“I feel I’ve been pulled back from the brink. Living Well Taking Control is the way forward,” says Francis, a 69-year-old retiree from Plymouth who was at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

At the end of the one-year programme Francis is no longer pre-diabetic; she eats a healthy diet, has lost weight, exercises regularly and feels better.

Her numbers:

• HbA1c levels fell from 45 to 40 mmol (outside the pre-diabetic criteria of 42-47 mmol)
• Weight dropped from 94.2 kg to 81.8 kg (a 13 per cent loss in body weight)
• Waist measurement reduced by 8cm

Francis’s GP referred her to the programme where Wellbeing Facilitator Harrison supported her to change her lifestyle by establishing new, healthier patterns of behaviour.

“One of the most important things I’ve learnt is that it isn’t all about diet, it is a lifestyle change that needs to be maintained.”

Francis has become more aware of what she is eating and welcomed LWTC’s support and regular monitoring:

“Even though it comes down to you and your health, it gives you a real drive to try and be as successful as possible when someone is looking out for you – it’s really encouraging.

“I’ve given up snacking; I’ve bought a treadmill which I use daily and my goal is to hit 10,000 steps a day. I’m a lot more mindful of what I eat and I experiment a lot more with my food as I change my meals up by trying new things when I can.”