Obese and diabetes – Looking for a diet plan for blood sugar control? New findings might help…

For individuals with type 2 diabetes, achieving a healthy weight is a crucial goal to manage the condition effectively. Recent research has shed light on the most effective dieting strategy for people with this metabolic disorder.

A randomized controlled study compared time-restricted eating and traditional calorie counting, revealing that time-restricted eating may yield superior results in terms of weight loss.

Managing Type 2 Diabetes through Diet

“Many people find counting calories very hard to stick to in the long term, but our study shows that watching the clock may offer a simple way to decrease calories and lose weight,” added Vicky Pavlou, RDN, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Chicago who performed the new research.

“Although time-restricted eating is becoming increasingly popular, no other studies have looked at an eight-hour eating window in people with type 2 diabetes.”

Nutrition Strategies for Type 2 Diabetes

The study, conducted by researchers led by Professor Krista Varady from the University of Illinois at Chicago, focused on 75 racially and ethnically diverse individuals aged 18 to 80 years, all diagnosed with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The participants were divided into three groups: time-restricted eating, calorie restriction, and a control group.

The time-restricted eating group was allowed to eat only between the hours of noon and 8 p.m., while the calorie-restriction group was free to eat throughout the day but had to track their caloric intake using the MyFitnessPal mobile app, aiming for a 25% reduction in their maintenance calories, which are the calories needed to maintain their current weight.

The control group continued with their regular diet.

Time-Restricted Eating for Type 2 Diabetes

The results showed that participants in the time-restricted eating group experienced a significant reduction in body weight, losing 3.55% of their body weight compared to the control group. For instance, a person weighing 275 pounds could lose nearly 10 pounds.

Type 2 Diabetes and Calorie Counting

In contrast, the calorie restriction group did not exhibit any meaningful weight loss relative to the control group.

Both dieting strategies resulted in comparable improvements in blood sugar levels (HbA1C), with reductions observed in both the time-restricted eating group (-0.91%) and the calorie-restriction group (-0.95%).

Intermittent Fasting for Diabetics?

While time-restricted eating demonstrated promising results in weight loss, it did not meet the 5% threshold typically required to achieve improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors.

Additionally, it’s essential to consider that the study participants were taking medications for cholesterol and blood pressure, making it challenging to observe significant changes in cardiometabolic risk factors.

Time-restricted eating has been studied previously for people with obesity, but this research specifically investigated its potential benefits for those with type 2 diabetes. The findings provide a simple and potentially more sustainable approach compared to traditional calorie counting, as many individuals find it challenging to maintain a strict calorie-counting regimen over the long term.

Best Diet for Diabetes and Weight Loss

However, it is essential for individuals with type 2 diabetes to work closely with a dietitian or doctor before adopting this dieting approach.

This is particularly important because various types of medications used to manage diabetes can interact differently with dietary changes, some requiring food consumption to prevent low blood sugar levels.

In conclusion, the findings of the study suggest “that time-restricted eating can be a good alternative for those with type 2 diabetes who want to lose weight and improve their blood sugar,” remarked Pavlou.

“However, there are multiple types of medications for those with type 2 diabetes, some of which can cause low blood sugar and some that need to be taken with food. Therefore, it is important to work closely with a dietitian or doctor when implementing this dieting approach.”

Image Credit: Shutterstock