Introduction:
Being overweight increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, It can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol and high blood glucose levels, A person begins to feel better when he/she loses some kilograms of weight by healthy eating and exercise, he/she will also be full of energy, which makes managing diabetes easier, The key to losing weight is simply finding the right combination of exercise, healthy foods and controlling the amount.
Steps to lose weight:
- Reducing calories and fat.
- Maintaining physical activity most days of the week.
- Eating breakfast daily.
- Do body weight at least once a week.
- Watching less than 10 hours of TV per week.
- Do not order a delivery of unhealthy food.
- Cook food at home to control calories.
It's easy to make healthy changes by taking small steps instead of making them all at once, setting realistic goals within an appropriate time frame.
Pre- and post-exercise eating tips for weight loss:
It is important to ensure that you do not consume extra calories that the body does not need, this means trying to time meals or snacks around the time of exercise; to avoid eating extra snacks for exercise, you can take into consideration:
- Exercising on an empty stomach can help burn more body fat for energy.
- When eating right before exercise, the body will first use newly consumed calories for energy through exercise, but when exercising about 3 to 4 hours after the last time the food was eaten, the body is better able to burn fat for energy.
- Glucose levels should be checked to make sure you are within the safe range to do the exercise (100 to 180 mg / dL).
- If you want to eat before exercising, choose a snack.
- If exercising on an empty stomach is not appropriate, consuming extra calories can be avoided simply by timing the exercise immediately after a snack.
Pre-Exercise Eating Type:
Often it is recommended to combine the carbohydrate source with the protein source, some examples include:
- Fruit + protein (ex: apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter and berries and a few slices of turkey or nuts)
- Starch + Protein (e.g., whole grain crisp cereal, cheese or 1/2 sandwich)
- Light yogurt.
- It may be desirable to have a light snack of vegetables with cheese hummus.
Type of Post-Exercise Eating:
It is important to have a meal (or protein shake) within an hour after exercise, as types of exercise that may require a drink or protein meal after exercise include:
- Weightlifting.
- Endurance training (e.g., long-distance running or cycling)
- An intense exercise for more than 60 minutes.
- High-intensity competitive sports (e.g., football or tennis).
When you do not eat a large meal or protein shake after high-intensity exercise, it leads to:
- Depriving muscles of the amino acids that need to rebuild and recover.
- Lack of muscle glycogen regeneration, which can lead to further muscle breakdown.
- Feeling hungry after a few hours, and likely eating a hearty meal.
Intensive exercise requires adequate energy, as eating every three to four hours throughout the day and eating after exercise is an important part of body support.
Meals, Insulin Needs and Exercise:
When taking insulin at meal time or any other medications that can cause hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level), so plan the meals timing and exercise, for example when eating a meal and taking the full dose of insulin, exercise in the next three hours can lead to hypoglycemia (low blood glucose level), because exercise makes muscles use glucose in the bloodstream faster, which means taking less insulin to control blood glucose levels after eating a meal.
General Guidelines Before and During Exercise:
- Be sure to check your blood glucose level before exercising.
- Carrying fast-acting carbohydrates (e.g., glucose tablets, candy, or juice).
- Talk to your doctor about adjusting your insulin doses or other medications to prevent hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels) during and after exercise.