Hazy eye sight scare made Gary take action

Gary joined the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet after experiencing health problems related to his weight. When his eye sight started going hazy - a symptom of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes - he went to see a doctor.

His GP diagnosed him with prediabetes and told him to lose weight to avoid type 2 diabetes, reduce his blood pressure and alleviate his sleep apnoea.

Failing eye sight wasn't the only health concern Gary was experiencing. Poor sleep was leading to a lack of energy and making Gary feel less positive from day to day.

"One thing I appreciate most about losing the weight is the health aspect," Gary says. "I'm a lot fitter and I'm sleeping better so when I wake up in the morning I feel more refreshed and ready to tackle the day.

Yo-yo dieter

Gary has been overweight practically his whole life - he thinks since he was just 10 - with stints of losing weight but putting it right back on. As many men do, he would use exercise to lose weight without taking the diet into account.

With the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, Gary started to look at his diet differently and something clicked. Armed with the latest research into weight loss diets, Gary lost 40 kg*.

*In 18 months. Individual results may vary.

Please note: Since filming this video, Gary has lost another 10 kg for an impressive 40 kg total!

He swapped large portions of processed convenience foods for home made meals based on low GI and higher protein foods and made sure he walked at least 10,000 steps every day.

Fitter, happier, more active

Gary is an avid motorbike rider and has done plenty of trips around Western Australia where he lives. Since his weight loss, Gary has taken to a more manual way of getting around.

"Since I've lost the weight I got a push bike and I tend to ride that more now and I also do a lot of walking in the bush. For me it's quite an amazing transformation having lots more energy," Gary says.

He's also enjoying clothes shopping - something he always hated doing when he was overweight.

"When I was 30 kg heavier, going clothes shopping was not a pleasant experience but now that I've lost the weight I actually enjoy clothes shopping," he says.

Tip: preparation is key

Finally, Gary has some great tips for people in the same boat who want to lose weight. He especially believes that low GI foods can help people who tend to get hungry between meals and encourages others to learn more about the concept.

“Buy some disposable food containers from the supermarket and make up large batches of healthy meals and freeze them. Then make your lunch/sandwich the night before and pack it in an esky ready to go the next day,” he says.

“Eat plenty of vegetables, pre-plan your meals for the week and stick as closely as possible to the recommended portions. Buy a good accurate set of food scales and use them.”