Weight loss diet for diabetes type 2

Staying healthy if you have type 2 diabetes

A healthy diet and keeping active will help you manage your blood sugar level.

It'll also help you control your weight and generally feel better.

You can eat many types of foods

There's nothing you cannot eat if you have type 2 diabetes, but you'll have to limit certain foods.

You should:

  • eat a wide range of foods – including fruit, vegetables and some starchy foods like pasta
  • keep sugar, fat and salt to a minimum
  • eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day – do not skip meals

If you need to change your diet, it might be easier to make small changes every week.

Information about food can be found on these diabetes sites:

  • food for people with diabetes
  • tips on eating with your family and eating out
  • recipes for people with diabetes
  • food and nutrition message board

Important: Important

You should go for a regular diabetes check-up once a year to make sure your blood pressure and cholesterol (blood fats) are OK.

Help with changing your diet

If you find it hard to change your diet, a dietitian might be able to help.

Talk to your GP or diabetes nurse to see if the cost could be covered through the NHS.

Being active lowers your blood sugar level

Physical exercise helps lower your blood sugar level. You should aim for 2.5 hours of activity a week.

You can be active anywhere as long as what you're doing gets you out of breath.

This could be:

  • fast walking
  • climbing stairs
  • doing more strenuous housework or gardening

The charity Diabetes UK has tips on how to get active.

Your weight is important

Losing weight (if you're overweight) will make it easier for your body to lower your blood sugar level, and can improve your blood pressure and cholesterol.

To know whether you're overweight, work out your body mass index (BMI).

If you need to lose weight, it is recommended for most people to do it slowly over time. Aim for around 0.5 to 1kg a week.

The charity Diabetes UK has more information on healthy weight and weight loss.

There is evidence that eating a low-calorie diet (800 to 1,200 calories a day) on a short-term basis (around 12 weeks) can help with symptoms of type 2 diabetes. And some people have found that their symptoms go into remission.

A low-calorie diet is not safe or suitable for everyone with type 2 diabetes, such as people who need to take insulin. So it is important to get medical advice before going on this type of diet.

Diabetes UK has more information on low-calorie diets.

Page last reviewed: 18 August 2020
Next review due: 18 August 2023

Are you trying to lose weight while managing your diabetes? If you’re overweight, weight reduction can not only can improve your blood sugar levels, but can lower high blood pressure and heart disease risk and even the amount of medication you take, says dietitian Andrea Dunn, RD, LD, CDCES.

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But when you consider the best options for people with diabetes, it’s important not to go for a quick fix. For lasting success, focus on good nutrition and changes you can commit to long term.

Which diet is right for diabetes?

Many diets claim health benefits. But newer guidelines for people with type 2 diabetes say that there is not just ‘one’ diet for diabetes management – that a variety of eating styles can work. How do you choose what’s right for you? 

Before you decide to commit to a particular diet, here’s some tried-and-true tips:

  • Eat more non-starchy vegetables – things like broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Raw or cooked vegetables or salads – it’s hard to eat too many of this food group. Eat them at meals and for snacks.
  • Minimize added sugars and refined grains. Choose cereals and breads without added sugars or very low in added sugar, and drink water as your main beverage.
  • Choose whole foods over highly processed foods as much as possible. Look for whole grains over refined grains. Avoid or eat less from boxed mixes, breaded and deep fried foods, or those with heavy gravies and sauces.

There many diets out there that you can look to for weight loss. But our list highlights a few better diets, two you should approach with caution, and diets to avoid altogether if you have diabetes.

What is the best diet for people with diabetes?

Good diets offer well-rounded nutrition:

1. DASH. Created to help lower blood pressure (aptly named Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), the DASH diet goes well beyond that. It’s a well-rounded, healthy nutrition plan for everyone, not just if you have diabetes. DASH is rich in fruits, vegetables and grains, and low in fat, sugar and sodium.

For example, on a 1,600-calorie DASH plan, each day you would eat:

  • Six servings of grains (choose at least three that are whole).
  • Three to four servings of vegetables.
  • Four servings of fruit.
  • Two or three servings of dairy.
  • Six or fewer servings of meats (in this case, a serving is one ounce). Also, include about three portions of nuts, seeds and beans or lentils weekly.

