How To Navigate Change with Diabetes

Change has layers to it that need to be addressed in order to make a permanent change in behavior. For example, you might decide that weight loss is a goal for you in 2024. Losing weight generally means changing what you are eating, maybe increasing your exercise and managing your stress. You might be able to do each of these things for a while but without a shift in your thoughts and beliefs, it may be very difficult to make these changes permanent.

You might have underlying thoughts like “I’ve tried to do this before but I always gain back what I lost” or “I don’t think I can do this” or “it’s going to be very hard for me to stop eating (your favorite food).” These thoughts and deeper ones may be in your subconscious mind and you may not be aware of them. Some of the foods you feel you need to take out of your eating plan might be comfort foods you have used to cope with uncomfortable feelings from your childhood and are still using to cope with similar situations now.

If these aren’t addressed, the probability of you being able to lose weight and KEEP it off may be low. If you have harsh self-talk (as many of us do), you might beat yourself up for “failing” to meet your goals when in fact, you weren’t set up for success in the first place. This can start a cycle of distress and feeling like a failure that can take you down a painful path.

Listening to your self-talk can be the first step in noticing what you are actually telling yourself. Negative self-talk can be so ingrained from your past, it feels normal but it keeps you stuck in a holding pattern, not being able to move forward and not understanding why.

Before you commit yourself to making important changes in your life, set yourself up for success. Here are 3 strategies you can try:

1. Start paying attention to your self-talk. When you do something that doesn’t work, what do you tell yourself? Consider writing down what you hear. Writing will get it out of your head. Now you can actually understand what you are telling yourself.

2. Once your self-talk is recognized, you can start to change it. First, ask yourself if what you are telling yourself is actually true. Many times it can be old tapes running from childhood that don’t serve you anymore.

3. Begin to “rewrite” your self-talk. For example, if your usual self-talk is “I am a failure at everything I do,” talk back to this voice and begin to move in a more positive direction like, “I am successful at many things. Some things I can’t do very well, YET!”

Making the kind of changes that lead to better blood sugar control takes time, commitment, motivation and determination. Set yourself up for success by taking small steps. Once you have a small change mastered, meaning it’s a habit for you now, then move to the next. Slowly but surely, you can reach your goal.

Dr Elaine

Download my free 30 Day Guide to Manage or Reverse Type 2 Diabetes 

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.

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