If your blood sugar levels are high there is one way that without fail will help your control your blood sugar better.
In two words – lose weight.
And while most people have tried so many different things, there are usually 3 simple steps that any successful weight loss plan must take. And even if you have type 2 diabete this is no different.
Diabetes Weight Loss – 3 Steps
Here are the 3 steps:
1. Go to the gym.
You can take baby steps. You don’t have to go in and become a professional bodybuilder.
Remember, you didn’t gain all the weight overnight and you won’t lose it overnight. It’s a process. But small steps daily is the key.
2. Change your diet.
Reduce your protion size is the first step. Prepare better meals which have fruits and vegetables with each meal. Focus on leans meats also.
Find a diabetes cookbook or recipes that are easier on your blood sugar.
Swap out unhealthy foods and snacks with healthy ones, slowly.
3. Start taking action.
Nothing happens until you mentally prepare for it to happen. And this is no exception. So start first in your mind seeing your success. Then it is a matter of executing a plan daily. And you’ll want to jot down your progress in a journal.
What to do when you DO go to the gym…
Here are some simple ways to get active using strength training.
Go to the gym and target the following major muscle groups:
- Shoulders – Barbell, dumbbell or machine shoulder or upright press.
- chest (Barbell bench press, dumbbell bench press or machine bench press)
- Legs (Squats, lunges, machine leg press)
- Back (Pullups, Lateral machine pulldowns, Rows with barbell or machines)
- Core – abdominals, leg raises, and crunches
- Arms – tricep pressdown machine, overhead dumbbell extensions or dips (machine assisted or parrallel bar)
Building muscle is the best way to lose weight and keep it off AND control your blood sugar. Muscles burn more calories at rest and use more energy which leads to weight loss.
There are 2 ways to go about resistance or muscle building training. First, you can do a circuit which means you go from one exercise to the next. Or two, you can work on each exercise, completing a certain number of sets before going to the next exercise.
I recommend you hire a personal trainer or a professional who can help you if you’re just getting started.