WeightLoss and Diabetes

Weightloss and diabetes are very connected to one another. I am all too familiar with this scenario of staying on a diet plan-for awhile. Then after a few months or so, go back to my old ways of eating or overeating rather. I've lost weight and gained too many times to count. And some people, keep on going until they are beyond simple weightloss help. What happens from all of this overeating and yo-yo dieting is type 2 diabetes.

A lot of people start a weight loss regime, but even fewer people lose weight and keep it off forever. There are people who sometimes lose too much weight too fast. Or people will try to follow a meal plan that is far too rigid and therefore cannot stick with it for very long. The realism is that weight loss and maintaining is NOT easy! You have to retrain your thoughts toward food and your attitude toward food. Here are some pointers I have found pretty helpful:

Have Expectations that Are Livable

Is your weight loss goal realistic? Aim low, for 5 pounds. Then reward yourself, (not with food), and then shoot for the next target of 10 pounds.

What are you eating? Write it down. This is a Weight Watcher's tool and it works when you use it!

Don't look for a quick weight loss diet! Those rarely work, and you will not keep the weight off! You'll be back to your old ways in no time and have learned nothing!

Try adding in water, at least 6 glasses a day. Water does aid in your weight loss efforts and flushes out your system of impurities, etc. Another Weight Watcher's tool!

Change your food habits by the way you cook and when eating out. Another Weight Watcher tip is to go for boiled or broiled, not fried, nothing creamed, or with heavy additives like gravies, or heavy meat sauces. These contain loads of fat and cholesterol!

Do some physical activity. Walking is best and burns many calories with just 20 minutes per day. You don't have to run a marathon!

Portion control is a big one. This is one of the big keywords in weight loss!

If you are not full enough, eat raw vegetables or soups to fill up. These have very few if any calories. One of my favorite munchies is cucumbers!

Benefits of Losing Your Weight

Losing weight does carry many benefits besides looking better. You will notice less body stress on your legs and hips, and as a result have more energy. Your blood sugar may come down quite a bit, and therefore you can lower your insulin or diabetes pill requirements!

Many people that are pre-diabetic have been able to avoid the actual onset of diabetes from weight loss. If you already have type 2 diabetes, then losing even 10-20 pounds may improve your blood sugar levels.

What is your Body Mass Index?

A lot of doctors today use the BMI to measure your body fat. This gives a good estimation of your total body fat. The BMi chart compares your height and weight together. For example:

BMI

Below 18.5 Underweight

Between 18.5-24.9 Healthy Weight

Between 25-29.9 Overweight

Over 30 Obesity

Look at the BMI chart to figure out where you are at and how much weight you need to lose. Knowing this will help you to set the correct goal for your weight loss journey.

Here's some helpful weight loss tools including a free printable weight loss journal. Go to this link:

On-line resource for the healthy weight loss programs and products that have proven to be most effective in helping people to lose weight and keep it off.