Health
How Diabetics Can Get a Better Grip of Their Weight
by Chelsea Goddard
Diabetes can sometimes seem like a vicious circle. Being overweight can increase the chances of suffering from type 2 diabetes, and if one is diagnosed with either type, then further weight gain is a frequent occurrence – reports of putting on 5 to 15 lbs after starting an insulin prescription are commonplace.
Managing diabetes can be stressful. One in four folks with type 1 diabetes reports having ‘diabetes distress’ – when they become frustrated about the demands of managing their condition. Between insulin injections, checking sugar levels, and having to find the motivation to make (sometimes fairly major) changes to one’s habits and choices, it can be a lot. Left to spiral, distress can lead to ‘diabetes burnout’ – a condition whereby the sufferer manifests symptoms similar to depression. Feeling powerless and resigned can lead to negative outcomes for anyone’s self-care; for someone managing diabetes, those negative outcomes can be physical and have major life impacts.
If the sufferer is not actively managing their diabetes properly it can up the risk of complications synonymous with the condition. Losing control of blood sugar for long periods can lead to diabetic nerve damage, where sugar damages capillary blood vessels leading to numbness in the extremities. In more severe cases, it can lead to the body having difficulty controlling heart rate – bad news when diabetes can already exacerbate cardiac conditions.
Keeping weight at a healthy level can alleviate many of the concerns diabetes patients face. Let’s take a look at some ways how.
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Get into good habits
The CDC recommends adults 18-64 should aim to do 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Build a fitness plan that fits into your own lifestyle. Basic exercises that can be incorporated can include walking – trying to limit sedentary time – and perhaps doing leg stretches or investing in a simple elastic resistance band to do arm work for times watching TV. On days when motivation can be hard to come by, it’s routine and consistency that’ll keep you going.
Building up to 30-minute exercise sessions working the major muscle groups is ideal, but making a fitness program that works around you is key. Exercising on an empty stomach may help to burn more fat for fuel, but do check that glucose levels are within a safe range beforehand. Do carry a fast-acting source of glucose like gummies or juice with you in case of blood sugar levels dropping. Talk with your physician before embarking on a new exercise routine; they’ll have your back and may well be able to provide useful resources.
Seek support
On that note, diabetes can sometimes be a lonely condition, particularly for younger sufferers. 37.3 million Americans are diabetic, however the majority are seniors. Not having relatability within a peer group may make it difficult to manage diabetes at home. Your doctor may have links to local support groups which can be excellent sources of camaraderie. Sharing experiences can help you realize you’re not alone, which can be a fillip to mental wellbeing.
Deducing diet
While eating a healthy balanced diet stands as good advice for everyone, diabetics need to dive a little deeper. For those who take insulin, or medications that release insulin from the pancreas for their diabetes, carbohydrate intake should be matched to their dosage for those medicines. For the newly diagnosed, especially, this can seem a daunting task. It might be worth looking into diabetes weight management programs. These programs look to lower weight and reduce blood sugar levels. The best programs tend to offer help in tracking blood sugar, notice patterns and trends that will help you avoid spikes and troughs, and provide diabetes-friendly diet plans and nutritional information. Each person’s diabetic eating plan will look slightly different according to their lifestyle, preferences, and disease status.
Forget the fads
Thankfully, the days when we’d see specifically labeled ‘diabetic’ foods in grocery stores are gone. Most were ineffectual, some were laxative, and the designation has now been outlawed in countries including the UK. There is no magic bullet for losing weight with (or without) diabetes. Don’t take that as discouragement. Getting a grip means using the power that many hands can give you.
