Photo Credit loss weight image by gajatz from Fotolia.com Small amounts of weight loss, losing as little as 10 lbs., can have a significant impact on blood sugar and health, according to the Obesity Society. A good weight loss plan for people with diabetes should include a variety of healthy foods while providing guidelines on how to control overall intake. Consult with a physician before staring any weight loss plan.

The key to losing weight and keeping it off is eating fewer calories than the body needs and finding a diet plan that can be followed for life. The diabetes exchange diet is a calorie and carbohydrate-controlled meal planning tool for diabetics. It teaches people with diabetes how to control intake and make healthy food choices to aid in blood sugar control and promote a healthy weight. The diabetes exchange diet divides foods into groups based on similarities in calorie, carbohydrate, fat and protein content, including starches, fruits, milks, meats, vegetables and fats. A person with diabetes is allowed to eat a certain number of servings, or exchanges, from each food group each day based on calorie needs for weight loss. A doctor or dietitian can help determine calories and exchanges needed for weight loss. Foods can be exchanged for one another within each food group. For example, 1 cup of skim milk can be exchanged for 1 container of nonfat sugar-free yogurt.

The primary goal of the diabetes food guide pyramid is to teach people with diabetes how to make healthy food choices. But it can also be used as a weight loss tool. It is is similar to the old U.S. Department of Agriculture's food guide pyramid with some modifications specific for diabetes meal management. Foods are divided up into groups based on similarities in nutrient content, including grains and starches, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, meat and meat substitutes, milk and fats and sweets. The pyramid offers serving suggestions from each food group. For weight loss, people with diabetes should choose the lower range of serving suggestions.

Create your plate is a simple tool people with diabetes can use to control portion intake and lose weight. It does not require any special tools or food and allows the person with diabetes to continue to eat the foods they enjoy. The create your plate divides the dinner plate into sections to control portion sizes. One half of the dinner plate is reserved for low-calorie non-starchy vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. The other half of the plate is divided in half for the meat and starch portion of the meal. A glass of milk or container of nonfat, sugar free yogurt and a piece of fruit round out the meal.

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