When your blood glucose levels rise, your pancreas produces insulin to help muscle, liver and fat cells pull the extra sugar out of your blood. If you have diabetes, you either do not produce enough insulin or your body does not respond effectively to insulin, which can cause your blood glucose levels to be chronically high. Losing weight through dieting can help you manage your diabetes more easily as long as you follow a diet which is appropriate for diabetics.
Step 1
Consume carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the right proportion. Some diet plans call for you to dramatically alter the balance of these nutrients, which can cause your blood sugar or cholesterol levels to get too high. As the Patient Education Institute notes, diabetics should get 50 to 60 percent of their calories from carbohydrates, less than 30 percent from fat and the remaining calories from proteins.
Step 2
Emphasize healthy sources of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates should make up the majority of your diet if you have diabetes, but some carbohydrates are better for you than others. Getting your carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy and legumes can provide fiber, vitamins and other critical nutrients while also helping you feel full.
Step 3
Reduce your portion size. If you have trouble cutting out your favorite foods from your diet, you can still eat them as long as you reduce your portion size. Check your food labels for the suggested serving size of different food items and, when possible, measure and store food in single-serving portions to help you avoid overeating.
Step 4
Aim for a maximum of 2 lbs. of weight loss each week. Two lbs. per week is a significant rate of weight loss but trying to lose more than that can be unhealthy for your body and can also lead to rebound weight gain, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Diet plans which help you lose more than this are unlikely to be sustainable, which means that once you go off the diet you are likely to gain back some or all of the weight you lost.
