Type 1 Diabetes CGM Data 2025: What It Means & How to Improve Results

Disclaimer: While I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist with Type 1 Diabetes myself, this blog post is not intended as medical advice. I'm sharing from my personal experience and professional knowledge, but your diabetes management should always be discussed with your healthcare team. What works for me or others may need to be adjusted for your unique situation.

Before the Year Ends

As a reminder, take a look back at my blog post titled "5 Things T1Ds Should Do Before November Hits" where we talked about using your benefits before they expire, including FSA and HSA money that might be sitting there unused.

If you haven't checked on that yet, now is the time. December is racing by, and if you have FSA funds that don't roll over, they'll disappear on December 31st. That could be money you could use for extra supplies, a consultation with me, or investing in support that will actually make a difference in your diabetes management.

But today, I want to talk about something different. Something that might be even more valuable than those unused benefits.

Your data.

Your CGM Is Telling You Something

Understanding your data can help make a world of a difference when it comes to knowing what you're actually doing. And this is something I talk about in my book (which I want you to grab a free copy of at typeonetypefun.com/free-book).

If you flip to the very back of the book, you'll see some screenshots of CGMs and insulin pumps that show real data from real humans I've worked with.

These aren't made-up examples. They're actual patterns from people just like you who were struggling to figure out what was going on with their blood sugar.

And here's what I've learned after working with hundreds of individuals with Type 1 Diabetes: most people are sitting on a goldmine of information, but they don't know how to interpret it.

You're checking your CGM multiple times a day. You're seeing the numbers, the arrows, the trends. But what does it all actually mean? And more importantly, what can you DO about it?

Let me break it down for you.

What Your Data Is Actually Telling You

In my book, I walk through several real examples of CGM and pump data, and I explain what each pattern might indicate.

For example:

• A delayed spike that happens 2-5 hours after eating might suggest that the meal was high in fat and protein, which slows digestion. This is super common with meals like pizza, pasta with meat sauce, or rich casseroles.
• A drop during or after exercise could indicate that you had insulin on board during activity, or that the type of exercise you did was more glycolytic (using glucose for fuel).
• An overnight low followed by a morning high might be the Somogyi effect, a rebound from your body overcompensating after going low.
• A consistent rise every morning around 4-6 AM could be dawn phenomenon, where cortisol release causes your blood sugar to spike.

The book goes into much more detail on these patterns and what you might consider doing about them. But here's the big takeaway: your data is not random. There are reasons behind what you're seeing.

And when you learn to read those patterns, you can actually do something about them instead of just reacting over and over.

Stop the Roller Coaster: Preventing 5 Highs and Lows by Being Intentional with 1...

Here's one of my favorite strategies that I teach clients, and it's something that can completely change your blood sugar management.

If you're on the roller coaster and you go high, low, high, low, high, low, and you're sick of it, you can stop several of those highs or lows if you figure out how to stop the rebound from happening.

Let me explain what I mean.

The Rebound Cycle

Here's what typically happens:

1. Your blood sugar goes high
2. You take correction insulin (maybe more than you should because you're frustrated)
3. Your blood sugar crashes low
4. You treat the low (maybe with more carbs than you need because you're panicking)
5. Your blood sugar rebounds high again
6. Repeat

This cycle can go on for hours or even days. And it's exhausting. Both physically and mentally.

But what if you could stop it?

My Strategy

Here's what I tend to recommend: Number one, pick what you're comfortable with. Are you comfortable being patient when you're low, or patient when you're high?

Everyone is different, but it's up to you. For this example, I'll use my personal strategy.

I'm comfortable being high. So what I might do is either:

Option 1: Correct my blood sugar and simply wait for it to come back down, so that I stop the trend of rebounding up, down, up, down.

I don't over-treat the high. I don't rage bolus (we all know we should avoid that, but we've all done it). I just take the appropriate correction and wait. Yes, it might take a couple of hours. Yes, it's uncomfortable. But it breaks the cycle.

