Last Updated on October 26, 2024
Being at a healthy weight is important for anyone with diabetes. Most doctors will recommend that anyone diagnosed with diabetes lose weight to help manage their diabetes. Losing weight with diabetes can be difficult.
Most people with diabetes are worried about losing control of their blood glucose levels while dieting. Losing weight and managing your glucose levels is a delicate balance.
Diet
A dieting plan (and sticking to it) is the most important tool in your weight loss toolbox. To help lose weight, you will need to take in fewer calories that you eat. But how many calories should you intake a day? Everybody is different. Your calorie intake goal depends on your gender, age, activity level, and much more. Talk to your doctor or dietician to determine how many calories you should have every day.
When trying to lose weight, don’t skip meals. Most people think that eating less by skipping meals will help you lose weight. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Skipping a meal (especially breakfast) slows down metabolism and will cause weight gain in the long term. For people with diabetes, skipping a meal can cause blood glucose to drop drastically.
Physical Activity
The other side to losing weight is physical activity. Exercising and being active will jumpstart your weight loss journey. Not only will exercising help you lose weight, but it will also help you maintain healthy glucose levels.
Start slow. Don’t think you’ll need to be in the gym for 3 hours everyday to lose weight. Start by walking on the treadmill or at a park for 30 minutes. Being active for 30 minutes will help burn off extra calories and will also reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
If you don’t have time to exercise for 30 straight minutes, break up your activity into shorter segments.
Setting Goals
Create realistic goals. Don’t think that you are going to lose 10 lbs. in the first two weeks. Setting unreachable goals creates frustration and disappointment when you don’t reach them.
If you don’t reach your goal, don’t be discouraged. Being discouraged with yourself will make you want to abandon your diet and exercise. So even if you didn’t lose as much weight as you wanted, be encouraged with how far you’ve come.
Eating Goals
Once you and your doctor have decided on a healthy calorie goal, set smaller more personalized goals. Maybe you should try replacing a soda with a glass of water every day. Instead of the chips, try reaching for an apple three times a week. Setting these smaller eating goals can get the ball rolling on your diet.
Activity Goals
Before you start any exercise routine, make sure your doctor has cleared you for exercise. Just like with small dieting goals, create small exercise goals. Don’t think that you have to go for a 10 mile run every week. Try parking farther away at the grocery store. Set a goal to walk 2 miles on Saturday or go for an hour bike ride. The more you exercise, the higher goals you can set.
Additional Tips for Diabetics
- Test your levels often. Test more often than you normally would when you first begin your diet and exercise. Eating different and less food will change the ways that you have to manage your diabetes.
- Find a friend. Look for a friend that has similar goals as you. Having a friend can help create accountability to go to the gym or watch what you eat. Having a friend nearby is especially important for diabetics in case of a blood sugar emergency.
- Have a snack ready. If you plan on exercising for an extended period of time, take a healthy snack. Depending on your normal activity level and normal diet, exercise can cause your levels to drop drastically. Make sure you have a granola bar, trail mix, or some other healthy snack.
