Why Losing Weight With Diabetes Is Different
More than 34 million Americans have diabetes, about 10% of the population, yet there are few good health resources for diabetes. This is particularly true when it comes to losing weight with diabetes. The relationship between weight and diabetes is complicated. Learn why it is hard for diabetics to lose weight and how to approach dieting after 50.
Why Is It Hard for Diabetics to Lose Weight?
There is a strong relationship between diabetes and being overweight or obese. An estimated 50% of men and 70% of women are obese at the time they are first diagnosed with diabetes. Further, obesity may account for more than 80% of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. That means that maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of healthy aging and diabetes prevention.
So why is it that people who are overweight are more likely to develop diabetes? The exact answer is not entirely clear. Research studies show that overweight individuals have higher levels of triglycerides and circulating fatty acids. They also tend to have greater inflammation in their tissues. This inflammatory state can contribute to insulin resistance. Insulin is the hormone responsible for trafficking glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells. All cells need some glucose to survive. However, when insulin stops working properly, blood sugar begins to increase. This is one of the hallmark signs of diabetes.
Surprisingly, sudden and unexplained weight loss can actually be a sign of diabetes. This is because your body is no longer processing glucose effectively. That means that your tissues can begin to starve for energy. Sudden unintentional weight loss should always be checked out by a doctor.
Although sudden weight loss should be avoided, gradual weight loss is a recommended intervention for people with diabetes or prediabetes. Unfortunately, once a person has been diagnosed with diabetes, it can be very challenging to lose weight. This is because your body has adjusted to a new set point, or preferred weight. Insulin resistance may cause you to eat more simple carbohydrates in an attempt to get more glucose into your cells. This, in turn, promotes greater inflammation and weight gain. Breaking this cycle between insulin resistance, inflammation, and weight gain is a major challenge to maintaining weight after weight loss.
Diabetes also poses logistic challenges to losing weight after 50. Many people with diabetes are wary of changing their diet or exercise plan. Sudden changes to your routine may cause your blood sugar levels to spike or drop. If you don’t understand how diet and exercise could affect your blood glucose levels, it can be daunting to start a new health plan.
How Does Losing Weight Affect Diabetes?
Despite the challenges of losing weight, many diabetics want to maintain a healthier body weight. This is because losing weight is one of the best ways to regulate your blood sugar levels. Many diabetes doctors recommend gradual, sustained weight loss as an effective strategy to counteract diabetes.
There is still a debate in the field as to whether high body weight itself affects blood sugar levels, or whether people with higher body weights often follow diets that are high in simple carbohydrates and other less healthy foods. Regardless, switching to a healthier, low-carb diet can make a big difference in your weight and your blood sugar. Weight loss is particularly helpful for people with prediabetes. According to the CDC, following a healthy lifestyle can lower your risk of diabetes by 58% or 71% if you are over age 60.
Losing weight places your body in a healthier metabolic zone. Rather than being stuck in a high inflammatory state fueled by simple carbohydrates, weight loss decreases inflammation and increases insulin sensitivity. This means that insulin can do its job more easily, bringing sugar out of the bloodstream and into cells to be used as energy. Over time, maintaining a healthy body weight could prevent you from needing diabetes medications or insulin.
Strategies to Lose Weight with Diabetes
So how should you go about losing weight with diabetes? Gradual lifestyle changes are the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Fad diets or crash dieting is an unhealthy strategy that could lead to worse glycemic control in the long run. Instead, use the following strategies for losing weight after 50.
Follow a Healthy Nutrition Plan
A healthy diet for someone with diabetes is a low-carb diet. That is because simple carbohydrates immediately enter the body as glucose molecules. When insulin is not working properly, those glucose molecules stay in the bloodstream and cause a spike in blood sugar levels. White bread, pasta, cookies, and other sources of refined sugar are examples of simple carbohydrates.
Instead, focus on incorporating more lean protein and healthy fats into your diet long term. These foods result in a sustained release of energy. This prevents spikes in blood sugar and can promote healthier glycemic control. Examples of lean proteins include chicken, turkey, lean beef, eggs, cheese, or dairy products as well as plant proteins like beans, lentils, nuts, and soy.
To get more healthy fats in your diet, look for foods that contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. Avoid foods with saturated or trans fats, as these can promote inflammation and weight gain. Examples of foods with healthy fats include avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, tofu, and soy milk.
When you do eat foods with carbohydrates, stick to foods from natural sources like fruits and vegetables. For example, fruits typically are high in carbohydrates. However, whole fruits also contain high levels of fiber, which helps to prevent blood sugar from spiking. Complex carbohydrates like whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, beans, and whole grains are healthier than simple carbohydrates. This is because your body takes longer to break down these complex carbohydrates. The result is a sustained release of energy that prevents blood sugar spikes.
Check Your Blood Sugar Frequently
One of the fears many people with diabetes have is that making major diet or exercise changes will throw their blood sugar off. While it’s true that sudden intense exercise can cause your blood sugar to drop, it is possible to anticipate these changes. To get started, check your blood sugar frequently throughout the day. See what your levels are first thing in the morning, before and after meals, and before bedtime. This gives you a sense of your normal blood sugar rhythms.
When you start to modify your diet or begin exercising, start slowly. Always check your blood sugar levels after exercise to see if you need to modify your routine. This will prevent sudden drops in blood sugar that could cause a dangerous hypoglycemic episode. An online health coach like Mighty Health can be a good way to help monitor your diabetes while transitioning to a healthier lifestyle. Your endocrinologist may also have suggestions for how to keep your blood sugar levels stable.
Exercise Regularly
Regular physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle for diabetes. Scientific studies have shown that exercise improves glycemic control and reduces complications of diabetes. The exact type of exercise does not matter as much as frequency and intensity. Your goal should be to elevate your heart rate for 20 minutes or longer, at least three or four times per week. This could be achieved by walking briskly, jogging, cycling, heavy gardening, dancing, or swimming.
Research shows that weight training can also help with glycemic control. Weight training is particularly important for healthy aging, as it increases bone density and decreases risk of injury. Try to incorporate resistance training into your routine at least twice per week.
Lower Stress Levels
Although stress does not directly cause diabetes, it can make your blood sugar levels worse. Stress causes your body to release the hormone cortisol, which directly affects insulin’s ability to do its job. As a result, chronic stress makes it more difficult for your body to naturally regulate your blood sugar. Meditation, social activities, and getting professional help can all be good ways to lower stress.
Conclusion
Maintaining a healthy body weight is an important part of preventing diabetes or keeping it from worsening. Although it is difficult to lose weight with diabetes, it is not impossible. The best approach is to avoid fad diet plans. These almost always result in regaining the weight you lost. Instead, focus on making healthy lifestyle changes. This includes following a low-carb diet, eating foods rich in proteins and healthy fats, lowering stress, and exercising regularly. Mighty Health is here to help you along every step of your weight loss journey. With individualized online coaching, Mighty Health can help you lose weight with diabetes and improve your quality of life.