In our research on Diabetes, some time ago we came across a great true or false quiz on Diabetes and weight loss. To help clear up a lot of the misinformation on Diabetes and weight loss, Diabetes experts were asked to identify the most common misconceptions about weight loss that they’ve heard from the patients they counsel.

The below quiz was then put together based on what these experts had to say. Ready to test your weight-loss smarts as they pertain to Diabetes? ... Great.

Here's what we ask you to do: Grab a sheet of paper and a pen, and number it from 1-10. Next, read each question below, and on the paper you just grabbed, write down your answer (true or false).

Now scroll down the page for the answers to each of the 10 questions, along with an easy-to-understand and informative explanation on each answer. We believe you'll not only enjoy this brief test of your diabetes knowledge when it comes to weight loss, but we also think you'll come away 'better informed' on the subject - We certainly did.

Ready to begin? Let's start...

1.) Drinking a glass of water during a meal reduces your appetite and helps you eat less.
A. True
B. False

2.) To lose weight and control blood sugar levels, people with Diabetes should adopt a zero-carbohydrate diet.
A. True
B. False

3.) By reducing calories and exercising, you can expect to see dramatic results quickly.
A. True
B. False

4.) Having Diabetes makes losing weight more difficult.
A. True
B. False

5.) A lot of people with Diabetes have a slow metabolism, making it almost impossible to lose weight.
A. True
B. False

6.) To lose weight and improve your blood sugar levels, you have to stop eating out, especially fast food.
A. True
B. False

7.) You don’t have to exercise to lose weight.
A. True
B. False

8.) Exercise can make you hungry, which can lead to overeating, especially if you have Diabetes.
A. True
B. False

9.) You may need to lose only 10 pounds or less to see a difference in your blood sugar levels.
A. True
B. False

10.) To lose weight, you must overhaul your diet.
A. True
B. False

Now, check your answers below...

Quiz Answers...

Question 1 - Drinking a glass of water during a meal reduces your appetite and helps you eat less.

The correct answer is - True.
Drinking a glass of water during your meal can help you feel fuller on fewer calories. "The water combines with your food, expanding the volume of food in your stomach and making you feel fuller faster," says Melinda S. Sothern, PhD, editor of Handbook of Pediatric Obesity (Taylor & Francis, 2006) and professor and director of health promotion at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

You also can fill up on fewer calories by eating watery foods, such as broth-based soups, vegetables, and fruits. These foods are low in calories and high in volume - so you feel fuller faster.

Question 2 - To lose weight and control blood sugar levels, people with Diabetes should adopt a zero-carbohydrate diet.

The correct answer is - False.
Carbohydrates do raise blood sugar, but eliminating carbs isn't the answer to healthy blood sugar levels. "People with diabetes can control their sugars and lose weight while eating a reasonable amount of carbohydrates," says Elizabeth Schaub, RD, a certified diabetes educator with Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano in Texas. "Eliminating carbs may even be harmful to your health," she says. That's because some low-carb diets are very high in saturated fat, which increases the risk of heart disease. Many of these diets also omit heart-healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains, which are good sources of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps stabilize blood sugar after meals by delaying the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. To help find a low-carb diet that's healthy and realistic, consult a dietitian or a certified diabetes educator.

Question 3 - By exercising or starting some sort of physical activity, you can expect to see results.

The correct answer is - True.  
Some people with Type 2 Diabetes who lose weight improve their health so dramatically that they can reduce the amount of medicine they're taking, says Steven G. Aldana, PhD, professor and lifestyle medicine researcher at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

Question 4 - Having Diabetes makes losing weight more difficult.

The correct answer is - True.
You may have a slightly more difficult time losing weight than someone without Diabetes. When your blood sugar fluctuates, Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can lead to extreme bouts of hunger. To raise your blood sugar, you need to eat, says Richard Weil, a certified Diabetes educator, exercise physiologist, and director of the New York Obesity Research Center Weight Loss Program at St. Luke's Hospital. The good news is that once you lose just a few pounds, your blood sugar levels are likely to improve. As a result, you may experience fewer episodes of low blood sugar, thus making it easier to follow a reduced-calorie diet.

