Taking Charge of Your Meal Plan
How can I take charge of my meal plan?
For many people, the hardest part of living with diabetes can be the meal
plan. The meal plan may not fit the way some people like to eat.
They may want to skip breakfast, eat a snack in the afternoon, drink a
cocktail now and then or even have a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.
But their meal plan may not be planned that way.
You might be surprised to find out that any of these choices is possible.
You need to plan so that your blood sugar will stay in your target range.
Tell your health care team about any ideas you have to make it easier for
you to use your meal plan. This is part of taking charge of your
diabetes.
It is important to remember that your meal plan belongs to you, not your
dietitian or health care team. You are the one who will decide what
you eat each day. You are the one who will benefit from keeping your
blood sugar in range. There will be times when using your meal plan
will be extra hard. You may be eating out or going to a special party.
You might decide to have a one-day vacation from your usual plan, and then
start fresh the next day. Remember that food is not good or bad, and
what you eat does not make you good or bad. It is what you do most of
the time that counts.
There is no single "diabetic diet" or a meal plan that is best for
everyone. Your meal plan may change as your needs and goals change.
The purpose of the meal plan is not to "follow a diet" but is a tool for you
to use to reach your health goals. Your blood sugar testing will help
you know how well your plan is working. Use the test information to
take charge of your meal plan.
What can I do if I am overweight?
Many people with diabetes are overweight. Loosing weight is not
easy, but it can help you reach your blood sugar and health goals.
Loosing even small amounts of weight can lower your blood sugar. You
may have tried in the past to loose weight without success. Sometimes
it may seem that your health care team wants you to loose weight more than
you do, or, you may faithfully use your meal plan and still not loose
weight.
If your meal plan is not working for you then you might need a new
approach, such as increasing your activity or learning new ways to cope with
stress. You might find help in a weight control group. Setting
behavior-change goals that you can meet will help.
You may need a break from your meal plan. This is not a time to eat
everything in sight, but you can focus less on eating for a time.
What else can help me take charge of my meal plan?
Sometimes people with diabetes feel they need to cook one meal for
themselves and a different meal for their family. This just makes more
work. Foods that are good for people with diabetes are good for
everyone. Your family can eat the same food you fix for yourself.
They may eat different amounts or even add other food, but the basic meal is
the same.
When you begin a new meal plan, carefully measure the foods you eat and
drink. Use measuring cups and spoons to be sure of serving sizes.
A heaping teaspoon of margarine might have twice as many calories as a level
teaspoon.
Too much milk or juice can make your blood sugar go high. Measure
your milk or juice so you can learn how much a 4 oz serving is in your
glass.
Weigh or measure meats and vegetables after cooking. Four ounces of
raw groung beef is about three ounces after cooking.
You wont need to measure forever. Soon you will know the right
amounts by looking. You will want to check yourself from time to time
to be sure.
It is important to feel good about yourself. Think of ways to help
you do this. You might spend a few extra minutes planning what to wear
or fixing your hair. You might take a break in the day for a walk or
even treat yourself to a night out. Take time to read a book or
telephone a friend. You might share your time with others by
volunteering at your church, a local hospital or the American Diabetes
Association. When you feel good about the other parts of your life
then dealing with diabetes will be easier.
Taking charge of your meal plan means deciding
- what will help you the most
- which foods, snacks and meal times will work for you
- how you will use your meal plan each day
- how you will use your blood sugar test results
and then talking about these things with your doctor.