I HIDE PICTURES OF THE OLD ME

MaRK hancocK, 48, is a financial adviser and lives near portsmouth with his wife heather, 48, a finance administrator, and their two sons. THERE’S a photo of me at a football match with my son 15 years ago that I keep hidden in a cupboard — I can’t believe I was that size.

Now, three years after switching to a low-carb diet, I might get a six-pack.

I met Dr Unwin through a charity and I think everyone with type 2 diabetes should be told about his approach. Using it, I’ve lost nearly four stone.

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2010. I was sorting out some life cover and having some tests done by a nurse. A urine test picked up excess sugar.

I was 39 and I’d be at my desk all day, grabbing the wrong things to eat and getting takeaways. I was 16st and my BMI was 27.8 — overweight. I was prescribed metformin and told to have more wholegrain versions of things like bread and pasta, plus fruit and veg. My blood sugar levels initially improved but by 2016 were going back up.

Then I happened to hear on the radio that a low-carb diet could help. Out went pasta and bread: instead, I had full-fat yoghurt, eggs, cheese, butter. It was great to eat all these things again.

In the first week I felt tired and had headaches, but I lost 9lb and it felt amazing. I now weigh a healthy 12st 7lb. I also have so much more energy: I ran a marathon before Christmas. Now we do a lot of running events as a family.