A 21 stone mum acted quickly when a doctor issued a dire health warning if she didn't lose weight. Kelayne Fannan had seen the scales rocket to more than 21 stone following a motorbike crash and then the breakdown of her marriage.
Turning to food to get through the tough times she suddenly found she was almost twice the weight she had previously been and taking four tablets a day to manage her diabetes.
But after her GP warned her she could die young if she didn't do something about it she decided it was time to act immediately. And a day after the doctor's appointment she made her way to a Slimming World group and has never looked back.
It was in February 2017 that Kelayne, from Hayling Island, signed up to Slimming World group weighing 21st 4lbs. She says: “I’d been to see my GP the day before and he’d told me I had type 2 diabetes and if I didn’t change my lifestyle, I’d have to go on insulin for the rest of my life and I’d die young.
"The shock of this made me realise how seriously my weight was impacting my health, and I joined Slimming World the very next day. It was the wake-up call that I needed and within three weeks, I’d lost half a stone.
“In 2013, my weight began to spiral after I had a motorbike accident and then later that year, my marriage fell apart. I stopped exercising and turned to food as a coping mechanism – eating for comfort and to relieve my boredom.
It was the worst four years of my life, and by 2017, I’d gained 10st. Because of my weight, I couldn’t walk five minutes down the road without my back and knees hurting, and my diabetes was getting worse meaning my GP prescribed four tablets a day to control it.
“Thinking back to that time, I didn’t care for myself at all. I felt so low, I was eating so many crisps, chocolate and sweets, my skin would often have breakouts and at my heaviest I’d suffer from crippling migraines.
"Now I feel completely different, I’m more confident, my skin glows and I no longer need to take medication for my diabetes – I’m so proud I reversed my type 2 diabetes by losing weight and eating a healthy, balanced diet. I eat lots of vegetables and fruit and for dinner, I’ll make baked salmon with fresh vegetables and boiled brown rice or I make Slimming World’s spaghetti Bolognese which is delicious."
She added: "Having the support from my Slimming World group each week has enabled me to reverse my diabetes and understand that food is nutritious and not something to punish myself with or use in a destructive way. When I went back to visit my diabetes specialist and they saw my transformation, they said I was their ‘star patient’.
Carolyn Pallister, Nutrition, Research and Health Policy Manager at Slimming World, says: “Kelayne’s experience backs up our research showing that people with type 2 diabetes can improve, and in Kelayne’s case, reverse their diabetes management by making healthy lifestyle changes and losing weight following our programme. More than half, 51%, of the Slimming World members who had lost at least 10% of their body weight said they had reversed their type 2 diabetes."
She added: Almost two thirds, 61%, were able to reduce or stop taking medication and 81% saw improvements in their blood glucose management. An incredible 80% reported an improved quality of life and 76% of members with type 2 diabetes said they found it easy to fit dietary recommendations from their healthcare team into Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan.”
Kelayne says: “Going to the group each week helped me to keep focused on my goal, and if I had a week where I’d struggled, that’s when I knew I needed the support of my group more than ever. Talking it through with my consultant and the other members would always put a smile on my face and give me the tools and motivation to get back on track the following week. Their support helped me change my relationship with food, and I no longer use it as a source of comfort when I’m bored or stressed.
“As I lost weight, I gained a new sense of confidence. I started to be more active and I wanted to try new things. I joined a local dance class which brought me closer to my family and friends as we dance together.
"I walk the dogs every morning with my daughter, Amber, and we both go to swing, jive and Lindy Hop dancing classes with my parents. I’m more active, more social and living life to the max."
Kelayne says, “I would say to anyone who is concerned about diabetes and wants to lose weight, Slimming World can help. Losing weight hasn’t just changed my life, it saved my life. I’m literally half the person I was when I weighed 21st, dropping eight dress sizes from a size 26 to a size 10.
"It’s been an incredible journey and I couldn’t have done it without the support of Slimming World, my fellow members and my family and friends. I owe them my life.
"To complete my transformation, in November last year, I had a breast lift and implants and this April, I had a tummy tuck to rid me of my excess skin. I’m now a size 10 and weigh 10st 1½lbs. I never thought I’d feel my most confident in my 50s, yet here I am, enjoying every moment.”
More than 4.9 million people in the UK have diabetes, with 13.6 million people in the UK at increased risk of type 2 diabetes, a major contributor to kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke. As well as the human cost, type 2 diabetes treatment accounts for around 10% of the annual NHS budget.
Bev Dodgson runs the Hayling Island Slimming World group and is Kelayne’s Slimming World consultant. She says: “Kelayne is such an inspiration. She’s living proof for anyone with type 2 diabetes, that it is possible to make healthy lifestyle changes and lose weight following Slimming World’s programme.
"Kelayne was able to personalise our healthy eating plan to the advice given to her by her healthcare team and you can see how she’s turned her life around. We’re all so proud of her.”
What Kelayne ate before
Breakfast: Nothing
Lunch: Meal deal – sandwich, crisps, chocolate, sugary drink
Dinner: High fat and high sugary foods such as an Indian takeaway or creamy pasta carbonara with cheese
Snacks: Sweets, crisps and chocolate
What Kelayne eats now
Breakfast: Fresh fruit with low-fat yoghurt
Lunch: Fresh mixed salad with boiled egg, ham and low-fat cottage cheese
Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted fresh vegetables, boiled green vegetables and brown or wild rice
Snacks: Sugar-free jelly, fresh fruit, mixed nuts, dried fruit, low-fat yoghurt
Drinks: Water and lots of tea!
To find your nearest group, call 0344 897 8000 or log on to www.slimmingworld.co.uk
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