30 stone man drops two trouser sizes and puts his Type 2 diabetes into remission on NHS programme
A 35-year-old man who weighed 30 stone and had a 75% chance of a heart attack in the next 5 years, dropped two clothes sizes and five stone and changed his life on the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme.
The NHS Diabetes Path to Remission Programme or ‘soups and shakes diet’ helped Luke Milner from Chesterfield, put his Type 2 diabetes into remission in under a year.
His story is being shared as part of Diabetes Week (9–15 June) – a national campaign led by Diabetes UK to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and support those living with diabetes. In the East Midlands alone, over 331,000 people are living with the condition.
Since it began in 2020, the programme has supported 3,179 people across the East Midlands, including 1,669 in Derbyshire, like Luke.
“My life was in a bad place,” he said.
“I couldn’t do much physically, and mentally I was struggling. I was stuck in a cycle of eating my feelings and feeling miserable. My diet was terrible, full of high calorie junk food, and I never exercised.”
Luke’s diabetes diagnosis in summer 2024 was a turning point. With a family history of the condition, and the possibility of daily medication, or worse, Luke made the decision to take back control of his life.
Developing Type 2 diabetes can have a devastating impact on people and their families – it is a leading cause of preventable sight loss in people of working age and is a major contributor to kidney failure, limb amputation, heart attack, nerve damage, stroke and many of the commonest types of cancer.
The Type 2 diabetes path to remission programme required significant changes, starting with an intensive low-calorie phase that cut his intake from 5,000 calories per day, to just 800 through a ‘soups and shakes’ diet.
“The first few weeks were tough, and I struggled with low energy levels, but after three weeks, my energy returned, and I began to feel hope for the first time in years.”
As the weight began to fall off, Luke noticed massive improvements.
“I lost six stone, went from a 5XL to a 3XL. My waist has dropped from 50 inches to 44. But more importantly, my diabetes is now in remission, and I’m no longer trapped by food or fatigue.”
The next phase in the programme focused on a protein-rich, balanced diet, and a new focus on movement. Luke started walking more, going to the gym, and enjoying more active hobbies.
Beyond the physical transformation, Luke says the programme has given him purpose, something he hadn’t felt in years.
“My mental health is so much better. I feel driven, focused and positive. I’ve started sharing my journey on social media, and the support has been incredible. Helping others who are struggling like I was, has become a real passion”.
So much so, he’s now considering a career change, one that would allow him to support people facing the same battles he’s managed to overcome.
“This journey has completely changed my life. If I can inspire even one person to take that first step, it’s all been worth it.”