Recognizing Necessary Changes

Nearly all of us understand that change can be good without coming easy. In fact, some of the most difficult changes we make in our lives can be the most rewarding. I'm sure everyone reading this book has at least one story that validates this point. But sometimes recognizing what you need to change in your life to allow you to succeed can be difficult.

Let's look at three principles that you must abide by to help you recognize changes you need to make in your lifestyle.

First, if you have type 2 diabetes, then you must do some form of exercise. I'm certain that you understand this point, and I will not belabor it. But I will cover some helpful ways to incorporate exercise into your life without losing balance.

Second, you must control your food consumption. Easy to do? Absolutely not, but in chapter 5, I'll discuss ways to overcome this often-difficult obstacle.

Third, you must allow yourself to make mistakes. But more important, you must learn from your mistakes. Just as the spaceship project planner performs the thousands of calculations to refine her plan, this is the process that will help you refine your plan for a healthy lifestyle.

To ensure success, your lifestyle plan must incorporate these three principles. (The following chapters discuss these issues in more detail.)