On Your Way to Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

On Your Way to Preventing

Type 2 Diabetes

Welcome!

If you’re interested in preventing type 2 diabetes, this guide can help

you get staed. Congratulations on taking the first step! By reading this,

you’re already on your way.

Prediabetes puts you on the road to possibly geing

type 2 diabetes.

Find out now, in less than 1 minute, if you may have prediabetes by taking the

Prediabetes Risk Test: hps://www.cdc.gov/prediabetes/takethetest/

How did it go

If your result shows you’re at high risk for type 2 diabetes, talk to your doctor about geing

a simple blood sugar test to confirm it. Then, if you’re diagnosed with prediabetes, consider

joining a lifestyle change program oﬀered by the National Diabetes Prevention Program

(National DPP). This program is proven to cut the risk for type 2 diabetes in half. You can find

out more at CDC’s Lifestyle Change Program website:

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/why-participate.html

Not quite ready to join a lifestyle change program? Use this guide to help you

take the first steps toward preventing type 2 diabetes.

Why is prevention so impoant? Because type 2 diabetes is a serious, chronic health

condition that can lead to other serious health issues such as hea disease, stroke, blindness,

and kidney failure. If you can prevent or even delay geing type 2 diabetes, you can lower your

risk for all those other conditions. That’s a prey great deal.

This guide will help you take small, practical steps that add up to a

healthy lifestyle you can stick with and enjoy, including:

✔ Staing point: What’s motivating you sta this journey? What new version of yourself

are you trying to create?

✔ First stop: Set a weight loss goal.

✔ Second stop: Make a nutrition plan for healthier eating.

✓ Develop winning lifestyle habits.

✓ Master the skills of food measurement.

✓ Choose the best foods.

✓ Make work, home, grocery stores, and restaurants work for you.

✔ Keep moving: Set a physical activity goal for healthier movement.

✔ Track your progress: Watch yourself succeed with a few easy steps.

✔ Prepare for the long run: Recognize the suppo you have to keep you going.

By making some healthy changes, including eating healthier and

geing active, you can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and improve

your physical and mental health overall.

And you don’t have to wait to feel the benefits—when you sta making healthy

changes, you get rewards right away. Aer taking just one walk, your blood sugar

goes down. Make physical activity a habit and see how your sleep improves. Enjoy

the taste of fresh, healthy food. Figure out what to do with all of your extra energy.

Maybe even get closer to friends and family if you invite them along for the ride!

A lile background.

About 37 million people have diabetes

and 96 million people have prediabetes.

Generally, people who get type 2

diabetes staed out with prediabetes.

But the good news is prediabetes can be

reversed! And this guide will help to teach

you the basics.

What is prediabetes?

If you have prediabetes, your blood

sugar is higher than normal but not high

enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2

diabetes. Prediabetes is really a wake-up

call to turn things around, get healthier,

and not get type 2 diabetes

down the road.

Considering joining a lifestyle change program?

A CDC-recognized National DPP lifestyle change program is the gold standard for

preventing type 2 diabetes. A trained lifestyle coach helps guide you to make healthy

changes that can cut your type 2 diabetes risk in half. You also have a suppo group of other

people who have similar goals and challenges. This guide can’t substitute for this lifestyle

change program. But if you can’t join one right now, or if you want a jumpsta before your

program begins, we can help you get going.

Staing Point: What’s motivating you to

take this journey? What new version of yourself

are you trying to create?

For example, you might say that you want to be more active so you can keep up with

your kids or grandkids. Now that you’ve reminded yourself of why you want to create new

habits, let’s review how to create an action plan to help you build a new helpful routine.

Step 1: Figure out what needs to change. The first step is finding a

routine to change for the beer.

Let’s assess where you stand right now when it comes to nutrition and

physical activity. Write down your answers to these questions to make it

easier for you to figure out which of your habits are helpful and which habits

you might want to work on.

Think About How You Eat

in a Typical Week

Think About How You Move

in a Typical Week

Do other people, such as friends, family, or

coworkers, influence what you eat?

How much of your commute is spent

walking or biking?

Do you prepare your meals ahead of time,

or decide in the moment what to eat?

How much time do you make for physical

activity around the house, such as walking

the dog, cleaning the house, or gardening?

How comfoable are you with reading a

nutrition label?

How oen do you dedicate 30 minutes

per day for physical activity, such as

walking, biking, or swimming?

Continued on next page

Think About How You Eat

in a Typical Week

Think About How You Move

in a Typical Week

How oen do you eat out and where? What are your favorite ways to be active?

