New LighterLife Magazine 2025

“I

have myself-confidence back”

Beverley

“Read

inside how I reversed my type 2 diabetes”

Jennifer

“I

can comfortably jog up the stairs”

Shazia

Liberation: To be free from the weight of your burdens

Do not read this

Do not lose weight

If you are not ready for the loss

If you are not ready for all the changes

If you are not ready for the commitment

Do not lose weight

If it is not more important Than that other stuff

That stuff that got you here

Do not lose weight

If you are not ready for the joy

If you are not ready to pull yourself back into living

If you are not ready for what is your possible

Do not lose weight

Why have we called our new premium programme...

Re-Creating Me?

A way of being

“Those who do not engage in the traditional arts might be wary of calling themselves artists. They might perceive creativity as something extraordinary, beyond their capabilities. A calling for the special few who are born with these gifts. Fortunately, this is not the case.”

“Creativity is not a rare ability. It is not difficult to access. Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It’s our birthright. And it’s for all of us. Creativity doesn’t exclusively relate to making art. We all engage in this act on a daily basis.

To create is to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before. It could be a conversation, the solution to a problem, a note to a friend, the rearrangement of furniture in a room, a new route home to avoid a traffic jam…

Through the ordinary state of being, we’re already creators in the most profound way, creating our experience of reality and composing the world we perceive.”

THE CREATIVE ACT: A WAY OF BEING RICK RUBIN

Each LighterLife moment is an invitation to ask questions, to listen, take risks, explore further, walk through the door to all the possibilities for a new way of being.

Over 35 years ago, a small group of fat women came together and talked. They began to understand that the pile of diet sheets they had all accumulated over the decades were more of a cookbook than about them. So many mixed messages of “eat this”, “don’t eat that”, “count Calories”, “potatoes are bad”, “potatoes are good”. As they shared their stories, this group of seasoned dieters heard what was not being said:

Why?

From those early days, exploring the whys led to the creation of LighterLife and now to the Re-Creating Me programme, where you work with your personal Mentor to create new skills, new habits – a time for a new way of living lighter.

Always pioneering, LighterLife has evolved into a unique national programme designed specifically for obese people who are ready to take sustainable weight loss seriously.

There’s no “how to cook a low-fat chocolate cake” conversations –LighterLife is about the stuff of life. Yes, food is the tool of weight gain, but it’s not the solution alone, no more than teaching people how to make a nice cup of tea is a solution for those with an alcohol dependency.

The whole Re-Creating Me programme provides the opportunity to explore and challenge your whys. Why, despite years of yo-yo dieting and being your own dieting expert, you still struggle. Have you been looking in the wrong place?

“Isn’t it odd. We can only see our outsides, but nearly everything happens on the inside”

THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE CHARLIE MACKESY

Clients have their say

The new group material is brilliant and has helped me focus better. It’s also exciting to be able to record your progress and plan properly. I’m really pleased we have these aids. The puzzles and colouring activities in the workbook are a welcome bonus.

The journal helps me plan and reflect on my whole day. It’s so useful being split into morning and evening sections, allowing positive reflections for each day. I love it.

I participated in the 12-week, closed group Re-Creating Me premium programme and continue to work with my Mentor towards my goal. The group work, along with the TotalFast plan and my Mentor, Tracey, have created an inclusive environment, making it easy to share experiences and learn the various programme techniques. The group fosters a sense of camaraderie and support within a safe environment.

The Journal, Guide and Workbook are a very valuable additions to the structured group work. While weight loss presents challenges, learning new tools and techniques, along with creating new thought processes, is powerful. And you do not feel alone.

I am a relatively shy person and booking the first closed group felt a little daunting – I had never even used Zoom before! But I’m so glad I took the plunge.

Nicola

I have absolutely loved being part of the closed group Re-Creating Me programme. Having a cohort that understands the noise I experience around food is so valuable. I’ve lost 49lb in the last 12 weeks and am now in my second closed group. The new material is very thought-provoking, and I think the ‘bridge of change’ session was my light-bulb week. Zoe, my Mentor, is excellent – she empowers us to think constructively and challenge old behaviours. LighterLife has changed my life, and I’m looking forward to starting my Management programme.

I started the new 12-week programme in January. The weekly online group keep me focused while I build my toolbox for daily life. The accountability of sharing my weight with my Mentor and connecting with others in the WhatsApp chat room gives me support, motivation and fresh ideas.

