Apr 07 2010
Diabetes Diet Tip 7
Diabetes Diet Tip 7 – Track Your Progress
It makes no sense to follow a healthy weight loss plan without checking whether it’s working. Monitoring your progress will provide encouragement when you see positive results and will highlight any areas where you’re struggling so you can work on these.
It’s also important to record your efforts to exercise more and eat more healthily. Studies show that people who write down what they eat are more likely to consume fewer calories. And we are convinced that people who track their exercise efforts are more likely to stick to a get-moving plan.
How often you need to test your blood sugar depends on several factors. You should work out a testing schedule with your doctor. As a general guideline, though, if you don’t take medication or insulin and your blood sugar levels stay within a range of between 5mmol/l and 7.2mmol/l, you may be able to restrict testing to just a few times per week. But you should test at least three times a week at the start of the program, preferably in the morning before you eat anything. Your doctor may also want you to test again before your evening meal for an idea of how your blood sugar level changes during the day.
If your blood sugar swings higher into the abnormal range (above 11.1 mmol/1), follow your doctor’s advice for testing more frequently. If you’re on insulin, medication, or both, you may need to test three or four times a day, typically before meals and perhaps also at bedtime.