On the road to remission through Counterweight Plus

David is 52 years old, a taxi driver and lives on the outskirts of Edinburgh with his wife. Back in 2019, he realised that he needed to make some changes to his lifestyle but was struggling to find the motivation.

He reflects: “A couple years ago I’d really lost my mojo. It’s hard to keep active and dedicate time to losing weight when you’re sitting in a black cab for 11 hours a day. I was feeling pretty low and anxious.

“By October 2019, I knew something needed to change and that I was on the edge of becoming diabetic – but despite everything that my GP was telling me, my head wasn’t in the right space.”

As the country entered a national lockdown in March 2020, David felt even less able to seek support and services were temporarily paused due to the pandemic.

He said: “Covid-19 was affecting my business and I put on a lot of weight in the first lockdown – stuck at home, drinking too much and having barbeques over the summer. 2020 was a tough year for everyone and I was no exception.”

Come October, David was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and realised that it was time to take action.

He said: “My dad was diabetic and died at 54 so something just clicked when I found out. Whilst this wasn’t the reason for him passing, it brought home the importance of staying healthy. I knew the weight wouldn’t come off by itself and that I needed support.”

“I wasn’t quite ready to get started on Counterweight Plus so received some emotional support to begin with. I spoke to Davina (a clinical psychologist within the weight management team at NHS Lothian) a few times every couple weeks and she helped me to get back on track.

“From reintroducing some gentle exercise, to spending more time with my family and just having someone there to talk to – it really cheered me up and got me out of the rut I’d been stuck in.”

By January 2021, David felt a lot more motivated and was ready to give Counterweight Plus a go.

He said: “With news of the Covid-19 vaccine and some light at the end of the tunnel, along with being in a much better place after my sessions with Davina – I decided it was time.

“At first the programme seemed quite daunting. I like my food as much as the next person! But once I got started on the soups and shakes I found it wasn’t actually that bad. I’ve had a couple of lapses – a bit of ham, chicken or a boiled egg here and there – but I’ve not craved anything sweet at all and feel pretty proud of myself.

“Of course there’s been times when I’ve felt hungry and I was a bit worried about the possible side effects – but I haven’t experienced any of these so far. The fortnightly video calls with Jonathan (a specialist dietitian at NHS Lothian who is supporting David through the programme) really give me something to aim for, along with keeping a diary of how I’m getting on.”

16 weeks in and having now completed the Total Diet Replacement (TDR) phase – nutritional soups and shakes diet – of the programme, David is noticing a number of positive changes.

He said: “In the first couple of weeks I lost 19 pounds and this really gave me a huge boost. I’ve lost 7 stone now, feel a lot better in myself and am able to do so much more.

“I go for long walks every couple of days and spend a lot more time outdoors. I’m also spending time with my grandson – taking him to the park, playing games with him in the garden. I’d have to sit down after five minutes of exercise before as I was exhausted and out of breath.

“My wife didn’t sleep beside me for a couple of years as my snoring had got so bad and I had sleep apnoea because of my weight. This also meant that I’d feel tired all day in the taxi, despite thinking I’d had a good night’s sleep.”

David’s wife, daughter and mum have also been focusing on eating healthily, so they’ve been working together as a family – supporting each other to take some important steps towards leading a healthier lifestyle.

David added: “As they’ve all been eating healthily too, we’ve been helping each other out. We’re not in a competition or anything but we’re actively encouraging one another.

“We try to only weigh ourselves once a week as it’s easy to get obsessed but it’s great to see what we’ve achieved. There’s a lot of people out there who are struggling with their weight or on diets most of their life, but ultimately we don’t want to go on like that.”

Taking part in the programme during lockdown has brought with it some challenges – but David has taken all of this in his stride.

He said: “I don’t know what it’s like to have face-to-face appointments, so can’t really compare but have personally found the video calls really easy. They allow me to be flexible and dial in from wherever works at home – or even from the taxi!

“It’s certainly spurred me on receiving that regular feedback and knowing exactly when I’m speaking to Jonathan. I feel like we’ve still got to know each other well, despite meeting him online. It’s also allowed me to share things with Davina which I wouldn’t have felt as comfortable saying in person.”

For David, the benefits of Counterweight Plus have to date been pretty far reaching and he’s excited for what’s yet to come.

He said: “It’s been a great experience so far – I’ve lost inches around my waist, my mental health is much better and I really hope that I can reach remission.

“My attitude to life has totally changed, along with my overall mood and demeanour. I used to pick arguments a lot as was feeling constantly irritated and would snap at the people around me – so my family and friends have noticed a big difference too.”

David wanted to share his experience on the programme in the hope that it would inspire others, encouraging them to take part and better manage their type 2 diabetes.

He said: “I can’t speak for everyone as no-one is the same but my advice would just be to go for it. If you’re overweight like me, feeling sluggish and your mood is low too, you’ve really got nothing to lose.

“Do your best to make it past the first four weeks, and I promise that you will see results. Give it a go, take it from there and focus on the long term health benefits. You can’t judge something till you’ve tried it!”

As he reintroduces food back in to his diet following the soups and shakes, David is aware he still has a way to go – but he’s determined to see it through.

He said: “There’s absolutely no way that I will stop now, considering the impact on my life. I will keep going until the end of the two years and then do whatever’s needed. Returning to the way I felt before simply isn’t an option, so I’m confident that it’s all up from here.”