Why Is It Tough To Lose Weight When You Have Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition in which the body’s ability to produce the insulin hormone reduces or gets impaired.

This results in abnormal metabolism control of carbohydrates and high levels of glucose in the blood.

Table of Contents

• What is diabetes?
• How diabetes affects our body?
• The Link between Diabetes and Weight
• Type 1 Diabetes
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Problems associated with Type 1 Diabetes
• The Problems associated with Type 2 diabetes
• Reasons for difficulty in Weight loss
• Why it is necessary to lose weight for Type 2 patients
• Losing weight with Type 2 Diabetes- Diet
• The Physical Exercise Best Remedy 

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition in which the body’s ability to produce the insulin hormone reduces or gets impaired. This results in abnormal metabolism control of carbohydrates and high levels of glucose in the blood.

High sugar levels in the blood can give birth to many other diseases.

How diabetes affects our body?

It is a serious condition, and that can affect the function of our body adversely. The excess of sugar in the blood can affect the blood vessels and cause some complications.

It can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and in some cases, it can even lead to heart attack and stroke.

The Link between Diabetes and Weight

People who have diabetes often find it difficult to lose weight. Even if they are on a strict diet and eat healthily, it is no less than a challenge to lose weight with diabetes.

The problem with the inability to lose weight is directly associated with the type of diabetes you have. In 90 percent of the cases, people who have the Type 2 diabetes condition face this problem. Whereas people who have Type 1 diabetes condition constitute only 5 to 10 percent of the cases.

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the immune system of the body attacks the cells in the pancreas that are responsible for producing insulin.

As a result, there is a lack of insulin in the body, and it causes high blood sugar which is dangerous for the body and causes damage.

If it is not treated, it can result in eye problem, kidney damage, and problems with blood circulation.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is more serious than type 1 and more commonly found in people these days.

It is a life-long disease and the glucose levels in our body rise to a level which is higher than normal. In such case, the body is unable to use the insulin properly (insulin resistance).

The Problems associated with Type 1 Diabetes

Insulin therapy is used to treat this problem and this therapy can result in weight gain.

According to a research study conducted in the UK to understand the mechanism, it was found that 70 percent of weight gain was associated with insulin-related calorie storage

. If the body intakes more insulin than the body needs, it can result in weight gain.

The Problems associated with Type 2 diabetes

People who are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes already face weight-related issues. Around 80 percent of the people with Type 2 diabetes fall under the category of obese or overweight category.

The resistance to the insulin causes the pancreas to secrete more insulin than needed to compensate. This leads to high levels of insulin. This dangerous combination of excess insulin and insulin resistance can make it difficult to lose weight.

Reasons for difficulty in Weight loss

1. High Insulin

In easy terms, insulin is basically a fat storing hormone. Insulin helps to break glucose and send it to the cells.

However, in the case of diabetic patients body becomes resistant to insulin and it is not able to effectively move it out of the blood. This results in high blood sugar levels.

2. Wrong Eating Patterns

If you eat a smaller proportion of meals throughout the day, this can increase the calorie intake. However, this can backfire and leave you hungry at all times.

It is important to choose the right kind of food without carbohydrates in them. This will help you in controlling your sugar levels.

3. Medications

There are certain medications which are prescribed to the type 2 patients. A major side effect of this is that it can result in weight gain. It stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin, which means more fat storage and then weight gain.

Why it is necessary to lose weight for Type 2 patients

Overweight can be caused because of the calories needed to treat type 2 diabetes. The type of food you eat should be strictly charted by an expert and then followed.

If the body is carrying excess weight, it increases the resistance to insulin. This makes it difficult to manage the blood sugar.

Losing weight will help you to manage diabetes in a better way. It will do your body good and keep you on the healthier side. We know that shedding extra kilos is even more difficult in the type 2 condition, yet it is not impossible.

Losing weight with Type 2 Diabetes- Diet

One of the important factors to control Type 2 diabetes is through diet. If you eat a diet which is rich in nutrients, there is no chance that you cannot lose weight.

a) Protein-rich diet

Eat a protein-rich diet. If you include protein such as chicken, fish, cottage cheese, and food items rich in omega 3 fats, it will benefit you in the long-run.

b) Nuts

In order to control the rate of metabolism, nuts should be included in the diet. One should include almonds in their diet as they contain magnesium which is good for sugar patients.

c) Diabetes and Fruits

Eating fruits won’t disturb your sugar levels as it is good for health. Fresh fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals and will help you in controlling your sugar.

Physical Exercise

The best remedy for Type 1 and Type 2 patients

There is no doubt that physical exercise can help you fight this condition in the best way. Physical activity is recommended by researchers for people having both types of conditions.

While it may be difficult to lose weight for the type 2 patients due to insulin resistance, if you start living a healthy lifestyle there is no doubt you cannot lose weight. Here are some exercises that you co do to shed those extra kilos.

1) Walking

The easiest thing that you can do is walking. A good pair of shoes and the earphones are all you need. Especially if you are a type 2 patient, walking is the best activity to lose weight.

Doing brisk walking will increase your heart rate and in turn, it will be beneficial for your body.

2) Weight Training

While people may think that weight training may do them no good, but it is not true. The benefits of weight training are many. It helps to build muscle mass.

Doing weight training at least twice a week can help you manage your diabetes. Doing different types of lifting and muscle exercise will build strength in you.

3) Tai Chi

It basically involves the movement of body parts in slow motion and in a relaxed manner for 30 minutes. It is an ideal exercise for those having diabetes. a good combination of both fitness as well as stress reduction.

Not only that, it also improves balance and helps in reducing nerve damage. Doing Tai Chi along with some other light exercises will help you reduce weight in no time.

4) Yoga

Can help you in many ways to fight diabetes. It can help you in reducing body fat, insulin resistance, and even improves nerve function. It is also a great diabetic stress reducer. Stress levels have a direct relation with sugar levels. Increased stress levels mean increased blood sugar levels.

Yoga is the simplest thing to perform and does not even require any equipment. There are no restrictions on the number of days you can do yoga.

5) Swimming

Swimming is a good aerobic exercise and an ideal activity for people with type 2 diabetes. It is less stressful as it puts less pressure on the feet as compared to walking or jogging.

It is seen that diabetes reduce the blood flow towards small blood vessels and lose sensation in the feet as a result of it.therefore recommended that people with this should avoid any kind of foot injuries as even minor cuts take a lot of time to heal. This increases the chance of getting an infection.

One can easily find special shoes in the market that are specially designed for use in the pool. It helps the feet from getting scraped and reduces the risk from slipping.

6) Cycling

It is an excellent aerobic exercise and makes your heart and lungs stronger. One can either choose a stationary cycle so that they can cycle anytime in the comfort of the home or choose a normal bicycle and enjoy the outside view.

Cycling also helps in increasing the blood flow to the legs and helps the diabetes patients in losing weight in a great way.

Conclusion

Diabetes can be a life-threatening disease. It is better to tackle it with good care and medications rather than facing its consequences later.

It may be difficult to reduce weight initially because of the side effects associated with it. But if a person tries and incorporates healthy eating habits and physical exercise, there is no chance they won’t be able to reduce weight.

After all, nothing can be accomplished without putting efforts and aiming for the goal.

Talk to our expert Possible Nutritionist for more information and guidance. The first consultation is on us. Click here to avail.