Life! course sessions

The Life! course is 6 x 90 minute group sessions

Life! course: Session 1

Topics:

• Getting to know each other
• Group rules
• Introduction to the Life! course
• The Diabetes epidemic
• Reducing your risk and lifestyle change

Main messages:

• Diabetes is a serious problem
• This course works to reduce your risk
• It’s important maintain your health and functional capacity
• Lifestyle change makes a real difference to your life in the future

Life! course: Session 2

Topics:

• Understanding your diet
  • The facts about fat
  • Learning about dietary fibre
• Skills for healthy eating
  • Food label reading
  • Recipe modification
• Setting healthy eating goals (part 1)

Main messages:

• Small changes in my diet can make a big difference to my health
• Making dietary changes is not a difficult task when broken down into small, manageable steps
• Healthy eating does not have to be difficult

Life! course: Session 3

Topics:

• Balancing out your portion sizes
• Understanding Alcohol
• Small changes in eating habits can make a big difference
• Review of shopping lists and how to make healthier choices
• Making healthier choices, when:
  • Eating out
  • In a social situation with friends/family
• Setting healthy eating goals (part 2)

Main messages:

• Its important to think about the impact that social situations can have on your healthy eating
• Having a plan to reach my healthy eating goals makes it more likely that I will succeed
• Eating well can be achieved with small diet changes
• Healthy eating does not have to be difficult

Life! course: Session 4

Topics:

• Being active, even if only just starting out
• The importance of physical activity for your health
• Being mindful of your actions
• Barriers to physical activity and how to overcome them
• Physical activity goal setting in the short term
• Strength training and Tai Chi (additional material)

Main messages:

• Planning to reach your physical activity goals makes it more likely that you will succeed
• You don’t have to be young, healthy and fit to be physically active.
• Everyone benefits from doing some physical activity
• Incorporating physical activity into your everyday lifestyle can be achieved with small changes

Life! course: Session 5

Topics:

• Stress and Relaxation
• Sleeping better  
• Goal planning: make your goals concrete: moving forward with small, measurable steps
• Managing lapses (part 1)
• The importance of being supported to achieve your goals – talk about your plans and goals with other people

Main messages:

• It is important to recognize the impact that stress can have on your health
• Sleep is important
• To achieve your goals it can be helpful to have support from your family and friends

Life! course: Session 6

Topics:

• Managing lapses (part 2)
• Review of progress and goal attainment
• Setting new goals to achieve in the long term
• Barriers to change - helping to overcome barriers by appraisal of successes and failures as well as factors that contributed to them

Main messages:

• Planning and evaluating your actions ensures that you will reach your goals
• You are on the path to a healthier life
• What you have learnt in this course enables change now and in the future