How should you set a goal weight? RD and diabetes educator Jill Weisenberger explains
Jill Weisenberger, registered dietitian and diabetes educator and author of the book Diabetes Weight Loss: Week by Week: A Safe, Effective Method for Losing Weight and Improving Your Health
and I talk about setting a goal weight. (To watch the video, scroll to the bottom or click here.)
| Neily: | So Jill, A lot of people who have type 2 diabetes are often overweight. I imagine you must deal with individuals for weight loss. |
| Jill: | Right. I do. Whether they have diabetes or not, there are a lot of people interested in weight loss now. |
| Neily: | Exactly. So talking about setting goals, for weight loss, what would you….. |
| Jill: | Like a weight loss goal, like how much to lose…. |
| Neily: | Yes. |
| Jill: | That’s a question I get a lot actually, how much weight should I lose? And I don’t like to answer that question because it’s a very personal thing. I can throw out a number but is that something that is meaningful to that person who wants to lose weight? So I try not to answer that question, but I can recommend. One of the things that I tell people is that any amount of weight loss matters even if just a couple of pounds. |
| Neily: | Exactly. |
| Jill: | So we can start with just a few pounds or we might look at about 10 percent of the body weight. So someone who weighs 200 pounds, 10 percent would be 20 pounds. That’s not such a huge goal that it seems unattainable but it’s enough that they have to really work at it—change their eating habits, develop new habits and the benefit is huge. For somebody who is in the early stages of insulin resistance or early stages of type 2 diabetes, that amount of weight loss can help. So maybe they can get by with less medication. Or maybe do not need an increase in medication for several more years. It reduces the risk of cancer and high blood pressure, it lowers cholesterol level. So it’s just a small amount—I suggest people just start with 10 percent. |
| Neily: | Yes. Even 5 percent is helpful. And it’s better to lose some weight and keep it off than… |
| Jill: | Putting it back on… |
| Neily: | Exactly |
| Jill: | It’s not a race. The winner is the one that keeps it off—not the one that loses it. |
| Neily: | There you go. Fantastic. Thanks for watching Neily on Nutrition. Jill can be reached at www.JillWeisenberger.com |
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