After years
spent losing
and regaining
weight, Michelle
Wesener has lost 30kg and kept
it off for two years. Rather than
exercising and dieting, she has
changed her lifestyle so walking
and healthy eating have become
a natural part of her every day.When were you
diagnosed with type 2?
It was about 20 years ago, when
I was in my late 30s. My mother
was also type 2, so I think it was
in our genes. I didn’t have any
diabetes symptoms when I went
to the doctor. I was diagnosed
after a routine check-up.
I was morbidly obese at the
time. I felt very self-conscious
and wouldn’t get on a scale unless
I really had to. I’m 172cm tall and
weighed about 100kg. But I was
fairly fit. A couple of weeks before
I was diagnosed I ran two half
marathons over a six-week
period. Luckily for me, my
diabetes has been well controlled,
and I only had to start Metformin
in the last eight years or so.Did you change anything
after your diagnosis?
I always had a fairly healthy
diet. The main issue for me was
portion sizes. I lost some weight
through the stress of treatment
for breast cancer, my marriage
ending and probably also from
being depressed. But the cancer
diagnosis was life-changing as
I decided to live every moment.
I knew that wasn’t going to
happen unless I looked after
myself better and lost weight.
Once I was well enough, I went
back to the gym a couple of times
a week to do a weights program
that was designed for me. I also
stuck to a low-fat, low-sugar diet,From weigh-ins to walking,
Michelle Wesener carved out
her own path to better health
TYPE 2good
LIFE IS