‘Love of food killed my brother...and nearly me’
CABBIE Ian Handley has regained 15 years of his life after soaring to 21 stone, leaving himself on he brink of diabetes.
He’d always enjoyed his food – and likened it to those who crack open a beer after work.
But last September Ian, 52, saw his GP because he was having difficulty breathing.
Routine tests showed his blood sugar readings were high – he was headed to an early grave. Like more than 13 million people in this country, he was at risk of diabetes.
Exercising
Ian “didn’t see the issue” with his lifestyle. He revealed: “My passion has always been food.
“Cream cakes, biscuits, all of that. Sometimes I would buy two chocolate bars, the big ones, and big bags of crisps, and I’d scoff the lot.”
But he added: “I was sat down and told to start eating healthier foods and critically the two main things to cut from my diet were sugar and carbs because they were making me gain weight.”
In just eight months, dad Ian has shed four stone by eating sensibly and exercising. He has vowed to continue his path to wellness in memory of his brother David who died aged 66 from Type 2 diabetes last month.
Ian, from Southport, said: “It’s very cliched but you’ve only got one life. The little adjustments I have made have added 15 years to my life.
“I now have two reasons to carry on – my own health and my brother’s memory.”
Dad-of-four David weighed 26 stone at one stage, had bariatric surgery in 2015 but suffered a health relapse. Type 2 was a factor in his death.
Ian said: “He always said to me, ‘Don’t go down the same road as me and have surgery – just try and do it naturally’.”
Busy with work and family commitments, Ian paid little attention to his diet.
He worked late and would get a takeaway to end days that started with breakfast on the go, usually fast food, caramel lattes, and chocolate.
“I had to change my life or I would have ended up dead. It’s working for me and I am doing it for David. It’s the reason I am sticking with this.”