This Well-being article focuses on some of the important topics that people who wish to control their disease should understand:
Researchers who have evaluated the overall success of various dieting methods (an important component of a diabetes management program) have found that those who stick with their plan for the greatest length of time are the most successful.
That conclusion may seem obvious. But it also drives home the point that to be successful, a person must persistently and consistently use effective strategies.
Some weight loss experts also describe a strategy in terms of “return on your investment.” Let’s compare Linda’s and Gwen’s strategies and efforts to see how this plays out.
Linda wants to lose 14 kilograms as part of her diabetes control goals. She plans to increase her activity level as well as change her diet. She begins walking 40 minutes a day, four days a week. She continues to eat what she normally does but chooses to eat less of it. That’s all she does. Initially, Linda loses a kilogram and a half over the course of six weeks. During the following two weeks, she hits a plateau and gets frustrated with her results.
Gwen also wants to lose 14 kilograms, but she takes a different approach to improving her diabetes control. Like Linda, she also plans to increase exercise and change her diet. She walks four days a week. But instead of just cutting back on her regular food choices, she substitutes a Glucerna SR™ Shake for her usual breakfast and lunch, eats a calorie-controlled, balanced evening meal, and limits snacks to only vegetables. And unlike Linda, Gwen keeps track of everything she eats and drinks and how much physical activity she gets. After six weeks, she has lost 3.5 kilograms. Motivated by her results, Gwen begins drinking more water and adds another day of walking to her routine. Over the next two weeks, she loses one more kilogram.
Gwen is persisting and investing more in her plan than Linda is, and as a result, she is seeing a greater return. Linda is investing just a little, and the return on her investment is relatively small. She is not as persistent as Gwen, and chances are that Linda will drop her diabetes control plan.
The idea of return on investment also means that sometimes investing more doesn’t produce enough of a return to justify doing it. If you cut calories too much, for instance, or dramatically increase your exercise too quickly, you not only risk harming your health, you also will find it more difficult to stick to your plan long enough to succeed. Remember, persistent consistency is the best strategy.
As you plan your goals — for instance, to lose 4.5 kilograms by your birthday, or to walk a mile in 30 minutes — you must also plan your investment strategy. Research shows that people who are successful practice several key behaviors consistently:
State three goals (returns) you hope to achieve and map out an investment strategy for each. For example: You walk three times a week. Each time, at the end of a kilometer and a half, you’re tired. You want to be able to walk three kilometers comfortably. What do you have to invest to reach this goal?
Now, you try it. Write down your returns and the investment strategy to reach each goal.
Return:
Investment Strategy:
Return:
Investment Strategy:
Return:
Investment Strategy:
A word of advice: As you go through the Diabetes Control for Life™ Program, use all — not just some — of the key behaviors in your strategies, persistently and consistently, for the best returns. You’ll be more motivated to persist with your efforts, even if you don’t like all of them, because you’ll be seeing greater results.
