Although not all diabetics are overweight, majority of the cases are caused by poor eating habits that led to weight gain. If that is the case, then your doctor will recommend that you lose weight so that it will be easier to treat the symptoms and to avoid the complications of the disease.
Here are the things to keep in mind when losing weight as a diabetic.
Consult Your Dietitian
While there are hundreds of diet fads designed to make people lose weight fast, remember that these are not for everyone. Some diets restrict people in eating only a few certain types of food, and that is not necessarily a good thing for you. Therefore, you should consult your doctor or your dietitian about your plans to lose weight, so that they can come up with the right diet plan for you. A diet for a diabetic will usually consist of the following: beans, nuts, poultry, eggs, oily fish, berries, sweet potatoes, non-starchy vegetables, nonfat milk and yogurt or low-fat milk and yogurt, and whole grains.
Learn to Count Calories
Ideally, a diabetic should have a diet of high fiber, lean protein, low-fat dairy, low sodium, vegetable-based fats, and fruits. But more importantly, you need to learn how to monitor your daily carbohydrate intake, which should be 60 grams per meal for men and 45 grams per meal for women. Some of the food you need to avoid are the following: processed grains, fruits with sweeteners, full-fat dairy, fried food, high-trans fat or saturated food, food with refined flour, and high-glycemic content food.
Get Regular and Proper Exercise
Regular exercise can help lower your blood sugar levels and improve your health overall, but before you begin any exercise regimen, you need to consult your doctor especially if you have other existing health problems such as hypertension. Most doctors recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise daily, but you can start slowly if you have not been active for years. You also don’t need to sign up for a gym membership, because general activities such as doing household chores can count as exercise. Other activities such as brisk walking, light jogging, and bike riding are good alternatives. However, make sure that you look out for hypoglycemia by eating properly and taking the right medication as per doctor’s instructions before exercising.
Check Your Sugar Levels
Lastly, do not forget to monitor your sugar levels regularly by observing the following ideal numbers:
• Fasting: 80 to 130 mg/dl or 4.4 to 7.2 mmol/L
• 2 Hours after a Meal: not more than 180 mg/dl or 10 mmol/L
• HbA1c: 7% or less
Record the results of your blood tests, especially if you are taking rapid-action insulin or practicing a rigorous exercise routine.
