Managing Weight Loss With Diabetes
Managing weight loss with diabetes begins with getting blood sugar under control, so it’s critical to involve a doctor to activate a treatment plan.
Some people’s diabetes can be managed through lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. People with type 1 diabetesand some with type 2will require supplemental insulin or other drugs to ensure their bodies get back on track.
Typically, once someone is treated for diabetes and their blood sugar normalizes, their weight loss will stabilize. It is critical to continue to monitor diabetes under a doctor’s care at home because it is a lifelong condition.
The Benefits Of Weight Loss Especially If You Were Recently Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes May Actually Be Able To Reverse The Disease; For Others It Will Reduce The Risks Of Common But Serious Complications
Since nearly 9 in 10 people who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight or have obesity,; it is likely that your doctor will discuss the benefitsand they are signficantto achieving weight loss.
There is some urgency to this recommendation since added adipose tissue increases your insulin resistance , and leads to further weight gain.
How To Manage Uncontrolled Diabetes Weight Gain
If youre gaining weight and have diabetes, you can make some adjustments that can help, including:
- Increase exercise and adjust your diet. Talk to your doctor and to a nutrition specialist about a food plan that takes the insulin effects into account. You can also work a little more activity into your daily routine, which may mean adjusting your insulin level. Make sure to keep your doctor informed and keep working on good diet and exercise habits.
- Reassess your medications. If exercise and reducing your calorie intake isnt helping offset weight gain, try evaluating what type of insulin youre taking. Insulin analogs may cause less weight gain. There are some medications for Type 2 diabetes that can cause weight loss as a side effect, so talk with your doctor to see if those are appropriate for you.
- Discuss options with your doctor. To understand all the reasons you might be gaining weight, its always best to talk with your doctor. Your doctor can tell you which of your medications might have weight gain as a side effect and what alternatives are available.;
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Weight Loss In People With Diabetes
What about people with diabetes? pools the data from the studies in the systematicreview in whichthe subjects had diabetes, reports weight losses at 6 and 12 months and12-month changes in hemoglobin A1c levels, and compares theweight change of subjects with diabetes to that of subjects withoutdiabetes. Again,we see that weight loss plateaus at about 6 months but can be maintained untilat least 12 months. However, to achieve this result, most of the trials had atleast monthly contact with the subjects. And, yes, it does appear that inpeople with diabetes, weight loss may be more difficult than in people withoutdiabetes, as was first suggested by Wing etal. in 1987.
Why Does Diabetes Cause Sudden Weight Loss Constant Hunger And Fatigue
Your body gets energy from glucose that is in the foods you eat. In type 2 diabetes, your body is not able to use the glucose effectively. This causes your blood glucose levels to become too high. This can lead to constant hunger. Your body may start burning fat and muscle for energy instead, which can cause rapid weight loss.1,2
Weight loss can also be caused by frequent urination, which is another common symptom of type 2 diabetes. This happens in type 2 diabetes when extra glucose and other fluids from your organs are removed in your urine. This process can make you dehydrated and leave you feeling extra thirsty. This causes you to drink more fluids to quench your thirst, which leads to even more urination.2
Dehydration from excessive urination can also lead to feelings of fatigue. High blood sugar is another cause of fatigue since your body cannot use the glucose for energy. Studies have found that fatigue in people with type 2 diabetes may also be a result of chronic inflammation caused by a weakened immune system.3
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Weight Is A Sensitive Issue For Many People And Getting To An Ideal Healthy Weight Is Easier Said Than Done But When You Have Diabetes There Are Huge Benefits To Losing Weight If You’re Carrying Extra Weight
Youll have more energy, feel better in yourself, and youll reduce your risk of serious complications like heart disease and stroke. And if you have type 2 diabetes, losing weight could even mean going into diabetes remission.
But millions of people with diabetes find keeping to a healthy weight a huge struggle. You’re not alone in this, there’s support out there to help a good first step is to ask your healthcare team for help and advice.
On this page:
- to help you lose weight,;including your weight-loss planner
- Your feelings about food
- Weight loss surgery.
Almased Encourages Weight Loss For Any Individual Including People With Diabetes
Many people who are overweight also have leptin resistance, which drives their desire to eat more and more.;
Not only does Almased support healthy blood sugar and thyroid health, but it also supports healthy leptin and ghrelin levels , so youll feel full and satisfied longer.;
Making lifestyle changes can be hard, but isnt it worth it?
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What Should You Eat
If you have diabetes, you should focus on eating lean protein, high-fiber, less processed carbs, fruits, and vegetables, low-fat dairy, and healthy vegetable-based fats such as avocado, nuts, canola oil, or olive oil. You should also manage your carbohydrate intake. Have your doctor or dietitian provide you with a target carb number for meals and snacks. Generally, women should aim for about 45 grams of carb per meal while men should aim for 60. Ideally, these would come from complex carbs, fruits, and vegetables.
