Carlo grew up in a close, food-loving Italian family. His parents migrated to Australia in the 60s and kept a big veggie patch, so meals were always fresh, home-cooked and generous. It was classic Italian cuisine… which also meant lots of pasta, bread and rice. But despite the carbs, his sugar levels were never an issue until recently.

Working as a finance controller and CFO meant long hours, but the stress really escalated during COVID. Carlo started falling into negative eating habits, often eating out of boredom or overwhelm. His weight crept up to 131kg, and then the symptoms arrived fast: fatigue, falling asleep at his desk, relentless thirst, blurred vision and brain fog that led to mistakes at work. When an optometrist noticed dramatic changes in his eyesight in just 12 months, they suspected high blood sugar. And in August 2025, Carlo was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes with blood sugars at 24. His GP warned him, “Get your sugars down or you’ll be hospitalised.”

“Getting that diagnosis shook me to the core. I’d been in denial, but hearing that I was one step away from hospital was the slap in the face I needed. I started metformin straight away, but my sugars were still sitting around 14 or 15. I was exhausted, my mouth was constantly dry and I honestly thought I was going blind. For a few weeks, I had to wear temporary reading glasses.

“Once the shock settled, I made a deliberate choice. I’m a big believer in helping yourself and not getting stuck in self-pity. So I asked myself, “What can I do instead?” I took some time off work, went away for a few days and started doing my own research. I learnt that type 2 diabetes can be managed and even sent into remission. That was exactly what I wanted, I didn’t want to end up on insulin.

“I started with the basics and cut out processed sugars and carbs. That was tough because as an Italian foodie, I love pasta, bread and rice! But I stopped them completely at first, and the weight started dropping. I went from 131kg and have now lost 27kg. My goal is to reach around 95kg.

“During all my late-night Googling, I found the Defeat Diabetes website. I clicked through a few recipes and thought, “Geez, this looks actually pretty nice!” Then I started watching the webinars and finally understood what was happening inside my body. 

“I like to cook, so trying new things kept me motivated. I’ve discovered lasagne with zucchini sheets, zucchini boats, baking with berries and coconut yoghurt is delicious. If I want something sweet, I’ll have dark chocolate-coated almonds. It hits the spot without sending my sugars crazy.

“I’m continuously testing different foods to see what affects my blood glucose. One day I tried a pastie from a bakery… an hour later my BGL was 16. Lesson learnt. Rice is interesting though… basmati is usually fine and I might go up to 6.5, but jasmine or arborio will spike me to 9 or 10. Early on I tested 3 or 4 times a day, but now I can recognise the signs when my sugars are dropping or rising. The thirst returns and I start to feel tired for no real reason.

“My GP was shocked by how quickly the weight came off, and when I finally saw the endocrinologist in October, he was really happy with my progress. My HbA1c is now in the 6s, out of the diabetes range. That felt like such a win. I’m a determined person, if you don’t take action, nothing changes.

“Exercise has also crept back into my life. I’ve always loved walking my dogs, but during COVID I’d stopped everything. Now I’m back to daily walks and I’m faster too. What used to take an hour now takes 45 minutes. My brain fog has disappeared and I feel far more alert. 

“My biggest challenge is being a foodie. I love trying new cuisines, and sometimes the cravings hit hard. Lately, it’s hamburgers. Instead of fighting it, I find ways to make things work so I’ll have to try bunless burgers or a version that doesn’t spike my sugars. At first I cut everything out completely, but now I’m slowly testing what I can tolerate.

“My family has been great. My partner is starting to watch her own health, and my stepson, who has type 1 diabetes, has been supportive from day one. He’s always encouraged me to move more and helped me to understand how exercise helps bring sugars down.

“My goal now is to come off metformin and lose a bit more weight. But honestly, I already feel like a different person; more energy, clearer thinking and actually excited about food again.

“If you’re thinking about joining Defeat Diabetes, absolutely do it. There’s so much good information, the program is affordable and it’s all medically backed by doctors who’ve lived it themselves. There’s a lot of misleading stuff online, so having a trustworthy place to learn from made all the difference for me. Just do it - it might change your life the way it changed mine.”