Stronger and fitter – Bill’s story

When Bill was referred to the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme by his GP, he was under observation for the medication he was on after he had fought cancer.

“I’ve had prostate cancer twice and because of the hormone treatments that I was on, I gained a lot of weight. I didn’t make any changes to my eating habits, however the significant weight gain had me diagnosed as pre diabetic. I knew something had to change, and this was the wake-up call that I needed”, said Bill.

Like other participants, Bill was able to learn about increasing his physical activity levels, whilst improving his relationship with food with the support of our Health Coaches.

Bill attended his local group sessions and met with other like-minded people on a similar journey, which helped to boost his confidence and awareness of Type 2 diabetes. The sessions helped Bill to understand the influence of different types of sugars, and what to look out for when food shopping or eating out.

Bill told us: “Since joining Healthier You, I have increased my physical activity and now try to hit 10,000 steps a day. I’ve managed to cut out all sweets, chocolate, cake, and biscuits, which I’ve found to be easier than just cutting down. My wife has supported me by helping me to reduce portion sizes on my meals and by cutting down on red wine and Guinness.”

Our Health Coaches make sure that participants who complete the programme are prepared to continue their healthy, active lifestyles to continue reducing their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

“I compete in off road motorcycle sport I was struggling to finish events. I now am finishing well after three to four hours on my bike. My resting heart rate has dropped from 58 to 52 BPM, and I generally feel a lot better in myself.

“I’ve lost just under 10kg, and my blood test have shown that my sugar levels are back to normal .”