NHS low calorie diet programme helps Justin shed the pounds

45-year-old Justin from Birmingham is one of over 2,000 people with type 2 diabetes who have now improved their health through the NHS Low Calorie Diet Programme.

Helping people diagnosed with diabetes to lose weight and make better decisions about their health, the NHS Low Calorie Diet Programme enables them to better control their blood sugar levels – reducing the need for diabetes-related medication and potentially achieving remission of their type 2 diabetes when their levels return to a healthy range.

Justin’s substantial and rapid weight loss on the programme has also led to greater mobility and he is enjoying being active and walking daily. Any aches that he used to have from being overweight have now been swapped for aching limbs from exercising regularly!

“I’ve been overweight since childhood. I was made redundant in 2016 and became the carer for my elderly parents. When my mother passed away in spring last year, my health deteriorated and by the middle of 2020, I was in a bad place. I knew that I needed to lose weight to improve my health.

“I was taking a total of eight tablets a day to manage my type 2 diabetes, blood pressure and an underactive thyroid. When my GP told me that I could be referred to the NHS Low Calorie Diet Programme, my reaction was one of relief. I felt like I’d been handed a lifeline.

“Whilst I was using the total diet replacement products, I did miss chewing solid food but I really appreciated the choice of products available and the many different flavours. By the end of this phase, I’d lost 5 stone – that’s 21% of my starting body weight!

“Approaching the food reintroduction phase of the programme and knowing that I would have the freedom to eat normal food, I was naturally concerned about how I would manage to keep the weight off. However, I continued to lose weight (another 6kg, no less!) with the fantastic support of the programme and its practitioners.

“Now in the ‘maintenance’ phase, I have recently been told by my GP that if I went in for a blood test now, he would not suspect type 2 diabetes. I feel great about having reduced my diabetes medication and I’m in the process of coming off all my medication for blood pressure. However, improving my diabetes management is just one benefit of the programme – I now have a new wardrobe, I feel more comfortable in my clothes and I have improved mobility. I also really appreciate not having to do the three fingerprick tests daily for blood glucose monitoring!

“I feel so motivated to continue my journey on the NHS Low Calorie Diet Programme, it’s genuinely one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

For more information on the NHS Low Calorie Diet programme visit www.england.nhs.uk/diabetes/treatment-care/low-calorie-diets.