There’s no question about it. If you are overweight and have type 2 diabetes, the first priority is to lower your blood sugar and improve your health. Losing some extra weight can be very beneficial.
You need to be in close contact with your doctor or diabetes educator because you need to pay special attention to your blood sugar, insulin, and the medications you take while you are losing weight.
Health benefits if you lose 9 or 14 pounds:
- Lower blood sugar;
- Lower blood pressure;
- Improve cholesterol levels;
- Reduces stress on hips, knees, ankles and feet;
- Have more energy;
- Maintain a good mood.
Balancing diabetes and weight loss
Tightly control your blood sugar levels during weight loss. We don’t want our blood sugar levels to go up and down as our eating habits change.
For people with diabetes, it is usually safe to reduce 500 calories per day. Reduce your protein/carbohydrate and fat intake. The USDA states that adults should get their calories from:
- 45% to 55% carbohydrates;
- 25% to 35% fat;
- 10 to 35 percent protein.
Carbohydrates have the greatest impact on blood sugar. Eating fiber-rich foods (such as whole grain breads and vegetables) is much better than eating carbohydrates containing sugar or starch because they are less likely to stimulate blood sugar and break it down quickly.
Benefits of exercise
One of the benefits of exercise is that it helps balance blood sugar. More exercise is also more likely to shed weight.
Remember to consult your doctor first if you lack energy. Your doctor will advise which exercises to do.
Plan to get at least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, each week to improve your health. You can also divide your time as you wish.
To help yourself lose weight, you need to be more physically active. You should also do strength training at least 2 times a week. You can choose to train at the gym using weight machines, dumbbells, or even using your own body weight (such as push-ups, lunges, and squats).
Physical activity burns the sugar stored in your muscles and liver. If you use insulin or other diabetes medications, you should keep a close eye on your blood sugar levels when you start exercising. Over time, when exercising regularly and in close communication with your doctor, it may be possible to lower the dose of medication and insulin.
Each type of exercise has a different effect on blood glucose.
Choosing aerobic exercise such as running or working out on a treadmill can lower blood sugar quickly.
Lifting weights or prolonged, high-intensity exercise may affect blood glucose levels after a few hours. This can be especially problematic when driving after exercise. Therefore, you should check your blood sugar before driving. It is also a good idea to bring snacks such as fruit, crackers, juice and soda.