Pre-diabetes & Healthy Weight Loss

This week I received following question from Foodpicker.org

I was recently diagnosed with pre-diabetes and was prescribed medication.  I have been following a diet to lose weight but unfortunately in the past few weeks, I have actually gained a few pounds.  When I was eating whatever I wanted without the medication, I stayed the same weight.  In the past, I have exercised at least 3 days a week but after a year of doing this I only lost about 10 pounds.  Do you have any suggestions? 

First thing - Talk to your physician about your concerns. Some blood sugar controlling medication may lead to weight gain. Your physician can check if it is medication or anything medically going on. He or she might make some recommendations and change medicine or dosage if required.

Whether you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, it is vital to maintain blood sugar levels. Losing weight, healthy eating and regular exercise are important factors which can make huge difference in managing blood sugar and weight loss. Practice ACTIVE LIVING: INSIDE and OUT, inside by choosing what you put in your mouth and outside by increasing daily activity. Get started with this simple but effective steps. 

EAT HEALTHY

• Eat small frequent meals - plan to eat healthy small meals every 3 hours. It helps to burn fat and controls hunger pangs
• Understand portion sizes - Learn the ideal serving sizes for foods you eat, it is smart way to keep manage calorie intake and counting carbohydrates in case of diabetes.

• Plan your meal using Healthy Plate method - use your plate to control portion sizes and achieve healthy balance of all nutrients. Visually divide plate into half. Now again divide one half into two. So now you have 3 sections on your plate.

o  Fill 1/2 plate (largest section) with non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, lettuce, greens, cabbage, bok choy, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes,mushrooms, peppers, turnip,vegetable juice, salsa, onion, cucumber, beets, okra,

o   Fill 1/4 plate (one of the small sections) with starchy foods such as whole grain breads (whole wheat or rye), whole grain, high-fiber cereal, cooked cereals (oatmeal, grits, hominy or cream of wheat), rice, pasta, dal, tortillas,cooked beans and peas - lima, pinto beans or black-eyed peas,potatoes, green peas, corn, sweet potatoes, winter squash,low-fat crackers, pretzels, low-fat or baked snack chips and fat-free popcorn

o   Fill rest of 1/4 plate (other small section) with meat or meat substitutes such as  chicken or turkey without the skin, fish - tuna, salmon, cod, or catfish, seafood - shrimp, clams, oysters, crab, or mussels, lean cuts of beef and pork such as sirloin or pork loin, eggs, low-fat cheese or plant based proteins such as soy, tofu, lentils, sprouted beans

o  Add an 8 oz glass of non-fat or low-fat milk or other dairy substitutes like light yogurt or low-fat cheese AND add a piece of fruit or a 1/2 cup fruit salad or 1/2 cup fruit juice to complete your healthy meal

• Chose healthy fats - olive oil, nuts, avocados, flaxseed, soybeans
• Include high fiber foods - whole grains like rye, barley and oats, fruits and vegetables, legumes, brown rice, cereals, wheat bread
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. Try ice water. Drinking a glass (8 oz) of ice-water burns about 9 times more calorie than glass of water at room temperature
• Keep a Journal - Record everything you eat. It will give you insight into your eating habits and lose weight.

THINK HEALTHY

• Shop and prepare low-fat, low-glycemic, low-sodium meals
• Read food labels to chose healthy food over unhealthy foods. Learn how to use nutrition information on food labels - Know Food labels
• Redesign your pantry, refrigerator and freezer to support healthy eating. 

MOVE MORE
Eating is only half the journey in weight loss. Getting regular physical activity will boost up the calories you burn and helps you to achieve or maintain healthy weight. If exercise is not already a part of your regular routine below are some suggestions to get you started on journey of active life style. 

• Before starting gym first head to your physician for "exercise prescription"
• Find the activity you enjoy - walking, bicycling, swimming or golfing
• Start slowly and gradually work to get 30 minutes of activity most of the days
• Everyday household activity counts too - mowing lawn with hand mower, washing car or windows by hand, shoveling snow, gardening, vigorous house cleaning 
• Add motion to your regular routine - walk while talking on mobile phone, using stairs instead of elevator, parking car farther away, using cooler or restroom at far end
• As you get more fit aim for 60-90 minutes of physical activity most of the days to manage weight for long term. 

For more information on healthier way of living and create healthy habits visit Take shape for life

"Motivation is what gets you started, Habit is what keeps you going."

"Go into something and stay with it until you like it and obtain expertise in that work. And once you are an expert, it's becomes a pleasure" ~ Milton Garland