Weekly Plan for a Diabetic Diet

Living with diabetes can be frustrating. Planning each week's eating and exercise schedule may limit daily freedom but can help greatly in managing your diabetes. It is important for diabetics to eat small, portioned meals at regular intervals throughout the day to keep blood sugar levels stable. The diet should be healthy and sustaining. Exercise is also helpful in managing the disease.

Create a Schedule

Pick one day of the week for scheduling the following week's diet and exercise routines. Print out a weekly calendar and make a menu of what you will have for each meal. Also include your exercise plans. Review the schedule to be sure it is healthy and beneficial to you. At the end of each week you can reflect on whether or not you met your scheduled goals and how you can improve. This can also be the day you designate to go shopping for everything you will need during the week. Show your schedules and plans to your doctor to see if you are on the right track.

Planning Your Meals

Talk to your doctor about your caloric needs. A typical woman with diabetes needs about 1,600 calories per day and a man needs 2,100 but these amounts can vary. Caloric needs fluctuate based on factors such as gender, current weight, goal weight, muscle mass and activity level. Once you find out your caloric needs, divide this number by four. For example, if you need 1,600 calories per day your result will be 400. This is how many calories you should eat at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You will have 400 calories left to split between two snacks of 200 calories. Eat these meals and snacks at regular intervals during the day to keep your blood sugar levels steady. The American Diabetes Association recommends that half of daily calories should be from fiber-rich carbohydrates in the form of non-starchy vegetables. Balance starches and proteins for the remaining calories. Incorporate about five servings of fruits and vegetables into your meals each day.

Exercise

It is difficult for many diabetics to achieve or maintain a healthy body weight. Exercise is a critical factor that can help you meet your goals. Make exercise a regular part of your lifestyle and include it in your schedule. Great exercises for people with diabetes are walking, biking, and swimming. Incorporate at least thirty minutes of exercise at least four times a week.