Let’s take a few moments to assess what you’ve accomplished so far this year. (Yes, 2018!) First, you spent some time between Christmas and New Year’s to evaluate your personal diabetes status and set some goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics for improvement in the coming year.

Setting Goals, Objectives, Strategies, and Tactics [PDF]

If you’ve been following this blog (or are a member of the Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics Facebook group), maybe you took time on New Year’s Day to check some numbers. First and foremost, your most recent A1C and your average daily blood glucose and/or your fasting blood glucose. And then:

• Check and record your weight and body measurements.
• Check and record your blood pressure and heart rate.
• Record your clothes sizes: shirt/top, dress, skirt, pants, shoes, underwear.
• Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, don’t check these again until the first of next month.

Well, “the first of next month” (February) is almost here! So get out your notebook and get ready to measure again on Thursday. And celebrate what you’ve accomplished in one month!

Your Week 1 (of January) challenge was to get acquainted (or re-acquainted) with your blood glucose meter. Your goal was to establish a habit of using your blood glucose meter daily until you have reversed your blood sugar numbers to non-diabetic normal by learning how to check your blood glucose in the most efficient and least painful way. Do you feel more comfortable now with using your glucometer? If not, please join the Adventist Vegetarian Diabetics Facebook group and ask questions. We are all still learning!

Week 2 was focused on drinking water. Your goal was to decrease/eliminate consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and replace with water so that 80% of drinks consumed are approved water drinks. Some of you were already doing this; some others are still struggling. Where are you with this goal?

During Week 3, your goal was to establish regular consumption of non-starchy green vegetables to replace highly refined processed foods and trans fats. Again, some of you have already replaced processed foods, including unhealthy trans fats, but some are still trying to figure out what to eat. Where are you?

Week 4 was the most difficult for a lot of people. Your goal, then and now, is to establish a regular routine of physical activity within your individual scope of mobility. For some, this means some type of exercise every single day. Aren’t you a diabetic every day? For others, it may mean exercise once or twice a week. For some, it means 10,000 steps (or 5 miles of walking) every day. Others may only be able to walk out to the mailbox and back on days that mail is delivered.

All of these goals are applicable to all dietary lifestyles (vegan, vegetarian, and Adventist pescatarian/non-vegetarian) and work with all dietary approaches to diabetes management. Don’t worry if you didn’t meet all (or any) of your goals this month. Keep doing the best you can, always motivating yourself to do better. It’s not a competition with anyone else, just you!

Reference: https://adventistvegetariandiabetics.wordpress.com/about/challenges/january/