What makes it easier for you to eat

healthier?

What makes it easier or more enjoyable

for you to move more?

What makes it harder? What makes it harder?

Step 2: Plan a new routine. Staing a new routine helps you make a positive

change that will stick. Be specific and realistic. Plan small changes to your routines

instead of big changes that are hard to stick with.

Step 3: Find a cue or hint for when to use your new routine.

Your cue could be one of these:

✔ A specific time or place

✔ A feeling or emotion

✔ Other people in your life

✔ An action right before or right aer a

regular routine

Make your new routine easy and the old one harder.

Change your environment to suppo the new routine. Add or remove visual

hints, such as adding a picture of you walking the dog on your phone screen or

puing the kids’ snacks in the cupboard.

Decide how you can make this new routine more rewarding.

Connect a new routine to something fun, like only listening to your favorite band

when taking the stairs, keeping track of the number of floors climbed, or doing

your activity with a friend. Consider long-term rewards aer meeting goals, like

new walking shoes or a healthy meal out at your favorite restaurant.

Create oppounities to repeat and practice your new routine

until it becomes automatic.

I am going to add a stair climb every day just before my morning coﬀee break.

First Stop: Set a Weight Loss Goal

With your staing point in mind, set a weight loss goal. If you are

overweight and have prediabetes, shedding just 5% of your weight can

help reverse prediabetes.

You may not be able to lose 5% of your body weight, but by eating well and being more

active, you may be able to lower your HbA1C, or just A1C. You have options to be successful.

What is HbA1C? The A1C, or hemoglobin (Hb) A1C, test is one of the commonly used tests to

diagnose prediabetes and diabetes. It’s a simple blood test you get from a health care provider

that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. A normal A1C level is

below 5.7%, a level of 5.7% to 6.4% indicates prediabetes, and a level of 6.5% or more indicates

diabetes. Within the prediabetes range, the higher your A1C, the greater your risk is for

developing type 2 diabetes. Ask your health care provider for more information about A1C.

Here’s an example to help calculate a weight loss goal of 5%.

Action Example

Weigh yourself first thing in the morning

for the most accurate results and record

the number.

240 pounds

Determine 5% of your current weight. Take oﬀ last digit of your weight:

24 Divide in half: 12

To lose 5%, a 240-pound person would

need to lose 12 pounds.

Subtract that number from your current

weight to determine your goal weight.

240 - 12 = 228

A 240-pound person’s goal weight would

be 228 pounds.

Now it’s your turn. Calculate your personal weight loss goal here:

My current weight is pounds.

5% of my weight is pounds.

My goal is to lose

pounds, for a goal weight of pounds.

Now that you’ve assessed your habits and preferences around eating and being

active and have set a healthy weight loss goal, you’re beer prepared to hit the

road on your way to wellness. The following pages will help you improve your current

habits, gain new ones, and set yourself up for success.

Second Stop: Make a Nutrition Plan for

Healthier Eating

Winning Habits: Make over your meals with a plan, the right

ingredients, and life hacks.

Make a plan. You’ve probably noticed that someone who follows a popular

diet plan might quickly lose weight, but has a hard time keeping it oﬀ long

term. This is common and discouraging, so let’s design a plan that you can

follow for life. It doesn’t need to be popular or have a name.

Your plan only needs two key ingredients to work:

1. It should be based on healthy eating.

2. It should be something you can keep doing.

People oen need to try diﬀerent things to create a plan that works for them. Some may cut

back on sugar and eat more protein to stay fuller longer. Others may focus on crowding out

unhealthy food with extra fruits and vegetables. Still others take the guesswork and temptation

out of life by sticking to just a few breakfast and lunch choices that they know are nutritious.

The details will depend on what you like and what fits in best with your life.

Eat well. Good food in the right amounts does so much more for you than just helping you

lose the pounds; it helps you feel beer and even think beer. All good things!

Some basics to get staed:

Choose these foods and drinks more oen:

Non-starchy vegetables such as peppers,

mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, and spinach

Fruits

Lean protein such as fish, chicken, turkey, tofu,

eggs, and yogu

Whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice, and

steel cut oatmeal

Healthy fats in foods like olive oil and avocado,

that replace unhealthy ones

Water and unsweetened beverages

Choose these foods and drinks less oen:

Processed foods such as packaged snacks,

packaged meat, chips, granola bars, sweets,

and fast foods

Trans fat, found in things such as margarine,

snack food, packaged baked goods, and many

fried foods

Sugary drinks such as fruit juice, spos drinks,

and soda

Alcohol

Meaningful Changes That Take Minimal Eﬀo:

Make time to cook. You’ll gain

impressive skills that you’ll keep for a lifetime,

save money, and take the guesswork out of

the ingredients.

