Peter Jackson, now 68, from County Down, was 65 when he embarked on an impressive weight loss journey in which he lost an incredible five stone as part of an NHS-funded shakes and soups diet
A man claims to have lost five stone and reversed his diabetes after trying a game-changing soup and shake diet.
Peter Jackson, 68, from County Down, was 19-and-a-half stone after keeping a poor diet while travelling around for more than four decades working in sales for a tobacco company. He recalled the day his doctor called to deliver some bad news in April 2021. He told the i paper: “She told me that I was standing on the precipice of type 2 diabetes and they had spoken to me about this twice before; this was basically the last call on the matter.
“That conversation really hit home with me. While I was on the call, the GP also told me that Dundonald Hospital in Belfast were running a pilot scheme for diabetes remission, and would I consider participating in the programme, which could help remove the risk of type 2 diabetes. I didn’t give it a second thought – I wanted to take part.”
The GP offered him a solution – a “soups and shakes” diet of just 800 calories. At the time, he was at the top age limit for acceptance into the programme. He had to undergo a rigorous screening process in which he also met with a psychologist, all funded by the NHS, in which he was assessed to see whether he was serious about seeing the programme through.
Finding out about the the diabetes was a lightning-bolt moment which sparked a major drive to lose weight. He cut out all of his favourite snacks and fizzy drinks. He started at 18 stone six in August 2021, but by the start of November he had dropped to an incredible 14-and-a-half stone. The programme consisted of a shake in the morning, soup at lunch, a shake in the afternoon, followed by a shake at dinner time. Through the day, he also had to glug down two-and-a-half litres of water – which was the most challenging part for him.
At this point, it was time for the patients to be weaned back on to real food. The amount of soups and shakes were reduced while solid foods were added to the daily routine. He said the NHS provided them with NHS scales, a blood pressure monitor, and a kit for checking blood sugar levels at home.
