A size 22 woman who feared she would lose a limb after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes has reversed her condition in just 13 months.
Toni Weeks, 51, from Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, who tipped the scales at 20st 7lbs at her heaviest, lost nearly 10 stone on a ‘smart’ weight loss plan that focuses on ‘rewiring’ eating habits – and also allows treats and alcohol.
The mother-of-three, who now weighs 10st 11lb, saw her blood pressure and cholesterol drastically reduce and halved her body weight while ‘still enjoying a cheeky glass of red’ and takeaways on the Second Nature programme, which is backed by the NHS.
‘I’m now wearing a size 12 and am no longer diabetic,’ said Toni, speaking to FEMAIL. ‘I was taking three tablets a day, now I’m down to one. My sleep apnoea has improved considerably. It’s incredible.’
Toni Weeks, 51, from Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, lost nearly 10 stone on a ‘smart’ weight loss plan that focuses on ‘rewiring’ eating habits – and also allows treats and alcohol. Pictured, before her diet at size 22
Weighing more than 20st, Toni, who confesses she used to eat ‘mountains of takeaways’, panicked when she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in January 2018. Pictured, in December 2018
The mother-of-three who feared she would lose a limb after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes has reversed her condition in just 13 months. Pictured now, weighing 10st 11lbs
In January 2018, Toni, who weighed more than 20st and used to eat ‘mountains of takeaways’, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and immediately panicked.
Having tried ‘weigh-in’ weight-loss plans that failed to work long-term, she embarked on her own diet, but only managed to lose two stone by August 2018 – admitting it was a ‘daily struggle’.
That month, weighing 18st 7lbs, Toni found Second Nature – a ‘ridiculously easy’ 12-week low-carb programme costing £35 to £60 a month.
Toni, a Technical Account Manager, admits she had endured a battle with weight her entire life – spiralling from a size 16 in her mid twenties to a size 22 in 2018.
It was then she was hit with diabetes, which effects more than five million people in Britain and costs the NHS £10bn a year to treat.
The super slimmer told how people no longer recognise her following her weight loss. Pictured, after losing ten stone
She would eat a fast-food snack for breakfast, scoff a Subway for lunch, then dine on greasy food including the likes of pizza, chips and burgers for dinner – and would often eat more than her husband.
‘My portion sizes were big,’ explained Toni. ‘I could eat a food mountain, masses of takeaways, I’m a general foodie.’
‘I would snack in between meals and would eat anything I could see. It didn’t even cross my mind that I wasn’t eating properly.’
But when she received her shock diagnosis, Toni knew she had to change her eating habits.
After finding Second Nature in August, which now has 30,000 users and is also being trialled by the NHS, Toni says food is no longer her ‘crutch.’
Toni would eat a fast-food snack for breakfast, scoff a Subway for lunch, then dine on greasy food. Pictured, at a restaurant before her weight loss
Having tried ‘weigh-in’ weight loss plans that failed to work long-term, Toni tried out her own diet but only managed to lose two stone by August 2018,. Pictured, now
‘Amazingly, during this time frame, I have been on holiday, weekends away, meals out, out for drinks with the girls, you know, carried on living,’ she said.
‘When dieting, everyone “falls off the wagon” and suffers guilt then there is the whole self-loathing and sabotage cycle.
‘With Second Nature, there is no wagon. Everyone is allowed a treat. It’s when those treats become the norm that we’re in trouble.’
No food is off limits in the plan, and Toni still enjoys a monthly takeaway and a ‘cheeky red’.
‘It’s an absolute treat when we have takeaway once a month,’ she explained. ‘When we dine out, we no longer have starters, puddings etc, there is no need. The main course is already too big although I can still manage a cheeky red!’
‘To this day, I can’t believe how much food I used to be able to put away.’
Toni, who also used to suffer from sleep apnoea, says she is thrilled with her progress.
‘I have found the Second Nature logic inspirational, the 360-degree approach is a real game changer, covering eating, exercise and self worth, all online without having to go out to meetings which I never looked forward to,’ explained Toni.
‘People who haven’t seen me for a little while do not recognise me at first and ask where the rest of me has gone.’
‘I explain about Second Nature and describe to them that it’s not a diet but a re-education.’
After finding Second Nature in August, fast forward to today, and food is no longer Toni’s ‘crutch’ after her life-changing epiphany and newly improved lifestyle.
Toni says that Second Nature is not a diet but is rather a ‘re-education.’ Pictured, after her weight loss