Diabetes Weight Management
According to the American Diabetes Association, almost 90 percent of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight. Obesity is also a leading risk factor in the development of diabetes. Being overweight or obese with a sedentary lifestyle can greatly inhibit your body’s ability to produce and use insulin, the hormone that helps glucose leave your blood and enter your cells. Keeping a healthy weight is an important element in the management of the disease.

DCI offers a weight management program that focuses on taking control of your diabetes. Our Weight Management Program is personalized to your needs in a friendly, comfortable environment. At our Institute, registered dietitians are also certified diabetes educators, and will create a weight program designed specifically for you.

Weight management can help you take control of your diabetes and improve your health in a number of ways, such as:

Lowering your blood sugar
Increasing your insulin sensitivity
Lowering your cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides
Lowering your risk for heart disease
Lowering your blood pressure
Improving your self-esteem
Losing weight for a more fit and healthy body image

To begin DCI’s Weight Management Program, you need a strong motivation to lose weight. Weight loss requires not only a change in diet, but also a change in lifestyle. It is suggested that you stay in the program for at least six months for weight loss maintenance. After scheduling an appointment, you will meet with a dietitian, who is also a certified diabetes educator, for an initial nutrition consultation. If you plan to file with your insurance for the initial visit, you must have a physician’s referral and a prescription. Otherwise, you may start the program without a referral.

DCI’s Weight Management Program is designed for people diagnosed with diabetes, endocrine disorders, pre-diabetes, or metabolic syndrome. The Diabetes Care Institute also offers an exercise program that complements the weight management program. The exercise program and weight management program may be utilized separately or as a combined program. There are twelve 30-minute group nutrition sessions which meet every other week. These sessions include:

The basics of eating healthy
Estimating portion sizes
Food and its effect on blood glucose
Planning meals away from home
Lowering fat and sugar in your favorite recipes
Learning the facts about nutrition labels
Planning snacks for activities
Calories spent with various exercises
Changing eating behaviors
Eating foods that are low in fat or low in carbs
Adding fiber to your meals
Keeping a food diary

You will attend one nutrition class every other week at the Diabetes Care Institute. The opposite weeks will be your weight analysis sessions, at which we will track your progress and offer you supportive ideas and suggestions. The focus is about eating food groups found in your home with emphasis on examining calories, fat, and carbohydrates depending on your initial assessment.

The Weight Management Program is just one part of DCI’s multi-disciplinary approach to help you take control of your health. For more information, call the Diabetes Care Institute at (813) 615-7262.

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