How Weight Affects Diabetes
So, how does extra weight play a role? First, being overweight puts excess strain on your body, including your pancreas. When you consume too many calories, your glucose levels rise, and that means your pancreas has to go into overdrive to produce enough insulin to keep your glucose levels under control.
Your pancreas isnt able to meet those extra demands forever. Eventually, it wont be able to produce as much insulin as your body needs. At the same time, extra weight interferes with your bodys ability to use insulin, which means glucose levels can continue to rise, along with other diabetes-related risks, like:
- Heart disease
- Nerve damage
- Blood vessel damage
Even if you dont have diabetes now, extra pounds can significantly increase your risk of developing diabetes, a condition called prediabetes.
Weight Loss In Children
Unexplained weight loss can occur in people who have type 2 diabetes, but its more common in people with type 1. Type 1 diabetes usually affects children and adolescents. Parents are often the first to notice an unusual weight loss in a child with type 1 diabetes.
Weight loss in kids with diabetes can occur even in those who have a normal or increased appetite for the same reasons it happens in adults with diabetes. Once kids are diagnosed and treated for diabetes, weight loss ceases and typically returns to normal.
Hypoglycemia And Weight Loss
“Hypoglycemia doesn’t really cause weight loss,” says Dr. Halprin. So if you’re trying to lose weight with diabetes, low blood sugar is not the answer. As discussed, hypoglycemia can actually have the opposite effect and cause weight gain. Therefore, the best strategy for losing weight is to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and follow a nutritious, balanced diet, according to Harvard Medical School.
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High Blood Sugar Levels And Weight Loss Connection
Before anyone gets too excited, the connection between high blood sugar levels and weight loss is not one that should be getting anyone in line at the corner store for a 44 ounce fountain soda. In fact, quite the opposite. Many times, when weight loss and high blood sugar levels exist side by side, a serious underlying health condition may be present or a complication of other health related ailments has occurred.
Most people associate diabetes with increases in weight. There are numerous reasons why this happens, but diet, lifestyle and how well managed the condition are also play a role. Elevated blood sugar levels and obesity are thought to go hand in hand and the risk of one is almost always somehow intertwined with risk of the other. So, if high blood sugar levels are intimately related to obesity and weight gain, how is it possible that the same phenomenon is also related to weight loss? Well, it is because of complications and risk factors.
For everyone else who is looking for ways to help shave off the pounds while also managing diabetes, diet and exercise are the most important elements to include. That, along with regular care from a physician who understands or specializes in the treatment of people with high blood sugar levels.
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How Diabetes Can Cause Weight Loss
Insulin is a hormone the body produces to absorb sugar, or glucose, from the foods you eat. Insulin converts sugar into energy that fuels your brain, muscles, and the rest of your body.
If you have diabetes, your body either doesnt make enough insulin or it cant effectively use the insulin it does make. As a result, the sugar stays in your bloodstream instead of being converted into energy, and your blood sugar rises.
Because the sugar stays in your blood, your body doesnt get the fuel it needs. As a result, it begins burning fat and muscle for energy, which can result in unexplained weight loss.
The most common types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. With Type 1 diabetes, the body produces little or no insulin because the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells. Type 1 diabetes often develops in early childhood.
With Type 2 diabetes, the body doesnt produce enough insulin or becomes resistant to it. This type of diabetes often occurs later in life and is thought to develop due to lifestyle factors such as being overweight and inactive as well as genetic factors.
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The Benefits Of Weight Loss For Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body becomes resistant to insulin, causing sugar to build up in the blood. Having overweight or obesity puts you at a much higher risk for developing diabetes, and it makes blood sugar levels harder to manage.
In fact, shows that losing just 5 to 7 percent of body weight may reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes by over 50 percent in adults at high risk for the disease.
There are many benefits to losing weight when you have type 2 diabetes. These include:
- , which makes it easier to reach target blood sugar levels
- improvements in overall energy level and mood
- levels
- lower chance of developing complications from diabetes, like kidney or heart disease
In some cases, weight loss can even restore blood sugar to a normal level and eliminate the need to take type 2 diabetes medications.
If you have type 1 diabetes, weight gain may occur once you start taking insulin. Losing weight may require fine-tuning your calorie and carbohydrate intake and insulin dose.
People with type 1 diabetes can also develop insulin resistance, and in that situation, would benefit from weight loss to help them need less insulin.
Certain medications used to treat diabetes also help with weight loss, including:
Benefits Of Weight Management
Losing extra pounds is important for lots of reasons, but if you have diabetes or prediabetes, dropping excess weight is especially critical. In fact, simply by losing weight, you could reduce your reliance on insulin medications.
