Everything You Need to Know About mySugr: The Diabetes App That‘s Made My Life Easier
Hey there my fashionable friend! If you‘re anything like me, you like to stay on top of the latest trends and find tools to make life a little easier. Well, let me tell you about mySugr – the diabetes management app that has seriously changed the game for me.
As someone who has lived with Type 1 diabetes for over a decade, I know firsthand how challenging and time-consuming it can be to keep track of blood sugars, insulin doses, carbs, and all the other data we have to manage daily. It‘s overwhelming! But mySugr has been a total lifesaver.
In this post, I‘m sharing my honest experience with mySugr and why I think it‘s a must-try for anyone looking to streamline their diabetes care. I‘ll cover the key features, pros and cons, pricing, and compare it to other popular diabetes apps. By the end, you‘ll have all the info you need to decide if mySugr is right for you. Let‘s dive in!
🩺 What is mySugr?
In a nutshell, mySugr is a mobile app that helps you track and manage all aspects of your diabetes care in one place. It was created by people with diabetes for people with diabetes, with the goal of making diabetes suck less. Love that!
The app lets you log blood sugars, meals, insulin doses, medications, physical activity, and more. It syncs with popular diabetes devices like glucose meters and insulin pumps to import data automatically. The app also provides personalized insights, tips, and challenges to help you stay motivated and on track.
One of the coolest things about mySugr is the built-in coaching feature. You can connect with a certified diabetes educator right in the app for one-on-one support and guidance. They‘ll help you set goals, answer questions, and tweak your management plan based on your unique needs. It‘s like having a diabetes coach in your pocket!
Founded in 2012 in Vienna, Austria, mySugr has grown to over 2 million users worldwide. The company was acquired by Roche Diabetes Care in 2017 but still operates as a separate entity. Their mission is the same as day one: to leverage technology to ease the daily burden of living with diabetes. I can get behind that!
📈 Diabetes by the Numbers
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how mySugr works, let‘s talk about why apps like this are so essential. Here are some eye-opening statistics about diabetes:
- Over 400 million adults worldwide are living with diabetes (1)
- In the US alone, more than 1 in 10 people have diabetes and 1 in 3 have prediabetes (2)
- People with diabetes have healthcare costs 2.3 times higher than those without (2)
- Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation (3)
Shocking, right? Diabetes is a serious condition that requires constant vigilance and management. But with the right tools and support, it‘s possible to live a full, healthy life. That‘s where mySugr comes in.
⚙️ How mySugr Works: Key Features
Alright, now let‘s get into the meat of this mySugr review. What does the app actually do and how can it make your diabetes management easier? Here‘s a rundown of the key features:
📝 Logging
The core feature of mySugr is easy, centralized logging. No more scribbling numbers in a paper logbook or trying to remember what you ate hours later. With mySugr, you can quickly log:
- Blood glucose readings (manually or synced from your meter)
- Insulin doses (rapid-acting, long-acting, pump)
- Carbs (food library with over 2,000 items)
- Meal photos
- Exercise
- Weight
- Blood pressure
- Medications
- Notes
Everything is time stamped and organized in one place. Logging literally takes seconds. Plus, the app sends cute little monster animations as you log, which always makes me smile. It sounds silly, but it actually motivates me to keep logging!
📊 Insights & Reports
MySugr takes all the data you log and turns it into actionable insights to help you spot patterns and make informed decisions. The more you log, the more valuable the insights!
You can see estimated HbA1c, time in range, average glucose, standard deviation, and more. The app creates beautiful, easy-to-read graphs and reports that you can analyze yourself or share with your healthcare team. No more scrambling to assemble logbooks before your endo appointments!
I especially love the "Highlights" section on the home screen that calls out notable patterns like frequent lows or highs. It helps me identify areas I need to work on.
💬 Coaching
The mySugr coaching feature is a game-changer. With the Pro plan, you can chat with a real Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) right in the app for one-on-one support and guidance.
Your coach will look at your data and provide personalized feedback and tips. They can help you with things like adjusting insulin ratios, fine-tuning basal rates, managing infusion sites, prepping for travel, and dealing with burnout. Basically, any diabetes challenge you‘re facing – they‘ve got your back!
The coaches are wonderfully knowledgeable, compassionate, and responsive. Mine feels like a true partner in my care. I was hesitant to pay for coaching at first, but it has been so worth the investment.
🔌 Device Integrations
MySugr makes it ridiculously easy to sync your diabetes devices and import data automatically. No more manual entry! The app integrates with over 100 devices, including:
- Accu-Chek glucose meters (Guide, Aviva, Performa, Instant, Mobile, etc.)
- Contour Next glucose meters
- Beurer glucose meters
- Dexcom CGMs (G6, G5, G4)
- Abbott FreeStyle Libre CGMs
- Medtronic insulin pumps (670G, 640G)
- Eversense CGMs
- Fitbit, Garmin, and Polar fitness trackers
All you have to do is connect your device to your phone via Bluetooth or cable, and the data syncs automatically. It‘s seriously a lifesaver for me, since I have so many devices to keep track of!
