Diabetes Weight Loss Organization Plan Having a good plan is very important when it comes to weight loss with diabetes in the picture... Step One What is a weight loss plan? A weight loss plan is ANYTHING you can do to help yourself lose weight. If you eat 4 pieces of bacon each morning and you cut it down to 2..that’s your plan. If you don’t usually do exercises and you add 10 minutes of walking and 5 minutes of lifting hand weights…that’s your plan. You don’t have to join the latest weight loss fad, or try something everyone else is trying. Just sit down and be honest with yourself. Don’t think about HOW you’ll change yet. Just make a list of what you need to change. It might look something like this: a) cut down on my fat intake Step Two Working On Ways To Change Finding the right combination of motivation, information, and determination is key to losing First, take stock of yourself. Realistically. What areas are your weakest? What areas are your Second, think about others who might be able to help you. Do you have any friends that can help motivate you? Or go to the store with you when you shop? Maybe they can call you up every day and talk to you on the phone about your weight loss goals? Third, remember that changing is as small as putting one piece of bread back into the bag, and as big as taking a 30 minute walk. Any
positive change is worth recognizing….so keep trying! Step Three Tools You’ll Need When you think of tools you might need to help with your diabetes management and losing weight you may think of measuring cups, scales, cookbooks and exercise equipment. But there are some other tools that can be helpful. Love - you need to love yourself now. You might not like the way you look right now, or like the extra pounds you need to lose, but you need to love yourself enough to make the changes you need to make. Diligence - you need to be able to stick with your plan. You don’t have to be perfect because we all mess up sometimes and don’t do everything as planned. But try your BEST each day. Patience - you need to be patient with yourself. You didn’t gain the weight overnight and you shouldn’t expect to lose it overnight. You may lose 1 or 2 pounds each week so look at the big goal…and take little steps until you reach it. Clarity - be clear about what you want. Be decisive about what you want to do. "I want to lose weight and manage my
diabetes in a better way.’ Is something you might say to yourself. Don’t be wishy washy. If you want to start a walking regimen, say,
"I’ll walk 15 minutes a day." Say it to yourself out loud so you can hear yourself. Step Four Don’t Forget About The Diabetes Trying to lose weight and keep on top of all the tasks and discipline needed to shed the pounds might not leave too much time on your
hands. This can be especially true when diabetes is in the picture. Let’s see…. if you’re counting calories, you’re thinking about
your weight loss goals, how much food you have on your plate etc….but you also may need to think about how much insulin or oral medication
to take. Exercise is key to weight loss, but how will it Organization is especially important now. This can take the form of a diabetes journal. Just grab an inexpensive notebook and keep track of what you’re eating, any diabetes medications you’re taking, as well as anything else you want to keep a record of (exercise, emotional state, etc…) One more thing. The same tasks you do to lose weight are some of the same tasks that go along with good diabetes management. Eating good meals, exercising, getting a good amount of rest and staying motivated all help diabetes management as well as a quest to lose weight. So get moving and start losing the weight….you can do it!
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