The American Diabetes Association offers a comprehensive list of the best foods for those with diabetes. Their recommendations include:
| Protein |
Type 2 Diabetes In Remission
And after one year, 46% of those in the intervention group were able to achieve remission of type 2 diabetes. Only 4% in the control group did.
Remission was defined as achieving an HbA1c that was less than 6.5% without the use of medication for a minimum of 2 months.
Among those in the low-calorie intervention group, nearly a quarter shed 33 pounds or more, which was the studys primary goal. None in the control group achieved such a weight loss.
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How To Safely Lose Weight When You Have Diabetes
Even though people with diabetes can experience sudden, unexplained weight loss, this isnt the most common outcome. It mainly occurs in Type 1 diabetes cases, which only comprise 5% to 10% of all diabetes cases. More often, its the oppositelosing weight is a struggle. Insulin resistance leads to higher insulin levels, which can increase hunger and overeating. And during insulin therapy, the body stores more glucose as fat. Both situations can lead to weight gain or, at least, more difficulty with weight management.;
While theres no cure for Type 2 diabetes, sustained weight loss through dieting and physical activity can reverse it . This doesnt mean that diabetes is gone forever. It simply means that the disease is in remission, and the patient is maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, but symptoms could always return.;
The biggest question is: Whats the best, safest way to lose weight if you have diabetes? There are plenty of fad diets that arent healthy. Sure, consuming nothing but carrot juice for a week will probably help lose weight, but its probably not the healthiest option in the long run. Its often better to eat a personalized, well-rounded diet, manage portions, and exercise regularly. Here are some diabetes weight loss options that might be more effective:
Even If You Regain The Weight Keep Trying
Yo-yoing? Thats okay. Keep at it.
There is clear evidence that there is longer remission and better glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes who have lost weight and regained it compared to those who have never lost.
In short, it is better to have lost and regained than to have never lost at all.
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Weight Loss Caused By Diabetes
I can personally speak about weight loss caused by diabetes due to my experience of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
Unexplained weight loss can occur in individuals with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes; however, it is more common with type 1. It typically occurs just before a diabetes diagnosis.
During my experience of getting diagnosed with type 1, I lost nearly 20 pounds within about two weeks. I was not trying to lose weight at the time and felt very ill.
I was unaware of how severe my condition was until I had bloodwork done and received my diagnosis. My blood sugar was around 750 mg/dL, and I was severely dehydrated.
Diabetes causes weight loss when your blood sugar is chronically high and you arent getting enough insulin.
Without enough insulin, the glucose in your bloodstream is not able to be used for energy. Therefore, your body starts to burn fat and muscle for energy, resulting in weight loss.
This type of weight loss is often sudden and is very unhealthy. If left untreated, it can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis and may cause you to go into a coma.
Therefore, if you are experiencing sudden or unexplained weight loss, speak with your doctor right away.
On the flip side of this, there is a positive when it comes to diabetes and weight loss.
Getting Blood Sugar Back To Normal
The good news: When we shed the body fat, insulin often starts working again. Thats because our bodys cells often start working again. Their doors kick open when insulin comes calling. Once again, insulin can ferry glucose out of the bloodstream and into our cells. As a result, blood glucose falls into healthy, normal ranges.
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What Type Of Diabetes Causes Weight Loss
A reduction in insulin resistance is problematic because insulin is needed tohelp glucose enter these tissues to be metabolized. If these tissues areresistant to insulin, higher than normal levels are needed for this processto occur. This is often the case inType 2 diabetes. As a result, a viciouscycle occurs, the higher the insulin levels are, the harder it is to loseweight . Onthe other hand, the heavier a person is, the more likely they are to have higher insulin levels.As you can see, the cycle is often hard to break.
Being Active For Weight Loss
Regular physical activity has many health benefits and will help you in your weight loss journey. Weve got more information about how much activity you should be doing and different ways to get active.;
But before you start any new physical activity, speak to your diabetes team. They can make sure you have all the information you need about how your diabetes might be affected. Especially if you treat your diabetes with insulin ;or certain diabetes medications like sulphonylureas, as being more active may increase your risk of hypos.
Your diabetes team will support you to make the right adjustments to your medications to reduce your risk of hypos.;
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Reason #1: With Type 2 Diabetes Insulin Is High And Insulin Is A Fat
Everyone has glucose, a type of sugar, in their blood at all times. Glucose is a source of energy that largely comes from eating carbohydrates. Simply put, when you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar rises.
