When T first came to see me, she had a lot on her plate. In her 60s, T had survived cancer, was living with coeliac disease, and was managing Type 2 diabetes. Her blood pressure was too high, her blood sugar levels were spiking, and she felt frustrated with her weight. She told me she wanted to lose weight, but after learning more about her situation, we decided to take a slightly different path.
Instead of diving straight into weight loss, we chose to focus on her overall health first. After all, improving her blood pressure and stabilising her blood sugar would make everything else - weight loss included - a whole lot easier and more sustainable.
What We Did
Over two months, we worked on getting the basics right. No drastic overhauls, no fad diets, just a focus on:
Good quality nutrition: Prioritising protein, increasing vegetables and monitoring carbohydrate macros at every meal.
Reducing processed foods: Especially gluten-free (GF) products, which can sometimes be loaded with sugar and unhealthy fats.
Consistency: Building habits that were manageable and sustainable for T’s lifestyle.
We also spent time identifying which foods were problematic for her. It turned out that certain condiments, sauces, and even GF flours were causing issues with her blood sugar levels. Once we pinpointed these triggers, we adjusted her meals to avoid them.

The Results
Two months later, T is in a much better place:
Her blood pressure is now at a safe and healthy level.
Her blood sugar is far more stable, with fewer spikes and more predictable patterns.
She feels more in control and has a better understanding of how different foods affect her body.
With these improvements in her health markers, we’re now ready to shift our focus to weight loss.
Why Health Comes First
T’s story is a great reminder of why it’s so important to prioritise health before focusing on the scales. Trying to lose weight when your body is under stress - whether from high blood pressure, unstable blood sugar, or other health issues - makes the process much harder and less effective. By improving T’s health first, we’ve given her the foundation she needs to support long-term, sustainable weight loss.
Practical Tips for Better Health
If you’re struggling with similar challenges, here are a few simple but effective strategies we used with T:
Focus on the basics: Build your meals around lean proteins, plenty of vegetables, and unprocessed foods. Don’t overcomplicate things.
Watch your processed foods: Even so called “healthy” options like GF products can be sneaky sources of sugar and unhealthy fats.
Be consistent: Change doesn’t happen overnight. Small, consistent habits are far more effective than quick fixes.
Pay attention to triggers: Keep track of how certain foods make you feel. Even small changes - like switching a low sugar sauce or avoiding a type of flour - can make a big difference.
Be patient: Health is a journey, not a race. Focus on progress, not perfection.
T’s success is proof that prioritising health, staying consistent, and being patient can lead to incredible results. If you’re feeling stuck, remember -you don’t have to do it all at once. Sometimes, taking one small step is the most powerful thing you can do.
If you’re ready to start your own journey towards better health, let’s chat. I’d love to help you feel confident, energetic, and in control again. 💛
Comments