Living with diabetes: 4 tips for changing unhealthy habits

Changing your habits is one of the most important — and hardest — things you can do if you are living with diabetes. But the world is filled with examples of people who steered their lives in a new, better way. You can, too. Here are four things that those who have done it had in common.

The desire wasn't just in their brains, but in their hearts.

• Your first step is to truly, deeply have an urgent desire to change. When it comes to diabetes, the emotional reasons are clear: by changing, you extend your life; feel better; look better; do more.
• When you believe that, you'll be ready to give change a real effort.

We often set goals that are too large. So, rather than declaring the end of unhealthy food in your life, go one step at a time.

• Declare you will eat one apple a day.
• Decide to only eat ice cream on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
• Commit to taking a 10-minute walk after supper this week.
• Maybe try just one change a week. Trust us; small and specific steps, over time, lead to substantial, lasting change. 

There's a business expression: What get's measured gets done. It applies to daily life, too.

• Consider keeping a log of your walks or checking off on your calendar the days you ate that apple. There's real power in that check mark.

One or two overindulgences won't nullify all the progress you've made. Yet so many people take their first setback as a sure sign of defeat.

• Successful people aren't bothered by the occasional failure or even frequent failure; they get up and keep pressing ahead.

Breaking out of lifelong patterns is hard, but not impossible. Keep these tips in mind and take control of your diabetes by breaking unhealthy habits today.