🎯 Challenges & Motivation
One of my favorite parts of mySugr is the gamification. The app has a virtual "Diabetes Monster" that you can tame by completing challenges, logging regularly, and achieving your goals. You earn points and level up as you go. It sounds a bit cheesy, but it really does motivate me to keep up with my self-care!
There are also fun seasonal challenges like "Sleigh Your Diabetes" during the holidays and "Spring Into Action" for springtime. I‘m a sucker for anything that adds a little friendly competition to my diabetes management.
📲 Pricing & Plans
So, how much does all this diabetes-tracking goodness cost? MySugr has two plan options:
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Basic (Free): Includes core logging, insights, and challenges. Some device integrations. No coaching.
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Pro ($3/month or $27/year): All features of Basic, plus unlimited device syncing, PDF reports, premium challenges, and in-app coaching from CDEs.
I started with the free Basic plan to test the waters and upgraded to Pro after a few months. For me, it‘s 100% worth the low monthly fee for the device syncing, reports, and coaching.
MySugr also offers a couple optional add-ons:
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Accu-Chek Guide Bundle ($49/month): Get an Accu-Chek Guide glucose meter, test strips, lancets, and Pro subscription shipped to your door. Available in the US only.
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Coaching Bundle (€24.99/month): Pro subscription plus unlimited CDE coaching. Available in Europe.
🩺 How mySugr Stacks Up to Other Apps
Of course, mySugr isn‘t the only diabetes management app out there. Two other popular options are OneDrop and Glucose Buddy. So how does mySugr compare? Here‘s a quick breakdown:
| Feature | mySugr | One Drop | Glucose Buddy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Glucose Logging | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Food Logging | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Medication/Insulin Logging | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Activity Logging | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Device Syncing | ✔️ | ✔️ (limited) | ❌ |
| Personalized Insights/Reports | ✔️ | ✔️ (limited) | ✔️ (basic) |
| In-App Coaching | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Apple Health Integration | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Challenges/Achievements | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Price | Free or $27/yr | Free or $40/yr | Free or $15/yr |
As you can see, mySugr ticks all the important boxes and then some. One Drop is a solid option with a sleek design and good insights, but the device syncing and reports are limited compared to mySugr. Glucose Buddy is bare bones but gets the job done for basic tracking.
Personally, the biggest selling points for me with mySugr are the seamless device integrations (the Accu-Chek integration is chef‘s kiss), in-depth reports, and expert coaching. To me, it‘s worth the few extra bucks compared to the other apps for those premium features and delightful user experience.
✨ Tips for Getting the Most Out of mySugr
I‘ve been using mySugr daily for about two years now, so I‘ve learned some tricks for making the most of the app. Here are my top tips:
- Log everything, even if it‘s not pretty. The more complete your data, the more useful the insights.
- Use the food library and save your favorites for faster logging.
- Learn your blood sugar early warning signs and log 15-20 mins before eating so you can prevent spikes.
- Set reminders for logging, especially if you tend to forget.
- Take photos of your meals, infusion sites, or anything else notable to attach to your logs.
- Share your reports with your doctor and come prepared with questions.
- Customize your profile settings and target ranges to fit your needs.
- Join challenges for extra motivation and accountability.
- Don‘t be afraid to reach out to your coach, even for the little things! They‘re there to help.
- Allow your data to sync to Apple Health for a more complete picture of your health.
💡 Final Thoughts + What‘s Next for mySugr?
Phew, that was a lot of info! If you‘ve made it this far, I hope I‘ve given you a comprehensive look at what mySugr has to offer and how it can make your diabetes management a bit more seamless.
To wrap up, here are my key takeaways:
- mySugr is an all-in-one diabetes tracking app with extensive device integrations, personalized insights, and expert coaching.
- The app combines practical features with delightful design and gamification to keep you engaged.
- It‘s a fantastic tool for anyone who wants to streamline their diabetes data and get tailored support.
- The Pro plan offers the best bang for your buck, but the free version is still very robust.
- It stacks up favorably to other diabetes management apps in terms of features, design, and overall experience.
I‘d highly recommend giving mySugr a whirl if you haven‘t yet! The app is constantly evolving and adding new features based on user feedback. In fact, they recently launched an Apple Watch version for even more on-the-go tracking. Nifty!
Some other exciting things on the mySugr roadmap:
- More device integrations (rumor has it Tandem and Omnipod are in the works!)
- Expanded food library with personalized nutrition insights
- Deeper AI-powered pattern recognition
- Better international availability of coaching and bundles
I don‘t know about you, but I‘m stoked to see how mySugr continues to grow and innovate. Managing diabetes is a 24/7 job, but apps like this make it feel a little less daunting. So go ahead and give mySugr a try – your diabetes monster will thank you! 😉
I‘d love to hear about your own experiences with diabetes apps, mySugr or otherwise. Drop a comment below and let‘s chat! Until next time, stay stylish and slay that blood sugar.
📚 References
- International Diabetes Foundation. IDF Diabetes Atlas, 9th edition. 2019.
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report. 2020.
- World Health Organization. Diabetes Facts Sheet. 2021.