Tom

The Re-Creating Me programme is truly so insightful and transformative. From the moment I joined, the structure and support provided were second to none. The online sessions are engaging, effective, accessible, convenient and unmatched anywhere else. And that goes for the Foodpacks as well.

Lauren

I started the Tuesday premium group in January with a little trepidation due to not knowing who would be in the group and whether we would all get on. I need not have worried. The smaller groups are more personal. The discussions, although focused, lend themselves to a personal perspective and are so very supportive. The workbook is really helpful, with easy-to-use materials that support the discussions, and all the extras you receive aid the programme. If you are in doubt, just do it – you are worth it.

Catherine Debi

The material is more intense and helps give rise to more thoughts and, for me, revelations. This new Re-Creating Me programme is fab.

BEVERLEY’S STORY

I lost 9 stone in 9 months and have been maintaining since 2024 Beverley

Reeling from a serious break-up, Beverley turned to food for comfort before realising that it could never be the answer to her problems. Joining LighterLife gave her what she really needed –new ways of managing her thoughts and feelings that have proven genuinely transformative.

“This is a new future for me, a whole new chapter in my life”

“It’s not just about managing your new weight –it’s about managing the new you”

At the start of 2024, I got mad, really mad, at my world. Over the last 12 months, it had felt like my life was imploding. I was dealing with a relationship split and lots of other very challenging things – all of which came together at the same time. As a self-confessed emotional eater, it wasn’t long before my weight was soaring. I tried to turn things around by focusing on some positive steps – starting with a three-month fitness programme with daily targets for Calories, exercise and steps. Yet none of it moved the dial because it wasn’t what I really needed. It wasn’t just about my confidence and how I saw myself – I’d started experiencing an issue with my knee from an old injury and then with my hip, so my agility was becoming impacted. Finally, I accepted that I couldn’t tinker around the edges – I had to commit to myself, and overeating had to be the first challenge to overcome. Having a bit of food just led to eating more and I lacked both the discipline and boundaries to stop. So, on 29 January 2024, I took out my first 12-week LighterLife subscription and set out on my journey of non-negotiable transformation.

I felt so safe with my Mentor’s support

When I started out on the TotalFast plan, I loved the simplicity of not having to think about any food other than Foodpacks – having those clear boundaries made it so much easier to avoid temptation. It was also very encouraging to eat more healthily than I had for such a long time, with all the right daily nutrients. I was so intent on not wasting another moment that my first week felt easy – yes, I did go to bed early a couple of times to avoid thinking about food, but I went into ketosis surprisingly quickly. In my mind, I was seeing myself having already achieved my weight goal, so I just had to focus on taking each daily step towards it.

My Mentor, Lisa, was the best – she was always there for me and I felt so safe with her support. Her weekly online group meetings were amazing, with thoughtprovoking, relevant discussions each week using CBT and mindfulness tools to help us understand our behaviour around food, face our bad habits and think through how to break them and create new ones. As a group, we were all committed to doing the programme and being there each week, for each other as much as for ourselves.

The other group members share their experiences for you to take away, and it’s such a joy to share your own experiences in the hope it will help them, too.

I loved the structure and discipline my group provided, and it was so convenient to be able to do it all online –especially when I had to go abroad for a work trip in the early days of my programme. After a long day of travelling and avoiding the temptations of airline snacks and airport coffee shops, I was so ready for my online group meeting. Lisa’s WhatsApp chat also helped me feel connected between the weekly sessions.

“Having the clear boundaries of Foodpacks made it so much easier to avoid temptation”

Words can’t express how I feel now

“Now I walk regularly –and I want to!”

In just nine months, I lost nine stone with LighterLife and oh my days – words can’t really express how I feel now in every single aspect of my life… the full package. I’m happy, confident and care far less about what anyone else does or doesn’t think of me, because I have my self-confidence back. I wear a size 8/10 (more size 8!) and I love, love, love trying something new on and feeling wonderful.

I walk regularly (and I want to), I jump up from the sofa with ease and I’ve even taken up mixed martial arts!

I feel like a totally new person with a new life to explore and I’m going to make the most of it. I’m now in the process of setting up my own business and my next goal is to start helping others transform their lives, too. If I can influence even one person, I’ll be delighted. I value those who have influenced me and I’ll pay that forward forever with gratitude.

