Taking advantage of technology to reach remission – Richard’s story

Ahead of World Diabetes Day on the 14 November 2020, Richard shares how he has managed to put his Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) into remission – taking advantage of technology to get there.

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

I am Richard. I am 55 years old, live in central Scotland and work across Lothian in community learning and development.

When were you first diagnosed with T2D and what was your reaction?

I was first diagnosed with T2D when I had to go to hospital with what turned out to be a viral infection. There was some concern that the rash associated with that could be something else and they wanted to rule out meningitis and other conditions. As part of that visit, a wide range of tests were carried out – one of which was a blood sugar test which indicated very high levels. Subsequent tests led to a diagnosis of T2D. I wasn’t unaware that this could be possible – I was overweight at the time and although I’m a vegetarian, was less mobile than I could have been.

I used to have a much more active lifestyle when I was younger. I played American football and cycled significant distances every day but after some knee issues I became less involved in that. Over many years the weight crept on until I was around 17-18 stone. Many of the factors above suggest that this was probably inevitable. So although not surprised by this (I have worked in the NHS and done a lot of health focused work with young people throughout my career) being faced with the fact meant I felt I had to take action and couldn’t put it off until another time.

You’ve managed to put your T2D in to remission, which is an amazing achievement. How did you go about doing this? And as you achieved this before our new weight management programmes were launched across the region, what support and resources did you find most helpful?

The change in lifestyle had to be something that I knew could be sustained. I had to make changes to my food intake and exercise levels that I could manage long term and that weren’t just a short term diet or signing up to the gym for a month or two.

I have a long standing interest in technology and have done so since I was young. Finding ways to integrate devices and apps into my lifestyle is always something I have tried to do. And this was an opportunity to look at how these could help. I had tried a weight management course before but found it quite general and not tailored to my specific needs – but a lot of that is down to the area I work in where a lot of this information is already available to me.

First of all, I looked at food intake and realised that although vegetarian and trying to eat more vegan food, there were elements of my diet that needed work. I am a confident cook and love spending time in the kitchen, so this shouldn’t be too tricky right? In examining what I ate in a week and what was in the cupboards in my kitchen, I realised that many refined carbohydrates were an issue – as well as the quantity of food I consumed. So I started to look at portion size and started to weigh and measure my food so I understood exactly what I was consuming. In addition, I cut certain foods completely from my diet. White bread and pasta were the first to go. Very quickly I realised that I didn’t particularly miss them.

I started logging all of my food using the My Fitness Pal app on my phone. The free version of this app is really good and gives you lots of information. This gave me a good way to track my food intake (you can manually enter or scan barcodes) and connected to my phone to pull through fitness information as well. I could set myself a calorie intake target for the day and the amount of weight I wanted to lose over a period. I set myself a manageable target and got started.

To track my exercise, I decided to use an Apple Watch. This was easier as I tend to use an iPhone and it all integrates seamlessly. It also appealed to the gamer in me as it allowed me to complete daily challenge rings and gave me badges when I hit my targets. It also sends messages to motivate you and reminds you when you fall behind schedule. It reminds you to stand up and move around throughout the day if you haven’t hit your targets yet. For me, this gaming element to fitness has worked incredibly well. The achievement element triggers something in me that keeps me motivated.

What impact has putting your T2D in to remission had on your life?

Hitting these manageable daily targets took me from near 18 stone to around 14.5 currently and from around 44” waist trousers to 36”. It also reversed my diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.

The main benefit of putting my T2D into remission has been all round better health. I pick up less in the way of bugs, colds, coughs etc and I have slept better. My skin is also in better condition. I have had no significant period of sickness since I started to change my lifestyle. I can’t be certain that this is directly linked, but my mental health is also much more robust these days.

What impact has Coronavirus had, if any, on your ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

In a strange way Coronavirus has actually had a positive effect on my lifestyle. I don’t have a 2 hour commute most days now. This has given me more time to keep active and cook more. I live beside the Forth and Clyde canal so I can have a long walk in the morning before starting work rather than sitting in a car driving. This way of starting my day has had a positive impact and means I can close the exercise and move ring on my watch early in the day.

What advice can you give to others who have just been diagnosed with T2D?

Take some time to think about what will motivate you to change. Make a plan to change your lifestyle in a way that you think you can stick with long term and if you need it, use the support available across the region now to get there. This will make all the difference.