The wakeup call- Catherine’s Story 

After joining the Healthier You: NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, Catherine managed to reverse her pre-diabetic diagnosis with sustainable changes to her diet.

Hear what changes she made, and how she implemented those into her lifestyle to achieve positive results and reduce her blood glucose to a safer level.

“I exercised regularly, I thought I was eating healthily, and I was a reasonable weight. If I had not been told that I was pre-diabetic and joined the programme, my lifestyle would have continued to be the same with no changes.!

The delivery of NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is structured by setting goals, monitoring activity, reviewing progress, and supporting continuously. Our qualified Health Coaches are on hand to support at every stage of the programme. “

Since joining the programme, I  try to eat more regularly and have made several swaps in my diet - swapping to skimmed milk, cream crackers to rice cakes and cream cheese to low fat cottage cheese I no longer have two  rich tea biscuits with every cup of tea as I realised this was just a habit. I have also increased my water intake. “

Our Health Coaches will provide guidance on how to sustain the lifestyle changes made, preparing participants to continue this once they have completed the programme. On completion, they will return to their GP for another blood test to assess the progress made against developing Type 2 diabetes. "My HbA1C is now within normal range at 39, although I'm hope it will come down a bit more by August. Despite not feeling as if I needed to lose weight, I have lost about half a stone and my overall diet is healthier now.

“Being told I was pre diabetic was a wakeup call. The programme helped make positive changes, particularly my diet, and I am far more aware of the link between diet and health. I will continue going to my exercise classes and will add more strength / resistance into my regime. I will also continue to do plenty of walking”