Fitness4Less Healthy Hub - Fitness4Less - Fresh, fun and affordable gyms around the UK

Follow us on Social     blog

Fitness4Less Healthy Hub

<< back to blog
Type 2 Diabetes can be Beaten, if I can do it so can you!

Type 2 Diabetes can be Beaten, if I can do it so can you!

For just over 2 years, I have been a member of the Fitness4Less Gym in Chesham. Before joining the gym, I had a back problem, was overweight and had type 2 diabetes. I was then 56 years old and now reached the grand old age of 58 and discovered it is never too late to take up exercise.

I suppose everything started from having back problems, I was sent by my GP to a physiotherapist and given exercises at home to improve my core strength. I found the exercise becoming additive, it is true what people say. I decided to take it one step further and join a gym, leading me to Fitness4Less. The manager at Fitness4Less advised I should use one of the gym’s personal trainers who was suited to understanding back problems to point me in the right direction. I am not in the position of having endless cash to consider personal training over a long period and only had 6 lessons in all. I do consider this to be important to take advice from someone who knows what is best.

I am 6ft 2” tall and at that time weighed over 21 stone and I had been insulin dependent for 10 years. All my life I had been overweight with back problems, at school, I was the podgy boy that no one picked for their team.

Since joining the gym I have lost 6 stone in weight and maintained this loss for over a year. The weight actually dropped off quite quickly with the insulin input dropping systematically (approx. over 10 months). Looking back, i now know that achieving this, definitely has to be a combination of both exercise plus healthy diet. Initially I just wanted to feel fitter but it is amazing what can be achieved once you start.

Losing all of that weight has had numerous benefits, now I find my back problem is well managed and only have a slight twinge occasionally. For the first time in my life I am happy in my own skin and therefore making me feel a more confident person.

My biggest achievement was coming off of insulin completely after the initial 10 months at the gym. Now I am maintaining a healthy lifestyle and there is no greater feeling. It sounds morbid but hopefully this will enable me to be around a bit longer, not just for myself but my family as well.

I would love nothing better than to know that by telling my story I can inspire others to get down the gym, work hard, sensible diet and you too could eradicate Type 2 Insulin based Diabetes from your life. It really is possible and I feel exceptionally lucky having the support from Iain the Manager and team at Fitness4Less. I am still considered diabetic as I continue to take Metformin orally, which is usually the first course of treatment when diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes but I am determined never to return to the insulin route. If you are someone recently diagnosed and only on oral medication you need to act now, don’t kid yourself you can just continue as your doing or insulin is likely to follow, in my case 2 years later. Take the healthy option now and you can be completely free of medication.

I look forward to going to the gym, attending spin classes, cardio, core and weight training, continuing to improve my health and fitness. Although not for me Fitness4Less cover so many classes the choice is amazing, so males/females, just give them a chance and anything is possible.

My big message is Type 2 Diabetes can be beaten and if I can do it so can you!!

This has been typed and worded by my wife. I have Asperger’s Syndrome that prevents me from joining the outside world in many ways, all people with Asperger’s are different as far as capabilities are concerned, but in joining the gym, although not the most social person I have coped. I am unable to completely put into words how I feel. My wife and I are best friends, and she knows me better than anyone and through discussing what I wanted her to explain she has found the correct words that I have agreed when expressing my thoughts to paper. It is well known people with Asperger’s can be extremely addictive, unfortunately, if it is a subject I am not interested in my attention span is sparse and I do wish to confess, this good addiction has probably helped me to stick and persevere more. However, it still proves that given this perseverance Type 2 Diabetes Insulin based can be beaten. I have found the social aspect extremely hard and it is only the staff that have helped me to continue and the introduction to spin classes was a challenge but I got there. Just because I have an addictive personality, exercise in itself is additive so you too can be an addict in an exceptionally good way like me, get rid of Type 2 Insulin based Diabetes.

Social Feed