“How can I lose weight if I havediabetes?”

By going on a GLP-1 receptor agonist.

For overweight patients losing extra pounds is the key to successful diabetes management. Certain medications prescribed for diabetes, such as insulin, may promote weight gain and paradoxically frustrate our efforts to optimize glucose control efficiently. The key to weight loss and glucose control in diabetes is the proper timing of meals. Breakfast and lunch should be generous with dinner being served early with few calories. The benefits of this meal plan become evident when checking the morning (fasting) blood glucose, which drops to normal (or near normal) levels. Weight drops as well.

That is a great question. Losing weight will significantly improve your diabetes and your provider may be able to reduce the amount of medications you are taking. Losing weight with Type 2 diabetes has become much easier since the introduction of GLP-1 agonists as treatment. This medications work so well in helping with weight loss that they are also used also solely for weight control. Please ask your provider if this is an option for you. We have several commercial names including Victoza, Ozempic.

Rocio Salas-Whalen, M.D.

There are few medications approved for diabetes which have favorable effects on appetite and caloric balance. Their use, if indicated may help lose weight if you follow a proper diet.

It’s a great challenge yet many people have been very successful a pound at a time. In my practice consistency and carbohydrate reduction in addition to physical activity is a way to start. I would make sure you don’t have any other hormonally mediated problems that contribute to obesity ex. Cortisol oversecretion.

Many patients and many doctors don't realize that diabetics lose weight four times slower than people without diabetes. It usually requires medication to lose weight (not weight loss medications) but pre diabetic medication

The simple answer here is eat less & exercise more. But it is not so simple. Diet & exercise are very important & should be a part of the program but other factors may also be in play. I do not know what meds you are taking but some of them do encourage wt. gain. Talk to your Dr. about that. A good med for you might be a GLP1. These drugs are injectable but usually depress appetite & cause wt. loss. Talk to your Dr. about going on one of this class of drugs. There are several with different injection patterns-2x/d, daily, or weekly. There are also wt. loss drugs available now that might help. The answer to the question "will wt. loss help the diabetes" is yes it will. The more overwt you are the more insulin resistant you become and the more meds you need. Some of the meds can stimulate appetite so you eat more & gain wt & need more meds. So 1) diet & follow it-see a dietician 2) set up a daily exercise program-The YMCA is a good place to start-but follow the program 3) talk to your Dr. about meds that fascilitate wt. loss particularly GLP1 drugs. Good Luck.