What are the causes of weight gain?

There are many reasons why people gain weight when they begin with the insulin therapy. One theory is that one's metabolism slows down when blood sugars come under control. The additional weight can increase your cells' resistance to insulin and may therefore increase your need for medication, creating a vicious circle of increased weight and insulin resistance.
 
Although most of the patients realize that their weight can make a big difference in their diabetes control, they must be aware of the fact that losing weight won’t cure type 2-diabetes. However, it will bring glucose levels down. Weight loss of 10 to 20 pounds can be enough to improve diabetes control. The closer to normal the diabetics keep their glucose levels, the fewer complications they will have. What happens if the person is overweight and has diabetes? In people with Type 2 diabetes, who are usually overweight, the beta cells in the pancreases cannot produce enough insulin to maintain the balance.
Beside the fact that people with diabetes are more likely to be overweight, they are also at risk of having high blood pressure and high cholesterol. At least one out of every five overweight people has several metabolic problems at once, which can lead to serious complications like heart disease.

Weight loss for diabetics

Losing weight and keeping it off for good is definitely a real challenge for most people. That’s why it would be best if diabetic would start with some healthy meal plan as soon as possible. The best way is to decrease calories but still consume the foods you enjoy. It's important to remember that losing even a relatively small amount of weight can make a real improvement in reducing your risk of diabetes and other serious conditions.

Exercise

Exercise is also known as a beneficial factor in maintaining healthy glucose level. It doesn’t have to be some precise physical exercises - it may include anything that gets you moving, such as walking, dancing, or working in the yard. The fact is that when you're physically fit, you have the strength, flexibility, and endurance needed for your daily activities. Being physically active helps you feel better physically and mentally.

Counting Carbohydrates and Fiber

Carbohydrates are one of the major food categories, beside proteins and fats.

There are two types of carbohydrates:

1. Simple - sugars like glucose, sucrose, lactose and fructose. They are found in refined sugar and in fruits.
2. Complex- starches, which are the simple sugars bonded together chemically. They are found in beans, nuts, vegetables and whole grains. They are considered healthier mostly because they are digested slowly, providing a steady source of energy. They also contain valuable amounts of fiber.

Carbohydrates are mainly found in the following food groups:

• Fruit
• Milk and yogurt
• Bread, cereal, rice, pasta
• Starchy vegetables

Carbohydrate counting is a method of meal planning that is a simple way to keep track of the amount of total carbohydrate a person eats each day. What makest this plan so good? It allows you to eat what you want. Counting grams of carbohydrate and evenly distributing them at meals will help you control your blood glucose. With carbohydrate counting, you plan your carbohydrate intake based on what your pre-meal sugar is and your intake or insulin dose can be adjusted.
Fibers are also very important because diets high in fiber are associated with lower risks of obesity, hypertension, heart disease and strokes.
 
A number of special diets have been developed to reduce weight in diabetics and some studies suggest that replacing foods high in fats with low-fat complex carbohydrates may be more effective than calorie counting, particularly in maintaining weight loss.