Weight Loss Tips For People With Diabetes
When you have diabetes, it impacts many different aspects of your life. Should you choose to attempt to lose weight, you will need to take your diabetes into account as you plan your diet and exercise routine and set weight loss goals. Here are some tips to help you lose weight successfully and healthfully as a diabetic.
1. Get information from knowledgeable sources
If you want to enroll in a weight loss program or meet with a professional for advice, make sure you're seeking advice from those who have experience working with diabetics. For instance, joining a weight loss program headed by a registered dietitian is better than joining one led by a personal trainer with no actual dietary certifications or restrictions. Meeting with a registered dietitian is preferable to meeting with someone who has a nutrition certification from an unaccredited program. As someone with diabetes, you can't risk getting poor or improper weight loss advice.
2. Give yourself time
Someone without diabetes may be able to lose weight faster than you. That's entirely okay! You have to juggle managing your blood sugar while dropping the pounds, which can slow down your progress tremendously. That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't keep setting goals and making progress, though. Be patient with yourself, set realistic goals, and don't get deterred if you're not losing weight as quickly as those around you.
3. Incorporate lots of exercise
As someone with diabetes, you may not be able to cut back your calorie intake as drastically as someone without diabetes. So, to help keep you losing weight at a faster pace, it will be really important to incorporate exercise. Plus, exercise can help improve your blood sugar management and insulin sensitivity if you are someone with Type II diabetes. Starts slow and focus on including exercise you actually enjoy so you are inspired to stick with it.
4. Plan ahead
Meal planning is helpful for anyone who is trying to lose weight, but especially for those with diabetes. Meal planning can help ensure you don't have to quickly resort to foods that aren't friendly for weight loss because there are no other options. It can also help ensure your nutrient needs are being met by the foods you choose.
If you're someone who has diabetes and have plans on losing weight, keep the advice above in mind. Working with a registered dietitian, especially one who has experience with diabetes patients, is an especially wise idea. Contact a local weight loss program to learn more.