A HIGHER BEBINGTON mum is inspiring others to lose weight in a bid to combat diabetes as part of an international awareness day.

Lesley Bradley, 61, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at 45-years-old and first developed signs of the condition during pregnancy 10 years earlier.

At this point Lesley was over 13 stone and took pills in a bid to keep her diabetes at bay.

She told the Globe: "I was very overweight, over 13 stone at my heaviest, and never seemed to have time - well, more like inclination to do any exercise.

"I just kept taking the pills, every year needing another type because I made no effort to help my diabetes.

"Then around two and half years ago I heard the words dreaded from my diabetic specialist nurse you need to start on insulin.

"Something clicked in my head and I thought 'no way am I taking insulin. I’m going to put up a fight before giving in!'"

Lesley then decided to go walking and decided to change her diet to low-fat food and no sugary snacks, chocolate or desserts in an attempt to avoid taking insulin.

She also began walking to her work at Arrowe Park and back which was around seven miles a day.

She added: "On New Year's Day 2016 I told my partner to get his boots on as we were going for a long walk. And from then on, we walked every day.

"We changed our diet and we started having tinned mandarin oranges and peaches (in juice) and sugar free jelly with a spot of single cream and we have had it just about every day since.

"I don’t know how we haven’t got sick of it.

"I also got into making batches of healthy soups and stews so I always had frozen meals ready to reheat both at lunchtime and dinner.

"I was 76kg when I started and by June of 2016 I had lost 8kg.

"I asked for a Fitbit for my 60th birthday and that took my exercise to a whole new level. I started walking to work at and back then my weight gradually came down to 64kg but by February of 2018 I had started to overeat and my weight rapidly crept back up.

"I knew I was losing control."

Lesley recalls that her sugar levels had dropped significantly but still not within the healthy range so she decided to join Weight Watchers with her work colleagues.

She has now lost a total of 50lbs from her heaviest weight of 182lbs to 132lb and is gradually coming off her type-2 diabetes medication.

Lesley added:"I am thrilled that I have recently lost 9kg to reach my goal weight and even better, thanks to Laura Teare and WW for the first time in 17 years my sugar levels are at a level my GP is happy with.

"I am so proud to say that I still haven’t eaten chocolate since that New Years Day in 2016."

World Diabetes Day takes place on November 14 and raises awareness about diabetes, highlighting the support and services which are available to people living with the condition.

There are two main types of diabetes; type-1 and type-2.

All types of diabetes mean that their blood glucose levels are too high - for people without diabetes the pancreas senses when glucose has entered the bloodstream and releases the right amount of insulin to the body so that the glucose can get into your cells. If you have diabetes this does not work.

With type-1 diabetes no insulin can be produced but with type-2 diabetes the insulin that is made either doesn't work properly or the body cannot produce enough of it.

Symptoms of diabetes include needing to have wee a lot, thirst and feeling lethargic - some may even lose weight, get infections like thrush or suffer from slow healing wounds.

To find out more information visit https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics