How does weight loss help prediabetes?
If you’re carrying extra weight, losing just a few pounds can help you reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and help you manage prediabetes or even reverse prediabetes.
That’s because losing weight can help reduce levels of hidden fat in the liver and pancreas. This can get these organs working properly again and to manage your blood sugar levels, to help them return to a normal range.
How much weight should I lose?
We know it can be very difficult to lose weight.
If you're living with overweight or obesity, even small amounts of weight loss – between 1% to 9% of your body weight can help insulin work better to manage blood sugar levels.
Example:
If you're 75kg (just under 12 stone) a weight loss of between 1% and 9% of your body weight is between 0.75kg (one and a half pounds) and 6.75kg (around one stone).
Getting the right support can help you lose weight.
If you’ve been a healthy weight and have gained weight as you’ve got older, even if your Body Mass Index, or BMI, is still within a healthy weight range it may be heavier than is healthy for you, and this can cause your blood sugar levels to rise. So you may want to lose these extra pounds.
If your BMI is in the underweight category, losing more weight is not safe and will not help you manage prediabetes or prevent type 2 diabetes. It is important you speak to your GP as you may be malnourished. They will be able to examine the underlying cause and provide any necessary treatment and support.
What’s the best way to lose weight?
There is no set way to lose weight. We know the most effective diet is a safe diet that you can stick to. It is much easier to lose weight if you have the right support. If you're thinking of changing your diet or losing weight, please speak to your GP first.
For some people, our healthy eating tips can be easily adapted to help you lose weight.
But if you want more guidance on what to eat day to day, check out our popular 7-day meal plans below. Although they’ve been developed for people with diabetes by our clinical team, they are just as useful for people with prediabetes or at risk of type 2 diabetes.
As a general guide, government recommendations are that men need around 2,500 kcal a day to maintain a healthy weight, and women need around 2,000 kcal a day. The eating plans below contain fewer calories which should help you lose weight.
They are nutritionally balanced, and make sure you have the fibre, vitamins and minerals your body needs. They help you eat at least five fruit and veg and cater for all budgets. Please note that these meal plans are not suitable for pregnant women or people who want to gain weight.
- Mediterranean meal planner (1,500 to 1,800 calories a day)
- Low-carb planner (1,600 to 1,800 calories a day)
- Reduced calorie diet plans:
1,500 calories a day meal plan for men and women
1,200 calories a day meal plan for women
1,200 calories a day meal plan for women (vegetarian)
1,500 calories a day meal plan for men and women (vegetarian)
1,800 calories a day meal plan for men
1,800 calories a day meal plan for men (vegetarian)
1,700 to 1,900 calories a day meal plan (vegan)
2,000 calories (around) a day (Family of four meal planner)
1,800 to 2,000 calories a day (Budget meal planner)
Can exercise help me lose weight?
Exercise plays an important role in helping you keep any weight you have lost off and can help preserve muscles mass whilst you lose weight.
Exercise also has other health benefits including helping your body make insulin work better to manage blood sugar levels.
We know that if you’re finding it hard to get a good quality night's sleep, this can increase your appetite. Exercise can also help you sleep better. See our tips on improving sleep quality.
If there is a lot going on in your life, it may not be the right time for you to lose weight. If that’s the case for you, come back to this page when you’re ready.
If losing weight is not possible for you, a combination of being more physically active – and small changes to what you eat, has also been show to help prevent type 2 diabetes.
Getting support to lose weight
If you have prediabetes, or have had gestational diabetes, you should be offered a place on a type 2 prevention course if one is available where you live.
This should include advice and support if you have weight to lose on topics such as regular eating and understanding triggers for overeating. If you eat when you’re not hungry, sometimes called emotional eating, see our tips to help you.
To help you on your weight loss journey, some people may be eligible for weight loss medication. Speak to your GP for more advice.
Resources to help with weight loss
Download our weight loss planner (13 languages)
Plan your weight loss, set goals and your motivations and chart your progress. Weight loss planner (English) (PDF, 521KB).
Our weight loss planner is also available in Arabic, Bengali, French, Gujarati, Polish, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Tamil, Traditional Chinese, Urdu and Welsh. You'll find it in your language at the back of our Understanding your type 2 diabetes risk booklet, which you can download.
Speak to our helpline
We’re here to answer your questions, advise or chat things through. Call us on 0345 123 2399 to speak to one of our trained advisors, or email us at helpline@diabetes.org.uk.
If you’d like to speak in a language other than English, if you provide your name, phone number, and preferred language. We’ll arrange for an interpreter to call you back within a few minutes.
Online NHS BMI tool
This tool helps you find out what weight category you're in, known as your BMI (body mass index) and what is a healthy weight for your height and ethnicity is. It will also take you to a link where you can check if your waist measurement is a healthy size. You can be a healthy weight but have an unhealthy waist size.
Download our healthy eating tips for prediabetes and to lower type 2 risk PDF (655KB) to print or share.
Learn from others on our forum
You’ll find a warm welcome on our support forum where people share their practical tips on what’s worked for them, in a safe environment.
Chat with your pharmacist
Your local pharmacist can often provide advice and resources for dietary changes, physical activity and weight management. This may include signposting to the available NHS digital apps which can support you with any changes you make to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.
