Set a Goal to Prevent Complications

Losing weight, getting active, eating better, and quitting smoking are all important changes you can make for your health when you have type 2 diabetes. But you don't have to do them all at once. Just pick one to start. Maybe it's losing weight, or adding more activity to your life. Three steps can help you get started.

1. Know your reason.Before you set a goal, think about why you want to make a change. If your reason comes from you—and not from someone else—it will be easier for you to make a healthy change for good.

Maybe you want to prevent your diabetes from getting worse. Perhaps you're worried about losing your eyesight or even a limb. You might simply want to enjoy your life and have more energy for all the things you enjoy doing. Your reason for wanting to change is important.

2. Set long-term and short-term goals.Start by setting a big, or long-term goal. Maybe you want to lose 10% of your body weight to reduce your risk of health problems linked to type 2 diabetes. If you weigh 90 kilograms, that means losing 9 kilograms. Break down your big goal into smaller, short-term ones. These are the steps you'll take to reach your big goal.

Do what works best for you. It's important to set goals you can reach. For example:

• Week 1: Set a goal to walk 15 minutes, 5 days a week.
• Week 2: Continue to walk 15 minutes, 5 days a week. And this week, when you reach for a snack, make it carrot or celery sticks instead of potato chips or crackers.
• Week 3: Keep up your walking program and eating healthy snacks. Pay attention to your hunger levels when eating meals. Stop eating when you feel full.

For help, see:

Fitness: Adding Activity to Your Life.

Fitness: Walking for Wellness.

Healthy Eating: Starting a Plan for Change.

Healthy Eating: Recognizing Your Hunger Signals.

3. Prepare for slip-ups and barriers.Plan for setbacks. Use a personal action plan(What is a PDF document?) to write down your goals, any possible barriers, and your ideas for getting past them. By thinking about these barriers now, you can plan ahead for how to deal with them if they happen.

For help, see:

Quitting Smoking: Preventing Slips and Relapses.

Healthy Eating: Overcoming Barriers to Change.

Tips for staying on track

• Get support. Tell family and friends your reasons for wanting to change. Tell them that their encouragement makes a big difference to you in your goal, whether it's losing weight or quitting smoking. Your doctor or a professional counselor can also provide support.
• Pat yourself on the back.Don't forget to give yourself some positive feedback. If you slip up, don't waste energy feeling bad about yourself. Instead, think about how much closer you are to reaching your goal than when you started.