How to Lose Weight and Balance Your Blood Sugar
By Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Losing weight and getting blood sugar under control often go hand in hand. In fact, many of the risk factors for overweight and obesity also contribute to insulin resistance. It can be discouraging to see numbers on the scale or in lab results go up, but there are a lot of realistic strategies you can implement to get back on track.
This article highlights three of the most tried-and-true tips for dropping excess weight and improving blood sugar measures at the same time.
1 – Eat more protein and fiber.
It’s not news to anyone that getting enough protein can be helpful for weight loss. Protein boosts satiety, helping you feel full between meals and contributing to reduced cravings. It also builds and maintains muscle mass, keeping your metabolism in tip top shape while improving blood sugar control. In particular, eating a source of protein with carbohydrates acts as a buffer that decreases the blood sugar response to carbs.
Fiber-rich foods provide related benefits. By slowing down digestion, they prevent fast spikes in blood sugar. Research has also found a link between high-fiber eating patterns and weight loss.
2 – Cut back on processed carbohydrates.
While increasing your intake of fiber-rich carbohydrates is beneficial for weight loss and blood sugar, cutting back on less healthy carbs is also important. Highly processed carbohydrates that have been refined in ways that remove most of the fiber can lead to quick increases in blood sugar. Without that filling fiber, they’re also easy to overeat. That’s why indulging in too many of these foods can hinder weight loss efforts and worsen blood sugar measures.
Examples of refined carbohydrates include white bread, pasta, sugary cereals, cookies, cakes, sugar-sweetened beverages, candies, donuts, pretzels, and crackers. Limit these foods to special occasions, and pair them with protein and healthy fat to blunt the blood sugar response when you do eat them.
3 – Incorporate strength training.
Just as important as maintaining muscle with sufficient protein intake is staying in shape with regular strength training. Engaging each group of muscles in strengthening exercises at least twice a week is key to building and preserving muscle mass. Muscle helps your body efficiently burn calories and assists in blood sugar uptake and release. In fact, studies suggest low muscle mass is associated with worse blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes.
Examples of strength training include bicep curls, triceps extension, overhead presses, squats, lunges, and even push-ups. Aim for sets of 12 to 15 repetitions for a total of 20 to 30 minutes, twice a week.
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