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The BeatingDiabetes.org weight management program is NOT a one-time weight loss program. It is designed to help you manage your weight FOR THE LONG HAUL. That's right. THE LONG HAUL. We'll show you how to lose weight and then keep that weight off using the same program.
We'll also show you how to balance your energy smoothly throughout the entire day while controlling your food intake, which is the key to long-term weight management. If you follow our program, you should lose weight, keep it off, and you'll FEEL GREAT!
Our program is a very simple one that is designed around the following principles:
- Instead of three large meals, eat five smaller meals a day.
- Develop a diet that 1) gives you a smooth flow of energy throughout the day, and 2) is based upon sound nutritional principles. To this end, we STRONGLY recommemd reading Ultrametabolism by Dr. Mark Hyman. For more info on it Click Here.
- Never starve yourself. Eat small, healthy snacks when you’re hungry.
- Start your day with a healthy meal. It will get you off to a good start, and set up your entire day.
- Follow the diet for six days a week. The seventh day is free. Eat what you like in any amounts, although since you’re a diabetic or prediabetic, you should follow basic diabetic principles.
- We recommend using meal replacement nutritional shakes to lose, maintain or gain weight because they are easy to use, and give you balanced nutrition with a minimum amount of calories, but well-prepared meals work well too.
- Lunches can be taken with you to work, but also can be eaten out at places like Subway.
- Mid-morning and mid-afternoon meals can be kept with you at work, as long as you have access to a refrigerator. If not, you’ll have to make a few adjustments.
- ALWAYS drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. You can cut out the coffee, soft drinks, and every other kind of drink, but NEVER forget to drink water. It is critical that you cleanse your system daily.
We invite you to download our detailed diet program, including a day-by-day recommended diet, as either a Word or PDF file:
Download the Diet Program - PDF File
Download the Diet Program - Word File
Start Your Day With A Nutritious Meal
The single most important part of our program, in our opinion, is to start your day with a nutritious meal. As a diabetic or prediabetic, you've got to get away from rushing out the door without eating, or just having coffee and some pastry (bagel, muffin, english muffin, or equivalent). We like a good nutritional shake because of its convenience and controlled nutrition, but egg whites, a sliced tomato, and multi-grain toast also works, as does oatmeal or any high protein or low glycemic-index meal. To read more about nutritional shakes, click here.
Instead of feeling starved by mid-morning or weird because the bagel or muffin has too much sugar, you’ll feel like you’re living a life of cool jazz. Your energy level will stay constant and upbeat. If you need your morning coffee, that’s fine, but lose the donut, bagel or other carb monster. And better than coffee, switch to a good herbal tea.
Mid-Day Snack and Lunch
After starting your day smoothly with upbeat energy, it's much easier to have a mid-day snack. Instead of watching the clock every 15 minutes to see when it's "OK" for your mid-morning meal, you eat when you get hungry. It happens naturally. Snacks include apples or other fruit, stone wheat crackers, mozzarella sticks, sugar-free yogurt, or almost any healthy food you want. The snack is up to you. If you want, you can also add a protein drink to the mix or just have another another meal replacement nutritional shake.
Good Meal: What do we mean by a good meal? Basically, it's a healthy meal. It can range from a salad and sandwich (go light on the bread) to a small dish with meat and vegetables. We suggest avoiding the high glycemic index carbs like french fried potatoes and rice, and don't do out and get a finger-lickin', juicy fast-food burger.
To understand better what foods work and which ones don't, we STRONGLY suggest getting the Performance Diet Pro software program, which is based upon the glycemic index. The software lets you build healthy meal plans, and also has a listing of where almost every food imaginable falls on the glycemic index. It is a great resource tool to help you with proper eating.
Easing On Into Dinner
Just as starting your day with a healthy meal sets up your mid-morning and lunch, eating a healthy lunch sets up your mid-afternoon and dinner. If you're trying to lose weight, your choice of lunch sets up the rest of the day. If you have your good meal at lunch, you snack when you're hungry in the afternoon and have another meal or a nutritional shake for dinner. If you have a shake for lunch, you eat your colorful meal at dinner. Either way, the strategy of small snacks and meal replacement shakes should keep your energy level smooth for the entire day.
Avoid the Magic Pill Syndrome
Many people who come to our site are looking for the magic pill that will let them shed dozens of pounds with no work on their part. Such a pill DOES NOT EXIST. Don't believe anyone who tells you differently. In order to lose weight and control your diabetes or avoid it, you first have to develop sound nutritional habits. You also should exercise. After establishing sound nutritional habits, you can take advantage of well-planned nutritional supplements, which do just what they say: supplement.
For more information on our diet program, download our diet program, which has a day-by-day recommended diet, as either a Word or PDF file:
Download the Diet Program - PDF File
Download the Diet Program - Word File
Finally, please talk to your PERSONAL COACH and/or join our Self-help Groups. The more you communicate with people who can help you, the better you will feel.
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