If you have diabetes and need to lose a few pounds, planning your meals to create a calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories a day will help you slim down. Losing body fat will also help you improve your insulin resistance, which will make it easier for you to manage your blood sugar levels. Weight loss can sometimes reduce the need for diabetes medications and insulin. Monitor your blood sugar levels closely and consult your health care provider regularly while losing weight to ensure timely adjustments are made to your treatment plan.
Calories
The only way to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit and because a pound is the equivalent of 3,500 calories, a daily calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories could help you lose 1 to 2 lb. a week. You can reduce your calorie intake simply by reducing your usual portion sizes or eliminating foods that have little to no nutritional value, such as refined grains, soft drinks, desserts, baked goods and juices. Most people trying to lose weight choose to follow a low-fat meal plan, but the low-carb approach may be as effective in helping diabetics lose weight.
Low-carbohydrate Diets
Following a low-carbohydrate diet is an effective way to plan your meals and lose weight with diabetes, as explained in the January 2008 issue of "Diabetes Care." If you have Type 2 diabetes and need to lose weight, it is very likely that you are insulin resistant and have high levels of insulin in your blood. Insulin's role is to lower your blood sugar levels by making the extra sugar enter your cells where it is either burned or stored as fat. Because people with diabetes usually have a lot of sugar circulating in their blood, their simultaneously high insulin levels often result in weight gain or an inability to lose weight. Lowering your carbohydrate intake can lower your insulin levels and make weight loss easier.
Satiating Protein, Fat and Fiber
If you decide to base your diabetic meal plans following the low-carb approach, it is important to ensure that your diet provides you with enough energy and fiber to help you feel energy and satiated. If you reduce or eliminate carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, breakfast cereals and sugar-containing foods, you need to include a good source of protein at each of your meal in your diabetes meal plan. Protein is found in cheese, eggs, poultry,fish, seafood, pork, beef, tofu and soy-based vegetarian protein options. Accompany each of your meals with generous servings of nonstarchy vegetables because they provide little carbohydrates while packing a lot of fiber and antioxidants. Add a small dose of healthy fats at each of your meal to ensure you get enough energy, whether you choose olive oil, canola oil, avocado slices, nuts or nut butter.
Healthy Diabetic Meals
Healthy meals that help you manage your blood sugar levels while losing weight should be comprised of filling nonstarchy vegetables, satiating protein and healthy fats. For example, your meal plan could include eggs, cheese or smoked salmon as your source of protein along with some leafy greens, tomatoes or mushrooms and olive oil at breakfast. At lunch, you can have a salad of leafy greens with a chicken breast or canned tuna and a salad dressing made with olive or canola oil. At dinner, your diabetic meal plan could include pork sirloin or a salmon fillet with green beans or asparagus cooked in olive oil. At each of these meals, you can include a small amounts of carbohydrates from a controlled serving of brown rice, barley, quinoa, whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, fruit or plain yogurt, according to your personal carbohydrate target.
References
- "Diabetes Care": Nutrition Recommendations and Interventions for Diabetes; American Diabetes Association; January 2008
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; Low-Carbohydrate Diet in Type 2 Diabetes: Stable Improvement of Bodyweight and Glycemic Control During 44 Months Follow-Up; Jörgen V Nielsen and Eva A. Joensson; May 2008
- "Nutrition & Metabolism"; The Case for Low Carbohydrate Diets in Diabetes Management; Surender K. Arora et al; July 2005
- Joslin Diabetes Center: Carbohydrate Counting 101
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