Losing 7st helped me reverse my diabetes and feel like a new woman
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At over 17 stone, Amanda Hey knew she was overweight and increasing the odds of developing a potentially life-threatening illness.
But when her doctor confirmed she was on the verge of type 2 diabetes , she still found herself shocked to the core.
Since her 20s, Amanda had been in denial about the risks of being obese.
Now she was facing the chilling truth. Type 2 is caused when your blood sugar level, or insulin, becomes too high.
It can lead to heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage and amputations.
And when Amanda got the diagnosis approaching her 40th birthday, she was warned she’d have to take medication every day to control the condition.
So she decided to do what she had realised deep down all along – tackle the problem head-on and lose weight .
Amanda says: “I was diagnosed in January. It was my birthday in the November and I wanted to be fabulous at 40 and not fat.
“Months before, I had been told by my doctor that my weight posed a risk of getting Type 2 Diabetes and that I was borderline. I was 17st 2lbs, but I just didn’t think it would happen.
“I ignored the possibility and didn’t change my diet. But I was always exhausted and constantly thirsty. I was drinking more than three litres of water a day.
(Photo: Slimming World)
“I didn’t eat much chocolate but I craved sugary sweet things and then I would have them and feel light-headed.
“I was always going to the toilet too. All textbook signs of the disease.”
A few months earlier she had also been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
Common signs are tiredness, weight gain and feeling depressed, but the condition can be successfully treated with hormone tablets.
The 5ft 4ins gran and mum of two with two stepchildren faced a stark choice,
Amanda says: “I was already taking tablets for my underactive thyroid so when doctors said I may need further medication for diabetes, it was a real wake-up call.
“The doctor had told me I was at a crossroads. If my blood-sugar levels got any higher, I’d need medication. If I lost weight, I could manage my condition without any at all.”
Amanda, a hospital secretary from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, signed up to her local Slimming World group the same day.
Within six months, she had shed four stone.
When she returned to the doctors for a six-month review in June, her blood sugar levels were near normal. Over the next few months she lost a further three stone. At her following six-month check, she was symptom-free.
Amanda, who has now lost 6st 12½lbs, says: “The nurse was absolutely delighted and said I was her star pupil. I felt so proud.
I look completely different and people are always surprised at my age and think I am about 30.”
On her 40th, she was able to celebrate with family at her favourite Italian restaurant in slim fitting size 8 leather trousers and a tight top after dropping six dress sizes.
Married to sales rep David, 53, Amanda says: “I started to put weight on after the birth of my second child Thomas 12 years ago. I got bigger eating fatty foods – take-aways and crisps were my particular weakness. I was always snacking.
“It was easy to come home from work and made a meal with a jar of curry paste rather than cooking from scratch. Now I make all my own sauces.
(Photo: Getty)
“I had tried to lose weight in the past. I spent most of my 20s and 30s on fad diets, but I never stuck to them. I was covering myself up in big, black, baggy size 22 clothes and actively avoiding mirrors.
“I felt self conscious about my weight. I hated shopping and family get-togethers were an ordeal.
“I’d joined a Slimming World group once before but had given up. This time, though, I was really determined that things would be different. The diagnosis kick-started me. It did me a favour really.
“Slimming World works for me. I cook meals from scratch. I discovered all sorts of delicious recipes we could enjoy together, from chicken curry and rice to pasta with a meaty ragu-style sauce.
“I soon found I was snacking much less during my days working in the hospital, particularly on the chocolates we’d often receive as gifts from patients.
“If I did get peckish, I’d have a snack like chopped fresh fruit stirred into plain quark.”
As her weight fell off, Amanda also joined an aqua aerobics class at her local pool. “After a few months of losing weight, I felt like a new woman.”
Now 10st 3½lbs, she has regular blood tests to check her diabetes. She says: “I still have to be careful but I am in this for the long haul. I want my kids to be proud of me. My life has completely changed.”
Amanda’s stats
Height:
5ft 4ins
Starting weight: 17st 2lbs
Weight now: 10st 3½lbs
WEIGHT LOST: 6st 12½lbs
To find your nearest Slimming World group visit www.Slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 8000