If you need insulin therapy, you are not necessarily fated to gain unwanted weight, although insulin and weight gain often go together. Let me tell you about ways to reduce or even avoid weight gain. Consider taking these steps.

Start by fully understanding how insulin therapy operates. To start with, insulin is a hormone that regulates your body cells' ability to process sugar (glucose) to use it as its main source of energy. When you eat, normally the pancreas pours insulin in your blood flow. This insulin allows sugar to enter your cells, and thus the amount of sugar in your blood goes down. This process does not function properly if you are diabetic. Instead of entering your cells, excess glucose increases in your blood. This excess may be eventually compensated by your kidneys excreting glucose in your urine.

SO WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN INSULIN AND WEIGHT GAIN ?

Weight gain is a common side effect for people undergoing the insulin method or treatment. The more insulin you use to control your glycemia level, the more glucose that gets into your cells and the less glucose that is poured into your urine. Glucose that your body cells do not use accumulates as fat. Ahaha ... !!

If you continue to eat as you did before, you will surely gain weight when starting to take insulin. The scenario is this: you do not take insulin, you eat more food than you need, you do not gain weight as much as expected because your body does not use the food properly. But in the meanwhile, what happens with your glycemia level, with your diabetes, and the complications that will arise in the short or in the long run?

Then you start taking insulin and all bets are off. You probably need less food than you think when your body uses food properly. The concern about insulin and weight gain must go beyond what you see in the mirror. Excess weight can make your body resistant to insulin, i.e. you may need to take even more insulin to get sugar into your cells. So it is crucial to avoid weight gain while taking insulin.

BUT, IS IT POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE THAT?

Of course! You may sometimes feel as if the scale is tipped against you, but the truth is that your weight is within your control. Including physical activity and eating healthy foods in your daily routine is the best way to prevent unwanted weight gain. Consuming fewer calories is the surefire way to prevent weight gain, so count calories. It does not have to be so hard. Stock the house with vegetables, whole grains and fruits.

Look for easy ways to cut calories as well. Skip second helpings, trim your portion sizes and now and then substitute water for high-calorie drinks.

IF POSSIBLE, CONSULT A DOCTOR OR A DIETITIAN

Consult a registered dietitian or doctor for creating a meal plan that fits your needs. Skipping meals may save you many calories, but there is more to the story. To start with, eat breakfast. Your metabolism slows down when you skip meals, which in turn promotes weight gain. Instead, distribute your calorie intake throughout the day to stabilize your metabolism.

INCREASE YOUR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Physical activity helps move sugar from the blood stream into the cells. The more active you are, the more calories you will burn and the lower your glycemia will be. Tray to save 30 minutes of your daily routine for physical activity. Start a walking team with your family members or co-workers. Work out with a fitness ball or hand weights during your favorite TV show. Use the stairs when possible. Remember that any physical activity may count.

Some diabetes medications including metformin (Fortamet, Glucophage, others), exenatide (Byetta) and pramlintide (Symlin) may promote weight loss and allow you to reduce your insulin dosage. So please ask your doctor about these medications. If he agrees, one of these medications could be an appropriate part of your diabetes treatment.

DO NOT SKIP OR SHORTCHANGE YOUR INSULIN TREATMENT

Resist the temptation to skip or shortchange your insulin to ward off weight gain. Take your insulin as directed by your doctor. The risk involved is serious if you take less insulin than you need, although you might shed pounds quickly. Your glycemia will rise without enough insulin, and your risk of diabetes complications will rise as well.

Changing your lifestyle to keep the pounds off can be a bit hard, a long term commitment, but no doubt the rewards are real. Make healthy lifestyle choices starting today!