Diabetes Health: 10 Weight Management Myths

Maintaining your ideal weight is a centralized theme with any health condition, especially diabetes. 

Many healthcare professionals monitor your body mass index (a combination of your weight and height) to determine if you are at the appropriate weight for your age. Obesity and overweight occur when you take in more calories than your body uses. Several conditions (inadequate sleep, increased stress, lack of physical activity, medications, etc.) increase your risk of becoming obese or overweight. 

Extra weight can put people diagnosed with diabetes (PWD) at risk for multiple health issues, including high blood pressure and cholesterol and cardiovascular, skeletal, and renal issues. In addition, the more surface area there is, the harder your organs work to achieve and maintain harmony. There are many paths to weight loss (lifestyle changes, medications, and surgeries), and it's essential to dispel myths that can get in the way of you achieving and sustaining optimal health. 

10 Weight Management Myths

Here are ten myths that are often associated with weight management.

Medications and weight-loss surgeries are all I need to achieve long-term weight loss. 

External aids aren't cures. Sustainable health occurs when you get to the root cause of why you eat and live the way you do.

Weight loss is hard to achieve; everyone in my family is overweight. 

Habits form over time. A healthier pattern contains the same underlying principles--actions and thoughts. Inactivity can become activity. And healthy choices can replace unhealthy ones.

Weight loss takes forever. 

While the recommendation for weight loss is two lbs a week, research has shown that losing one to two pounds a week helps people sustain the weight loss.

I can choose someone else's plan to help me lose weight. 

What worked for one person may not work for someone else. Genetics, lifestyles, and daily activities play a role in weight management.

Missing meals will help me lose weight faster. 

Food provides energy for you throughout the day, just like a car needs fuel to run. In addition, eating balanced and consistent meals help maintain the balance between your blood sugar levels and insulin production.

Any diet will do. 

It's essential to remember before committing to any diet that the body requires certain minerals and vitamins to maintain the body's harmonic working conditions. For example, the brain prefers glucose for energy. Therefore, always discuss eating habits with your healthcare provider and other qualified professionals such as a registered dietician or certified diabetes educator.

I can stay on the same eating plan that helped me lose weight for the rest of my life. 

As you age, your body's nutritional requirements change—for example, the body's ability to absorb vitamin B12 decreases with age. Vitamin B12 is essential for healthy red blood cell formation and nervous system function. In addition, one of the risk factors associated with diabetes is diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage.

I can stay on the same activity plan for life. 

As you age, so do your body's joints and skeletal system, and your eyes may require less strenuous activities.

I cannot lose weight because everyone wants to invite me to their parties; the food is so tempting. 

Do not minimize your ability to control your mind and body. Food and others aren't the culprits. You can see temptation as an opportunity to express your innate ability to control your cravings.

The best time to lose weight is in the summer. 

While the weather is warmer and allows for various outdoor activities, winter, spring, and fall are opportunities to work on weight. These months are a great time to tap into your creativity skills. One exercise I do with my children to help decrease their health risk is Let's Dance, a game that incorporates various dances with upbeat music. You can also purchase a stationary bike, treadmill, or other physical activity equipment, walk in your house (including the basement and stairs) and incorporate chair and weight resistance activities. 

Here are 5 Exercises You Can Do At Home Today

Conclusion

When we transform our minds from weight loss to sustainable health, we move our minds and bodies in a harmonious direction. Always check with your healthcare professional before starting and stopping any eating or physical activity plan.