Counterweight-plus programme helps shed stones

John Gemmell, 74, from Falkirk started using the Counterweight-plus programme in May 2016.

At the time, he was extremely overweight and weighed 146.3kg – about 23 stone – and had been living with type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years.

He had a 58” chest and a 52” waist. When he needed a knee replacement in the spring of 2016, his surgeon told him he couldn’t oper- ate on him until he lost the weight and referred him into the Counterweight-plus programme.

Mr Gemmell said: “At that point, on a scale of one to ten, my need to lose weight was a ten.

“I needed to lose the weight to get the surgery as I could hardly walk across the room.”

Spurred on to lose weight, Mr Gemmell lost nearly a stone himself before beginning the programme and after starting Counterweightplus, the weight came off further. Within two weeks of starting the programme, at his second appointment with the dietician, Mr Gemmell’s weight was down from 139.2kg to 131.2.kg.

At every appointment thereafter, Mr Gemmell’s weight went down another 2-3kg.

“It was easy,” Mr Gemmell said.

“I got used to what I was eating and it was no problem. I got lots of help and support from dieticians.”

Mr Gemmell’s weight is now 92kg.

“I’m back to eating just about normal now and the weight has stayed off,” he said.

“I’ve been about the same weight for nine months now.

“I was so big for so long. People are amazed and it feels really good to have got so much weight off.”

He is now considered to be in complete remission from his type 2 diabetes and the amount of pills that he takes has dropped from 14 tablets down to three. Mr Gemmell no longer takes any medication for diabetes.