With diabetes it is critical to start a diet and control your blood sugar levels.
If you have diabetes and are ready to lose weight, it’s important to monitor your blood sugar carefully first.
This is because changes in the way you eat and the weight loss itself can affect blood glucose levels, so changes in diabetes medications are needed.
Larry C. Deeb, a diabetes expert in Tallahassee, Florida, and president-elect of the American Diabetes Association, said, “Diabetes is about balance and the need to balance daily diet, activity, insulin, and pills.” .
Larry said, “When reducing calories and losing weight, it’s also important to reduce insulin and medications.”
After all, losing weight means changing the way you eat and exercise, which can affect all aspects of diabetes treatment.
If a weight loss program is to be started, then now is the time to make sure you know how to detect and manage hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.
Low blood sugar
Glucose levels can fall below 70 mg/dl when insulin levels are higher than your body needs. this is common when people are losing weight because reducing calories can affect blood sugar levels.
If the insulin dose is not reduced to compensate for the loss of calories, there will be a risk of hypoglycemia, and early warning stages include:
- Delirium of consciousness;
- Shivering;
- Dizziness.
Stay alert! In the late stages, hypoglycemia can be very dangerous and can lead to fainting and even coma.
Hyperglycemia
When insulin levels are too low to control blood sugar, blood sugar levels can exceed 240 mg/dl, which can lead to ketosis, a condition in which glucose cannot be used for energy, so the body turns to burning fat instead.
In ketosis, fat is converted to ketones and goes into the blood and urine. Glucose also builds up in the blood and goes into the body’s urine, leading to dehydration, a potentially life-threatening condition.
Christine Gerbstadt, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and a diabetes expert in Philadelphia, said, “Ketosis reduces the delivery of oxygen to the tissues, which can put stress on the eyes, kidneys, heart and liver.”
That’s why low-carb, high-protein diets, such as the Atkins diet, aren’t safe for people with diabetes, Christine said. People with diabetes need to work to stick to a more balanced diet so their bodies can better digest nutrients and avoid developing ketosis.
Larry explained that hyperglycemia or ketosis is not dangerous if blood sugar levels are under control.
Control blood sugar
Larry suggests that you need to chat with your doctor and dietitian about blood sugar management before starting a diet.
“One needs to know how to change the insulin and medications used based on diet and whether one needs more exercise and fitness. This is the safest way to lose weight.” He described.
Christine added that it’s crucial to test blood sugar levels regularly. Check your blood sugar every morning when you wake up and before meals, she suggests.
Risk tip: If your morning fasting blood sugar is consistently below 60 mg/dl or 70 mg/dl, consult your doctor or diabetes educator. Kristin suggests that this means a reduction in medication or insulin is needed.