Beating Diabetes – Mick’s Story

Developing Diabetes

Until recently, it was widely accepted that Type 2 Diabetes was irreversible and progressive. However, it is now clear that Type 2 Diabetes can be reversed by reducing food intake. When calorie intake is reduced significantly, blood glucose levels (BGLs) return to normal in most people with Type 2 Diabetes. This improvement in BGLs with lower calorie intakes is believed to occur as a result of a reduction of fat in the liver and pancreas.

Type 2 Diabetes had been a serious health problem for Mick Bevan over the past 20 years. Mick was taking insulin morning and night but also struggled with foot pain (plantar fasciitis), tight clothes and felt breathless when climbing the stairs.

Mick admits he wasn’t particularly motivated to improve his diet or exercise regularly, but when his weight climbed over 100kgs and his foot pain got worse, he decided to do something about it.

Learn More: What is sugar doing to your body

“I’ve had a lack of ongoing education in diabetes management over the 20 years, larger portion sizes than I should, minimal exercise and a desk job over the past few years and the weight piled on,” said Mick.

Finding a way forward

Mick made significant changes to his diet and kept a thorough food diary, including the calories he was consuming, aiming to have 1,200 calories a day.

Learn More: The truth about weight loss

Mick has now lost 18kgs and is no longer taking insulin morning and night, his plantar fasciitis has been relieved, he is able to wear old clothes, he halved his blood pressure medication (BP 105/80) and halved his cholesterol medication.

“Not just physically but mentally I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me, my health had been deteriorating over the past 20 years and I needed to change. More importantly I am now able to eat some sweeter foods without it impacting on my blood glucose levels”, says Mick.

Mick’s top 3 tips

1. If you are struggling to get started try and think about the future benefits of not having to need insulin on a daily basis, you will be healthier and lose weight.
2. To ensure you stay motivated, check your energy balance regularly to ensure energy in is less than energy.
3. Using a meal plan is not time consuming when cooking evening meals, even for time poor people. Also, using a resistance band for exercises at home in the evening enabled me to still exercise when I couldn’t make it to the gym.

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