A Sandbach man has swapped old habits for a healthier lifestyle, shedding nearly six stone, sending his diabetes into remission.

These days Neil Howarth is not only enjoying a new body shape and renewed confidence, but he's also chasing his grandson around the garden with his newfound energy!

He's gone from a 40-inch waist to 34, swapped a 19-inch collar for a 16, and watched his chest measurement drop from 54 inches to 44.

The suit he bought for his daughter's wedding in March 2025 now hangs off him and he couldn't be happier. "It's worth every penny of not being able to wear it again" Neil delightfully shares.

"I really can feel the difference and most of all, see the difference."

Following a visit to his local GP, he found out about One You Cheshire East's, free, Re-Shape programme. Neil shares

"I was quite concerned about my weight, my fitness level and I wanted to do something proactive to make sure that at my kind of age I was not risking anything for the future and what a difference it has made to me."

Driven by a desire to feel more confident in himself, in how he looked, how he was perceived, and in his ability to stay healthy for his grandson, Neil joined One You Cheshire East's free, 12-week, Re-Shape programme in Holmes Chapel. What began as a hope for change quickly became a turning point in his life.

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He said: "It's fair to say, my health wasn't the best, I'm type 2 diabetic and I had a HB1C count of over 70, since being on the Re-Shape programme, I have now put my diabetes into remission, and I have got a HB1C count of less than 39."

Neil has experienced a wave of life-changing wins since joining Re-Shape, from treating himself to an entirely new wardrobe to enjoying a surge in confidence and energy.

Neil took part in a 12-week programme run by Everybody Health & Leisure. (Photo: Everybody Health & Leisure)

He now looks forward to events without feeling exhausted, and he's embraced a completely new attitude toward what he eats, when he eats, and how he eats it.

"The biggest change has been energy levels and willingness to do things. Coming home from work, I haven't just been sitting on the sofa, I've been up, I've been with my grandson, we've been running around the garden.

"It's something I would never have been able to do previously. It's made such a difference to me and to my family."

Neil enjoyed the Monday night Re-Shape sessions at Holmes Chapel Community Centre,

"A group of likeminded people all wanting to do the same thing, lose weight, gain confidence and share best practices with each other on what we had done and how we had done it. It was enjoyable, quite light-hearted but very educational at the same time."

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Neil has transformed his daily life in countless meaningful ways. Breaking old habits and building new ones has become a cornerstone of his success, swapping out previous food choices for fresh, filling and flavourful meals he genuinely enjoys.

Planning meals together as a family has brought structure and ease to his days, helping him stay on track, shop smarter, and cut down on waste.

Alongside Re-Shape, Neil also joined One You Cheshire East's free, 12-week physical activity programme, Active Lives and he hasn't stopped exercising since.

With the support of a Personal Trainer who created a plan, tailored specifically to his fitness level "which was very low at the time" he admits.

He now mixes cross-trainer sessions with time on the exercise bike and some free-weight training, keeping up a routine three times a week "I really can feel the difference and most of all, see the difference." Neil says with pride.

Starting anything like this I think takes a lot of nerve and it can be quite nerve-wracking for people to go along to a group and sit there not knowing anybody and talk about things you might not feel that confident about. I felt like that, but you don't need to.

The groups really welcoming, the class leads, they are so helpful and they understand and everyone is working towards the same goal, to make you, me and everyone in the room fitter and healthier. So don't feel nervous, go there, enjoy it and you'll get out of it just as much as you put in and be honest with yourselves, but you'll be great." You can watch Neils full story here.

If you would like to find out more about One You Cheshire East's free health and lifestyle services across Cheshire East, visit www.oneyoucheshireeast.org

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