Type 2 Diabetes - Can Low Calorie Diets Help Diabetes?

Anyone diagnosed as having Type 2 diabetes is aware they need to eat sensibly, avoid fatty foods and excess carbs, and consume a balanced diet of the right amounts of protein, fruits and vegetables. As easy as that might sound in theory, it is often nearly impossible for many diabetics. As a result, some have resorted to simply limiting their caloric intake as a way of managing what they put into their bodies. But is a reduced calorie diet the way to go?

If a diabetic is overweight, it is typical for their doctor to put them on a reduced calorie diet so the diabetic can lose some of their excess weight, especially weight around the abdominal area known as belly fat. A specific type of belly fat, visceral fat, is the main culprit where insulin resistance is concerned. Since extra weight directly affects the severity of Type 2 diabetes, removing weight in the form of subcutaneous fat as well as visceral fat, can only help.

But some diabetics are taking measures to the extreme and implementing their own low calorie diets, consuming somewhere around 600 to 700 calories (2520 to 2940 kilojoules) per day.

In order to promote healthy weight loss: a typical calorie restriction will put a female at around 1,000 to 1,200 calories (4,200 to 5,040 kilojoules) per day, and a man between 1,200 and 1,600 (5,040 to 6,720 kilojoules). These plans accomplish two distinct purposes:

it forces a person to only eat balanced meals for fear they will not get enough food.it also forces their bodies to dig into fat storage to find the additional fuel their body needs.

If a diabetic follows a 700 calorie (2940 kilojoules) per day plan, they cannot afford to indulge in foods that are high in fat or carbs. If they do, their calorie or kilojoule limit will be reached before the end of the day and they will be persistently hungry.

Limiting calories can be safely accomplished if it is done correctly and the diabetic can still have plenty of food available to them. Even with the success of these plans, many diabetics simply don't, or won't, follow them because they lack the willpower to maintain them. These plans don't allow for cheating or indulging in unhealthy choices.

If a person with Type 2 diabetes follows a low calorie eating plan, they should make their selections based on the glycemic index. This ensures their calorie count remains low while still receiving the benefits of the right food choices as it pertains to Type 2 diabetes.

Before starting such a plan:

consult with your doctor to make sure that you are cleared to follow a low calorie diet. Even so, there will be an adjustment period as your body becomes acclimated to a different type of food.make sure that you set realistic goals in your weight loss.hold off exercising until your body becomes used to the reduced food intake.

All weight-loss diets require time, thought, and effort to learn and implement. If you aim for a particular number of calories each day, a knowledge of serving portions and the caloric values of foods give you all the information you need to plan your meals. As you plan you need to add these numbers until they reach 1200 calories (5040 kilojoules) per day or whatever goal you have developed with your dietitian or nutritionist. Then you need the discipline to shop correctly and stick with your eating plan!

Always use moderation and common sense in your diet.

To discover answers to questions you may be asking yourself about Type 2 Diabetes, click on this link... Natural Diabetes Treatments