Diabetes management can seem tricky and overwhelming—particularly immediately following diagnosis. Because diabetes requires most people to drastically shift their lifestyles and habits, enforcing new practices can seem too overwhelming to start.

Happily, many diabetes patients only require a small shift in eating and exercise habits to make significant changes. With consistency and dedication, these small shifts can result in effectively managed diabetes symptoms and the avoidance of complications.

5 Diabetes Management Practices

#1. Cook at Home

Eating out is a fraught activity as it is often difficult to discern the exact calories and ingredients in a dish. While it is certainly possible to ask your waiter or cashier what is in a dish, some of them may not know a full ingredient list. Because eating blindly is not a safe option for diabetics, cooking at home is the best bet for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.

If you do not know where to start, start recreating your favorite dishes. If you love hamburgers, make homemade hamburgers on a whole-wheat bun. If pasta is your favorite, experiment with low-carb noodles and from-scratch sauce. The possibilities are endless.

#2. Start Small

Trying to enact drastic changes in a tiny window of time usually results in becoming overwhelmed and failing in your goals. To start, make small changes. If you do not exercise at all, make ten minutes per day of light exercise your goal. If you eat out for every meal, start staying home for at least one meal per day. If you eat dessert at every single opportunity, try reducing it to once per day and truly savor it.

#3. Find Movement You Love

Forcing yourself to exercise, though effective, is often another recipe for failure. Instead, find movement that you actually enjoy. If being a gym rat is not your preferred method of exercise, join a rowing team, play tennis with a friend, or head over to a dance class. You do not have to hate your exercise regimen for it to work wonders for your body.

#4. Buy Fresh

Try to avoid hitting the middle aisles of your grocery store, which are typically stuffed with sugar, processed foods, and opt instead for the outside shelves, which typically contain healthy, wholesome foods. Buying fresh foods and preparing them yourself will mean consuming less sodium, getting to know your preferences better, and experiencing a wider array of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

#5. Give Yourself Some Slack

Forcing yourself to eat perfectly all of the time is putting too much pressure on yourself. If you love chocolate, have a square. If fried foods send you through the roof, make fries once per week. If you cannot survive without dessert, find ways to incorporate healthy dessert alternatives such as fruit and honey.

Diabetes management does not have to feel like a ball and chain. Instead, with small, simple changes, diabetes management can fit seamlessly into your life.