Anyone done the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme and found it useful? Or not?

[NancyMulligan]

Does anyone have experience of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme? If so, could you describe what the sessions are like, what happens during them, are they genuinely useful?

I've been referred (borderline pre-diabetic) but the programme is 14 sessions, all of which are during my working week and will require time off work.

I don't know what to expect from the programme. I'd like to know if it is genuinely helpful and will give me the information I need. I'm concerned I'll find it a waste of time and would like to know if anyone has had a really positive experience.

I suppose my main concerns are that it will be too vague and it will focus too much on lifestyle that isn't specifically tailored to me.

If anyone can talk me through what happens at the sessions so I can get a feel for how helpful they'll be, I'd be grateful.

I had to do it online - post covid. Different people were online each time. Mainly shown videos through a Teams type approach. No chance to talk or ask questions, lots of videos and a script by the person leading it who could not answer questions,

so no.

better delivery, chance to think and reflect and actually hear what was said, then probably,

Thank you @Summercocktailsgalore. That's helpful. It sounds like my concerns might not be entirely unfounded but perhaps in person would be a better experience.

I have heard about this through a colleague, it is every two weeks for the first few sessions and then monthly. You are weighed at each session and do some light exercises. She said it was useful.

Sorry, a little late, but I found it a waste of time. I did it online and there was none of the group chit chat & support I had hoped to find.. The group leader was following a script. The other group members had a very different lifestyle to me. There were lots of discussions about using a divided up plate & portion size for everyone's existing diet. No real nutritional advice. I learnt nothing new.

I also asked for a referral to a dietician. That might be a good route to take.

I started last week @HewasH2O .

It was kind of ok but I can see myself getting irritated fairly quickly. I'm really annoyed that sessions are only during the working week - I clearly don't fit the demographic (mostly retirees as far as I can see). We'll be discussing exercise soon which is ironic since I'm missing my weekly extra-long dog walk with friends to attend this wretched course.

I fear my attitude may be wrong! 😂

This sounds familiar. There were lots of helpful suggestions about burning calories by hoovering & gardening in the "Get Moving" sessions.

If you would like some good dietary ideas, take a look at either the cookery books by Kate Caldesi (mediterranean restaurants) or Si King & Dave Myers Hairy Dieters books, depending upon the type of food you enjoy.

I think it must be different everywhere. ExDP did it in about 2023. It was a series of group phone calls. He was able to ask questions and they had group discussions. I overheard a lot of
it because he had it on speaker and it seemed good to me. They sent him a lovely recipe book. However, he took no notice and carried on eating the same food. The only change he made was to start exercising so he now has diabetes.

I have done it. I recommend it. Wishing you well. I am so glad that you have the opportunity to reverse your condition. 🩷

No experience, but if you are (close to being) pre-diabetic, I would suggest:

The Blood Glucose Solution by Dr Mark Hyman
Some of the Zoe videos on YouTube
Dr Becky’s Videos about cutting out sugar and refined Carbs - also on YouTube

And if you don’t already exercise seriously, including weight training, get started. The following YouTube trainers are excellent:

Growingannanas
Heather Robertson
Caroline Girvan

My great aunt who was in her early 70s did a similar programme and it worked for her. No longer diabetic and she has gone on to live another 20 years and is now in her 90s.

There is a really good book by one of the original researchers who discovered the link, explaining how just losing a key amount of weight triggers a process which reverses pre diabetes and can even resolve actual diabetes for many people, but is most effective if done early in the process. I will link in a minute!

We have a lot of family history of diabetes and the complications are so worth avoiding.

https://shop.diabetes.org.uk/products/life-without-diabetes

“Professor Roy Taylor is one of the world's leading experts in type 2 diabetes, the man who discovered that this life-limiting
disease was actually a reversible condition.
In Life Without Diabetes, Professor Roy Taylor brings all the knowledge and experience of four decades of treating people with diabetes. He explains exactly what is happening in the body as type 2 develops”

Thank you everyone.

I'm only borderline pre-diabetic at the moment (HbA1c is 42) so hopefully I can reverse it.

My main issues are likely to be around stress and sleep so I'm looking forward to those sessions.

I'm 55kg and have already cut added sugar (almost entirely) out of my diet since last Autumn, eat plenty of vegetables (I try to do eat the rainbow/30 plants) and eat wholemeal where I can. This is probably why I found the first session, talking about portion control and ideas for cutting down on added sugar, slightly irritating. "If, say, you have 3 biscuits when you have a cup of tea, try cutting down to one" is just so far off the advice I need.

I'm fairly fit (walking, cultivating my allotment) but could probably do more there.

I need to sleep more and try to manage my stress. I've had a lot going on over the last few years but I think I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

It looks like you are already eating healthy and moving a lot, both of which are key to controlling blood glucose. It is likely that you have some degree of insulin resistance, so I’d read up on this. Plenty of advice on this on YouTube, though some of it can be somewhat contradictory.

In addiction I would suggest consciously eating more fibre and reducing all carbs to an absolute minimum, making sure they are complex/healthy carbs, especially legumes and root vegetables. Dr Mark Hyman, whose book I mentioned, also has a companion book with lots of recipes aimed at reducing insulin levels.

You might also find this video interesting as it focuses on how exercise and moving/being active during our waking hours has tremendous benefits for our metabolism:

I agree that reducing stress and improving length and quality of sleep will be key. Easier said than done, sadly. If there are no practical or attainable solutions to the source, maybe try meditation and yoga, and/or consider counselling.

It sounds like you are taking a brilliant approach to it all op. The book might be illuminating because it explains that the personal amount of weight loss needed to reverse pre diabetes or actually type 2 itself varies from person to person. IIRC it says that some people are already a reasonable weight for their height but for them a particular weight is still slightly too high and needs to come down a little to kick start a reversal. Hopefully the programme will have explained all of this.

I'm currently doing a digital version through an app. It's ok. I didn't fancy the group version for all the reasons you give; seems like I was right to avoid.

i have a health coach and message her as I go, with replies initially weekly and now fortnightly. I don't need a massive amount of advice but I am finding it good having someone who takes an interest and is encouraging and a bit of a cheerleader, as sometimes plodding on with the new eating pattern is not that interesting.

I haven't made huge changes to my diet, other than basically cutting out sweet stuff, as it was already not bad and I moved over to wholemeal everything a few years ago. But with a lot of Type 2 on my dad's side I'm hoping at least to delay it.