Look online for recipes that meet

your skill level, time, and budget.

Many have user reviews to help you decide on

a recipe.

Plan a week’s woh of meals

before you go grocery shopping.

You’ll thank yourself later.

Swap boring veggie recipes for

exciting ones. Watch online cooking

videos to learn the secrets of making

vegetables tastier with diﬀerent spices or

methods of cooking.

Add something fresh. Find ways to

add healthy sides to prepared meals when in

a hurry.

Check ingredients. Use food labels to

make the best choice possible between two

items.

Make the same food for you and

your family. Healthy eating is good for

everyone!

Try Meatless Monday. Beans and lentils

are cheap, tasty, and pack a protein punch.

Make family favorites with a twist.

Substitute veggies for grains or starchy

carbohydrates (zucchini noodles, anyone?)

or blend veggies and add to sauces.

Try not to drink your calories. They

won’t fill you up! Reduce fruit juice and spos

drinks, and limit alcohol.

Dress sma. Dress salads with oil (a

healthy one like olive oil) and vinegar, choose

low-fat or fat-free yogu over sour cream, and

mustard instead of mayonnaise.

Make spices your secret weapon.

They add flavor without adding calories.

Freeze! Freeze single servings of a big

batch of healthy food for work lunches or

when you’re too tired to cook.

Think ahead. Think about the times

you’re most likely to eat junk food, like aer a

stressful day at work. Make a plan in advance

to swap out the unhealthy snack you might

eat—such as a candy bar—with a healthy one,

like an apple.

Master the Skills of Food Measurement:

Poion Sizes and Food Labels

Size it up: get a handle on poion size. Most of us don’t know just how much

we’re eating. One way to help manage poion size is by using the plate method.

Using a basic 9-inch dinner plate:

Fill half of your plate

with non-starchy

vegetables, such as

leuce, tomatoes,

green beans, carrots, or

broccoli, and fruits, such

as apples, grapefruit, or

pears.

Fill one quaer with with

a lean protein, such as

chicken, turkey, beans,

nuts, tofu, or eggs.

Fill one quaer of

the plate with grains

and starchy foods like

potatoes and oatmeal.

Or skip the starch and

double up on non-starchy

veggies. You can have as

many non-starchy veggies

as you want as long as

they’re not covered with

sauces, buer, or cheese.

Choose water or a low-calorie drink such as

unsweetened iced tea to go with your meal.

We don’t always eat oﬀ a plate, right? We eat out of bowls, fast-food packaging, or takeout

boxes and containers. However, it’s really the same idea. You want to make sure your meal

has a good propoion of vegetables, not too much fat, and not too many starchy foods.

If you’re not using a plate, this “handy”

guide will help you estimate poion size:

1. 3 ounces of meat, fish, or poultry

Palm of hand (no fingers)

2. 1 cup or 1 medium fruit

Fist

3. 1–2 ounces, ¼ cup of nuts

or pretzels

Cupped hand

4. 1 tablespoon

Thumb (tip to base)

5. 1 teaspoon

Thumb tip (tip to 1st joint)

Choose the Best Foods: Decoding Food

Labels, Eating a Healthy Variety, and Quality Calories

Put foods that don’t have labels first on your grocery list. Visit the produce

section to stock up on fresh veggies and fruit. (Just watch out for packaged

food tucked away between the apples and asparagus, such as salad toppings

and snack foods.) Then, shop the outside aisles of the store for dairy, eggs,

and lean meat. Some packaged food will be on your list. Use the Nutrition

Facts label to see how many calories and grams of carbs, sugars, and fat are

in the food you choose.

Check the serving size

first. All the numbers

on this label are for a

1-cup serving.

This package has 4

servings. If you eat the

whole thing, you are eating

4x the amount of calories,

carbs, fat, etc., shown on

the label.

Choose foods with lower

calories, saturated fat,

and added sugars. Avoid

trans fat.

This shows you types

of carbs in the food,

including sugar and fiber.

Choose foods with

more fiber, vitamins,

and minerals.

