Matt

Matt is in his mid-fifties and lives an active, outdoorsy life. Working in outdoor education means he’s on his feet all day—moving well, breathing fresh air, and doing all the things desk-bound types often wish they could.

So when Matt was told he was pre-diabetic, it felt like a shock. How could someone so active be heading towards diabetes?

With a young family depending on him, this was the wake-up call he needed.

Despite his active lifestyle, Matt had a soft spot for biscuits, chocolate, crisps—anything with a satisfying crunch or melt-in-the-mouth texture. One bite often led to the whole packet. Always on the go and lacking a consistent routine, Matt had fallen into a familiar cycle: grabbing whatever food was available, whenever he had the chance. Petrol stations had become his default for lunch and snacks—quick, convenient, but heavy on sugar and refined carbs, and low in fibre.
 

This is a trap many of us fall into. When daily life takes over, convenience foods offer a short-term fix but leave us undernourished, craving more, and stuck on the blood sugar rollercoaster. It’s not always obvious that food is the cause, but crashes in energy and mood often lead us right back to more quick-release fuel—and the cycle continues.

Over time, these habits can chip away at metabolic health, eventually leading to insulin resistance and, as in Matt’s case, a pre-diabetic diagnosis.

Understandably, Matt was anxious. We began with a Deep Dive Session where we unpacked his habits, looked at the patterns in his food diary, and linked them to his energy dips and cravings. Seeing it laid out so clearly helped everything click into place.

Matt was determined to make a change—and he did. We explored the effects of sugar on energy, focus and long-term health, and that understanding alone gave him the motivation to overhaul his habits.
He went cold turkey on petrol station lunches. Instead, he now preps packed lunches each morning—quick, balanced meals that take less than five minutes. Leftovers get repurposed. He uses a food flask on colder days, filling it with soup or hearty one-pots that keep him going.

The wins stacked up fast. More energy. Better focus. A clearer head. And perhaps unexpectedly, a financial bonus—he realised just how much he was saving by skipping expensive convenience foods.

Most importantly, Matt’s pre-diabetes has been reversed. His transformation wasn’t extreme—it was built on small, strategic steps, driven by insight and supported with realistic tools that fit his lifestyle.

He still enjoys the occasional snack (who doesn’t?), but he now understands how to time it, balance it, and enjoy it without derailing progress. Because reducing sugar doesn’t mean saying goodbye to joy—it just means getting smart about how we eat it.