotten it after COVID. have, a, had a lot of people in my age range and a little older that, got that first s variant of COVID and got diagnosed with type one. still definitely learning, but still 

Michael: are, I'm still learning people who have had the disease for [00:26:00] 70 years and they're still learning.

Michael: So 

Josh: yeah, there's new things coming out all the time, but I, just think staying informed and up to date is the best thing that you can do. And. Just staying up with the technology. I think that's been the biggest thing that's helped me. 

Michael: That's Good. the, the spaces that you're in online, you're, you are ahead of, 99% of other type one diabetics out there.

Michael: because you, have, I think you have a better understanding of metabolic health and the relationships between medical providers and, the standard of care that we're getting and, that sort of thing. So the biggest piece of advice I would give you is just keep con, continue to learn.

Michael: About metabolism and blood sugar management. Just prioritize blood sugar control. that's the number one goal with everything. because like I said before there's, over a hundred complications you can get and a lot of doctors don't even know about it. They don't even know how to test for it.

Michael: Like gastroparesis is horrible with type ones. and a lot of doctors don't even know that you need to get like an RR interval study. To get that done. there's just so much stuff that's out there that a lot of people don't know about, but it all boils down to having normal, optimized, blood sugars the same that, the same ones that healthy non-diabetics have.

Michael: So you're on the right path for sure. 

Josh: Yeah. I appreciate it. And I'm just so thankful for people like yourself that are out there trying to spread the good word and. I don't wanna put you on the spot, but aside from Dr. Bernstein's book, which I'll add a link [00:27:00] to in the show notes, what other resources, groups, podcasts do you find yourself kinda regularly turning to?

Michael: Oh gosh. I've been in all kinds of podcasts over the years. And when you do link to the show notes, not only his book, but his YouTube channel, especially his book can be, it's very thick. It's hard to get. It is, it's a solid read. It is. it's, a lot. but also please link to his, YouTube channel because it, it breaks everything down a lot more.

Josh: definitely we'll do that. 

Michael: Yep. there's tons of great podcasts out there. I can't even name it 'cause oh, what's it called? Andrew Knick has a great new podcast, I think it's, what is it called? In range. I listen to that all the time. that's on Spotify. if you're familiar with Dr.

Michael: Knick, he's huge in the, type one space. He's the most jacked person in any room. He is also the smartest person, in any room. He is a big low carb proponent. I like Lucy's podcast a lot. I don't think she's, taped in a bit. yeah, in range is, Dr. Knick's podcast. I would say folks head over there, to Spotify and check them out.

Michael: So

Josh: Cool. Yeah. I'll link both of them for sure. And as far as Facebook groups, I really like the Type one grit one. That's a, that's an overall [00:28:00] positive people looking for advice. Asking questions and getting true responses back. It's not so much one of those like poor me type groups where just people venting about the struggles.

Josh: Exactly. any other ones that you are a fan of? Are you in the, gosh, I think it's like crushing type one. 

Michael: Yes. Devin Holtz group. That's a great too. Yes.

Josh: Love that one too. that's a really good one for. Studies and new technology and things that are in the work. So I, really turn to that one for that kind of information.

Michael: Yeah. Devon's a, I think he's a, an anes, an anesthesiologist. he is, I've talked to him many times, over Facebook and he's an awesome guy. Let me be, 83 is probably the best place to start. If you're looking to get in the Type one Grit group, just know that you have to actually read the Dr.

Michael: Bernstein book first, and you have to be somewhat, knowledgeable about it, because there are some screening questions that you have to go through, but it's a great group. and from there's a bunch of other ones, that are similar. Just low car, just Google Low carb type one groups. you can also, anyone in your audience can follow me on Twitter, at it is Mike Fitz on Twitter or X now.

Michael: And, I can, I'll be happy to talk to any, anyone in your audience that's having problems [00:29:00] with blood sugar control or weight management or anything like that and I can steer you in the right path. 

Josh: awesome. I'll make sure to link that down there as well for people to be able to get in contact with you.

Michael: Yep. 

Josh: Just, if you're not watching the video, this man on the other side of the screen is a super fit human being. So the motivation is definitely there. When I watch your Instagrams, and I love watching your monthly A1C recordings, I'll show 'em to my wife honestly and be like, I bet it's gonna be like 4.8 this month and stuff like that.

Josh: It's fun to guess That. 

Michael: I am doing my best to keep it under five. The streak now is about three years, so one of these days it's gonna get over five, but I'm not gonna stress about it because, I'm still doing the best I can. it's definitely a lot better than where I was a few years ago.

Josh: definitely, and that's what matters. it's the long game. You're gonna, you're gonna have speed bumps and little blimps in the road, but it's the long game that matters, and you're definitely setting yourself up for that. 

Michael: Yep. the biggest thing is. consistency. it's not, I, said this before, it's not like how intense you work a plan, but it's the consistency showing up day after day, and type one diabetes, just like bodybuilding.

Michael: It's all about consistency and that's why I, think I, like weight training so much, because you have to pay a lot of attention [00:30:00] to, your different muscles and your nutrition and, it intertwines with your metabolism. Being a type one diabetic you get insights into your metabolism that you wouldn't necessarily know if you didn't wear a CGM and didn't feel what it feels like to be, low or high, from a blood sugar point of view.

Michael: yeah, it's all about consistency. 

Josh: When you transitioned from doing more running to the weightlifting Yep. Do you notice any difference in blood sugar control between the two? 

Michael: I would say my blood sugar control probably got better. the endurance running was great and I felt fantastic, but it took a lot to try to get, try to figure that out.

