Dawne's Wake Up Call - Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis

WLR Member Dawne, Age 52, Height 165.1cm

	Now	Start
Weight	10st 1lb	12st 6lb
Bust	36.5"	43"
Waist	31"	39"
Hips	37"	44"

How did being overweight affect your life?

I was tired and sluggish all the time and couldn't figure out why.

I hated going to the doctors but, in the end, I had to. 

I got a wake-up call when I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.

I had to sort out the blood sugar levels as soon as possible.

What methods for losing weight have you used?

I tried Weight Watchers and Slimming World which didn't work as there is no such thing as free food!

I was gaining weight, not losing it and they kept saying I was cheating when I wasn't. I was getting demoralised by it all so gave up.

I even tried the banana diet many, many years ago.

What I was I thinking there, I have no idea because at the time I didn't need to lose any weight! 

What was your motivation for losing weight ?

Firstly it was for my daughter’s wedding in July 2017. I rejoined WLR in June 2016 after a long absence as I had been a member before.

Being honest here, I was faffing about for months till November 2016 when I was diagnosed T2.

I knew I needed to get my glucose levels down and lose the weight.

How has WLR helped you?

I found filling in the food diary daily a massive help. I made sure I wasn’t lying about what I was eating, even when I knew I was over-eating. It showed me what I was consuming in reality and where to make changes. 

The help team have been a big help, allowing me to moan. They helped by showing me some food swaps were not for me and how to work out my own swaps. 

Thinking life would change after weight loss

No it didn't really as my self esteem is still shot. I do come across as loud and brash but I'm not in real life.

It is getting better though. I have had to look at me differently now I’m older.

You think ‘I'll be better lighter’, but you have to see it as life changing for the better. Sod what the media tell you. Do it for you and only you. 

One thing I like is my HBA1C test now at 6.7% from 8.7%. That’s brilliant, but I want it lower still. I’m hoping to get there later this year. 

High and lows 

I didn't really find it hard to lose the weight when I went low carb.

Before that, I found it really hard as I was eating from the Eat Well Plate that the NHS prescribe. It was shooting my sugar levels up. 

The doctor kept talking about medication which I refused from day one. 

Tips on losing weight 

• If you are type 2 diabetic get a monitor. Nothing fancy. There are loads on the market from Amazon and similar. It helps to monitor your levels and work out what you can actually eat. Some people can tolerate certain things when others can't. I didn’t listen to the medical profession on this one as I found knowing my levels gave me control of my eating choices for the good, not the bad. 
• Research low carb and give it a go and see. 
• Don't rush in and go very low as it can make you ill. I stopped one thing per day slowly so I would stick with it.
• I had already reduced my refined carb intake such as bread, pasta and rice. I then stopped potatoes, even sweet ones. I rarely eat chocolate and have dark instead as it doesn't spike my levels. 
• Introduce vegetables to your diet. Try different ones as I was surprised by some I didn’t think I would like. 
• In the beginning I thought I would be on a diet for life. It isn't, it's lifestyle change for the better, for a life being Type 2 Diabetic, and I am not deprived either. I am full after I've eaten but not to the stage where I feel I have pigged out. 
• I feel the Eat Well Plate is now outdated. But is a good starting point if you've never had to change anything. That doesn't mean changing one fizzy drink for another though. 
• This is it straight from the hip here. No wishy washy, do this for your health, this is to live longer without complications. The weight will follow. Change your diet now to one that sees results for you and only you. 
• It'll be trial and error to find what works for you personally. It's a journey that most don't want to take but, if you want your sugar levels down, try lowering your carb intake. You may be surprised at not feeling sluggish or bloated. I feel we eat too many carbs as it is, so cutting it down does help in weight loss along with reducing glucose into the bargain. 
• Look at one form of exercise to do and don't go flat out either. I started at 10 minute walks and now I find walking nightly helps me to stay within calories. I have synced my FitBit to WLR so I can eat those exercise calories. 
• Now, about those, eat them. If you don't eat at least half of them you will not lose. In fact, you may even feel faint like I did and I was miserable into the bargain. No one can sustain 1,200 per day, do a job and exercise daily. 
• Do not lie in the food diary. You are only lying to yourself 
• Use the forum and ‘talk’ to the folks on there. They have a wealth of knowledge that can be used to your advantage. Even during the lows, it helps to talk and whinge.

Long term goals 

• To keep the weight off and stay low carbing for life. I'm at maintenance now but if I lose another half a stone, it's fine if not it's fine too. 
• To stay on WLR to maintain the new me. 
• To indulge only as a treat because of the diabetes. 
• To see this as a lifestyle change and not a diet. 
• HBA1c to be lower every time I see the nurse. My goal there is to be under 5.5% 
• To be positive about my health and not beat myself up if I slip now and again.

* Note: The success stories published on Weight Loss Resources are written by WLR members, past and present, telling their own stories in their own words. As you will see if you read more than one or two of them, everyone's story is different and they have reached their success from a variety of starting points and lost weight at varying rates. Individual results may vary.