{"id":3854,"date":"2024-01-17T13:37:42","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T02:37:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/?p=3854"},"modified":"2025-06-18T12:52:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T01:52:46","slug":"setting-weekly-health-goals-for-type-2-diabetes-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/setting-weekly-health-goals-for-type-2-diabetes-prevention\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting weekly health goals for type 2 diabetes prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Type 2 diabetes<\/strong> is a serious health condition where the body resists the normal effects of insulin and gradually becomes unable to produce enough of it. Type 2 diabetes can lead to other health problems that include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heart disease<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">kidney disease<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stroke<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">issues with vision<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nerve problems.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The good news is that in up to 58% of cases, people who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay its onset by adopting sustainable healthy habits. It\u2019s not always easy changing your lifestyle, but setting and creating a plan for weekly health goals aimed at preventing type 2 diabetes can be helpful.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we\u2019ll explain how to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Understanding diabetes and its risk factors<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018Diabetes\u2019 is a term for a group of different conditions where there is too much glucose in the blood. The main three conditions are: type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes (which occurs in some pregnancies).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we eat, carbohydrate is broken down into glucose in the blood. In a person who does not have diabetes, their pancreas releases insulin, which transfers the glucose from their blood into the muscle cells to be used as energy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People living with type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin. In type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes, insulin is only produced in small amounts or does not work properly. This results in glucose building up in the bloodstream, which can eventually damage blood vessels and nerves.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pre<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/pre-diabetes-signs-symptoms\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">diabetes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is an associated condition where a person\u2019s blood glucose levels are higher than recommended but not high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Pre-diabetes increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by between 10 and 20 times. However, as mentioned earlier, the onset of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/howlongcanittaketoreduceprediabetes\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through the adoption of sustainable healthy habits.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Type 2 diabetes risk factors<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exact cause of\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabetesaustralia.com.au\/about-diabetes\/type-2-diabetes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">type 2 diabetes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0is not currently known however, there are known risk factors that increase the risk of developing the condition. Some of these are modifiable (meaning they can be changed) and others are non-modifiable (they cannot be changed).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Modifiable risk factors include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having pre-diabetes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Living in a larger body size.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having an unhealthy waist measurement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not doing the recommended amount of physical activity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having high levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood) and low levels of HDL-C (the \u2018good\u2019 cholesterol).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having high blood pressure.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smoking.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Non-modifiable risk factors include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having a close relative such as a parent or brother\/sister with type 2 diabetes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having an ethnic background of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Pacific Islander, Asian (including Chinese and the Indian sub-continent), Middle Eastern or North African.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Age\u2013although diabetes can develop at any age, the risk of pre-diabetes increases after age 35.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having had gestational diabetes in pregnancy or giving birth to a big baby (more than 4.5kgs).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>The power of goal-setting in diabetes prevention\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrating healthy habits into your life can be helped by setting goals. Goals give you a clear direction and measurable outcomes to achieve. They can also help you to stay motivated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Goals relating to type 2 diabetes prevention could include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reaching or maintaining a healthy weight<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">being more physically active<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/prediabetes-diet-plan-free-2\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eating healthy and nutritious food<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Making small, gradual changes in behaviour is often easier and more sustainable than attempting to make big changes all at once. For example, instead of trying to run 10km after many years of not being active, you could start by aiming to walk for 30 minutes most days of the week.\u00a0 Or, instead of attempting to permanently cut out all junk food, you might plan to have your favourite \u2018cheat\u2019 meal once a week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Setting yourself health goals on a weekly basis can be helpful in making those small, incremental changes. Reviewing your weekly goals allows you to quickly identify and overcome barriers and celebrate your successes along the way. This approach gives you flexibility and adaptability.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Goal setting basics<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A simple and effective goal-setting technique is to use the SMART formula.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>SMART stands for:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Specific<\/strong>\u2014goals should be clear and well defined.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Measurable<\/strong>\u2014they should include a way of tracking progress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Achievable<\/strong>\u2014goals that are realistic and reasonable help to ensure that you are not setting yourself up for failure.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Relevant<\/strong>\u2014goals should be relevant to what you want to achieve.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Time-bound<\/strong>\u2014goals should have a clearly defined timeline. This can help to motivate individuals to take action.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>A SMART goal related to diabetes prevention might be:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Specific:<\/strong> <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I will walk for 20 minutes every day.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Measurable: <\/strong><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I will time my walks with the stopwatch on my phone.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Achievable<\/strong><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>:<\/strong> I currently walk for 15 minutes most days, so increasing this to 20 minutes is realistic.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Relevant:<\/strong> <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regular physical activity can help to prevent type 2 diabetes, which is exactly what I want to do. Plus, I can manage this with my work and family commitments.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Time-bound: <\/strong><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I will achieve my goal within the next two weeks<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Monitoring progress and adjusting goals\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we have seen, one of the main benefits of setting weekly goals is that you can quickly see how you are tracking, which allows you to change your approach if necessary. Also, breaking down a long-term goal into smaller, weekly goals can make the achievement of your overall goal seem more manageable and less overwhelming.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If possible, have a variety of smaller goals that are relevant to your overall goal. This can help to prevent boredom. For example, you could have a range of diabetes prevention goals relating to physical activity, nutrition, stress management and sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Long-term maintenance and accountability\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Long-term maintenance of healthy habits is crucial for type 2 diabetes prevention. Having support systems and \u2018accountability partners\u2019 (people who support another person to maintain progress on a goal)<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">play a significant role here. The benefits they bring include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">encouragement and motivation, which can be especially helpful during challenging times<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">accountability\u2014having someone to answer to can make people more likely to stick to the process of achieving their health goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shared learning and experience\u2014support systems and\/or accountability partners provide a way to share experiences and learn from others.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> program is a highly effective support system in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>How the <i><em>Life!<\/em><\/i> program can help you\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a free healthy lifestyle program that helps you improve your healthy eating habits, increase your physical activity and manage stress.\u00a0It will help you reduce your risk of developing\u00a0stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em> <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is run by experienced health professionals, including dietitians and exercise physiologists, who guide and support you to make healthy lifestyle changes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The program includes 7 sessions delivered over a 12-month period. You can choose from a group course or our telephone health coaching service. Learn more about the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can check your eligibility for the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> program\u00a0by taking a quick online test<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/#health-check\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button teal\" href=\"#health-check\">Take the health check<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Sources<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Principles for goal setting &#8211; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/resources\/publications\/principles-for-goal-setting?language=en.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SMART goal framework &#8211; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.vic.gov.au\/sites\/default\/files\/migrated\/files\/collections\/policies-and-guidelines\/s\/smart_goal_framework_vawm_activity_1-2_5-1.doc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diabetes in Australia. &#8211; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabetesaustralia.com.au\/about-diabetes\/diabetes-in-australia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diabetes Australia<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabetesaustralia.com.au\/about-diabetes\/prevention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prevention &#8211; Diabetes Australia <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabetesaustralia.com.au\/food-activity\/exercise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exercise &amp; Diabetes &#8211; Diabetes Australia <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blood pressure and diabetes &#8211; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.diabetesaustralia.com.au\/living-with-diabetes\/preventing-complications\/blood-pressure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diabetes Australia <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diabetes &#8211; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionaustralia.org\/fact-sheets\/diabetes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nutrition Australia<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Type 2 diabetes is a serious health condition where the body resists the normal effects of insulin and gradually becomes unable to produce enough of it. Type 2 diabetes can lead to other health problems that include: heart disease kidney disease stroke issues with vision nerve problems. The good news is that in up to 58% of cases, people who&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3855,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3854"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4523,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3854\/revisions\/4523"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}