Many of us struggle with our weight, and although people with type 2 diabetes are often encouraged by their health provider to lose weight, it can seem daunting.

It’s especially frustrating when you’ve changed your diet and started moving more, but you still don’t see the results you want. Don’t blame yourself and keep trying to work toward your goals (you can do this!) but also consider one common culprit of weight gain that has nothing to do with nutrition and exercise: Diabetes medications.

Reading food labels isn’t as complicated as you may think. It’s especially useful when you have type 2 diabetes. But how do you decode ingredients and percentages on the back of a package? From calories to fiber, fat, salt, sugar and total carbohydrates, every little detail counts.

Reducing the total amount of carbohydrates you consume is an effective way to improve blood glucose levels (nice!). This is especially true for those with type 2 diabetes who’d like to improve their time in range or reduce medications.