Question 5 - A lot of people with Diabetes have a slow metabolism, making it almost impossible to lose weight.

The correct answer is - False.
Although you may think that your obesity runs in your family because everyone in your family is overweight and has Diabetes, it’s much more likely that you and your mother and grandfather all share similar lifestyle habits.

To help turn things around, keep a log. Track everything you eat and drink - including the nibble of grilled cheese or the sip of beer. Write down each exercise session as well, noting how long you exercised and the intensity (use a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being very easy and 10 being as hard as you can push yourself). This will help you spot ways to increase your exercise or decrease your calorie intake. Your doctor can help you review the results.

Question 6 - To lose weight and improve your blood sugar levels, you have to stop eating out, especially fast food.

The correct answer is - False.
Although it is more difficult to lose weight if you frequently eat out, you can still enjoy restaurants and drop pounds. "Any portion of food that's bigger than the palm of your hand is too big," says Schaub. Size up your food as soon as it arrives at the table. Slice off any portion larger than your palm and set it aside, preferably in an enclosed to-go container so you won’t be tempted to eat it. You can even eat fast food as long as you order "the right foods." Ask for nutrition information before you order.

Question 7 - You don’t have to exercise to lose weight.

The correct answer is - True.
You can lose weight without exercising - just consume fewer calories. But you probably won't keep the weight off for very long. "Exercise is the single best predictor of weight maintenance," says Weil. Exercise is particularly important for people with Type 2 Diabetes, because it makes muscle cells more sensitive to insulin, allowing more blood sugar into muscles and improving insulin action. All of which may result in less fat storage and less hunger.

Question 8 - Exercise can make you hungry, which can lead to overeating, especially if you have Diabetes.

The correct answer is - True & False.
Many people think that exercise in itself makes them hungrier, but other factors are usually at work. If you attend an exercise session after work, say - at 6 PM, you end up delaying your dinner. Because you've changed your routine and added an extra hour between lunch and dinner, you run the risk of low blood sugar levels, and low blood sugar levels will leave you feeling hungry.

Even if exercise doesn't disrupt your normal eating schedule, exercise can lead to low blood sugar levels, especially if you take insulin or certain Diabetes medications. You can help keep your blood sugar levels - and your appetite - in control with regular blood sugar tracking.

Test your blood sugar a half hour before exercise as well as afterward. It's important to understand what happens to your body during exercise. If your blood sugar drops below levels recommended by your doctor, follow his or her directions, such as taking glucose tablets. Always watch for symptoms of low blood sugar, such as shakiness, weakness, and confusion.

Question 9 - You may need to lose only 10 pounds or less to see a difference in your blood sugar levels.

The correct answer is - True.
Losing just 5% to 10% of your total weight (10 to 20 pounds for a 200-pound person) can improve blood sugar control, possibly enough to reduce your need for medication. This amount of weight loss may reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure as well.

Question 10 - To lose weight, you must overhaul your diet.

The correct answer is - False.
A dietary overhaul may help you lose weight quickly... However, you’ll increase your chances of losing all the weight you want - and keeping it off - if you make small, incremental changes, says Karmeen Kulkarni, RD, an advanced Diabetes manager and certified Diabetes educator in Salt Lake City, Utah.

If you have trouble coming up with small, reasonable changes, keep a food journal for a week, writing down everything you eat and drink. Then meet with a dietitian and go over your food journal, looking for small, doable switches.

So how did you do? What's really important, and what we hoped to achieve by sharing this quiz with you is, not how many answers you got right... But rather, did you gain anything from the quiz that will help you in your fight against Diabetes?   Back To Main Resource Page