What Are the Best Low Carb Diets for Diabetics to Lose Weight?

Many people simply severely cut back their eating when they want to lose weight. Although this is not the recommended method for dieting, it can be effective, at least in the short term. Diabetics, however, are limited in how much they can cut back on their eating if they want to keep their blood sugar readings under control. When a diabetic wants to lose weight there are other, healthier options to choose from.

Mayo Clinic Diet

The Mayo Clinic proposes a weight loss plan that incorporates healthy eating and low glycemic carbohydrates. Watching portion size, eating small meals and snacks throughout the day and incorporating exercise are all parts of the diet. As a diabetic, you need to maintain as level a blood sugar reading as possible throughout the day. You can still diet through the Mayo Clinic plan by eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and few foods with refined sugars or processed carbohydrates, like white pasta.

South Beach

The South Beach Diet was invented by a cardiologist; its foundation is to control blood sugar and, therefore, hunger. The diet is a three-phase program, with the first two phases designed for weight loss. The third phase is designed for lifetime maintenance. The induction phase places severe restrictions on your dietary intake and is based mainly on lean proteins and some vegetables. The South Beach Diet cookbook has recipes for all three phases of the diet. Phase II moves complex carbohydrates, fruits and dairy products back into the picture, stressing low fat choices and lean meats. The carbohydrates include sweet potatoes and brown rice–instead of the high-glycemic potatoes and white rice.
Once you are in phase III you are in maintenance and should use this phase as a lifetime lifestyle change.
The basic approach to South Beach is not to eat white food, with the exception of cauliflower and not to eat refined sugar. These are basic tips for diabetic nutrition as well, making South Beach a popular choice for diabetic weight loss.

Glycemic Impact Diet

The glycemic diet is a good plan for diabetics, because a core value of the program is to maintain constant healthy blood sugar readings through what you eat and how often you eat. The diet is founded in the belief that 40 percent of calories should be derived from complex carbohydrates that have not been refined. This includes a concentration on whole fruits and whole grains instead of fruit juices and white bread. The diet also promotes getting 30 percent of your daily calories from healthy fat. This can include lean fish and chicken, the occasional lean pork or beef dish and avocados. The final 30 percent comes from dairy products. This diet, however, stresses the use of low-fat products, instead of whole-fat products. This diet controls your blood sugar within acceptable ranges, making it a good choice for diabetic weight loss.