A New Day, a Fresh Start

Written by Dietitians at Diabetes Control for Life

These Well-being articles are encouraging lessons to help you get started on the right foot and stay on the path to diabetes control. Say, for instance, that certain situations might cause you to stray from the path. A work crisis. A dinner out with friends. A vacation cruise. Your Well-being articles will help you create strategies to handle these potential roadblocks to effectively manage your diabetes.

This Well-being article makes three important points:

• You’re making a fresh start, no matter what your past diabetes management experiences have been.
• The Diabetes Control for Life Program gives you a whole set of useful online resources.
• Successful diabetes control is still up to you. You decide how these resources are used. Learn how to use them, and then use them consistently. Practice, practice, practice!

Come In With a Clean Slate

Is this your first serious attempt to control your diabetes? Or are you a veteran? It really doesn’t matter. Each time a person works on diabetes management, he or she starts off with renewed enthusiasm and hope. You are starting a new program, and that’s exciting. So start with a clean slate, emotionally speaking. If you’re a veteran, don’t let earlier diabetes control attempts dampen your enthusiasm.

Make this enthusiasm work for you. Get off to a good start.

On the other hand, don’t erase all you learned in your earlier attempts to control your disease. People often learn and change in a spiral fashion. It seems like they are just going around and around, but in fact, with every loop they end up in a better place: wiser, more motivated, and more willing to commit to change and better able to control it.

So remember: If you’ve tried to control your diabetes before without reaching your goal, you haven’t failed. You’ve learned.

Putting Enthusiasm to Work

Here’s how to make enthusiasm and excitement work for you. Think about any concerns or reservations you have about starting another diabetes control program. For instance, you may not want to keep track of what you eat, or become more physically active than you are right now. In fact, you may want to write down these concerns. If you have no concerns or reservations, write down what excites you most about the plan you’re starting to follow.

It’s time to lighten up any dark thoughts you’ve written down. For example:

• Weigh costs and benefits. Weigh the cost of writing down what you eat, for instance, against the benefits. Writing down what you eat takes a little bit of your time. But researchers tell us that people who record what they eat lose twice as much weight as people who try to keep their food record in their head. You do the math.
• Exercise your options. You can stay inactive, but it won’t help you control your diabetes. It doesn’t take much to make a difference. Start slowly — a “walk in the park” can help.
• Put your enthusiasm to work. Instead of fretting about giving up “real food” at lunch, for instance, say, “Wow! Glucerna is really tasty, comes in great flavors, can be used in recipes, and is convenient.”

Now counter every concern or reservation you wrote down above with a statement that is positive, upbeat, and enthusiastic.

Your New Tools

If you’re a veteran of diabetes management programs, you still may be thinking, “I’ve kept food records before. I’ve exercised before. I’ve eaten enough salad with lemon wedges on it to fill a bucket. My glucose levels are still not under control! So how will this experience be different?”

If you get down to the nuts and bolts of it, this plan may be similar to what you’ve attempted before. But you have learned from those experiences — and you have two tools you didn’t have before:

• Your Diabetes Control for Life Program materials
• Great-tasting Glucerna products

You’ve Got What It Takes

Maybe you’re asking, “What will make this experience different?” The answer is you — taking control. That means …

• Keeping track of what you eat
• Becoming a more active person

You know it won’t always be easy. You may never find keeping track of what you eat really fun. You may find exercising a chore. But it’s your body and your health, so success is up to you. That means following the program.

And remember: The Diabetes Control for Life Program is there to help.

Summary

• You’re making a fresh start, whatever your past experiences have been.
• The Diabetes Control for Life Program puts a whole set of useful tools in your hands — like great products and lots of helpful tips to help you make healthy lifestyle changes.
• Successful diabetes control is still up to you. You control how these tools are used. So learn how to use them, and then use them consistently.

*The meal plan provides 1,500 kcal per day. Check with your health care provider to determine if this is the appropriate calorie level for you.