I have worked in software development long enough to know that when you have big changes to make, you don’t try to make them all at once. The cliche is true: you don’t try to boil the ocean.
I made some immediate lifestyle changes when I was diagnosed. As well as the ones I mention in that post, I started eating regularly, including forcing myself to have breakfast every morning. I’ve also managed to cut out all sugary foods from my diet. Initially the plan was to stop eating donuts and such except on weekends, but I have found that I don’t really miss them, so I haven’t had anything like that since diagnosis.
Those were the phase 0 changes – the changes that I had to make immediately and were largely unplanned. It is now time for phase 1: bigger, but achievable, changes.
Phase 1 diet changes
When you have Type 2 diabetes your nutritional needs are the same as everyone else—no special foods or complicated diets are needed. The key to eating well with diabetes is eating regularly, watching your serving size, and following a healthy eating plan that is low in refined sugars and fat.
Food and Diabetes Diabetes Ireland
So for phase 1 of the diet changes, I am doing the following.
- Have a regular breakfast of two slices of wholemeal toast and an optional scrambled egg
- Consciously plan weekday lunches
- Consciously plan Tuesday and Thursday evening meals
This week, lunches will be chicken fillet rolls, and Tuesday and Thursday evening meals will be pasta. During phase 1, I want to build on that, adding more home-made food.
Phase 2 exercise changes
For phase 2, I want to make some changes to the exercise I take.
- Swim two to three times a week
- Pilates every week (assuming the classes are on)
- Close the three exercise rings on my Apple Watch every day
- As an optional goal, get 10k steps every day when I am not swimming
Timescales
There is no point having plans without timescales. I am going to stick to the phase 1 targets until the end of June, when I will move onto phase 2.
Phase 2
The targets for phase 2 will depend on how well I get on with phase 1. They will probably include more meal planning and improved exercise ring targets.