Counting Calories

It's all about calories when losing diabetic weight.

One pound of body weight equals 3,500 calories. So for every pound you need to take off, you'll have to burn 3,500 more calories than you take in.

That means an average of 500 calories a day above the calories you take in are needed to make a pound of progress.

To get started, look at what you eat, find the higher calorie foods you consume and drop one or two from your diet. Deleting that morning donut (about 300 calories) or that daily soda (about 200 calories) will give you a 500 calorie per day reduction.

Other tips to consider:

• Choose lower calorie foods (see the USDA Food Pyramid)
• Reduce portion sizes – split one meal into two
• Check food labels – watch out for hidden sugars, fats or other high calorie ingredients
• Don't clean your plate. It may be your mother's advice, but it's time to cut back

Controlling calorie intake is the first step in any diabetic diet. Counting calories is a great first step.