What Is Most Important to You?

1.	Imagine it is ten years from now.  What four or five things would you most like to enjoy, do, experience, accomplish, and have in the next ten years?

                                                                       

                                                                                                 

                                                                                                

2.	What would you need to do to make those dreams come true?  

                                                                                                  

                                                                                                 

3.	How important is staying healthy and preventing diabetes in terms of being  able to do those things?

                                                                                                

How Do I Spend My Time?	
 
1.  At the end of each day, record how you spent your time. Circle problem areas.
																				Hours
How I spent my time	S	M	T	W	T	F	S	
Sleep								
Work (include commuting, professional organizations)								
Physical activity (include exercise, sports, active forms of recreation)								
Food-related (include shopping, meal planning and preparation, packing lunch, eating, time at restaurants,  self-monitoring)								
Home errands (include yard work, home and car maintenance, shopping other than food shopping, laundry, bills, other chores, travel to school or day care or sports)								
Time with family and friends								
Personal care (include showering, dressing, grooming)								
Sedentary recreation (include TV, reading, movies, computer)								
Community (include church, volunteer work)								
Other:

	Total Hours (should be 24)								

2.  Write down examples of how you:
C	Saved time doing other things so there was enough for a healthy lifestyle:  

C		Streamlined healthy eating and activity:

 Saving Time

Here are some ways to: 
C	Save time in general so there’s more time left in the day for a healthy lifestyle.
C	Streamline healthy eating.   

1.	Cut back on (or stop doing) what’s not important to you.   Examples: 
C	In general:  Say “no” when asked to join a new committee at church.
C	Eating:  Except on special occasions, don’t prepare desserts other than fruit.

2.	Combine tasks.  Examples: 	
C	In general:  Combine errands (go to the drug store and hair salon in one trip).
C		Eating:  Double recipes when you cook.  Freeze the extras in microwavable containers for lunches during the week.  	

3.	Ask someone else to help.  Examples: 	
C		In general:  Have your assistant screen your calls at work.
C	Eating:  Have your children help clean up after meals.

4.	Be more efficient.  Simplify.  Organize.  Examples:	
C	In general:  Make a To Do list at the beginning of each day.  Label items A (most important), B (important but can be put off for a while), or C (can be put off with no harm done).  Start your day with the A items.  Move on to the B items only when all of the A items are done.  Don’t even think about doing C items until you’ve finished all A and B ones.  If you must address a C item, try to delegate it.
C	Eating:   Keep a grocery list.  Go food shopping no more than once a week.

5.	Don’t put important things off.   Try to: a)  Link an unpleasant activity with a pleasant or neutral one.  b)  Count the cost.  (Make a list of what’s unpleasant about what you’re avoiding.  Then list the consequences of putting it off.  Take a long, honest look at what you’ve written.)  c) Start small.  Think of the smallest step you can take to start the process.  Then do it.  d) Plan a reward.  
Examples:
C	In general:  Make one phone call to a friend about a job lead.
C	Eating:  Pack lunches the night before while listening to a book on tape.

Other examples:                                                                                                              			

 Saving Time for a Healthy Lifestyle 

To save time for a healthy lifestyle, I will:

1.	Save time in general by:                                                                  

2.	Streamline healthy eating/physical activity by:                                     

When (specify days):                                                                           

I will do this first:                                                                              

    Roadblocks that might come up:			        I will handle them by:

                                                          	 	                                                                    

I will do this to make my success more likely:

Did it work?  If not, what went wrong? 

  Quick and Healthy Eating

Here are some ways to streamline healthy eating.

In the kitchen:  
C	Keep items you use often in easy reach (e.g., keep toaster on the counter).  
C	Keep your spices in alphabetical order.
C	Group foods in your pantry so they’re easy to find. 

Refrigerator:
C	Store foods in easy-to-see, ready-to-use containers. 
C	Divide space into five areas: beverages, dairy, produce, meats, and leftovers.

Food shopping: 
C	Make a standard shopping list.  Organize it by the aisles of your grocery store.  Keep a copy posted in the kitchen.  Circle items as soon as you run out of them.  

Meal preparation:
C	Plan simple meals.  
C	Plan dinner menus for two weeks with a matching shopping list.  Repeat the menus every two weeks.
C	Collect quick and healthy recipes.  
C	Buy food “pre-prepped” whenever you can.  Examples: grated cheese, chopped onion, minced garlic, boneless, skinless chicken, canned beans, bagged salad greens.  
C	“Pre-prep” food yourself.  E.g.,  Chop several onions in the food processor.  Freeze in plastic bags.  
C	Double recipes when you cook.  Freeze the extras in microwavable containers.  Label and date.    
C	Have your spouse and kids help.
C	Use “down time.”  Example:  Heat the sauce while the pasta is cooking. 
C	Pack lunches for the week all at one time.  Freeze.
C	Keep ingredients for quick and simple meals on hand.  E.g.,  low-fat frozen entrees, low-fat soups, pasta and jarred sauce, baking potatoes and low-fat toppings, low-fat sandwich makings. 

Clean-up:
C	Have your spouse and kids help.
C	Mix everything in a big measuring cup instead of a mixing bowl.  Stir with a measuring spoon.
C	Use cooking dishes that can double as serving dishes.  

Self-monitoring:
C	Keep your records on hand (in your purse or pocket).
C	Record right after you eat.
C	In your Fat Counter, circle the foods you eat often.
C	Abbreviate when you can (e.g., food names, standard meals).

  Streamline Physical Activity

Save time getting motivated.  Examples:
C	Set the alarm on your watch to remind you to exercise.  Just do it! when the alarm goes off.
C	Have a friend or family member meet you at your house at a regular time to exercise. 
C	Ask a friend or family member to give you a call to remind you to exercise.
C	Join a walking club, gym, aerobics class, etc.
C	Other:

Save time getting ready.  Examples:
C	Keep your exercise shoes and clothes in the car or at your office.  
C	Set out your exercise shoes and clothes the night before.  Put them on when you get up, and don’t take them off until you exercise.
C	Choose a gym that’s close to your home or work.
C	Other:

Save time while exercising.  Combine with other tasks.  Examples:
C	Use a 10-minute break during the day to take a brisk walk and fight stress.
C	Ride an exercise bike while you watch the news or listen to a book on tape.  
C	Walk and talk with friends or family members.  
C	Walk, run, or bike in community events that benefit good causes.
C	Walk the dog.
C	Take the baby for a brisk walk in the stroller.
C	Walk or bike to work.
C	Walk or bike to the store for errands. 
C	Take up an active hobby.  Examples: dancing, swimming, ice or roller skating, soccer, racquetball, cross-country skiing, basketball, hiking, running, tennis.
C	Mow the lawn or shovel snow for an elderly neighbor.
C	Other:

Save time after the activity.  Examples:
C	Exercise right before the time when you would be showering anyhow.  (E.g., first thing in the morning if you usually shower before work.)
C	Other: