By: Lisa Lupichuk
So you've decided it's time to take control of your diabetes and start managing your diabetes. This will involve making some changes to your lifestyle. Do you know where to start? Probably the best place to start is with your doctor. Together you can work out a diabetes plan designed specifically for you and your lifestyle. Your goal will be to lower your blood sugar levels, which will require some changes to your lifestyle. It may seem like a lot of hard work at first, but once you start to notice how much better you feel, that will be reward enough and provide you with motivation.
Your plan should include the times of the day when you will take your medication. Your medication should be taken at the same time each day to be the most effective. Next you should plan to change to a healthy eating schedule. By planning your meals in advance, you can then shop accordingly for the foods and ingredients you will need. This is a very important part of managing your diabetes. You may also want to meet with a registered dietician, your doctor or other diabetes professional to help create a personalized meal plan for you. Discuss your new lifestyle plan with family and friends and ask for their support in making these changes.
Now that you have your medication and meal plan done, you should schedule in some daily physical activity. Studies show that exercise is one of the best ways to help control and prevent diabetes. If you are new to exercise you may want to start out small with maybe a short walk each day. Then work your way up to a longer walk or work small periods of exercise into your day while doing your gardening, shopping or housework. Consider taking the stairs instead of an elevator. You could also sign up for a class for swimming or light aerobic exercise. Dust off your bike and begin taking your bike to work. All of these activities will add up and help you with managing your diabetes.
It helps if you surround yourself with positive people who want the best for you and make it easier for you to make the right decisions when it comes to managing your diabetes. See if you can get someone in your family or a friend to exercise with you. This will help keep you motivated.
One more thing you need to work into your diabetes management plan is regular testing of your blood sugar levels. By monitoring your blood sugar levels on a daily basis, it will give you an indication of what you need to do that day, whether its paying more attention to what you eat or incorporating more exercise into your routine. It may also show you that your blood sugar levels are improving and that the new meal plan and daily exercise are paying off.
Throughout all of these changes to your lifestyle, it is important that you keep communicating with your doctor. Keep your doctor informed about the changes you have incorporated into your lifestyle and discuss how you are feeling both mentally and physically. Talk to your doctor about the positive changes you have made as well as any challenges you may still have.
So, to recap, your plan for managing your diabetes should include your daily medication, eating well, being active on a daily basis, monitoring your blood sugar levels daily and communicating with your doctor regularly. You may find some days are more difficult than others to continue with your plan, but the important thing is to never give up. Each day is a new beginning, so make the best healthy choices for yourself each day, forgive yourself when you don't and begin fresh the next day.
