Jodie: “It feels like I’ve got my life back!"
Jodie is doing the Counterweight-Plus programme with NHS Angus and Tayside. She just finished Food Reintroduction and is now in Weight Loss Maintenance.
“I’ve struggled with my weight for the last 10 years”
My name is Jodie, I’m 29 years old, married and I have 2 dogs. I work as an assistant service coordinator for a care facility supporting people with complex learning difficulties. I’ve struggled with my weight for the last 10 years, I’ve dieted on and off and tried pretty much every diet out there but nothing has ever really worked for me. My weight continued to creep up and I ended up being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when I was 26-27. I was put on diabetes medication and was feeling old before my time. Plus my husband and I are desperate to have a baby and my weight was stopping this from happening.
“I lost 11lbs in the first week”
At the start of the programme I would not have bet on me being successful, I didn’t think I would be able to achieve the results that I have. I’ll be honest, the first 2 weeks were really hard for me. I lost 11lbs in the first week which was amazing, but I was feeling all the symptoms of withdrawal and I definitely struggled. Luckily my dietitians were such a huge support throughout the entire programme, I couldn’t have done it without them. After about 2 weeks though, it all just clicked. I figured out my routine of having my soups and shakes, I stopped feeling hungry and I just thought to myself “you can do this”.
“It feels like I’ve got my life back!"
No matter how hard those first 2 weeks were, it was 100% worth it for the results I’ve been able to achieve. I’ve lost 4st on the Counterweight-Plus programme and more importantly, I’ve been able to maintain this weight loss easily. My blood glucose dropped from 12.3mmol/L to 5.4mmol/L and I’m officially in diabetes remission and off all my medication, which I’m buzzing about. I’m going into my 30’s without any medical conditions, it feels like I’ve got my life back! Most importantly for me though, I’m almost in the target BMI range for IVF, so my husband and I are so much closer to being able to have a baby.
“I’m so much more active than I’ve ever been”
The biggest change has been in my activity levels and my confidence. Before starting the programme I never did any physical activity because I was so tired all the time. Now I feel confident enough to go to gym classes and I’ve made friends with some of the other women in my classes which is great. I’ve started paddle boarding and wild swimming, things I’d never previously would have been able to do. I feel like my relationship with food has improved too. There’s still times where food preparation feels difficult, but I’m getting the hang of it and thinking about this as a permanent lifestyle change. It doesn’t feel restrictive, I know I can still enjoy treats, I just plan them in as part of my day.
“It really does work!”
I would absolutely recommend Counterweight to anyone. It’s so different from any other diets I’ve done because they actually teach you about how to maintain your weight loss and the support you get from the dietitians is incredible. Just stick with it, even if it’s hard to get started, it’s only 12 weeks and the results are so worth it. I didn’t think I’d be where I am right now and I certainly wouldn’t be here without the Counterweight-Plus programme. Trust me, this really does work!