Matt Vande Vegte Inspires Type 1 Diabetes Warriors to Live Fearlessly

Editor’s Note: FTF Warrior is not a medical treatment and should not replace professional medical advice or care. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diabetes management plan.

Matt Vande Vegte’s Personal Journey, Diagnosis & Ironman’s

Matt Vande Vegte was diagnosed in college at age 19, with the typical type 1 diabetes (T1D) symptoms: frequent urination, lethargy, and excessive drinking. While rowing as a collegiate athlete at San Diego State University, doctors told him his active lifestyle may have saved his life—his fasting blood glucose was over 1,000.

Today, Vande Vegte’s a certified master fitness trainer, nutritionist and founder of FTF Warrior, a T1D coaching and educational company that’s helped thousands of individuals reach their full potential and thrive with diabetes. With his blend of motivation, life experience, and expertise, he’s inspired audiences worldwide.

His best-selling book, The Blood Sugar Freedom Formula, simplifies complex topics and offers actionable steps to fitness, nutrition, mental health and blood glucose management.

But the journey wasn’t always easy for Vande Vegte, who’s faced his own mental health challenges. Here, he shared with T1D Strong his struggles with fear, depression and suicidal thoughts.

A Near-Death Experience

Many years ago, while working as a professional model in Paris, Vande Vegte experienced a severe hypoglycemic episode that he couldn’t fix. He didn’t speak French and was on the verge of passing out. Matt’s blood sugar was in the 40s and crashing. He couldn’t communicate his symptoms to the hospital staff or that he had type 1 diabetes. Left alone in a back room with only his backpack, Matt was able to bring his blood sugar up on his own—but the incident had a lasting effect. He walked out of the hospital four hours later without ever being seen.

The event was a turning point for Vande Vegte, but what followed was a debilitating bout of mental burnout and deep depression with suicidal ideation. His near-death encounter made him realize his diabetes was on him. He was the one who had to take responsibility for his health, or he was going to die. He was grateful to be alive—but also terrified.

Fortunately, he managed to reset his emotional and physical health by making a deal with himself to figure out his blood sugars. Out of desperation, for two years, he experimented with his diabetes, playing the role of a lab rat, where he watched for patterns, and realized that his fear and anxiety over his blood sugar management were rooted in uncertainty.

Simplifying Diabetes Management

Vande Vegte studied Kinesiology in college and discovered there’s a way to control glucose levels that’s not just pure chaos. He developed the “80/20 Blood Sugar Formula,” which provides individuals with calculations and a system of exchanges to not only keep blood sugar in check but also combat the uncertainty and fears surrounding glycemic instability.

“If I want to go for a 60-minute bicycle ride, I know exactly how many carbs my body needs as fuel—so that I won’t go low and I also won’t go high, he said. “It’s given me my freedom back to live again.”

The Blood Sugar Freedom Formula

Vande Vegte’s Blood Sugar Freedom Formula breaks down the complexities with counterintuitive step-by-step methods to master blood sugars, and keep tight control, with clear examples, illustrations and directions. The formula meets people where they are and provides the blood sugar blueprint for success, said Vande Vegte. Below, he explained that there are three levels of impact on blood glucose levels.

Three Levels of Impact

1 – Past Lifestyle Decisions

In blood sugar management, the first thing to consider is past lifestyle decisions. For example, “If I didn’t sleep well the night before, I’m going to have an increase in cortisol, which increases insulin resistance and insulin needs,” he said.  

2 – Present Moment Variables

The second level of impact to evaluate is what you’re experiencing right now. “If I’m going for a run, I know I need to eat some carbs.”

3 – Predicted Decisions

Thirdly, individuals with T1D need to anticipate future activities. “If I can anticipate where things are going to go and make adjustments for the trajectory of my blood sugars, it helps keep my levels in check,” Vande Vegte said.

The Blood Sugar Freedom Formula goes into more detail behind certain exchanges and calculations. “Our bodies are amazing and unique, and it’s a system of exchanges. It’s all about controlling the variables.” 

