Terry’s remarkable health transformation
A 47 year-old heart attack survivor from Oldham lost four stone and reversed his pre-diabetic diagnosis on a type 2 diabetes prevention programme – proving the incredible impact positive changes can make to your health.
Terry’s journey to better health
Terry Blinco saw both his waistline and his risk of developing the condition massively reduced. This success is why Terry is telling his story during Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Week, which runs from Monday 25th – Sunday 31st May: “hopefully hearing my story might inspire you to make some small changes for larger gains.”
“In August 2023, I had a heart attack – resulting in two heart stents and being put on medication for the rest of my life,” said Terry. “Following the heart attack, I had a mental breakdown and refused to leave my room for 12 months due to the fear of having another heart attack – during this time, I gained five stone and became pre-diabetic.”
Joining the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme
Terry started the NHS type 2 diabetes prevention programme, called Healthier You, in December 2024, after being invited to join the course because a routine blood test showed that he was pre-diabetic .
Terry admits he wasn’t looking forward to and didn’t enjoy the first session due to his mental health, but support from his family meant he didn’t give up: “My thoughts revolved around ‘I don’t need telling what to do’, ‘I can cook most of my meals from scratch’ and ‘I can’t exercise due to my heart condition therefore this is going to be a waste of mine and their time.’ When I got home, I spoke with family members about not returning. They helped me to see that unlike the heart attack I could do something to stop becoming diabetic, so I went to the next session.”
Small changes that made a big difference
From there, Terry started to make changes to his life and see a positive impact: “Between sessions, I had an appointment with my Cardiologist, after undergoing some further tests, it was decided I could do light exercise like walking to build up strength and confidence.
“At the same time, I had started checking packages while shopping and measuring ingredients whilst I was cooking. I had been cooking like TV chefs and just throwing things in and if it tasted good it was OK. I was shocked at how bad I was at guessing measurements. I started to count my calories on my phone app, I used healthier cookbooks, and I walked, as much as I felt comfortable with. The weight slowly started to come off, after about seven sessions people started to notice the changes in me. Not just the weight loss, but also my confidence.”
Improved physical and mental Health
The sessions made a huge difference to the way Terry looked at his problems. Helping to make his weight loss journey more manageable and ultimately leaving him no longer pre-diabetic, in control of his calorie intake and with improved overall and mental health: “From the course I’ve learned that one day doesn’t decide my week, if I have a bad day, I’ve got all week to do better and pull it back. If I go out for a meal with family, I don’t have to skip it or have water and salad. I could accommodate the calories through the week. I now look at calories in fast food and make better decisions. I have also realised that I can’t exercise like I’m 20 years old, I have to try and adjust to my age.”
NHS Greater Manchester Encourages Others to Seek Support
Dr Claire Lake, Deputy Chief Clinical Officer for NHS Greater Manchester said: “Just like Terry, there are many people across Greater Manchester who know they have a potential preventable health problem but don’t know where to start when it comes to tackling it. We hope that Terry’s story will show everyone out there that continuous small changes to their lifestyle can make a big difference to their lives and health that will ultimately prevent type 2 diabetes and other health conditions.
“Most importantly, we hope it makes people realise that it is never too late to start making these changes, and that no one needs to try to do this on their own. There is plenty of help out there if they want it.”
Thousands supported across Greater Manchester
Around 250,000 people in Greater Manchester are “pre-diabetic”, which means their blood sugar levels are above normal but not yet high enough to be classified as Type 2 Diabetes – and so could benefit from going on the Healthier You programme.
Since 2019, 37,370 people have started the Healthier You programme in Greater Manchester.
Find out more about the Healthier You Programme
If you would like to find out more about the NHS programme and whether you are eligible visit the Diabetes My Way website
