Lose weight to control your diabetes: 4 tips for success

On of the best ways to control diabetes is to adopt a healthier lifestyle and lose weight. Here are four tips to help you get started.

When you decide it's time to lose weight and get your diabetes under control, you'll want to weigh yourself consistently and accurately. That doesn't mean stepping on the scale four times a day. Some things to consider:

• Weigh yourself in the morning. Your baseline weight is most accurately determined first thing in the morning, after you've used the toilet but before you've eaten or dressed.
• Don't weigh yourself more than once a day. Weight can fluctuate by as much as 2.3 kilograms (five pounds) during the course of a day. Use that morning reading so you don't get frustrated if a later reading seems to make your progress evaporate.
• Expect progress to vary. Clinical experience suggests that after four to five weeks of steady losses, your weight might rise slightly. Don't be discouraged by these periodic gains as your metabolism adjusts — they're normal. Keep your eyes on the big picture: If the overall weight trend is down, you're succeeding. Keep in mind that if you've started exercising more, you may be adding muscle, which weighs more than fat. While your clothes may begin to fit better and your pants button more easily, you may not notice much weight loss right away. Be patient; the muscle tissue you're adding will speed your metabolism and ultimately help you lose more weight.

Breakfast is critical because research shows that people who start the day with a well-balanced meal do better at controlling blood sugar and losing weight. The best breakfasts contain significant amounts of fibre, which slows digestion, helps you feel full on fewer calories and slows the rise of blood sugar after a meal. Try one of these:

• 250 grams (1 cup) oatmeal; 50 grams (1/4 cup) of dried cranberries or 125 grams (1/2 cup) strawberries; 125 ml (1/2 cup) fat-free milk.
• 250 grams (1 cup) sugar-free, fat-free yogurt topped with 15 millilitres (1 tablespoon) high-fibre bran cereal; 125 grams (1/2 cup) fresh berries, melon or mixed fruit.
• 2 slices whole wheat toast topped with 30 millilitres (2 tablespoons) chunky peanut butter; 1 medium banana.

You don't have to set aside an hour for a workout in order to be more active. All it takes is a commitment of five minutes — long enough for a quick walk. Just putting one foot in front of the other gets you in the habit of moving. You could, for example:

• Walk a child to the bus stop.
• Enter the mall farthest from your destination.
• Go to the corner mailbox instead of putting mail in your own mailbox.

The link between TV viewing and weight is striking. A recent Australian study found that people who watched TV for more than two and a half hours a day were twice as likely to be overweight than people who watched for less than an hour. And the average Canadian watches almost four hours of TV a day!

• To cut down on your tube time, check the schedule and decide ahead of time what you want to see and watch only that. Then use that extra time for more active pursuits.

Take control of your diabetes and lose weight with these simple tips. For further information, be sure to contact your doctor.