Diabetes in Action

Initially, Matt and his wife, Lisa, who has Crohn’s disease, started a weight loss company for people with autoimmune diseases. Then they pivoted a few times to find their sweet spot — where they could help people the most — and landed on Matt’s expertise: type 1 diabetes.

Lisa shared her experience caring for someone with T1D with Beyond Type 1 in her article, “Love and Lost Sleep.”

Their business started as the Fearless Diabetes Project, with the theme of facing your fears with courage, and is now called Diabetes in Action, which focuses on personal, goal-oriented T1D management.

“There’s a heavy emphasis on balance,” Vande Vegte said. “It’s about keeping blood sugar levels as close to perfect as possible without sacrificing quality of life.”

Lisa came up with the name FTF Warrior, as their last name in Dutch means “From the fight.” The Vande Vegte was a clan of warriors, so it seemed fitting. “With type 1, every day is a fight, and we have to choose to keep up the fight. When we stop fighting, we die,” he said.

FTF Program

The FTF Program has two tiers, depending on the individual’s needs. First, Vande Vegte offers a consultation to determine the best way to meet the client’s needs, whether it’s through a group learning experience with workshops or private coaching sessions. “There, I get to be analytical with precision. Basal rates, carb ratios, I geek out on this stuff. We build the blood sugar formulas around your existing lifestyle to ensure it’s sustainable,” he added. 

Mental Health, Burnout and Resilience with T1D

Managing T1D takes an emotional toll, and the constant attention required to monitor blood sugar levels, count carbs, and adjust for highs and lows can lead to stress, burnout, and feelings of inadequacy when your numbers aren’t perfect.

Support from family, friends and healthcare professionals can help people navigate these challenges. When asked what strategies or mindsets help keep Vande Vegte on track, he said, “When I need a reset, I’ll go to my five meals that I already know how to dose for to reduce the likelihood of going high/low—just to give myself a mental break.”

Uplifting Others

When working with clients and himself, Vande Vegte finds there are two types of motivation:

Soft motivation, where he offers encouragement with “You’re doing a great job. I’m sorry you have to deal with this, but just keep your head up.”

And hard motivation where he reminds people, as only one with the lived experience can: “This sucks, but the only way out is through it. Stand back up. You have to keep up the fight to keep going.”

People need simplicity, and to recognize where they are in any given circumstance, whether it’s rock bottom or somewhere in between. “My advice to everyone is to take home this new truth, which is that every blood sugar happens for a reason. It’s a good thing, that means we can control it.”

“There are over 50 variables that make blood sugar go up or down. Now I know why this happens. Overcoming the mysterious frustrations is half the battle.”

Pardon My Pancreas Podcast

In addition to FTF Warrior, Matt hosts the podcast Pardon My Pancreas – Type 1 Diabetes with Matt Vande Vegte. The show, which started in 2019, focuses on the personal experience of living with T1D. With over 357 episodes, these real-life stories foster hope as specialists discuss common themes such as nutrition, exercise, and blood sugar fluctuations.

“We just finished a show on diabetes distress—how to spot it and what to do,” he said. “There will always be hope, and if I can deliver hope through actual tactics that deliver and raise the standards, I’ve done what I set out to do.”

Redefining What’s Possible One Warrior at a Time

T1D individuals are often called warriors because they battle daily blood sugar fluctuations that can sometimes be life-threatening. It’s a demanding disease that requires resilience, courage and discipline.

The FTF Warrior Program and the Pardon My Pancreas podcast are designed to help meet these challenges and reframe the narrative of life with T1D.

Vande Vegte said his plans include developing and improving his Diabetes in Action programs and continuing his in-person events and keynote presentations.

“It’s gone much further than I ever expected. Several people have privately messaged me that they started exercise programs, podcasts, and running triathlons. One woman recently ran the NYC marathon and said, ‘If I can do an Ironman, she can run a marathon.’ I don’t often celebrate those wins, but it’s special to see the ripple effect. Now they are inspiring others, and it never has to stop.”