Just diagnosed with Type 2? What to do first

Auriel WetherallLived with Type 2 diabetes for over 20 years · September 2026

If you've just been told you have Type 2 diabetes, you're probably sitting with a leaflet, a head full of questions and a feeling that you've done something wrong. I remember that feeling well. I've lived with Type 2 for over twenty years, and the first few weeks were the worst of it.

So here's what I wish someone had told me at the start.

First, you haven't failed

Type 2 comes from a mix of things: your family, your age, your background, your weight, your stress, your sleep. Some of those you can change and some you can't. Blaming yourself won't lower your blood sugar, but it will make you want to hide from the whole thing, and hiding is what does the damage.

Understand your number

You were most likely diagnosed with a blood test called HbA1c. Some people call it your A1c. It shows your average blood sugar over the last two to three months.

• 48 or above means Type 2 diabetes.
• 42 to 47 is called prediabetes. If that's you, read Can prediabetes be reversed?

Ask your surgery for your actual number and write it down. When people talk about "my numbers", this is the one that matters most, and it tells you if what you're doing is working. I explain how people bring it down in How to lower your HbA1c.

Get the free help you're entitled to

The NHS offers more than most people realise, but you often have to ask for it.

• A free course. Many areas run a free group course for newly diagnosed people, called things like DESMOND or X-PERT. Ask your GP or practice nurse to refer you.
• Your yearly checks. You should get your HbA1c, blood pressure, cholesterol, kidneys, feet and weight checked every year, plus a separate eye screening. If you don't get invited, chase it.
• Free prescriptions. In England, if you take tablets or insulin for diabetes, you can get a medical exemption certificate. Ask at your surgery for the form.

Don't try to change everything on Monday

This is where most of us go wrong. You get the diagnosis, you panic, you clear out the cupboards and live on salad for a fortnight. Then one bad day happens, you think "sod it", and you're back where you started, only now you feel worse.

Pick one or two small things and do them every day until they're normal. For me, the ones that made the biggest difference were a short walk after my evening meal, and swapping sugary drinks for water or sugar-free ones. Once those feel normal, add another one.

Food: no banned lists

You don't need to cut out everything you enjoy. What helps most people is less sugar and fewer refined carbs (white bread, white rice, pastries), more vegetables, and a bit of protein with each meal so you stay full.

Everyone's body is different. Rice might spike one person and barely touch the next. If you've got a finger-prick meter or a sensor like a Libre, you'll soon learn which foods spike you. A trick lots of people swear by is eating in order: veg first, then protein, then the carbs. There's more on that in Blood sugar after eating.

If you want a simple way to build a plate, it's in my free guide, along with what your numbers mean and a list of questions to take to your next appointment.

Tell the people who need to know

You don't have to tell everyone. But it helps to tell the people you live with, so they can back you up rather than tempt you. If you're worried about work, I've written about that too: Do I have to tell my employer I have diabetes?

Ask for help early

The NHS is good at the medical side: your bloods, your tablets, your checks. What it can't give you is someone to talk to on a Wednesday night when it's all going wrong. That's the gap most people fall into.

There's more support out there than you'd think. I've listed the options, from free groups to coaching, in Type 2 support in the UK. And if you've heard the word remission and want to know what it really means, read Type 2 remission: what it really takes.

One important thing: if you're on tablets or insulin, talk to your GP or diabetes team before you make big changes to how you eat. Some tablets can make your sugar drop too low if you cut back hard.

What to do this week

1. Get your HbA1c number from your surgery.
2. Ask to be referred to a free diabetes course.
3. Pick one small change and stick with it for seven days.
4. Download my free guide. It's the chat your GP didn't have time for.

And if you'd rather have someone in your corner from the start, that's what SODIT is for.

Auriel isn't a doctor or a lawyer. This is general information from her own experience and UK guidance. Always follow your GP and diabetes team.