Worth the Weight…Loss

The Struggle of Weight Loss

Weight loss is more than just a $70 billion industry in the U.S. For someone diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, weight loss is very important. It is all part of a recommended regimen of necessary changes. These changes are a part of a plan to control insulin levels, giving control back to the patient.

Battling insulin deficiencies means a patient needs to, not only unlearn their bad habits, but also learn new ways to manage their diet, add exercise and chip away at their weight while striving to keep it off.

Unfortunately, people with diabetes receive mixed messages about dieting. The messages range from the best approaches to following a weight loss diet plan and setting realistic weight loss goals.

As a result, people succumb to folklore that stems from myths rather than medical facts. Instead of getting the facts about their diagnosis and medically supported activities that help they entertain fallacies. Some of these myths include eating too much sugar is the cause of diabetes, that diabetic patients can’t eat sweets or chocolate and that those diagnosed with the illness are more prone to colds and other illnesses among other things.

Dispelling these myths associated with weight loss and a diabetic diagnosis is difficult. Thankfully CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare hosts our very own nutrition expert at the CHRISTUS St. Mary’s and CHRISTUS Point of Light Clinics.

Communication, Diet and Exercise

Enter our very own Teresa Rivera.

Rivera is the Educational Nutritionist charged with answering the weight loss dilemma that our clients face.

To that end Rivera developed a plan that has been proven to help slough the extra pounds and keep them off. Clients have been raving about her success and reporting astounding results.

In most cases Rivera sees patients who have already been established as having issues with managing their weight in light of their diabetic diagnosis.

“Sometimes patients with diabetes struggle with weight loss,” said Rivera. “At the initial 30-minute consult I cover the illness and what it is, how it affects their body and the possible complications. Then I provide them with food logs for two weeks that we revise their diet over the two weeks and check their sugar and weight.”

Rivera has had outstanding results since the implementation of her programming for diet, exercise and communication.