Michael: exercise was definitely, the biggest monkey wrench that I was facing. there were times when I was out for 10 mile runs and I would blow through all of my glucose in my pockets and I'd be like. LOW with a sideways arrow. I was like, oh boy. In the middle of nowhere. So I'd have to start sprinting to get my, glucagon production up.

Michael: But, I eventually figured it out. you, you suspend your basal like an [00:31:00] hour beforehand, so I have zero insulin on board, and then you bring more glucose than you think you're gonna need. and then at the end of running, I had to give. actually a correction bolus. Even if my blood sugar was normal because of the basal hole, quote unquote, running without any, basal on board, your blood sugar's gonna catch up and then all that sugar in your bloods go bring it right up.

Michael: So I, I learned by the end that I actually had to give a kind of substantial correction bolus at the end of my runs now that I'm weightlifting. I'm in a place where I can stop and I will always have ample, glucose supplies. I'm not in the middle of nowhere. I, and, I think it's easier to control from a blood sugar perspective, but I will say that weightlifting, I'm probably the most insulin sensitive that I've ever been in my life right now.

Michael: and that's been challenging to change up my basal rates because just a few months ago. before I started my cut, I was probably taking about 50 to 55 units per day. And these days I'm at like just about 30 units per day and I'm, I was like 232 pounds this Morning. [00:32:00] I'm very insulin sensitive and that's, I've had to cut back on my basal just a little bit.

Michael: I was getting lows, but these days I've got it dialed in and that, doing stuff like that's something that you really don't learn too much from. your care teams, that's something that you're gonna have to figure out on your own. Even though I've have, a normal A1C quote unquote, it still takes a lot of work every day to know yourself and to, do contingency testing, and just try to figure things out.

Michael: do troubleshooting. And then when you follow your troubleshooting steps, that's when you dial in your blood sugars. So that's, really what type one's all about. 

Josh: Yeah. You don't wanna wait those three months to make a change if you're running higher or running low regularly, I.

Josh: Either get a newer appointment with your care team or take it into your own hands and make some of those small changes. And I've done that in between appointments. I will increase my basal, decrease my basal, depending on what's going on. If I'm hitting the gym regularly and my, weight's starting to go down, becoming more insulin sensitive or on this, [00:33:00] semaglutide definitely become way more insulin sensitive and have had to.

Josh: Change up my ratios and carb counts and all that kind of stuff, 

Michael: yep. Yeah. Don't, I probably shouldn't say this, but don't wait for an appointment three months from now to, to change your insulin dosage if you are running high or too low, you're, it's incumbent upon yourself as a type one diabetic, or if you're the parent of a type one, to, to look ahead and make those changes, to try to anticipate and just do everything you can.

Michael: In your power to get normal blood sugars. That's what it's all about. If you are running abnormal blood sugars, something is wrong and you need to make corrections immediately. Don't wait for your doctor to, to say anything. It's, you need to take responsibility, and do it and step up. 

Josh: Definitely.

Josh: Yeah. And whether that's researching on your own, reaching out to communities, other people with type one or calling the doctor. If you truly feel like you need to talk with them and just advocate for yourself saying, Hey, I'm running high. Like I need to come in, I need an appointment. And if you're not getting.

Josh: The care that you need. It's time to find somebody new. And I've had to do that several [00:34:00] times. so 

Michael: yeah. great point. Self-advocacy is something that I learned, when I made, when I started my health journey. That is a huge theme in, type one diabetes and especially the low carb type one diabetes groups, like the grit groups.

Michael: You, you need to learn to become a self advocate. No one's gonna do it for you. Your doctors aren't gonna look out for you. You have to look out for yourself and your family. So well said, Josh. Thank you 

Josh: 100%. Definitely. We're coming up on time. Any last minute thoughts or little bits of advice that you wanna throw out there?

Michael: I'll just say that, wherever you are in your health journey, in your, type one diabetes management, even if you don't have Type one diabetes. You're always, able to, get better and to improve no matter where you are in life. don't feel discouraged if you aren't where you want to be.

Michael: change happens with small steps. I found that out myself, and I'm living that every day. I continue to strive to be better and, getting better is not out of reach for anybody in this world, [00:35:00] period. And I believe that. 

Josh: It's all about the long haul. That's right. it's not gonna happen overnight.

Josh: You're not gonna be able to make the plan overnight. Do the plan overnight, but it's the day after day of showing up and trying. And I saw this visual the other day where it's it was seven glasses and it was saying. That like consistency isn't filling the glasses up 100% every day. It's putting something in those glasses every single day.

Josh: And Monday it might be 80%. Wednesday it might be 25%, but you showed up, you made an effort. Exactly. And you're still pushing forward, and I really liked that. 

Michael: Yep. And even if you don't fill up a glass one day, or if you overfill it, if you screw up a day, so you start again, the next day, there's gonna be a next day, if you eat too much, if you have a bad blood sugar day, just shake it off, go back to your, your roots, go back to your plan, and you can start again.

Michael: There's always another opportunity to start again.

Josh: Yep. I really like that. So thanks so much for your time jumping on here, and then again, just [00:36:00] being such a positive voice in all of the communities and offering to help those that, just don't have access to this information. truly appreciate you and all that you've been doing.

Michael: Absolutely. Josh, thanks for all that you do. Thank you. 

Josh: Yes, sir. we'll keep in touch and I'll see you in the groups. 

Michael: All right. Thank

Michael: you, sir. 

Josh: Thank you.