ForLife.

Control your 

diabetes.

Tips to Help You Feel Better

and Stay Healthy

GOOD NEWS for People with Diabetes

There are many good reasons to take action now to manage your diabetes. 

Follow this three-part action plan that will help you live a long and healthy life.

In the short run, you can: 

● Feel better 

● Stay healthy 

● Have more energy 

In the long run, you can: 

● Reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke

● Reduce your risk for eye, kidney, or nerve disease 

● Enjoy life more

Manage your A1C (blood glucose),Blood pressure,

and Cholesterol. You will lower your chances of

having a heart attack, a stroke, or other diabetes

problems. Ask your health care team:

● What are my A1C (blood glucose), Blood

pressure, and Cholesterol numbers? 

● What should my numbers be? 

Here are the ABC goals for most people with

diabetes.

A1C: 7 or less (A1C shows how your blood

glucose has been over the last three months.)

Blood pressure: 130/80 or less

Cholesterol: LDL 100 or less

Know your diabetes ABC numbers. 1

2 Reach your diabetes ABC goals. 

● Follow your diabetes food plan. If you

do not have one, ask your health care team.

● Eat the right portions of healthy

foods: fruits and vegetables (5 to 9 servings

a day), fish, lean meats, dry beans, whole

grains, and low-fat milk and cheese.

● Eat foods that have less salt and fat.

● Get 30 to 60 minutes of activity on

most days of the week.

● Stay at a healthy weight—by being

active and eating the right amounts of

healthy foods.

● Stop smoking—seek help to quit.

● Take medicines the way your doctor tells

you. Ask if you need aspirin to prevent a

heart attack or stroke.

● Check your feet every day for cuts,

blisters, red spots, and swelling. Call your

health care team right away about any sores

that won't heal.

● See your dentist at least twice a year.

Tell the dentist you have diabetes.

● Check your blood glucose the way your

doctor tells you to.

Work with your health care team, friends, and family to reach your ABC goals.
Date___________________________ 

Write down your numbers: A1C__________________Blood pressure ___________________Cholesterol___________________

Write down your goals: A1C__________________Blood pressure ___________________Cholesterol___________________

Three reasons to control my diabetes for life:

1. __________________________________2. __________________________________3. ____________________________________

Three things I will work on over the next 3 months to reach my diabetes ABC goals: 

1. __________________________________2. __________________________________3. ____________________________________

The people who can help me do these things (e.g., friend, co-worker, health care team): 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Your action plan will change over time, so be ready to make a new one about every three

months. Then, place your plan where you will see it often. Do it today! 

NIH Publication No. 03-4351

September 2003

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

The National Diabetes Education Program is a joint program

of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention.

www.ndep.nih.gov 1-800-438-5383

3 Keep your diabetes ABCs under control. 

Set goals you can reach and break a big goal

into small steps.

Start with a 5- to 10-minute walk three times a

week. Then, walk longer and more often.

Make changes that you can stick with for the

rest of your life.

To lose weight and keep it off, eat smaller 

portions and be more active.

Create a plan to deal with diabetes.

Use these tips to keep at it.

● Make a list of all your reasons to control

your diabetes for life.

● Set goals you can reach and break a big goal

into small steps.

● Make changes that you can stick with.

● Try to figure out what tempts you to slip

up in reaching your goals. Decide now how

you will handle these events next time.

● Reward yourself for staying in control.

Spend time with a friend or go to a show.

● Ask for a little help from friends or family

when you’re down or need someone to 

talk to.

● Learn to manage setbacks. Admit that

you’ve slipped and learn what you can

from it and move on.

● Don’t be too hard on yourself. Work

towards a healthy future.

MY ACTION PLAN To Manage My Diabetes ABCs