Losing weight is important, primarily for diabetics. 95% of diabetics are overweight or obese. Abdominal fat is particularly dangerous as it acts like a separate body organ secreting compounds that interfere with the absorption of glucose into the many cells of the body.
Simply by losing a few extra pounds you can go a long way toward proper blood sugar control.
Of course losing weight isn’t that easy to do for many people. As you age you tend to add pounds and getting it off and keeping it off becomes a major challenge. Fad diets and many of the weight loss products being marketed simply don’t work as you are likely to lose it and gain it all back eventually. That’s great news for the proponents of the diet program, but not for you.
What you need to understand is that it takes more than eating less of the foods you love. The major barrier to losing weight rests with the diet you are currently consuming. It’s the kind of food we eat that contributes to weight gain. And the kind of food you eat is loaded with fat, sugar, chemicals and other unwholesome ingredients. You eat foods that are convenient. You eat on the run. You eat food that is highly processed. That kind of food transforms rapidly into blood sugar and causes dangerous spikes that ultimately damage the major organs of the body and deaden the delicate nerves in both the feet and eyes. It’s not how much you consume that’s important but what you consume!
Simply by switching from the typical highly processed food to a high fiber diet can help toward losing excess weight. High fiber foods take longer to digest and lead to a slower rise in blood sugar which the body can cope with. The trouble is that you don’t always have time to prepare a wholesome meal. But fresh fruit and vegetables have high fiber and that contributes to health.
Take a look at this list of food: Garlic; Spinach, Oats; Barley; Broccoli, Flax seed, Fish.
Chances are you are NOT eating any of these foods, yet they are among the healthiest foods you can consume. Fruits and vegetables are not high on the list of foods for children and adults alike. With our highly stressed lifestyle, you eat what’s convenient and eat too much of it.
If diet was all that mattered, you’d have an easier time to lose weight. But there are other factors besides just the right diet that plays a part on how successful you will be in shedding the pounds. Family history of obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and drinking habits, age and the type of drugs need to be addressed before you can safely lose weight.
In this article we are looking at weight loss through diet alone. This will help you lose some of those pounds. The first step to weight loss is to look at what foods you should avoid and what food you should replace them with. Hamburgers, fries and Coke only help you pack on extra pounds. Substituting these foods with a balanced meal of protein, high fiber carbohydrates and the right kind of fat such as omega-3 oils will make you feel full longer and curb those cravings that occur after a high calorie, low fiber meal. A fruit makes for a better snack than chips and a chocolate bar.
While your doctor may insist you lose weight, you need to keep in mind that many standard medications that you currently take can lead to weight gain. Except for metformin, other drugs used to treat diabetes help toward weight gain. Even insulin can leads to weight gain if you are overweight.
To be sure the best way to shed pounds is by taking an aggressive approach; switch your eating habits to include wholesome high fiber foods and get on a daily exercise regimen. Don’t expect to see a dramatic loss in your weight. It takes time to establish a routine diet. But perseverance is the key.
Eventually you will feel better, have more energy and find that you no longer crave or desire the food that has made you fat.
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The author has been a diabetic for over 9 years. Like many he experienced the symptoms. He has since tackled the disease by losing weight and normalizing his blood sugar through natural means. He has recently written an ebook on the right way to diet for diabetics. You can get a copy at: http://stores.lulu.colm/mrmagica
June 24, 2008 at 4:36 pm |
I agree with this sentiment and am an example of one of those people with diabetes and needing to loose weight. Weight loss is one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do beside quitting smoking, but 40 lbs. later the benefits are being felt. It’s good advice! Thanks for the great read!