Being Consistent Doesn’t Mean You Need the Perfect Plan

Hello, my friend, and welcome to The Diabetic Toolbox, where we are on a mission to end type 2 diabetes one family at a time through education, support, and empowerment.

If this is our first time meeting, my name is Renee. I am an emotional eating and diabetes lifestyle coach and yoga teacher. I help adults over 40 who have been diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar, lose weight, and improve their mobility without spending hours a day in the gym or trying to stick to another strict diet.

Today, we’re talking about something I think many of us struggle with: being consistent doesn’t require a perfect plan. This is something I have to continually remind myself as I refocus my efforts to reclaim my health journey. Being a coach does not make me immune to thoughts that tell me my plan isn’t working, or that I need to tweak it, even before I have given it a chance. If that sounds like you, today’s blog will help us both.

Waiting for the Perfect Plan Can Keep You Stuck

Have you ever decided to make some changes, but before you even got started, you were already changing the plan?  Maybe you decided to walk every morning. Then you read that strength training was important, so you added weights. Then someone told you that you needed to get 10,000 steps a day. Then you found a new meal plan, started thinking about meal prep, decided you needed new workout clothes, and wondered whether you should join a gym.

Before long, taking better care of yourself has turned into another full-time job.  And sometimes, you end up doing nothing because you’re still trying to figure out the best thing to do.  My friend, you don’t need the perfect plan. You need a plan simple enough to actually live with.

Choose Something You Can Repeat

When you’re working on lowering your blood sugar, it can feel as though everything needs to change at once.  Your food. Your exercise. Your sleep. Your water. Your stress. Your weight. Your morning routine. Your evening routine.

Yes, all of those things can play a role in your health, but you don’t have to tackle all of them today.  Start with one healthy habit you can repeat.  Maybe that’s taking a 10-minute walk after dinner.  Maybe it’s drinking a glass of water with breakfast instead of starting your day dehydrated.

Maybe it’s adding a vegetable to dinner.  Maybe it’s turning off the television and getting into bed 30 minutes earlier.  That may not sound dramatic, but dramatic isn’t what we’re looking for. We’re looking for something you can realistically do on an ordinary Tuesday when you’ve worked all day, you’re tired, dinner needs to be made, and life is still happening around you.  That’s the plan that matters.

Give Your Plan a Chance to Work

Here’s something else I want you to think about.  Sometimes we change our plans so often that we never find out whether they actually work for us.  You walk for three days and decide you need a harder workout.  You eat differently for a week and decide you need another meal plan.  You miss one workout and decide your schedule isn’t working.  Instead of immediately changing your plan, ask yourself a better question:

Is the plan actually not working, or am I uncomfortable because it doesn’t feel exciting anymore?  Healthy habits can become pretty ordinary. That’s not necessarily a problem.  You don’t need to wake up every morning excited about drinking water, eating vegetables, taking your walk, or going to bed on time. Some days you simply do the thing you decided was important.  Give yourself enough time to learn what fits your life before you start rebuilding the entire plan.

Your Plan Needs to Work in Your Real Life

There’s another piece of this that doesn’t get talked about enough.  A plan can look wonderful on paper and still be completely wrong for your life.  If someone tells you that you need an hour-long workout every morning, but you have to leave home at 6:30, that plan may not work for you.

If a meal plan requires you to cook seven elaborate dinners every week and you hate cooking, you’re probably going to struggle with it.  If your plan depends on you having unlimited energy, uninterrupted evenings, and absolutely nothing unexpected happening, you’re going to spend a lot of time feeling like you’ve failed.  Instead, build around the life you’re actually living.  Ask yourself, What is one healthy choice I could realistically repeat this week?  Then start there.

What You Can Do Today

Pick one habit for the next seven days.  Not five. Not ten. One.

You could:

• Walk for 10 minutes after dinner.
• Add a non-starchy vegetable to your evening meal.
• Drink water with each meal.
• Prepare tomorrow’s breakfast before going to bed.
• Set a bedtime that gives you more opportunity to rest.
• Spend five minutes stretching before bed.

Choose the habit that would make the biggest difference for you right now and practice it for the next week.  Pay attention to what makes it easier, what gets in the way, and how you feel afterward.  You’re gathering information about yourself, and that information can help you decide what to add next.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If walking is the habit you want to build, I’d love to support you inside my 30-Day Walking & Blood Sugar Challenge.

Inside, you’ll receive a progressive walking plan, a 14-day Mediterranean-style meal plan, pre- and post-walk stretches, my weight-training guide, private community support, and direct access to me for encouragement along the way.

You don’t have to figure out everything at once. You’ll have a plan to follow and support as you begin putting it into practice.

I’m So Glad You’re Here

Thank you so much for spending a few minutes with me today.  Let us know in the comments: What is one healthy habit you’re willing to practice for the next seven days without changing the plan?

Write it down and give yourself the opportunity to see what happens when you stop searching for the perfect plan and start working the one you already have.

Remember, change happens one habit, one choice, one day at a time.

Until next time, take care of yourself and each other.

With Peace & Love,
Renee

Medical Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new nutrition or exercise program.