2. Mediterranean. Not necessarily a “diet,” the Mediterranean diet is based on a style of eating of people in Greece, Southern France and Italy. This way of eating is high in vegetables, nuts and healthy fats. For instance, it recommends getting most of your calories from mostly whole grains, then fruits, vegetables and beans, and lastly, dairy.

You can eat some healthy fats such as those from avocados and olive oil every day. Eat sweets, eggs, poultry and fish only a few times each week, and red meat only a couple of times each month.

3. Plant-based. Most plant-based diet plans cut out or dramatically limit meat. A vegan diet cuts out meat and dairy. A vegetarian diet cuts meat, but allows foods like eggs and cheese. A flexitarian diet is mostly plant-based with some animal protein.

4. Heart-healthy, lower fat diet. This diet includes lean protein sources (including beans/lentils), at least half of your daily grains coming from whole grains, vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy choices. The total fat is about 30% calories from fat with saturated fat at 10% or less.

Diets used with caution for people with diabetes

“Extreme diets may put you at risk, depending on which diabetes medications you may be taking or if you have other medical issues in addition to the diabetes,” says Dunn.

Here are her suggestions of what to avoid.

1. Low or no-carb diets. Using insulin or taking a sulfonylurea and avoiding carbohydrates can put you at risk for low blood sugar. If you do want to follow this kind of diet, you should definitely check with your physician first.

“Depending on how low the carbohydrates are in the diet, your doctor may order
monthly lab work to rule out low potassium or magnesium or elevated lipids or uric acid levels,” says Dunn.

2. Intermittent fasting, extreme calorie reduction or skipping meals. Any diet that promotes fasting for long periods can cause low blood sugar. Even if you aren’t taking medication for your diabetes, it’s important to maintain consistent eating patterns for weight management and blood sugar control. Be aware of how much you eat at any one time to avoid spiking your blood sugar.

Any diet that encourages very low caloric intake (800 calories or fewer per day) can also increase the risk of low blood sugar and reduce muscle mass. This diet should also be supervised by a physician.

Dunn says steer clear of cleanses or over-the-counter diet pills not approved by the FDA. “Beware of too-good-to-be-true claims made about non-prescription pills and cleanses,” she says. These dietary supplements aren’t FDA-approved, so you don’t know what you’re getting. And, she says, some products may even harm your health or contain ingredients that can interact with your prescription diabetes medications.

“The most important thing to remember is that you should work with your doctor, registered dietitian or a certified diabetes educator to set up a healthy weight-management plan,” Dunn says. “They can help you make sure your diet is realistic and right for you — and that it will mesh well with your diabetes treatment plan.”

How can a Type 2 diabetic lose weight fast?

8 Steps for Weight Loss Success if You Have Type 2 Diabetes.
Set small and realistic goals. Losing the weight is one thing; keeping it off is another. ... .
Get active. ... .
Schedule your meals, including breakfast. ... .
Cut calories. ... .
Feast on fiber. ... .
Keep track of your goals and progress. ... .
Get support. ... .
Use tricks to prevent overeating..

What Can a Type 2 diabetic eat to lose weight?

If you have diabetes, focus on eating:.
lean protein..
high fiber, less processed carbs..
fruits and vegetables..
low fat dairy..
healthy vegetable-based fats, such as avocado, nuts, canola oil, or olive oil..

How much weight do I need to lose to reverse type 2 diabetes?

If you have obesity, your diabetes is more likely to go into remission if you lose a substantial amount of weight – 15kg (or 2 stone 5lbs) – as quickly and safely as possible following diagnosis. a lower risk of complications.

Do Type 2 diabetics struggle to lose weight?

And if you have type 2 diabetes, losing weight could even mean going into diabetes remission. But millions of people with diabetes find keeping to a healthy weight a huge struggle. You're not alone in this, there's support out there to help – a good first step is to ask your healthcare team for help and advice.