Beyond my goals – Tom’s story

“I joined the course [Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme] after my doctor told me that my blood sugar count was at a prediabetic level. This was a shock to me. As an ‘all or nothing’ kind of person I wanted to lose weight and so implemented a lot of new changes early on.

“My initial goal was to lose 5% of my body weight, so, when I lost 4kg in the first month I decided to revise my expectations.

“Each time I attended the sessions I tried to implement some of the new learnings into my diet and lifestyle to maintain for the future. I have never missed a meal since starting the course and I occasionally aim for 2,000 calories a day. The challenge has been aiming for less than 2,500 calories, five times a week.

“I try to go for a swim three or four times a week for half an hour, and get 10,000 steps in each day if possible, or a step count equivalent of 10,000 with swimming.

“Since joining Healthier You, I drink much less alcohol, and I have lost 15kg in weight at the halfway stage of the course. When I worked this out with my Health Coach, I had lost 13.9% of my body weight since I started the course. My face looks much less puffy, my belt size has gone down by five notches and my neck size by over an inch!

“My aim for the end of the course is to gradually lose another 2kg, which I then wish to maintain going forward. I now have more energy; I sleep better and people I know have since complimented me on how much healthier I look.”