Individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) often hear from medical professionals that they should drop pounds for quite a lot of reasons—from the flexibility to have higher blood glucose levels (BGLs) to with the ability to qualify for surgery. Often the guidelines for weight reduction are simply to maneuver more and eat less. But how are you going to do this when you possibly can’t move easily? And what about lifestyle or behavior change? It seems that the main focus ought to be on greater than just the size relating to weight management.

Regardless that there’s more to health than weight, the rationale why so many medical professionals prescribe weight reduction is since it has been found to affect health, affecting measures like BGLs and decreasing the danger of cardiovascular events. 

Nevertheless, it’s a well known indisputable fact that weight reduction is tough to attain. There are a pair theories about what our bodies do this makes reducing weight difficult. 

Why weight management is difficult

It goes without saying that reducing weight isn’t easy, and there’s a very good reason for that. In line with the set point theory, our bodies have a predetermined weight in our DNA, affecting how much it changes from baseline. The speculation also states that bodies have a regulatory system that maintains our weight. Even when weight goes up or down, it should eventually return to baseline. Some researchers imagine that weight increases despite having a set point since the system stops working as effectively while leptin and insulin resistance develop. 

When people do attempt to drop pounds, bodies fight it by putting measures in place, reminiscent of slowing down metabolism and increasing cravings. 

One other weight-related theory exists called the “settling point” model. This concept states that weight is impacted by multiple factor—it’s a mixture of environmental and biological elements. 

Ultimately, these are theories and more research must be done. Nevertheless, whether or not movement is proscribed, taking a big-picture approach and specializing in behavior change can impact weight and other areas of health, including higher BGLs and gastrointestinal function.

Deal with behavior change

Behavior change means you’re implementing actions that take the main focus solely off the size while also benefiting your health. It’s vital to make changes which are sustainable, so try to not do an excessive amount of directly or implement behaviors that you just won’t proceed long-term. 

Improve sleep

Sleep impacts weight for several reasons. Lack of sleep affects hormone levels related to hunger by increasing ghrelin, which brings about feelings of hunger, and decreasing leptin, which makes you’re feeling full. Having low energy also makes it more prone to eat foods higher in calories, sugar and fat to be able to increase energy levels. 

Listen to nutrients

Ensuring to incorporate protein, fat and fiber in your eating pattern can impact your weight. Protein-containing foods, fat-containing options and fiber-containing foods all result in increased satiety. 

Foods with protein include:

Fat-containing options include:

Foods with fiber include:

• Fruits
• Veggies
• Whole grains

Plus, these nutrients take longer to digest, which decreases the likelihood of getting spikes in BGLs. This implies you’re less prone to feel hungry or low on energy attributable to hyperglycemia or high BGLs.

Drink enough water

We all know that water plays a job in overall health, from increasing energy to stopping constipation. But, it also impacts weight by increasing satiety and metabolism. 

So how much water must you be drinking? How much water you wish is individualized. Drinking water throughout the day, especially whenever you’re thirsty or experiencing other symptoms of dehydration like headache or difficulty concentrating, can make sure you meet your body’s needs.

Practice mindful eating

This can be a way of eating that involves mindfulness so you possibly can pay full attention to your cravings and physical cues when eating. Mindful eating includes eating slowly without distractions, listening to and honoring hunger and fullness cues, practicing gratitude on your food and noticing how food impacts your feelings and body. Studies have shown that eating mindfully may also help with weight reduction by changing eating behaviors and decreasing stress. 

While weight reduction isn’t easy, especially when movement is proscribed, there are different areas to give attention to for health. Getting quality sleep, eating quite a lot of foods that provide different nutrients, staying hydrated and eating mindfully can profit blood glucose levels, stress levels and the number on the size. 

In the event you are searching for support as you navigate managing type 2 diabetes and weight, consider joining the Beyond Type 2 Community!

Editor’s Note: This content was made possible with support from Lilly, an lively partner of Beyond Type 2 on the time of publication.