Option 2: If I do take a correction (maybe it's more aggressive than it should be because I'm frustrated), I set an alarm for every 30 minutes so I can keep an eye on my blood sugar. And before I go low again, I can do something about it.

Maybe I eat 5-10g of carbs when I see the downward trend starting. Maybe I suspend my basal insulin for 30 minutes. The point is, I'm proactive instead of reactive.

By preventing that low, I don't overcorrect my blood sugar, and I don't rebound high again.

Is this making sense?

If not, let me explain it to you on a call. Seriously. This one strategy has helped so many of my clients break free from the roller coaster, and I'd love to walk you through exactly how to apply it to your specific patterns.

Schedule a free consultation here: calendly.com/typeonetypefun/30min

Setting Goals That Actually Work

So many people ask me how to set goals, and I think it's individual. I think it's specific to who you are as a person.

A lot of people use SMART goals, which stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

And I think SMART goals are an absolutely phenomenal strategy. They give you a framework for creating clear, actionable objectives.

For example, instead of saying "I want better blood sugars," a SMART goal might be: "I want to reduce my time above 180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L) from 40% to 25% over the next 3 months by pre-bolusing 15 minutes before meals."

See the difference? The second one is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

But here's what a lot of people miss:

Those goals, although they are specific, don't always give you the system you need to put in place to then achieve those goals.

Having a goal is great. But without a system, a goal is just a wish.

Read Chapter 12 of My Book

I would love for you to take a moment to read Chapter 12 in Part 3 of my book "You Have Permission." The chapter is called "Atomic Diabetes," and it's modeled after the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.

It's meant to reference a lot of the lessons learned from his book, but in a Type 1 Diabetes specific context.

If you're curious about how to set goals that actually work, take 10 to 20 minutes to read this chapter. And if you have any questions, reach out.

The chapter breaks down how to:

• Build systems instead of just setting goals
• Make tiny changes that compound over time
• Create habits that stick
• Design your environment to support your diabetes management
• Stack new habits onto existing ones

It's one of the most impactful chapters in the book, and multiple readers have told me it completely changed how they approach their diabetes.

Grab your free copy here: typeonetypefun.com/free-book

The End-of-Year Reality

Like I've said before, I've worked in diabetes education for years, and I've been a dietitian for many years as well. And this is the time where I see people questioning pretty much everything about their life.

They're so invested in the holidays that they feel kind of guilty for not being in their normal routine. They know that their New Year's resolution is coming up, but they don't know how to handle that.

They're looking at their CGM data from the past year and feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or defeated.

Maybe that's you right now.

Maybe you're looking at your year-end stats thinking, "I wish my time in range was better. I wish I had fewer lows. I wish I understood why my blood sugar does what it does."

If that's you, I need you to hear this:

Don't Wait Until January 1st

If you need help, NOW is the time. Don't wait until January 1st.

Let's face it, we always say: "I'll start tomorrow. I'll start Monday. I'll start next month."

Aren't you sick of that? Aren't you tired of feeling like you continuously let yourself down?

If yes, I want you to consider joining the T1Dream Life Community before the start of the new year.

Here's why this matters: January 1st is arbitrary. It's just a date on a calendar. And waiting until then to get support means you're spending the rest of December feeling stressed, guilty, and alone in your diabetes management.

But what if instead, you could start December 3rd (today) feeling supported, connected, and equipped with strategies that actually work?

What if you could go into 2026 already having momentum, instead of starting from scratch?

What You Get in the T1Dream Life Community

The T1Dream Life Community is not just another diabetes course. It's a lifetime membership program that gives you ongoing support, education, and connection.

Here's what you get:

Weekly Live Group Coaching Calls

Every single week, we meet live as a group. You can ask questions, troubleshoot specific situations, get real-time guidance, and learn from other members' experiences.

This is where the magic happens. Someone asks about managing blood sugar during travel, and suddenly everyone in the group is learning strategies they can apply. Someone shares what worked for them with high-fat meals, and you realize you can try that too.

