A man from Waltham in north-east Lincolnshire has spoken of losing almost eight stone during a 12-week weight management programme.
John Fawcett, 57, weighed 126.2kg when he became type 2 diabetic. He was overweight and often felt tired during the day. He became a grandad for the first time which made him want to lose weight and lead a healthier life.
This is when John started the Oviva Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme. Oviva is an NHS provider of weight management services and provider of GLP-1 weight loss drugs.
As part of this programme, John focused on portion control, soups and shakes, used the ‘T plate model’ to guide him, used the help of a health coach by regularly checking in on his meals at mealtimes, as well as supplementing these dieting methods with lots of walking and exercise.
As a result, he has lost nearly eight stone in weight in total, and reduced his blood sugar levels and BMI by nearly half, meaning his diabetes is now in remission.
John says the journey has impacted his life a huge amount. He feels younger, has plenty more energy and his confidence has improved a great deal too. He says people certainly treat you differently as a thin person too.
Whereas he used to eat without a lot of thought about calories and the impact that a bad diet could have – exacerbated by the pandemic and lockdown where he was sat down for long periods of time – he now doesn’t eat red meat at all, instead he eats a lot of vegetables and he mentally counts the calories and knows his limits. He does let himself go now and then and enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant, but he always tries to balance it out with a light tea along with a long walk.
John says the Oviva programme completely changed his life for the better and he urges people struggling to lose weight to give it a try.
John told the BBC: “I feel like a totally different person and have a great zest for life. Before I felt tired all the time and addicted to food.
“To really make it work you have to put in a lot of commitment and be prepared to change your lifestyle.
“Don’t be disheartened if you don’t always lose weight. It can be up and down but it’s worth it in the end.”