Making a plan to monitor and control your diabetes

If you're newly diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor and other members of your health care team have been telling you how important it is to monitor and control your blood sugar. You may wonder how this can be done.

If you've had diabetes for awhile, you may feel more confident about your ability to control your blood sugar. Like many others, you might find it difficult to monitor it as often as you should.

A normal blood sugar level

Keeping your blood sugar within the normal range is the most important thing you can do to prevent…

Controlling your blood sugar also helps you feel better. You’ll have more energy and more desire to take an active part in your life with your family, your friends and at your job.

What should my level be?

You don't have to figure out by yourself what your blood sugar level should be. This is done by someone on your care team.

When you are diagnosed with diabetes, your health care team helps you to make a plan for controlling your blood sugar level.

The plan is a balancing act that takes into account the food you eat and the amount of physical activity you get. So make sure that your health care team understands…

how much physical activity you get
the kind of food you eat and when you eat
your daily schedule

Ask questions about your plan until you are sure you understand what you need to do.

Testing blood sugar

Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, blood sugar tests are necessary. Your health care team can help you figure out how often you should perform them.

To do the test, you prick your finger and put a small drop of blood on a on a test strip, which is read by a glucose meter.

Make sure that someone on your health care team shows you how you can check your blood sugar. And ask about testing equipment that could work well for you. Most insurance plans cover the cost of meters and supplies. Check with your health plan to see exactly what is covered.

Keeping a log

If you're newly diagnosed with diabetes or are having trouble controlling your blood sugar, keep a log of…

your blood test results
the amount and kind of food you've been eating
the kind of physical activity you've been doing

The log can give you a good picture of what is and isn't working. Show the results to your health care team so that, together, you can adjust your care plan.

Be realistic

Keeping your blood sugar under control is a challenge. So don't expect yourself to be perfect.

Do the best you can each day. If you make a mistake now and then, or aren't always as disciplined as you should be, that's normal.