Newly Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes: A First-Steps Checklist
A new diagnosis is a lot. Start with a care team visit, diabetes education, a dietitian, a list of your medicines, and eye, foot and kidney checks. Tick off what you have done below. It is saved in this browser, and you can print it for your visit.
Your first-steps checklist
This browser is blocking local storage, so your ticks will be lost when you leave. Print the list to keep it.
Why these steps
Diabetes is managed over years, and most of the work is routine: seeing the right people, learning the basics, and watching for the complications that are easiest to catch early. The NIDDK describes managing diabetes as a team effort with education, eating, activity, medicine and regular checkups. Your care team will tailor all of it, including your A1C goal. See A1C of 7 for why goals differ.
Helpful tools
- Diabetic meal plan and the meal planner
- Blood sugar chart and the blood sugar log
- eGFR calculator and the blood pressure chart
This list is not a treatment plan. Your clinician decides your treatment, and you should not start or stop any medicine on your own.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first after a type 2 diagnosis?
Make sure you have a follow-up visit, ask for diabetes education and a dietitian, write down your medicines and when to check glucose, and ask about eye, foot, kidney and blood pressure checks. The checklist above puts those in order.
Do I need to check my blood sugar?
It depends on your treatment. Some people check often, others rarely. Ask your care team whether, when and what numbers to aim for.
Is my checklist saved?
Yes, in this browser only. We never receive it. Clearing site data or using another browser starts it fresh, so print it if you want a copy.
Can type 2 diabetes go away?
We found no official source that calls it cured. Some people reach normal-range numbers and need less treatment; that is a conversation for your care team. Ignore anyone selling a cure.
What foods do I have to avoid?
There is no single list. The ADA favors whole foods, and the plate method is a simple start. A registered dietitian can adapt it to your life. See the diabetic meal plan.
Information only, not medical advice. Your care team may set different targets for you, and only a lab test ordered by a clinician can diagnose diabetes or prediabetes. See our medical disclaimer.
Sources
- NIDDK: Managing Diabetes
- NIDDK: Type 2 Diabetes
- ADA Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026, Section 6: Glycemic Goals, Hypoglycemia, and Hyperglycemic Crises
- ADA Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026, Section 11: Chronic Kidney Disease and Risk Management
- NIDDK: Diabetes and Foot Problems (reviewed January 2017)
- NIDDK: Diabetic Eye Disease
Last reviewed: by the Diabetes Blogs editorial team. Information only, not medical advice.