Thats because losing weight helps decrease and eventually stabilize your glucose levels, which makes it easier for your pancreas to produce the right amount of insulin again. As the balance between insulin and glucose nears normal levels, your body may need less outside insulin to metabolize glucose. Ultimately, that means you could begin to decrease the insulin youre using and maybe even stop it altogether.
Lower glucose levels can also decrease your diabetes-related risks like the ones in the list above. Reduced weight also makes it easier to stay physically active, which also plays an important role in managing glucose and insulin levels.
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Type 2 Diabetes: How To Lose Weight
Weight loss is a common recommendation for treatment for type 2 diabetes. Many people are overweight when theyre first diagnosed, and that extra fat actually increases their insulin resistance . By losing weight, people with type 2 diabetes can become less insulin resistant, and theyre able to use insulin better. If youve recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and you’re overweight, you should get started as soon as possible on a weight loss plan. It is important to work with a registered dietitian to help you figure out a plan that will work for youa healthy meal plan, physical activity, and realistic goals will help you reach a healthy weight. There are many advantages to losing weight : Boost your energy level Lower your cholesterol levels Protect your heart Make it easier to control your blood glucose level As you may already know, losing weight can be a challenge, but dont let that stop you. Do whatever you need to in order to stay motivated. It is the amount of calories we eat that contributes to weight gain. Make small changes. Learn portion sizes and reduce the amount of snacks in your day to reduce the total amount of calories you consume each day. Find cookbooks with healthier recipes using low-fat options. For a little fun, take our carb counting quiz to see how well you know the carb content of certain foods this can help you make healthier choices. Work with a registered dietitianContinue reading > >
More Weight Loss More Diabetes Remission
The scientists found that the more weight lost, the greater the likelihood of diabetes remission:
Among those who gained weight: 0% achieved remission of diabetes
- For those who lost 0 to 11 pounds: 7% achieved remission
- For those who lost 11 to 22 pounds: 34% achieved remission
- For those who lost 22 to 33 pounds: 57% achieved remission
- For those who lost more than 33 pounds: 86% achieved remission
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How Losing Weight Can Help You Manage Your Diabetes
Of the roughly 34.5 million Americans with diabetes, nearly 33 million have type 2 diabetes, the type most commonly associated with being overweight or obese. Losing even a little weight can have a big impact on your diabetes symptoms, including your need for insulin.
At Grassroots Healthcare our team helps diabetic patients learn how to shed excess pounds and maintain a healthier weight, for a more natural, holistic approach to diabetes treatment. Heres how losing weight might help you manage your diabetes more effectively and with less reliance on medication.
Does Lifting Weights Lower Blood Sugar
Muscle is your greatest storehouse for blood sugar after eating. Just like a big bucket collects more rain during a storm than a small bucket, having lots of muscle means theres more space to store blood sugar.
This is one reason I nag folks to lift weights or engage in other resistance training. When you use weight machines at the gym, lift dumbbells, lift your own bodyweight doing squats and pushups, or use elastic bands, youre doing resistance exercise.
Resistance exercise builds muscle. More muscle means more storage space for blood sugar. And when muscle takes up the flood of glucose from your blood, youll have better blood sugar control.
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Limit Carbs To ~30 Grams Per Meal
While following a low-carb diet isn’t recommended for people with hypoglycemia,keeping carbs consistent and moderate may be beneficial. One study found that eating six small meals per day, each with about 30 grams of carbohydrates, was effective for reducing hypoglycemic symptoms. Eating a consistent amount of carbohydrates every few hours keeps your blood sugar steady, especially when you focus on foods rich in fiber and low on the glycemic index.
When you cut back slightly on carbohydrates to stay at about 30 grams per meal, replacing those calories with sources of protein can help maintain the calories you need to fuel your body and recover from workouts. Protein and fat have much less of an effect on blood sugar and insulin levels than carbohydrates, so remembering that balanced plate of macros will keep blood sugar levels normal and help you lose weight.
This moderate-carb approach can help with portion control, which can get out of hand when grains are involved. Getting fewer calories from carbs and more from filling protein and heart-healthy fats can help you drop some extra weight and maintain that weight loss without ever feeling deprived.
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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Include Protein Fat And Fiber Every Time
Whether it’s a meal or a snack, the components matter. Protein, fat, and fiber all slow down the rise in your blood sugar after you eat. This is important because while having hypoglycemia can mean you are at dangerously low blood sugar levels between meals, reactive hypoglycemia is what happens directly after you eat something. Including foods that have protein, fat, and fiber can prevent this from happening.
