Northampton grandmother reverses type two diabetes after shedding four stone

Mum-of-one, Jackie Willis of Standens Barn was diagnosed with type two diabetes almost four years ago and was told by her nurse in February 2015 to join a WeightWatchers group for three months to improve her quality of life.

At her heaviest, Jackie, who was once 16st 10lb, says she once took two Metformin tablets a day to control her illness and started piling on the weight.

Jackie said: "To be honest, it made me feel even more discouraged at first as I was sure there was no way I could lose weight. After all, I had been this big for over thirty years."

After one year had passed, Jackie made the call and joined up to a weight loss programme in April 2016.

"I just felt like I was existing, but it's only when you lost the weight you realise what you was like before."

Jackie's weight loss journey started in Weston Favell and now she admits she has never looked back.

"I was overwhelmed by everyone's friendliness and nobody looking at me as though I was the “big” lady," she adds.

"From then on I have gone from strength to strength, from getting to my first one stone loss, to now being only one pound away from my four stone loss.

"Yes, there have been trying moments, but that's life."

She says her coach, Fiona, has been an inspiration not only to her but to the rest of her WeightWatchers group because she has faced a lot of the same dietary challenges.

Upon revisiting her diabetes nurse, she was told that she was classed as "completely healthy" and had managed to shake off the illness she had coped with for years.

Jackie, who is now 12st 9lb, says she finally has her life back.