Behavior Modification
Managing diabetes requires lifestyle changes. You need to pay close attention to your diet and your physical activity. You should probably monitor your calories in (diet) and your calories burned (exercise). Modifying your behavior might prove challenging, but it's the only sure way to achieve control. A large part of this process involves addressing the beliefs that keep you from living a healthier lifestyle and replacing problem behaviors with healthy behaviors. Setting goals, keeping records, and evaluating your progress also play an important role.
To jumpstart the behavior modification process, follow these tips:
Develop a Positive Attitude
While assessing your habits and learning to control them might seem difficult at first, the rewards of accepting personal responsibility are worth the effort. Concentrate on developing a positive attitude.
Have You Ever Said...
- "I have to entertain in my job" or "I'm big boned" or "I don't have time to exercise"? Blaming outside forces only delays your resolve.
- "I don't have any willpower"? If you don't have control, who does? Willpower is not an inborn trait. You need to develop and practice this skill to get better at it. You can control your responses to foods; you've just convinced yourself you can't.
- "I simply can't lose weight"? Translation: You think you're unworthy of trying again. Banish negative thoughts.
These rationalizations conveniently remove the responsibility from the individual. Accepting personal responsibility means recognizing that these statements impede success. Apply positive solutions to your problems and focus on what you can do to control your behavior.
Develop a Sense of Personal Responsibility
To take charge of your eating, follow these steps:
- STOP. As soon as you feel the urge to eat something decadent, count to 20. This momentary pause allows you time to exercise your willpower.
- THINK. Give your defenses a chance to kick in.
- LISTEN. To yourself, not the food. Talk yourself out of a temptation and the urge will pass. Determine whether the treat you crave is worth the consequences.
- ESTABLISH SITUATIONAL CONTROLS. Remove the temptation before it grows too strong to resist. The best situational control? Don't keep your "weakness" in the house, be it ice cream, cookies or potato chips. Be good to yourself.
Assert Your Right to a Healthy Weight
When you watch what you eat to help manage your diabetes, you can help manage your weight as well. Identify "diet" saboteurs.
"Have some more lasagna...," "Split a piece of pie with me...." Sometimes the people around you seem like enemies when you try to change your eating habits. They might wonder if the new you will resemble the old friend. Don’t be afraid to assert your right to make healthy food choices.
| When diet saboteurs: |
You should: |
| Bring you gifts of food |
Assert your right to live free of temptation. Your needs come first. |
| Urge you to eat |
Stick to your guns. Ignore the power of guilt. Your refusal to eat is NOT the problem here. |
| Eat your favorites in front of you |
Refuse to be manipulated. Get away. |
| Leave out a plate of your favorite food |
Tell them you don't want them to sabotage your diet. |
Ask for Help
Help those around you understand how their actions influence you, and give them suggestions for showing more support.
- State the problem areas and situations in which you need help or support.
- Explain how you feel about the problem and why you need help with its resolution.
- Detail the action you wish your supporters to take.
- Describe to them the results that you expect.
Work Toward a Healthy Lifestyle
- Fill your evenings with people and activities. Do you eat out of boredom? Find something productive to do. Volunteer. Ride an exercise bike while watching your favorite sitcom. Visit a friend. Take a night class.
- Read food labels and become more aware of the calories in the choices you make. You can make a difference in controlling your blood sugar by keeping alert. When eating out, speak up. Ask for dressings on the side. Request small portions of lean meats. Ask for a doggie bag. If you can’t resist the rolls and butter, send them back to the kitchen.
- Get out of the house and away from the fridge! Plan evening walks, bicycle rides, and other physical activities. Changing the focal point of your family time from eating to activity will help everyone rethink their habits and provide you with company as well.
- Act positively. Moaning and groaning about saying no to chocolate cake will not elicit sympathy from your family. Let your family see a happier, healthier you and they’ll be more likely to support you and your new lifestyle.
- Listen to your body. Spread your meals out throughout the day for better blood sugar control. Create a balanced meal plan with a dietitian that provides the calories you need based on your sex, age, weight, physical activity level, and lifestyle, and stick to it. When someone offers you food, don’t feel pressured to eat.
Don't Forget Exercise
You can't achieve long-term weight loss by diet alone. To maintain a healthy diet, you should watch your calorie intake and increase activity.
Remind yourself about the benefits of exercise. Regular exercise reduces your risk of heart disease, lowers your cholesterol and blood pressure, and raises your metabolism. Not only do you burn calories during a workout, but you also use more calories all day long. Why? Because exercise builds muscle, and muscle uses more calories than fat.
Take a look at these exercise facts and fallacies.
- No pain, no gain.
False. Exercising to the point of discomfort can signal bone, joint and muscle injury.
- You can "sweat" the weight off.
False. Perspiration loss during exercise can account for some temporary weight loss. But, you'll "regain" it with the first glass of water you drink!
- Exercise makes you hungry.
False. Moderate activity will not increase your appetite. Exercising fuels feelings of control and accomplishment.
- Spot reducing eliminates fat deposits in problem areas.
False. Spot reducing can tone and firm an area to make it look thinner, but if excess fat exists in the area, it will never look as firm as you want with spot exercises alone!
- Cellulite is not the same as other fat.
False. Fat by any other name still equals fat! While some areas of the body resist fat loss more than others, no amount of creams or massages will reduce or eliminate the dimpled, fatty deposits known as cellulite. To shed these fat cells, you’ll need to use the same program of diet and exercise you’re using for generalized weight reduction.
- Your scale is the best measure of your exercise program.
False. When you exercise, heavier, lean muscle tissue increases while lighter fat decreases. In fact, you might even gain a pound or two when you start to exercise. Instead of just checking the pounds, measure your success by evaluating the decrease in your body fat.
For more about the importance of physical activity in terms of living with diabetes, visit the Exercise section of the website.
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Thursday
November 20, 2008
Tip of the Day
Regular exercise increases the number of insulin receptor sites on cells, making the body more sensitive to insulin.
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