BEATING diabetes is the perfect Christmas present for a Rugby woman, who celebrated by taking on her first ever continuous run – while dressed as Father Christmas.
Karen Cox, 49, was only a couple of stone overweight when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2010 and put on a cocktail of drugs to control her blood sugars.
Eight years later, and with her 50th birthday looming, Karen was advised that losing just 10 per cent of her body weight could make all the difference to her long term health.
Karen, who works as an HR quality compliance coordinator for Homestead Senior Care, began attending a Weight Watchers workshop in July to drop the extra pounds before her birthday.
She said: “At nearly 50, that was what was important to me. I wanted to be 50 and fit.”
And by September she had reached her target.
“Surprisingly, after running some tests, I was informed that my blood sugars had returned within normal levels,” she said.
“You always think that it is people with large amounts of weight that can improve their health. I didn’t have mega amounts to lose, but I still reversed my diabetes after eight years.
“I reached my target weight after losing 36 pounds on December 1 – the day before my 50th birthday.”
After completing the NHS ‘Couch to 5k’ programme in June, Karen went on to do the Leamington Santa Dash at Victoria Park earlier this month – raising £110 for the Myton Hospice in the process.
Karen celebrated by taking on her first ever continuous run at the Leamington Santa Dash earlier this month.“It was my first ever continuous run and I was dressed as Santa,” she added.
“I never thought I would ever be able to do anything like this. My life has improved so much and I am now free of type 2 diabetes.
“Who would have thought that losing just a few stone could make so much difference to my life?”
