Diabetes is a common disease around the world. According to the latest WHO figures, there are 422 million diabetics present around the world. This number was merely 108 million in 1980, which shows the scale at which diabetes is spreading around the world.
The WHO report, which gives these figures, also states, that the diabetes prevalence is increasing more rapidly in lower to middle-income countries such as Pakistan. A direct repercussion of diabetes is obesity because of sugar cravings that patients often face.
Losing weight with diabetes can be very challenging and if not done right can put one’s life in danger too. In this article, we are giving you some tips on losing weight with diabetes.
- Exercise
While on your way to lose weight with diabetes, exercise can be your best friend. It is common knowledge that exercise contributes around 30% to your weight loss. For people with diabetes, cutting food can become a gruesome task because their blood sugar levels alternate so rapidly.
In such cases, exercise can make up for the extra calories consumed. Exercise is also helpful in balancing hormones, which will naturally improve your diabetic conditions. Exercise is also the best way to melt the resistant fat and thus improves fat to muscle ratio in the body.
The cravings also tend away once your fat to muscle ratio improves. One thing to keep in mind is that extensive cardio can be dangerous for diabetic patients who are already facing severe heart problems. These people should first consult a diabetes doctor before starting any workout plan.
- Fiber
Fiber is important for anyone but for diabetic patients, it can be a lifesaver. Fiber not only speeds up the process of weight loss but also stabilizes the blood sugar levels. The fiber requirement changes with age. Women after 51 require only 22 grams of fiber daily while men require somewhere around 28 grams. You should thus check with your doctor before making a diet plan based on fiber.
- Mini-meals
The main thing to remember while going on a diet with diabetes is that blood sugar levels of diabetics alternate rapidly. At one time, they will reach a peak point and on the other time, they will go so low that you will have to rush to the hospital.
A diabetic should thus not stay hungry for longer periods. Similarly, diabetics should also not consume large meals after those fasting periods because then they will experience sudden spikes in glucose levels, which will be hard to control. Diabetologists thus usually recommend that diabetics should rely on three to six mini-meals instead of two large meals.
- Cut Calories not Food
The number of calories required in a day is based on gender, age and sex. An average adult female requires somewhere between 1200 and 1800 calories while a male requires 1400 to 2000. If you decrease the number of consumed calories, the body will start using the internal stored fat to perform regular functions.
Cutting calories can be a tricky thing. One important point to remember is that it does not imply starvation. If you are a diabetic, too much starvation can send the body into ketoacidosis, which eventually leads to a diabetic coma.
You should thus focus on cutting calories smartly so that you are eating the same amount of food but with fewer calories. Relying on fresh vegetables can be an ideal strategy to achieve this goal and thus help you lose weight in a healthy manner.
The tips mentioned in this article are for diabetics who are not experiencing any related complications. People who are already experiencing diabetic complications should consult a doctor before making any drastic changes to their eating habits.
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This article was produced in partnership with oladoc.com, a digital health company in Pakistan. Using oladoc, you can find top Diabetologists in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and book an appointment online.