Eat a variety of healthy

foods. Eat all kinds of

diﬀerent foods from the

major food groups: veggies,

fruits, grains, dairy or dairy alternatives

such as low-fat or fat-free milk, yogu,

and other products made from soy,

almonds, and cashews, and lean

protein. Eating a variety of foods helps

to make sure you get the vitamins and

minerals you need. You don’t need to

eat all food groups at each meal.

Count what counts.

Don’t get too hung up on calories, but definitely

count them in. Cuing calories from your meals and

adding physical activity to your routine can help you

lose weight. But don’t cut back too far. If you get too

hungry, you won’t stay on your plan. And remember, if

you’re more active, you’re burning more calories.

The National Institutes of Health oﬀers an interactive

Body Weight Planner (hps://www.niddk.nih.gov/

bwp) that can help you determine the number of

calories you should eat each day to get you to your

goal weight and to maintain it.

Make Work, Home, Grocery Stores, and

Restaurants Work for You

Take the work out of eating at work.

From oﬀice pastries to aernoon snacks to

increase energy, the workplace can be a challenge

for staying on course to eat healthy. A lile food

preparation goes a long way.

✔ Bring your lunch to work. This can oen be

healthier than buying it.

✔ Keep fruit and vegetables in a plastic container

in the fridge at work for snacks.

✔ Bring groceries in on Mondays and keep them in

a refrigerator to make your lunch at work if you

don’t want to bring lunch each day.

✔ Package high-power snacks, such as nuts, in

small containers so you don’t get famished or

eat too much.

Make home your healthy place.

Sticking to a healthy plan is a lot easier when

you can rely on having nutritious food

available at home.

✔ Avoid “hiding” treats. You’ll know where to find

them.

✔ Prepare a few healthy snacks and keep them on

hand as soon as you get home from the grocery

store. Chop strips of peppers or celery or fruit

so that healthy snacks are readily available

when you get a food craving.

✔ Create a cooking ritual at home. Whether it’s

calling a friend, listening to music, or catching

up on a TV show while you cook, pairing cooking

with another rewarding activity makes it all the

more enticing and beneficial.

Create a grocery store game plan.

The grocery store is your key to success.

Plan before you go, and let an entire

healthy week unfold.

✔ Make a shopping list based on your weekly meal

plan, and stick to it.

✔ Focus on shopping the outer aisles where the

fresh food is located. The inner aisles contain a

lot of processed food and snacks that aren’t as

heathy. This also helps prevent temptation if you

bring your kids shopping with you.

✔ You know this one: shop on a full stomach so

you’re not tempted to buy unhealthy processed

food or junk food.

Restaurants: Order with ease.

✔ Look at the menu and nutrition info online

before you go.

✔ If listed, compare calories of menu items to

help guide your decisions. Plan what you will eat

ahead of time and stick with it.

✔ Decide what you’re going to order before you

go to a restaurant, so you’re not tempted by the

look and smell of less healthy choices.

✔ Avoid buﬀets.

✔ Ask your server how food is prepared before

deciding what to order.

✔ Ask for veggies instead of fries or other high-

calorie side dishes.

✔ Choose baked, steamed, grilled, or broiled

instead of fried.

✔ Share your main dish with a friend or eat half of

it and wrap up the rest to take home to eat later.

✔ Order sauces, salad dressing, or spreads on the

side, and use sparingly.

✔ Avoid items that seem healthy but aren’t, such

as salads loaded with dressing, cheese, croutons,

and bacon.

✔ If you plan to have desse, select a main course

that is smaller or lower in calories.

Keep Moving: Set an Activity Goal for

Healthier Movement

Get active. Our bodies are made to move, and we feel beer when we do.

That said, geing staed can be a challenge. One thing is for sure—you won’t

stick with something that you don’t like doing, and you shouldn’t have to.

There are lots of ways to get moving; for example, walking is a great physical activity, and just

about anyone can do it. Just be sure to check with your doctor about which activities are best

for you and if there are any you should avoid.

So, set a goal that works for you! And gradually work up to being active at a moderate intensity

at least 150 minutes per week. One way to do this is to aim for 30 minutes, 5 days a week.

In general, if you’re doing moderate-intensity activity, you can talk but not sing during the activity.

Goals Number of days

a week being

active

How many

active minutes

each time

Total number of

active minutes

each week

Goal date

My physical activity

goal for now

My intermediate

physical activity goal

My ultimate physical

activity goal

Make a Plan! Put it on the calendar and choose the same time or

location for your daily activity. The more regular you are physically active,

the quicker being active becomes a habit.

6:00 walk 6:00 swim