Dave improves his health with a 4 stone loss!

Everything from wanting to lose a few pounds for a holiday to trying to improve your health and ultimately prolong your life can trigger the desire to lose weight. Dave had struggled with a bad health for years but a health scare acted as an eye opener for him. After experiencing a reaction brought on by poor care of his Diabetes he ended up helpless and very ill in hospital. He had to do something to stop his illness worsening.

Not only was Dave’s weight worsening, but his type 2 diabetes and arthritis were also playing up due to the pressure on his joints. To top it all off. Dave was a prime candidate for heart disease as he had high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

“I went for a few drinks after work. I had not eaten all day so we grabbed some food and a pint of beer. All of a sudden I turned a shade of grey and collapsed. I was on my way to A&E when I regained consciousness. To this day I don’t remember anything about that evening."

Dave needed to turn his life around. The initial step was to register with the online Gi plan. With a lot of hard work and an upbeat attitude Dave lost 4 stone and many inches. .

“I could rarely find anything my size in the shops and even if I did it looked like an old sackcloth by the time it was on me. Now, I can buy clothes that fit properly and look good.”

People comment on how Dave looks 10 years younger and devilishly handsome - he agrees!

“Now I can start to do things that I have not been able to do for years. I used to be very fit before my back surgery in 1992. All the nice comments I get are working wonders for my self esteem. My whole outlook on life is just more positive.”

The Gi meal plan helped Dave change his unhealthy eating regime. He swapped take aways and junk food for a balanced diet of lean meat, wholegrains and plenty of fruit and vegetables.

“I eat more healthily and I am aware of what I stuff into my mouth. I used to go to social events; have a three or four course meal with drinks and then stop at the chippy to get something on the way home because I was ‘hungry’. My diet consisted of pasties, pies, fry ups and chocolate bars. Because of the Gi plan my diet is now made up of lots of fish, chicken, lean meat, vegetables and fruit. I do allow myself the odd bad habit, they are reserved for special occasions. I don’t kid myself anymore. I know that if I treat myself there will be a price to pay!”

Dave cannot credit his reformed eating habits entirely for his tremendous weight loss. Exercise has also become a huge part of his life and has helped him to transform his body into one he is proud of.

“I weight train before breakfast so that I am burning fat and not the food I have just eaten. I swim a couple of times per week and regularly use my treadmill. This results in my not only getting fitter and burning calories during exercise but in me enjoying a higher metabolic rate during the resting period as well.”

Dave has great praise for the support he received from the online community and the mentors of the programme.

“People are always there for you to speak to when you’re feeling weak and need some support. The plans themselves are good because everything is worked out for you. You don’t need to count anything or use any brain power in putting meals together.”

Like any successful dieter Dave knows the only reason he achieved weight loss was because he wanted it enough. He was determined to reach his goals and nothing was going to get in his way.

“It doesn’t matter how many times friends, relatives or doctors tell you that you should lose weight and get fitter; if you don’t want to do it for yourself you won’t stick to it. We all have bad days and weight loss and weight maintenance are no different.”