MEDICAL TRIUMPH

Since being diagnosed with diabetes, John Dawson has lost 10 kilos and his diabetes nurse is amazed at the improvement in his cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

"Both my mother and elder brother had the condition from when they were teenagers and as I had always been on the large side, I knew my weight wouldn't help," said 52-year-old John.

"When I got the results, I was also told that I had high cholesterol and had to keep an eye on my blood pressure. So the whole thing came as a big warning that I needed to make some changes to my lifestyle.

"I did a little bit of research into pedometers and came across Fitbug. I really liked the fact that this wasn't just about me recording how many steps I took each day, but that it would also help me to keep tabs on what I was eating and be set targets. "

When John began his Fitbug journey at the start of the year, his daily activity was in the region of 3000 steps a day and his philosophy towards doing work tasks that involved going to different floors was apathetic at best.

Vast improvements
He adds: "Back in February, I was doing about 3000 or 4000 steps a day, but over the last six months I have dramatically changed my habits. I now regularly do over 10,000 steps and usually do 12,000, which seemed unthinkable back then.

"Some of the more significant changes I have made are always going out for a walk at lunchtime, making a big dent in my target and walking the first part of my journey home in the evenings, rather than taking the bus.

"At the weekend, I try to reach my target all in one go. Taking 12000 steps can take two hours, which is quite a commitment and I think my wife sometimes wonders where I have disappeared to!"

Having been diagnosed with diabetes and high cholesterol, it was essential that John paid close attention to the amount of simple sugars and saturated fat in his diet. He found that the pie chart on the nutrition pages was the ideal tool to help him to do so.

"Obviously, I had to make some amendments to my diet, in particular cutting down on sugar in my tea and coffee and that is where the nutrition pages have come in really helpful. I like the way it breaks down the composition of your food and it really opens your eyes to the things you should be avoiding."

So what advice does July's member of the month have to fellow members? "Just enjoy it and don't take it too seriously," adds John. "Even if you aren't losing the weight you hope to, you are making strides to a healthier you and the weight loss will come with time."