Insulin is produced by your pancreas, and insulin has many functions in the body. One of insulinâs functions is to help get glucose out of the blood and into cells where it can be used. Â;In order to do this, insulin rises along with glucose. Â;So when you eat carbohydrates and glucose rises, the insulin is rising as well. Once in the cells, glucose is mostly used for energy. If you have type 2 diabetes, this process doesnât work well anymore: your body has become resistant to the signal of insulin, so the insulin isnât as effective at moving the glucose out of your blood. Thatâs how you end up with high blood sugar levels after eating carbohydrates. Having chronically elevated blood sugar levels is dangerous, so your body needs to do something about it.
Your body responds by making more and more insulin to try to get the job done. Recall now that insulin has many functions, not just to facilitate the removal of glucose from the blood. Insulin also works to promote the storage of fat and to block the release of fat from fat storage. So instead of losing weight, you just keep gaining, thanks to all that insulin.
Reason #2: Typically Recommended Eating Patterns Often Backfire By Keeping You Hungry And Keeping Your Blood Sugar High
If youâre like most people with type 2 diabetes, youâve been told to eat carbohydrates but eat fewer overall calories, and to eat small meals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar steady; youâve probably been advised to count your carbs and eat enough of them to keep your blood sugar up after taking medication to lower itâconfusing, right?
What many find as a result is that theyâre always hungry, always thinking about food and facing cravings. Whatâs at work is a survival instinct that even the strongest-willed person canât withstand for long. This is a situation where your physiology is fighting against you. Even worse, those frequent small meals with carbohydrates create spikes in your blood sugar followed by drops in your blood sugarâa blood sugar roller-coaster that stimulates frequent hunger.
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Weight Loss And Glucose Control
The biggest key when it comes to diabetes and weight loss is strict glucose control.
Controlling your blood sugar levels will prevent you from having unwanted and unhealthy weight loss caused by high blood sugar levels. It will also prevent you from having other health complications down the road.
Good glucose control will also be extremely beneficial when you are trying to lose those unwanted pounds. There are a few reasons behind this.
First, keeping your blood sugar levels in range will prevent you from experiencing hunger. Typically, when your blood sugar levels are too high or too low, you can experience excessive hunger, causing the desire to overeat.
Stabilized glucose will help you keep your energy levels up too. This will help in getting you motivated to get physically active, promoting more weight loss.
Lastly, glucose control will also promote increased protein synthesis. Adequate insulin and insulin sensitivity will ensure proper glucose control. This allows our muscle and fat cells to receive a source of energy for our bodies to burn as well as replenish its stores. Thus, glucose control can help in building muscle while you burn fat.
When To See A Doctor
According to the Cleveland Clinic, you should talk to a doctor if you have an unexplained weight loss of 10 or more pounds, as this may be a sign of diabetes.
If you experience other symptoms particularly excessive urination, thirst or hunger also be sure to inform your doctor as soon as possible.
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When To See A Healthcare Provider
Sometimes, body weight can fluctuate naturally, so when should someone be concerned? The general consensus is that an unintentional 5% or more decrease in body weight over a six- to 12-month period is abnormal.
Sudden weight loss can be a sign of rising or uncontrolled blood glucose levels, says Lisa Moskovitz, RD, the CEO of NY Nutrition Group. Whether or not youre intentionally losing weight, any loss greater than two to three pounds per week should be reported to your healthcare provider.
On the flip side, obesity is a significant risk factor for Type 2 diabetes. People with a body mass index of 30 or higher often have a higher level of insulin resistance, potentially leading to Type 2 diabetes. Not every case of obesity leads to diabetes, but it certainly increases the chances of developing it. On top of that, obesity can exacerbate diabetes symptoms for anyone who already has it.;
For this reason, healthcare providers and dietitians will often develop diets or weight loss programs for patients with diabetes or prediabetes. These programs often include meal plans and physical activity routines that help patients achieve and maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk or severity of Type 2 diabetes. Typically, this involves analyzing the patients current eating and exercise habits, then laying out practical lifestyle changes that will help achieve personal weight loss goals.
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Does Diabetes Cause Weight Loss Or Weight Gain
For most, weight loss is considered a good way to prevent and manage diabetes. Losing weight improves cardiovascular health, reduces the risk of high blood pressure, maintains blood glucose levels, cuts insulin resistance, and more. In some cases, though, diabetes and the related treatments can cause uncontrolled fluctuations in weight.;
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Does Obesity Cause Diabetes
There is clearly a link between Type 2 diabetes and obesity, and researchers around the world are working to solve the puzzle of how the two are connected. Some scientists think there is a connection between body fat and hormones that regulate appetite and insulin levels. When you lose weight, and reduce your body fat, you may have better control over your diabetes.