Not only do “the magic 3” stabilize blood sugar levels, these nutrients keep you feeling full longer than if you were to just load up on carbs. Protein-rich foods take more energy to burn than other foods, and fat and fiber slow down the rate that food empties out of your stomach. The result? You burn more calories and feel satisfied with less, both of which are important if weight loss is your goal.
For protein, you could have foods such as chicken, fish, meat, eggs, tofu, beans, lentils, cheese, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese. Fiber-rich foods include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, and nuts and seeds. For your fat, choose a healthy fat such as olive oil, avocado, or nuts and seeds.
Extra Weight Extra Risk
Being overweight raises your risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. It can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol, and high blood glucose . If you are overweight, losing weight may help you prevent and manage these conditions. And you don’t have to lose a lot to improve your healtheven losing 1015 pounds can make a big difference.
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What Are The Complications Of High Blood Sugar Levels
Excess sugar in the blood causes many health-related problems. The cells cannot get enough of the sugar they need, and when sugar levels in the blood become too high, it causes damage to nerves and blood vessels, usually in the heart, feet, hands, kidneys and eyes. Other complications of high sugar and insulin resistance include:
-
Increased risk of heart disease and stroke
-
Neuropathy
-
Nephropathy
-
Retinopathy
-
Amputation
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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Blast The Sugar Out: Lower Blood Sugar Lose Weight Live Better
Do you want to lose weight? In BLAST the Sugar Out!, Ian K. Smith, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shred Power Cleanse, will guide you to eat welland frequentlywhile controlling carbohydrates and dropping pounds to get to goal. You will lose weight on this dietand start losing fast. Has your doctor suggested you get your blood sugar numbers down? This 5-week …moreContinue reading > >
Benefits Of Losing Extra Weight
There are so many benefits to losing extra weight both physically and emotionally.
Extra weight around your waist means fat can build up around your organs, like your liver and pancreas. This can cause something called insulin resistance. So losing this weight could help the insulin you produce or the insulin you inject work properly.
And as you start to lose weight and get more active, you and your healthcare team may need to look at your medication, especially if you treat your diabetes with insulin or sulphonylurea. This might mean reducing the dose or making other adjustments, but talk to your healthcare team about it. For some people, needing fewer diabetes medications is a great motivation for losing weight.
Although getting type 1 diabetes has nothing to do with weight, losing any extra weight will help you reduce your risk of complications and could mean injecting less insulin.
And if you have type 2 diabetes, losing around 5% of your body weight can have real benefits for your health. If you have obesity, you are more likely to put your diabetes into remission if you lose a larger amount of weight,15kg , as quickly and safely as possible following your diagnosis. This could mean coming off your diabetes medication completely a life-changing possibility. This is even more likely if you lose the weight nearer to your diagnosis and quickly. It’s a myth that losing weight slowly is better for you.
Douglas Twenefour, our Deputy Head of Care and dietitian
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Can Diabetes Cause Weight Loss
Yes, it can. Diabetes mellitus reduces the bodys production and/or its response to insulina hormone that regulates blood sugar levels by helping the body convert glucose into energy. If cells cant create or use enough insulin to perform this conversion, they may think the body is starving and begin consuming muscle and body fat for energy instead, causing sudden weight decreases. Most of the time, this occurs in cases of Type 1 diabetes, although Type 2 diabetes can cause unexplained weight loss, too.
Anyone who isnt making a concerted effort to lose weight but still sees consistent drops when standing on the scale should take note. This type of unexplained weight loss could be a sign of undiagnosed diabetes. It could also stem from a host of other conditions, including thyroid issues, celiac disease, Crohns disease, cancer, and more. The only way to know for sure is to visit a healthcare provider.
Studies have shown that certain diabetes medications, like metformin, can also cause and help maintain weight loss over multiple years. Other diabetes drugs that may decrease appetite and cause weight loss include Byetta and Victoza.
Does Eating Apple Help You Lose Weight
With its 50 kcal per 100 hectograms of product, apples are certainly a low-calorie fruit. Be careful because the apple is not slimming. In fact, no food alone can make you lose weight. The apple contains many simple sugars, such as glucose, fructose and sucrose. It also provides fibers, in particular pectins, which are soluble fibers, capable of dissolving in water and forming, once they arrive in the intestine, a gelatinous mass capable of preventing the absorption of lipids, sugars and other excess substances .
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