It's collaborative. It's supportive. And it's practical.

24/7 Private Community Access

You're not alone between calls. You have access to a private community of other T1D adults who actually get it.

Had a weird blood sugar day and want to vent? Post in the community. Trying a new restaurant and wondering how to dose? Ask the group. Celebrated a win with your A1C? We're all cheering you on.

This is the support system you've been missing.

Complete T1Dream Life Curriculum

You get access to my complete step-by-step system for thriving with Type 1 Diabetes. This includes both beginner fundamentals and advanced scenarios.

Topics we cover:

• Insulin dosing strategies for different situations
• How to read and interpret your CGM data
• Managing blood sugar during exercise
• Navigating restaurants and social situations
• Handling stress, illness, hormones, and travel
• Breaking free from food guilt and restriction
• Building sustainable habits that actually stick

And so much more.

Lifetime Access

This is the part that makes the T1Dream Life Community different from every other program out there.

Most programs are 6 weeks or 12 weeks or 6 months. And then they're done. You paid for a limited amount of time, and if you can't make every call or if life gets busy, you lose access.

Not with the T1Dream Life Community.

You get lifetime access. Forever. No expiration. Even if you can't make a call one week, the recording is there. Even if you need to take a break for a month, you can come back. Even if life gets crazy and you're not actively participating, you still have access.

And here's the best part: as I add new content, develop new strategies, and update the curriculum based on the latest research or technology, you get access to all of it.

You pay once, and you're in for life.

The Transformation You're Actually Getting

But let's talk about what really matters here. It's not just about what you get. It's about what you become.

Members of the T1Dream Life Community go from:

• Confused to confident. You stop second-guessing every insulin dose and start trusting yourself.
• Isolated to connected. You finally have people who understand what you're going through.
• Reactive to proactive. You stop just responding to highs and lows and start preventing them.
• Restricted to free. You learn to eat the foods you love without fear or guilt.
• Burned out to empowered. Diabetes stops feeling like this heavy burden and starts feeling manageable.

One member recently told me: "I've learned more in 3 months of the T1Dream Life Community than I did in 10 years of endocrinologist appointments. And for the first time, I don't feel alone in this."

Another said: "I finally understand my CGM data. I can look at a pattern and know exactly what to adjust. That alone has been worth every penny."

This isn't just education. It's transformation.

Special End-of-Year Opportunity

Because it's December, and because I know how stressful the holidays are, and because I genuinely want to help as many people as possible go into 2026 feeling supported, I'm offering something special for anyone who joins before the year ends.

This is the best deal I'll offer on the T1Dream Life Community, and it's only available through December.

If you've been on the fence about getting support, if you've been waiting for the "right time," if you've been telling yourself you'll figure it out on your own, this is your sign.

Here's the link to learn more and join: https://www.typeonetypefun.com/work-with-madi 

Or if you want to chat with me first about whether this is right for you, schedule a free consultation: calendly.com/typeonetypefun/30min

This Is Your Moment

Look, I get it. It's December. Money is tight. You're busy. There's a lot going on.

But here's what I know: waiting doesn't make it easier. It just makes you wait longer to feel better.

If you're reading this and thinking, "I wish I had support like this," then what are you waiting for?

If you're frustrated with your blood sugar patterns and don't know how to fix them, join us.

If you're tired of feeling alone in your diabetes management, join us.

If you're ready to actually understand your CGM data and know what to do about it, join us.

The T1Dream Life Community is waiting for you. We meet every week. We support each other every day. And we'd love to have you.

Don't let another year go by wishing things were different. Make them different. Starting today.

Ready to transform your diabetes management? Learn more about the T1Dream Life Community: https://www.typeonetypefun.com/work-with-madi 

Want to chat first? Schedule your free consultation: calendly.com/typeonetypefun/30min

Haven't grabbed your free book yet? Get it here: typeonetypefun.com/free-book