The next six years were a rollercoaster for Nicola. “I lost a significant amount of weight – 50kg – over a period of 18 months with the help of a dietitian.”
She started in January 2008, but had regained all the weight by 2011.
In 2013 she decided to try again. “This time I found a personal trainer and a nutritionist. In July 2013 I started making healthier choices – I trained three to four times a week and cut out most carbs.”
By November 2013, Nicola experienced dizzy spells caused by low blood sugar. She returned to her doctor.
“It turns out I’d managed to get my blood sugar down to a normal level. She took me off the medication for a trial period and to this day it’s remained within normal levels, so I no longer need medication.”
‘I knew I needed to make changes’
“I knew that I needed to make changes but I couldn’t be bothered,” Nicola says. “I always knew it was something I ‘should’ do, but it wasn’t something I ever really wanted to do for myself. It just seemed too great an effort.”
She says that the problem with diabetes is that it’s a silent disease. “Apart from needing to go to the loo a few times in the middle of the night, I experienced zero symptoms. Diabetes had no impact on my life – 99% of the time I forgot I even had it. Perhaps if it had been a disease with more symptoms, I would have been more motivated to do something about it.”
Making big changes
“Before I made lifestyle changes, the most exercise I got was walking from my car into a bar,” she says. Today, Nicola trains every day. “Weightlifting, boot camp, conditioning classes, trail running… The more exercise I do, the more I feel energised to do.”
Nicola also makes healthier eating choices by opting for lean protein, healthy fats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
“It’s a far cry from the endless takeaways I used to live off. And I feel more positive as well – my quality of life has improved significantly, and that’s worth celebrating in itself.”
Living with diabetes
“Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security by the fact that your condition is fairly non-symptomatic,” Nicola says, adding that it’s important to take it seriously and make serious lifestyle changes in order to overcome it.
“I was able to reverse my condition in less than five months just by eating right and training, so it is possible. Your diagnosis doesn’t have to be a death sentence – there’s always something you can do about it.”
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