“We were all committed to being at our group meetings each week, for each other as much as for ourselves”

I’ve realised that food is never “the thing”

In our group, we shared that we’d all wasted time not being our best selves and we recognised it made no sense to go back to being the person we were before. The work we did together with Lisa’s mentoring helped me understand the destructive behaviours I had previously allowed to control me, and how not to let them trigger me down the wrong path in the future. Recognising those patterns has been a huge thing for me. As my ongoing discipline, I attend Lisa’s online Management meetings every week, still weigh myself every Tuesday morning and measure myself once a month. This has helped me enormously.

By realising that food is never “the thing”, I’ve learned I can say no to it and I’ve been able to develop different ways of responding to difficulties – like going for a walk to boost my mood. And I know that if those “life” things I went through in 2023 happened all over again, this time my responses would be different, because I am different. The new habits you form with LighterLife are not just for weight loss. They’re for life. This is not just about managing your new weight – it’s about managing the new you.

When I joined my group, I wanted to change my life and I knew my weight and LighterLife were the absolute core of that. It’s given me better physical health and emotional resilience, and it’s helped me transform my habits completely. This is a new future for me, a whole new chapter in my life. I’m overjoyed how quickly LighterLife has helped me turn that corner.

“Beverley attended her group meetings every single week for nine months, losing nine stone in total. She now attends weekly Management groups and is proof that it’s not just about Foodpacks.

The group is crucial for making yourself a priority and learning the skills to manage your life and your weight ongoing.

Beverley truly is an inspiration.”

LISA, BEVERLEY’S MENTOR

I found LighterLife because of my nails

Like so many others, I’d been overweight for years and believed I was doomed to always being so. I had back and knee issues from past accidents which made exercise tough. My nail technician told me she’d lost weight with LighterLife. Her GP had suggested it, so I figured that if a doctor agreed with it then it wasn’t some “faddy diet”.

The weekly group sessions with my Mentor, Terri, have been invaluable and the support of the group has been incredible. I’ve learnt a lot about my former eating habits and how I’d created triggers to pretty much give myself an excuse to break yet another diet.

One of the best things about losing 10 stone is that my work polo shirts are no longer a 3XL – they’re all Small. I’ve learned to enjoy clothes shopping again!

My weight weighed heavy on my mind

I’ve lost count of all the diets I’ve tried over the years. But this time was different. I knew I had to stop being miserable every waking hour. My weight was so heavy, both mentally and physically, that there was no escaping it.

I’ve never been a diet-group person but when I spoke to my Mentor, I realised she was describing something very different. The online Zoom meetings were great –better than having to attend in person –and they were a huge factor in my success, helping me learn about myself and how to change my old beliefs and habits.

I lost 4st 6lb in 5 months and have been maintaining since 2023

Deb Rachel

I’ve lost 4st 6lb and my wardrobe now reflects who I really am. I can walk faster and further and even run without being out of breath. But it’s the day-to-day things that are so much easier. Getting dressed. Putting shoes on.

If you’re looking at LighterLife, it’s because you’re unhappy with your weight. And that’s a good first step in wanting to change. So make the decision to do it for yourself. LighterLife is the best diet I’ve ever done.

I lost 10 stone in 10 months and have been maintaining since 2024

I lost 4st 7lb in 4 months and have been maintaining since 2024

Simon

Breathing easy at last

As a practice nurse who deals a lot with respiratory issues, I realised my increasing breathlessness and lethargy were down to my weight impacting my health.

My doctor warned me

My doctor bluntly told me I was putting my life at risk if I carried on being obese, living the way I was. I still had a lot of life to live, and my family were more important to me than all that unhealthy food. A work colleague recommended LighterLife. I’d tried to lose weight many times but never got very far, so I wasn’t optimistic that anything would work. But LighterLife was different, and I’ve never looked back. I’m different in more ways than one!

LighterLife has helped me build my self-confidence. I’m now taking care of myself and really enjoying doing all those things that had become difficult, and which I’d put down to just getting old.

Having successfully lost weight with LighterLife ten years ago – although I didn’t do the Management plan – I’d maintained until 2021. So I knew how easy the programme is, and how delicious the Foodpacks are. And this time around, I recognised I also needed the group support. I could not have done it without my Mentor, Tracey. She helped me understand why I’d been overeating and enabled me to manage difficult situations without turning to comfort/boredom eating. Losing weight has transformed my life. My confidence has increased and I love deciding what I’m going to wear to walk the dog instead of donning tracksuit bottoms and a baggy sweater.

