I reversed my diabetes in six months – with exercise
At 58, Michael Gleeson received a shock diagnosis. He explains the simple lifestyle tweaks that helped him get back on track
Throughout most of my adult life, I managed to maintain a trim figure. Until my late 40s, I weighed around 65 kilos, which is pretty consistent with what I weighed when I was 21. But then, over the next 10 years I began to put on a few pounds, mostly around my abdomen; it wasn’t noticeable on my chest, arms, legs or face. This is typical of middle-aged spread in men, and why so many develop a “beer belly” when they reach a certain age.
I’m a sports scientist, but I didn’t realise how much damage this was doing to my health. The wake-up call came when I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes aged 58, during a routine blood test. I hadn’t been experiencing any symptoms, so the news came as a huge shock.
My story isn’t unique. “Silent diabetes” is increasing at an unprecedented rate: last year, a study by the University of Exeter found that half a million adults in the UK may have Type 2 diabetes without even realising. The number of people around the world who are living with diabetes has more than quadrupled since 1980, according to a University of Michigan study.
Before my diagnosis, I was working as a professor in the sport and exercise department at Loughborough University. I had always prided myself on being fit and healthy, but as I became more senior I started to have a more sedentary lifestyle. Whereas before I kept active by playing sports, I was now working longer hours, spending more time writing grant applications, research papers and lecturing. I started work around 7.30 am and finished between 6pm or 7pm in the evening, which didn’t leave me much time for exercise. My diet wasn’t bad: I would have a decent breakfast, a sandwich at my desk, and an evening meal with sugar-free tea or coffee in between. And though I relied on a couple of glasses of wine in the evening to help me unwind after a busy day, it was never anything more.
But gradually, this lifestyle began to take its toll. When I weighed myself aged 58, I was close to 80 kilos – about 15 kilos more than when I was a young, active man.
I had been diagnosed with high cholesterol and hypertension a few years earlier at the age of 55, which I managed by taking two tablets a day. Once a year, I had a routine blood test to check for my serum cholesterol levels. As part of that, they had started testing for Type 2 diabetes.
When the doctor told me my average blood sugar levels had gone above the threshold, it was a huge shock. My first thought was: “I’m nowhere near as overweight as some other people I know.” Of course it’s not as straightforward as that and it’s possible to have diabetes without having a very high BMI. It is also driven by your genes and the distribution of fat around your body. The doctor said I didn’t need medication straight away; instead, he advised me to increase my physical activity, and to cut down on carbohydrates, like potatoes, rice and bread. If I didn’t, he said, I would have to go on a drug to increase my body’s insulin sensitivity, and possibly to limit the glucose production in my liver.
In five years, he said I would need insulin injections on a daily basis. It was sobering to hear. Yet, I knew that it was possible to reverse Type 2 diabetes and I started to look into how. I found that exercise could be effective at reversing the condition, as it increases the muscle’s sensitivity to insulin.
When you exercise, the muscle takes up glucose from the blood to use as a fuel. Moderate intensity exercise, such as swimming, jogging, cycling and very brisk walking, is also the best at burning fat, so I knew I had to weave that into my lifestyle. By this point I was retired, so I had plenty of time to pursue healthy habits.
The other aim was to tackle the chronic inflammation in my body by losing that excess weight I had gained over the past decade. This happens when your fat cells grow too big, fuelling the development of cardiovascular and kidney, complications. I aimed for a 1,000 calorie deficit a day, by reducing my calorie intake by 500 calories and doing an extra 500 calories of fat burning exercise.
I started exercising every day, as I knew that remission was more likely if you lost weight soon after your diagnosis. I invested in a stationary exercise bike, which I put in the garage, and used on the days when the weather was too bad to go outside.
But I put most of my success down to taking long walks. We’re lucky enough to live in the Leicestershire countryside and on average I walked 10km a day.
I discovered that it doesn’t matter how fast you walk – as long as you cover the distance you will burn the calories. My wife Laura and I also played tennis once or twice a week, which is great for burning calories. Although I was never a big drinker, I cut down my alcohol intake to one glass of wine a day, which I usually had with my evening meal.
I didn’t feel there was a need to pursue extreme diets like Keto, or to cut out carbohydrates altogether. The body naturally needs carbohydrates, as some organs such as the brain don’t normally use any other types of fuel. Plus, you need them to do moderate and high intensity exercise. I followed a low
It doesn’t matter how fast you walk – you will still burn the calories
energy density diet, in which I ate lots of fruit and vegetables, fish and lean meat. I avoided processed, fatty and sugary foods. I substituted starchy foods, such as rice, pasta and potatoes, with vegetables like carrots and parsnips. It’s not all about restrictions; my wife and I allowed ourselves one Chinese takeaway a week.
After keeping strictly to this regimen, I lost 10 kilos in 10 weeks. Now, I weigh 67 kilos, which amazingly is only 2 kilos over what I was when I was 21. Eight months after I was diagnosed with diabetes, I went for another blood test and discovered that my blood sugar levels had gone below 6.5 per cent, putting it into remission.
There is always a chance it can come back if you revert back to your old ways, although I don’t intend on changing my habits anytime soon. These tweaks are a small price to pay to guarantee good health later down the line.
I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to reverse my diabetes, but I’m painfully aware that others might not be so lucky. Having no symptoms of Type 2 is not unusual, and it’s terrifying to think how many cases are going unnoticed.
Michael Gleeson’s book Beating Type 2 Diabetes was published in 2020 by Meyer & Meyer Sport