Weight Loss With Diabetes: 5 Ways to Shed Extra Fat And Manage Blood Sugar Levels

Living with diabetes is not easy and when someone embarks on that weight loss routine, the regime is not same for all.

Diabetes has been growing in India and a recent study has just sounded the alarm that it is increasingly becoming a matter of much concern. Living with diabetes is never a cakewalk. But what if someone wants to incorporate a lifestyle for weight loss? How different will that be? Well, it is true that for people with diabetes, there are already so many lifestyle tweaks they have to make and when it comes to losing those extra kilos, one must be mindful of maintaining the blood sugar levels at the same time as shedding extra fat.

According to the recent Lancet Study, 11.4 per cent or 101 million people in India have diabetes. Nearly 15.3 per cent or 136 million people have prediabetes. “There is almost no rural and urban divide when it comes to the prevalence of prediabetes. Also, prediabetes levels were found to be higher in states where the current prevalence of diabetes was low. It is a ticking time bomb,” said Dr RM Anjana, lead author of the study and managing director at Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre. She further explained: “If you have prediabetes, conversion to diabetes is very, very fast in our population; more than 60 per cent of people with prediabetes end up converting to diabetes in the next five years. Moreover, almost 70 per cent of India’s population lives in villages. So if the prevalence of diabetes increases by even 0.5 to 1 per cent, the absolute numbers will be huge.”

Weight is a big factor when speaking of diabetes. Weight can affect the severity of diabetes and vice versa as well. People with Type 1 diabetes may lose weight because of no sugar intake while obese or overweight people are prone to type 2 diabetes.

So, how to lose weight with diabetes?

1. Meal Planning: Sit with your medical healthcare provider, a nutritionist or dietician and make a proper diet plan. From the number of carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins to minerals, the diet should a balanced one that also is suitable for diabetes with low calories.
2. Regular Exercise: No surprises here right? Exercises are one of the key threads that complete a weight loss routine. Also, it helps manage blood sugar better, Do, exercising well and daily is essential.
3. Check Your Calorie Count: Calories become the biggest enemy when it comes to weight loss and for diabetic people as well. Some fruits might be high in calorie content. Therefore it is best to have these in moderation
4. Have High Fiber Diet: Including plenty of high-fiber green leafy vegetables like cabbage, methi, palak, lauki, and bitter gourd in your diet can also help regulate blood sugar levels.
5. Add Some Citrus Too: Additionally, consuming citrus fruits like lemons, amla, oranges, and watermelon, as well as cucumber and coconut water, can help you maintain hydration.

This is generic information as to how diabetes and weight loss can be managed together. It is no substitute for medial professional advise. It is always better to seek proper medical advise to have right information.