Weight Management & Type 2 Diabetes

Weight management

85% of people with type 2 Diabetes are over-

weight .Carrying extra weight, particularly around

your middle can make it more difficult to control

your blood glucose levels (insulin resistance).

Losing weight (if overweight ) can be difficult, but

it is one of the most beneficial things you can do

to help improve your diabetes control as well as

your overall health.

Benefits of a 10% weight loss

• Improve blood glucose control

• Reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular dis-

ease (blood pressure & cholesterol)

• Improved mobility

• Improved mood linked to positive lifestyle

changes

• Slow disease progression / progression of med-

ication

What is a healthy weight?

Healthcare professionals sometimes use an

equation to help assess if someone is a healthy

weight for their height . Being overweight/ obese

can make your diabetes harder to control and

increases risks of long term complications such

as heart attacks and stroke.

Try having a go at working out your BMI from

the graph below!

How do I lose weight

Weight gain happens when we take in more calories

than our body needs. Weight loss can be achieved

through reducing our calorie intake. Losing weight

can be challenging, but it is important to focus on

specific goals that are realistic and achievable.

We also need to be ‘ready’ to make changes in order

for our adopted way of eating to be sustainable.

Currently there are lots of ‘fad’ diets around, where

people can lose a lot of weight in a short space of

time. However this is not a ‘healthy’ way to lose

weight, they are often nutritionally unbalanced and

you are likely to regain the weight lost as these diets

are often difficult to sustain.

Research has shown that a steady weight loss of

around 0.5-2lb per week is a safe weight loss and

you are less likely to regain the weight lost. You are

likely to lose 1-2lb per week by reducing your calorie

intake by around 500 calories per day.

Is there another way to monitor weight loss?

Weighing yourself isn't the only way you can assess

weight loss, measuring around your waist is another

useful tool to identify if you’re carrying too much

weight around your stomach. Carrying too much

weight in this area can make it harder to control your

diabetes and increases the risks of developing can-

cer, heart disease and stroke.

Regardless of your height or body mass index (BMI),

you should try to lose weight if your waist is:

94cm (37in) or more for men

80cm (31.5in) or more for women

You're at very high risk of some serious health condi-

tions and should see a GP if your waist is:

102cm (40in) or more for men

88cm (34.5in) or more for women

For men of African Caribbean, South Asian, Chinese and Japa-nese origin, a waist circumference below 90cm (35.4in) is low risk, and more than that is ‘very high risk’

For women from these groups, below 80cm (31.5in) is low risk, and anything above is very high risk.

Physical Activity

Most adults should be doing some form of ‘physical activ-

ity’ on a daily basis, aiming for 150 minutes of moderate

physical activity per week. Being active results in burning

calories which can promote weight loss, can help control

your blood glucose levels and lower your blood pressure.

Physical activity should be within your limitations and can

be as simple as getting off a bus stop earlier, armchair

exercises, gardening or moving around your home more.

Remember the more we move the more calories we

burn… Here’s some ideas how to burn off 100 calories.

Balancing your meals

When it comes to mealtimes, its important that we get the

balance right! To promote weight loss you should aim to

fill half of your plate with salad / vegetables as these are

low in calories and full of fibre to keep you full! Aim for a

quarter to be from a lean protein source such as chicken

(skin removed), fish, eggs, pulses and the remaining

quarter from carbohydrates, preferably the higher fibre

options eg. potatoes with skins on, a wholemeal roll,

brown rice and pasta.

Fats (Daily maximum: 70g for women & 90g for men)

Fats are an essential part of the diet as they provide us

with essential fatty acids and absorb fat soluble vitamins.

Although we need some fat, we should limit the amount

eaten as it contains a lot of calories and too much can

lead to weight gain. It is also important to opt for

‘healthier’ unsaturated fat’s where possible rather than

saturated and trans fats.

Activity Time

Stair climbing 9 minutes

Jogging slowly 12 minutes

Gardening 20 minutes

Walking / Cleaning / Cycling / shopping

25 minutes

Ironing 50 minutes

Saturated fat: Found mainly in animal products such as butter, meat, lard, cheese and cream. Can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase risk of heart disease

Unsaturated fat: Found in plant foods such as nuts, seeds, avocado and can help lower cholesterol lev-els.

Trans fats: In baked commercial goods and takea-ways.

Simple swaps: When following a healthy balanced

diet we should not feel deprived! We can still enjoy

our favourite meals but make these healthier by

‘tweaking’ a few things, such as cooking method,

reducing portion sizes or adding extra vegetables

A cooked breakfast. Foods

are fried, high fat sausages,

fat left on meat, thick spread-

ing of butter (80g of fat / 16

teaspoons)

Swap to ……..

A ‘healthier’ cooked breakfast.

Food grilled / poached, vege-

tarian sausages, visible fat

trimmed from bacon, no butter

on toast (beans on top), added

vegetables (15g fat/ 3 spoons)

Summary

There is no such thing as a ‘diabetic diet’ nor is there a ‘quick fix’ solution to help lose weight. Fur-thermore no food should be forbidden, all food is ok but in moderation. To help control our weight we should aim to do the following:

Avoid skipping meals, especially breakfast

Eat a variety of fruit and vegetables (be mind-ful of portion/frequency of fruit), 1 portion is approx. 80g / palm sized amount

Choose fibre rich foods like wholegrains/ beans /lentils brown rice and pasta to help keep us fuller for longer which can help re-duce snacking

Ensure we are properly hydrated

Learn to read food labels

Limit fat intake and choose healthier fats

Fill 1/2 our plate with vegetables, 1/4 carbo-hydrate & 1/4 protein

Increase physical activity

Avoid excessive alcohol; no more than 14 units per week and limit high calorie alcoholic drinks such as lager, cider and cocktails

A saving of 65g fat (13 spoons)just in 1 meal!