Back in July 2022 I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. As I was very overweight, I knew if I didn’t lose that weight my health would continue to deteriorate. After trying a psychology-based weight-loss app, I did lose some before my 30th wedding anniversary, but then quite quickly put it all back on again.
One of my sons got married in 2023 and I didn’t like the way I looked so I avoided the camera. My younger son was due to get married in Summer 2024, and I was determined to fit into the dress I envisioned wearing. As well as actually enjoy having some photographs taken with my family this time instead of hiding away again.
Why did I choose LighterLife?
I know it works! I first joined the LighterLife programme in 2007, lost 3.5 stone in 3 months, and kept it off for about 8 years, before I became perimenopausal.
After hitting menopause, my weight reached an all-time high, and I knew I had to make serious changes to my lifestyle in order to lose this weight. LighterLife offers you the opportunity to make those positive changes in a safe and long-lasting environment.
The programme absolutely works and the weight stays off because you’re shown through mindfulness and CBT that your relationship with food doesn’t have to be a negative experience, but rather an enjoyable and satisfying one.
What stood out for me was the fact you can see and feel the changes to your body straight away. The closed group sessions are absolutely invaluable as everyone shares their personal experiences with their own weight loss journeys and all their tips on what has worked and not worked. All this helps and encourages you through your own weight loss journey.
The Management plan is also something that other weight loss programmes don’t really focus on or offer. Yet keeping the weight off is one of the most crucial parts of anyone’s weight loss journey.
Mentoring and Mindfulness
My Mentor, Lisa, and her closed group have been absolutely fantastic, I’ve learned so much. They’ve opened up new perspectives which I hadn’t considered or thought about. Such as thinking outside the box, turning situations regarding food, and our relationships with food, around to find a completely new viewpoint, which I found both fascinating and invaluable.
I’ve learned to be mindful when eating, taking the time to enjoy my meal and really thinking about the process of mealtimes being a positive experience instead of a negative one.
The weekly CBT Mindfulness sessions with Lisa and the group were an absolutely invaluable experience. Although we were all at different stages within our weight loss journeys, we all shared the same goal, to lose weight with no judgements.
Everyone in the group, along with Lisa, had so much advice to give, lessons learned from their own personal challenges and experiences along with tips of what worked and what could be improved upon.
Some topics could delve into some uncomfortable areas for you to examine, which I actually found very refreshing after the session as it’s only when you actually address the core reasons for your habits and mindset that I feel real changes can happen.
I found Lisa’s WhatsApp group to be especially helpful and supportive. I particularly enjoyed seeing pictures of weight loss successes and reading personal stories of challenges people in our group had overcome. Those were particularly inspirational and a boost to my own belief that I can absolutely do this.
Following the plan
I started back on TotalFast on 11 June 2024 and felt hungry and very tired during my first week. But I was expecting this, so I made sure I didn’t have any commitments booked for those first few days, so I could rest and sleep as and when I needed to.
After those initial few days, I felt much better and was able to continue with my life as normal, feeling lighter and with more energy. My favourite products were the Salt & Vinegar Popped Chips, the Spaghetti Bolognaise, the Nut Fudge Bars, and – surprisingly – the Vegetable Soup – I’m not usually a soup girl!
To date I’ve completed an 8-week subscription, followed by 4 weeks, and then another 8-week subscription and I’ve lost a total of 43lbs.
What’s changed for me now that I’ve lost my weight?
I am much more confident. I dress differently now when I go to my place of business and I think and carry myself differently, standing straighter and with a much better posture all round.
I am definitely more active, incorporating swimming, which I’ve always loved, into my weekly routine, as I feel much more confident about wearing a swimming costume now.
Prior to my weight loss, I would get out of breath and sweaty when climbing stairs, and carrying my grandchild wasn’t as enjoyable as it should have been. When I went for morning walks with my friend I’d get embarrassed because I’d get breathless and would often need to slow down.
Now, I can comfortably jog up the stairs and carrying my grandson is a wonderfully precious moment, not marred by me wanting to sit down or hand him off to someone else. My walks are also much more enjoyable.
My blood pressure is now stable and my health has improved since my weight loss.
I have a vast wardrobe but previously couldn’t wear 95% of my clothes. Now though I can pick out almost any item of clothing and know it will fit me. And when I went for my dress fitting, a week before my son’s wedding, the dress had to be taken in by a further 4 inches as it was too big for me!
Needless to say, I absolutely loved wearing my dress, and enjoyed every moment of the day.
What have I learned?
I’ve learned I’m not always as hungry as I may think I am. In fact, more often than not, it’s water that my body actually needs, not food.
And distracting myself whenever I feel a ‘trigger’ coming on, has led to a new-found love of face masks and hair oils, which I have found really work.
What I’d say to anyone thinking about starting LighterLife.
I would say to focus on one meal at a time, one day at a time, not to think about tomorrow or next week or next month. To take each step at a time and to concentrate on the here and now, as that helps you to keep focused on your goals.
If I could, I would shout from the rooftops about LighterLife and how it really does change your life for the better.
