I have had a fair amount of the sessions of the pre-diabetes programme now, but if I am totally honest, I am not feeling inspired. I fully understand and respect that the programme would normally be held face to face, but due to the pandemic it has changed mediums, but it is done via a phone in teleconference system. The sound quality when the facilitator is just about adequate but when anyone else speaks it is reallt poor. I find it hard to engage with the sessions and having spent all day sat at home (as I have been working from home throughout) just listening to a phone call it is so hard to be inspired by it.

Part of my job is to do video calls and meetings, and we can share our screens and presentations and whilst I understand that using some sort of similar technology may exclude some people from the programme, I really would like to think that if the meetings being at home is going to be a long term solution that there might be some sort of middle ground.

Blood tests

When my pre-diabetes was first picked up, my HbA1c reading was 42. Nothing was ever said and I didn’t realise that this would be an issue. About a year or so later it was picked up as 43 and it was at this stage that I was referred to the pre-diabetes programme. This reading was from the end of last year. I recently had to have some other blood tests and they requested the HbA1c again. I know for a fact that through lockdown I have been lazy and eating terribly. I fully expected my HbA1c to have skyrocketed – but it has remained the same! There was a little bit of me that thought I could get away with living the lifestyle I have been living, but equally, with or without a change to the reading I know that I have not been looking after myself. I thought that if the reading had gone up, that would give me a kick but it didn’t and it hasn’t. It has however made me have a think about what I have been eating and the lack of exercise and try to make small steps towards improving my health.

The facilitator on the programme goes on about SMART goals and whilst I know a lot of people see those as corporate babble, actually the concept of SMART goals is a really good one. They need to be:

• Specific – losing weight is not enough – you need to say I need to lose 10lb (for example)
• Measurable – in the example above, 10lbs is measurable so that would be fine
• Achieveable – a goal that you actually could get to – there is no point in setting yourself up for failure
• Realistic – similar to achieveable, it needs to actually something that is possible (so losing 50 pounds in a month is not achieveable, but 50 pounds by next year may well be)
• Timely – a deadline will help you keep focus (lose weight by my wedding, reduce my HbA1c within a year)

Exercise

I live alone and have been working from home since lockdown began, I have become even more sedentary than I was before. I definitely want to think about my exercise as well as my food so here are some SMART goals that I have been considering:

• When upstairs go downstairs to the toilet, and vice versa (perks of having a toilet on both floors)
• Start wearing my fitbit and set my reminders to move every hour as on
• Walk around the block everyday on my lunchbreak

These are all small goals, but they fit the criteria set above and are things that I could really do!

Food and diet

I have always struggled with this and I likely always will. I liked the fact that the facilitator on the programme said we don’t have to do all or nothing. They aren’t telling us to cut out all carbs in one go for example. I am hopeful that slowly making changes (changing white bread to brown, relying less on pasta etc) will make it more manageable and therefore be easier to stick to! I know I need to drink more water – and that is something I need to work on as well, so going forwards from today my SMART food and diet goals are:

• Fill up a 2 litre bottle of water every morning and drink the whole thing before bedtime
• Cut down my fizzy drink intake (even diet sodas are not great for you)
• Eat more fruit and veg (my intake is minimal so even 3 portions a day would be a great start)
• Cut down on treats, for example only have dessert twice a week

What do you think of my pre-diabetes SMART goals?

How do you think I will get on, and can you think of any others?