Behavioral approaches to weight loss and diabetes management have been studied for decades. Effective lifestyle programs successfully combine three primary interventions – dietary changes, increased physical activity, and behavioral weight loss strategies. The goal of such a multi-pronged approach is to teach patients the skills they need to maintain a balanced meal plan, a long-term exercise program, and integrate these new habits with cognitive and behavioral principles tailored to their unique potential triggers for relapse. The treatment ideal would consist of a comprehensive and multi-disciplinary diabetes team. Without access to such a team, these interventions require clinicians to be familiar with behavioral weight loss techniques, nutrition recommendations, and exercise goals for weight and diabetes management. The principles outlined here are intended to provide practical, empirically supported techniques for improving diabetes and weight-related wellness in this burgeoning patient population.