Lyn (right) before starting 12WBT
When Lyn’s doctor told her she had Type 2 diabetes she knew it was weight-related: “The doctor agreed – I was 105kg.”
Lyn, now 59, was already taking blood pressure tablets and didn’t want to take more medication while dealing with the side-effects of diabetes. So she said to her doctor, “Give me a few months and I’ll see if I can lose weight.”
She signed up for 12WBT and just six months later, when Lyn had another check-up, her doctor declared her blood glucose levels had gone back to a normal range. Lyn was over the moon!
“I had lost about 15kg, my blood pressure was back to normal. And my diabetes is now being well-managed,” she says happily.
It’s been a year since Lyn decided to change her life and she proudly says, “I’ve now lost 20kg. I want to lose another 20kg, but it just feels so good. I started with 12WBT over a year ago, I’m on my fifth Round and I’m doing the 10k Running program.”
Lyn and her daughter at the Swisse Colour Ru
Getting Into a Running Routine
“My daughter had just had a baby and asked if I wanted to do 12WBT with her. So we signed up together and late last year we did the Swisse Colour Run. It was the first time I’d ever done anything like it, so it was a lot of walking and running, walking and running – with my daughter encouraging me,” Lyn says.
“After the first couple of 12WBT Rounds I wanted more variety, so I signed up a personal trainer, one-on-one, twice a week. On Mondays I do weights and on Thursdays I do cardio. I do CrossFit with my husband on Tuesday mornings and yoga on Friday nights. I run three days a week.”
Lyn, who lives in Tasmania, has since done the 5km Run Devonport and is working towards the Launceston Ten run in June. “I took four minutes off my personal best in March and would like to take another four minutes off next time. It’s exciting to feel fit,” she says.
“A year ago I couldn’t imagine lifting weights or running on the treadmill or outside – before I started with 12WBT I couldn’t even bend down and pick things up. But yesterday I ran 5km at a slow, nonstop jog. I want to get faster and bring my times down before I do a 10km race, so that’s why I’m doing the 10k Running program.
“The weight loss and feeling of fitness have got me so motivated – I just love feeling so different to the way I did before.”
Lyn after crossing the finish line at the 5km Run Devonport
The Secret to Lyn’s Success
“Mish’s Mindset Videos somehow clicked for me in a way that nothing else had before – and over the past 30 years I’ve tried every diet under the sun,” Lyn says.
And her favourite Mishism? Just Freakin’ Do It! “That’s what it really boils down to – JFDI! You do just have to do the exercise, you just have to get up earlier. I find it hard with the mornings being dark, but I’m determined now – and I would have just given up before.
“I always thought I didn’t have time for exercise, but now I put it in my appointment book. You’ve got to make time for yourself, for your health. And it’s worth it – the money I spend on a personal trainer will save money in health issues down the track as I get older.
“A lot of clients comment that I’ve lost weight – they’re really starting to notice it now. I think my body shape is changing. That’s why people are noticing.”
Lyn’s in shape and enjoying lif
Managing Diabetes With Diet
“I love the structure of the 12WBT Meal Plans, the recipes, the Shopping Lists – and not having to think every day about what we’re having for breakfast, lunch or dinner,” Lyn explains.
“I’m lucky to have a helpful husband who does a lot of the meal preparation, and I like that a lot of our dinner leftovers become lunches the next day – it helps through a busy week.
“We’re eating a lot of different foods – we would never have eaten baby spinach and rocket before! We tried, but there’s no way we were eating as healthily as with the 12WBT food. We used to have stir-fries, but with too much oil. We had far more calories and definitely ate twice the suggested portion sizes.”
And Another Great Thing
Lyn’s husband experienced a highly positive side-effect of her life-changing decision to join 12WBT. “He had a heart bypass in 1997 and has always had high cholesterol,” Lyn says. “But he eats what I do, so his diet has changed – and he’s almost halved his cholesterol level to what it was 20 years ago. We couldn’t believe it! He’s even started with a personal trainer – because he’s seen how I feel.”
Current Round: 10k Running
Number of Rounds: 5
Kilos Lost: 20kg
Free Diabetes Friendly Recipe: Caramelised Pork with Sweet Potato Mash & Apples
2 Serves
10 min prep time
15 min cooking
276 Cal / serve
Pork is the perfect partner for sweet potato and apples and a great lean protein choice. Look for free range pork which is now becoming widely available in supermarkets.
Ingredients
250g Sweet Potato, chopped
2 teaspoons Kecap Manis (Sweet Soy Sauce) (10g)
2 x 110g fillets Lean Pork Fillet (220g)
1g Olive Oil Spray
1 Red Apple (125g), cut into wedges & cored
100g Green Beans, trimmed
Method
1. Cook sweet potato in a saucepan of boiling water for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to saucepan then roughly mash.
2. Meanwhile, brush kecap manis over pork steaks. Spray a non-stick frying pan with oil and heat over medium heat. Add pork and cook for 3 minutes each side or until just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Add apples to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Cook beans in a small saucepan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until bright green and just tender. Drain.
4. Divide mash and beans between plates. Top with pork and apples to serve.
Mish Tips
- If you are feeling brave, swap the pork for kangaroo steak. It is almost as low in calories as fish is, it has more iron than beef, and it’s great for our environment! Just be sure to cook it to medium so it doesn’t get tough.
- Chicken is another great alternative for this recipe.
If you have Type 2 diabetes, sign up now for 12WBT and manage the symptoms by improving your diet, losing weight and staying motivated!
