In the three years since Maria Ibarra was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, she's lost 35kg. “I’m still looking to lose the last 20,” says the Sacramento, California, resident.
At 1.65 cm inches she weighed 120 kg but is now at 85 kg Thanks to her healthier diet and new exercise routine, Ibarra, 40, says she was able to better control her blood sugar and reduce her need for diabetes medications, even before she had significant weight loss.  
People with diabetes who have even a small weight loss can see many benefits, says Deborah Greenwood, PhD, RN, president of the American Association of Diabetes Educators and a program coordinator and diabetes clinical nurse specialist at the Sutter Health Integrated Diabetes Education Network in Sacramento.
Losing weight can help you better manage your blood sugar, says Greenwood. Weight loss can also help reduce your risk for potential diabetes complications, including stroke and heart disease. And that’s important because the risk of stroke and heart disease is more than two times greater in people with diabetes than it is in those who don't have the disease, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.
Adopting Healthier Habits
Ibarra says she was inspired to change her diet after she went to Greenwood for advice about how to lower her A1C, which shows how well you control your diabetes over time. Although people will have different A1C targets depending on their diabetes history and overall health, the National Institutes of Health recommends keeping your level below 7 to help reduce your risk of complications from diabetes. At the time, Ibarra’s A1C was at 7.7.
Greenwood enrolled Ibarra in a study about the use of paired testing (testing before and after meals) and self-monitoring to help people better manage their blood sugar. Greenwood’s study was published in February 2015 in the American Journal of Nursing.
“Checking my blood sugar before and two hours after eating brought it all together for me,” Ibarra says. “Before, I didn’t really know what my blood sugar levels meant, and I didn’t see how what I ate affected me.”
By keeping records, she discovered that she manages blood sugar better when she has her carbs for breakfast rather than at dinner. Also, she found that eating small meals with some protein every two hours helps her ward off hunger and stick to the healthy eating plan that Greenwood helped design.
Ibarra’s advice to others trying to stick to a healthy eating plan: Don’t give up your favorite foods -- just learn how to make them healthier. Greenwood, for instance, showed her how she could still have tortillas and rice by eating smaller portions and adding in more vegetables.
To help speed her weight loss, Ibarra also began walking. “Now I try to aim for 10,000 steps a day,” she says. She also participates in at least one 5K walk a month and other similar challenges.
“I try to add little things here and there,” she says. When Ibarra first started doing these events, she typically came in last. Now she’s at the front of the pack.
Making Changes That Last
Hispanics are at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes than non-Hispanic Caucasians, according to the American Diabetes Association. Being Hispanic, Ibarra was aware of the risk, and she now worries about her teenage daughters someday facing the same struggles. She hopes they learn from her example and see how she's been able to change her life and gain control of the condition.
Ibarra still tests her blood sugar two to three times a week. She not only looks better but also says she feels better. And she has lowered her A1C level to 6.
“I don’t have the highs and lows of blood sugar,” she says. And she doesn’t consider what she’s doing “dieting.” It’s more of a lifestyle, she says — and that’s why she’s hopeful she can live well this way for the rest of her life.