When Susan Sinclair was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her third pregnancy, she began to realize the effects sugary treats had on her body.
The full-time elementary school music teacher and mother of three rewarded her hard work with chocolate and cake “every day without mistakes”.
But when the daily treats turned into daily insulin injections and a pre-type 2 diabetes diagnosis from doctors, Susan, 43, was shocked to change her lifestyle.
And when she lost her mother in January 2020 at the age of 71, the thought of never seeing her future grandchildren motivated her to reduce four dress sizes and give her health a “clean slate”.
“Every day without a mistake” Susan Sinclair would reward herself with chocolate and cake
(Image: Susan Sinclair)
Susan of Longbenton said, “Being diagnosed with pre-diabetes really got me thinking about how my health could affect my family in the long term.
“I recently lost my mother at the start of the pandemic and she was only 71 years old. We were close and it hit me hard and continues to do so to this day.
“I want to make sure I’m there for my grandchildren, if I have any, and I know that at 43 now is the time to really take care of my health and my body.
“There are some things in life that you can’t control, but I can control my diet and fitness.
“When prediabetes wasn’t motivated enough, I was informed that my cholesterol level was dangerously high and that I had osteoarthritis in my right hip.”
Before Susan Sinclair started her weight loss journey, she bought size 20 clothes and said she dreaded summer because she hated having to wear less clothes
(Image: Susan Sinclair)
Before starting her weight loss journey, Susan bought size 20 clothes and said she dreaded the summer because she hated having to wear less clothes.
She felt like she couldn’t go out because she was embarrassed about how she looked and jealous when she saw her husband talk to slimmer women.
Susan added, “I felt miserable, insecure and [my weight] had a negative impact on my mental health.
“I used to be really jealous of my husband talking to slimmer, healthier looking women, and I knew it was because of the way I looked and felt.”
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Susan tried to lose weight by adding exercise to her day and eating a low-carb diet that she hoped would reverse prediabetes.
She read books on reversing type 2 diabetes but said she was struggling to lose the pounds until she discovered the Cambridge 1: 1 diet in December 2020.
Since joining the plan, she has gone from size 20 to size 12 and lost 15 pounds, from 14.9 pounds to 11.5 pounds.
Her biggest achievement, however, is her family doctor saying she reversed her pre-diabetes and given her health a “clean slate”.
Susan Sinclair said her GP was amazed at how she reversed her pre-diabetes diagnosis and said her cholesterol had returned to normal, healthy levels, which gave her a “clean slate”.
(Image: Susan Sinclair)
Susan said, “I feel so much happier and my self-esteem has improved dramatically.
“I got the results of my last blood test back and my GP was amazed at how quickly I reversed my prediabetes diagnosis and said my cholesterol was back to normal, healthy levels.
“He said I have a ‘clean slate’ and I actually cried with happiness as my health was my biggest motivator and losing my mother last year was the good news I needed.
“I feel more confident, energized, and excited about life. I feel like I am in control and my mental health is great.”
Since joining the plan, she’s also been a silver 1: 1 dietitian hoping to help people regain control of their health.
She added, “I’ve done so much research and I’ve been through it myself, I might as well use it.”
