Controlling Calories—The Simple Approach

One, Two

    Count my food.

Three, Four

    Exercise more.

Five, Six

    Small meals I fix.

Seven, Eight

    Now how’s my weight?

Nine, Ten

    Start again.

(Apologies to Mother Goose)

Counting—everyone in today’s health-conscious society is doing it, from calories to fat, from carbohydrates to fiber, from servings to portion sizes. When trying to match insulin with a food’s expected effect on blood glucose, counting plays an important role in the overall theme of portion control.

Controlling portions is important whether one is trying to establish consistency in the foods consumed or trying to match insulin doses with a food’s expected blood glucose influence. Portion control is also a key element in weight management, and awareness of portion sizes can be the difference between gaining, maintaining, or losing weight.

There is also evidence suggesting that moderate intentional weight loss, through the correct use of portion control, reduces mortality in type 2 diabetes.1 This increased life span results from improved insulin sensitivity and glycemic control.2 This finding clearly supports the notion that medical nutrition therapy is a powerful tool in overall diabetes management.

Nutrition and exercise are the cornerstones of successful diabetes therapy. The American Diabetes Association3 recommends that the composition of meal plans for people with diabetes be based on an individualized nutritional assessment taking into account the individual’s desired outcomes. Consequently, meal plans can now be designed to fit the person, instead of the person trying to fit a predetermined meal plan.

Still, most patients still identify food as the single largest challenge in balancing all the elements of diabetes therapy. Additionally, misinformation, long-standing habits, and cultural preferences toward food selection and physical activity may hinder patients’ achievement of their health goals.4

Because people with diabetes face many challenges, offering a …