Is this the year that you begin reversing type 2 diabetes? Is now the time to achieve the change you need for the long, healthy life you deserve? So here’s the question, how are your health and lifestyle aspirations tracking?
Each year we have the habit of making new year resolutions and it’s a habit we usually break! Statistically, it’s noted that breaking a resolution happens in the first 5 days! They soon fade away from our consciousness as we return to our entrenched habits and there we have another year done already.
Begin with understanding your habits
We all have an aspirational self. That inner voice that drives us to want to achieve something new or to do something less or more whether that be health, wealth, happiness, balance, or a change in direction. However, translating that into reality means creating the behaviours and habits to create the desired result.
It takes consistent repeated focus and effort to change behaviours and habits. We humans are quite attached to our habits, both helpful and unhelpful. Our days are full of them, they are what makes us who we are and we are wired to run with them. That gives rise to a few opposing forces at play which may keep our aspirational self unrequited and still seeking success or moving onto the next big goal having reached the desired success.
It’s important to begin any change for your type 2 diabetes by recognising and understanding your habits.
Looking at why you have these food, health and lifestyle habits, asking yourself if they match up to your aspirational self and most importantly creating a plan to start addressing them one day at a time, will begin your change.
Steps to take today to begin reversing type 2 diabetes
- Think about just TODAY Your overall goals and wishes are in the distance and what you do today matters. Focus just on the decisions and choices you make today.
- TODAY be present Ask yourself what is one thing you can do to point your nose in the right direction? And focus just on that for today.
- At the end of today REFLECT Ask yourself (this is a good cue before going off to bed), today did I behave in a way that was in the direction of my big picture aspirations and goals? If your answer is yes, allow yourself to feel proud and think about the specific actions you can take tomorrow to continue supporting your goals. However, if your answer isn’t yes, accept it with no self judgement. Instead, take a quick reflection to see if you can unpack what happened (awareness is key) and make one new decision for tomorrow.
Take a quick reflection each day. This sets the intention in your brain for positive steps at progress tomorrow.
What are the cues for your habits affecting your diabetes?
Habits are driven by cues. These cues lead into certain behaviour patterns that are easily repeated and a challenge to change. What is it that tells your brain to keep doing what you do?
By recognising your own cues, you are empowered to change their course. That afternoon craving may be the cue that leads to choosing a pick-me-up snack. Recognising that cue gives you the opportunity to change to perhaps having that afternoon pick-me-up snack every second day, instead of everyday, to start breaking the cues attached to it. Can you walk that cue a different way and shift an unhelpful habit affecting your diabetes?
The best eating plan for diabetes…read it here.
Any change is helpful. Small changes do make a difference. When you add a few small changes together, you build progress in the right direction to reversing type 2 diabetes.
Do you have the willpower for new healthier diabetes habits?
So many of us feel we don’t have the willpower to change habits and get diabetes under control. But just like a battery, willpower depletes with use. It’s therefore worth saving up. If you do not employ it too much during the day, it has less chance of running out, which gives your old habits a free run with no defence. The strategy here to save up your daily amount of willpower for good choices is to make less decisions!
Make a decision at the beginning of the day (or the night before) and it will clear the way for the day. Leaders like Barack Obama and Michael Zuckerberg used this strategy to reduce their decisions by deciding to wear the same clothes daily! This freed up their decision making and willpower for what was their real focus for the day. What decisions can you reorder or shift to save up your willpower?
Good habits for diabetes on autopilot
Habits once established are automatic and require no willpower, such as cleaning teeth or showering. This is the place to reach for reversing diabetes where the change is sustainable through your daily habits.
How to get good diabetes habits on autopilot? Just focus on one change you wish to make. Focus on it daily and allow it to become bedded in as a habit thereby removing the willpower required. The average time for a new habit to form can vary but maybe a couple of months. This may seem like a long time but it’s about the focus and energy choice you make. It can take similar energy to keep a bad habit going as it can take energy to create a new habit. Put that energy into the new habit and it will reward you with the change you’re striving for such as lowered blood sugar levels.
The first habit to begin today to reverse type 2 diabetes
Now that we’ve talked about habits and focusing one day at a time, here’s the first daily practice to begin reversing type 2 diabetes.
BEGIN HERE Add fibre, good fats and vinegar to every meal whenever you can, to lower your blood sugar levels with a FREE download here to see how you can do that in 3 easy steps.
Need support to change your habits and reverse your diabetes? Doing it alone is much harder which is why our programme has such a high success rate for reversing diabetes – we do it together. Read our recent success stories here. We are ready to chat with you, book a free consult. https://metabolicreset.co.nz
Check out a related video on our YouTube channel.