I lost 7st 10lb in 6 1/2 months and have been maintaining since 2024

Carole-Anne

I lost 4st 4lb in 4 months and have been maintaining since 2024

Shirley

Weight loss and beyond

For years, I was one of those classic yo-yo dieters. What made the difference with LighterLife was my Mentor, Zoe, and my group all working together, in parallel with the TotalFast plan – I lost over seven stone. I still attend the group to continue getting support while I’m developing my new understanding and skills for managing my weight… and my life.

I’m a painter/decorator, which is a physically demanding job, and this has become easier. The whole programme has helped me take my life in a totally new direction. I’ve now got perfect blood pressure, cholesterol and BMI… And I can now wear knee-high boots!

Your premium group is where you

START TO RE-CREATE YOU

If you are serious about losing weight and have had enough of going round in the vicious circle of yo-yo dieting, Our Re-Creating Me premium programme is your key to lasting transformation

Why you are worth investing in

At LighterLife, we have always had group work at the heart of our programmes. We’ve always gone beyond simplistic conventional diets, offering a personalised, science-backed and results-driven approach to achieving sustainable weight loss and healthy living.

What goes on in Re-Creating Me premium groups –they’re free, yet priceless

Your premium group is very informal, discreet, no judgements – just welcoming and understanding. It’s a confidential space where, with personalised support and guidance from your Mentor, you can explore your thoughts and feelings and work towards change.

Re-Creating Me groups run for 1¼ hours and are based around a different theme each week.

These include techniques for creating new habits, increasing your confidence and sense of control, protecting your motivation and improving your relationship with food, others and yourself.

In your group, you find out more about:

• Changing your mindset – together, we’ll work on challenging unhelpful thoughts that often lead to unhelpful behaviours, replacing them with more empowering ones.

• Challenging trigger-thinking that contributes to old behaviours and developing practical strategies to create healthier habits that stick.

• Cultivating self-awareness – mindfulness will help you tune into your body and mind, so you can make decisions that align you with the life you want to live.

If you change your mind, you can change your life

What you gain from your

Re-Creating Me group

Re-Creating Me groups are run by your LighterLife-trained Mentor (think of them as your own personal trainer), guiding you through your personal process of change as you achieve a three stone weight loss over the 12 weeks.

All the way through, you’ll be with the same small group of people who you’ll get to know, all of whom are ready to take weight loss seriously, just like you. The groups are not about “just dieting” for a few weeks to get into a thong – they are designed specifically for people like you who have reached a place in their life where living lighter is very important for all areas of their life. Over time you’ll build your personal toolkit of skills for dealing differently with the needs that food and drink have been fulfilling – which is essential for creating a healthier, more helpful and resourceful way of living. Your Re-Creating Me group meeting is where you acquire and practise these skills, which is why attending every week is so important.

One of the most valuable aspects of LighterLife is our unique community. You won’t be alone – you’ll be surrounded by people who understand because they’re going through it too. There’s something incredibly powerful about connecting with others who truly get you.

Henry Ford

Your programme materials

Your programme materials (worth over £60) are free with a 12-week subscription.

It includes the Re-Creating Me Guide and a journal for note-taking and reflecting on the changes you’ll be going through. There’s also a handy programme book that explains all about using Foodpacks, what to expect in your first week, your commitment to the programme and more, and a workbook with mind-challenge tools, including mandalas and colouring pencils.

It also includes a record card for tracking your progress, and Ketostix for you to check you’re

Boundaries

The act of setting boundaries is a life skill so often fragile in weight loss attempts. More or less by definition, yo-yo dieting is a way of living with fragile boundaries around what you will or will not eat, all those stop/start diets, all the plans and the promises which often collapse within just a few weeks.

Firm boundaries help quieten that voice in your head, those Radio Blah Blah negotiations you have with yourself… “I’ll start again on Monday”, “I’m definitely going to walk more”, perhaps even “I’m never going to eat chocolate again”. Remember those?

These patterns are so well established that people often joke about them – “Crumbs don’t have Calories”, “If no one sees me eating, it doesn’t count”, and the classic “Just one more won’t hurt… they’ll never know”.

Your Mentor is a valuable key in working with you to support the boundaries you create together, all contributing to the strength of your group. They’ll monitor your weekly weight loss, your levels of ketosis and your fat burning process. There are boundaries around your commitment to the group and to your fellow members. In turn, everyone is committed to supporting you, helping you to make a commitment to yourself.

“ This is the first time anyone has asked me to explore why I’d eaten all that rubbish, rather than just telling me to eat less.”

- Jennifer

MENTOR Your

LighterLife Mentors are specialists trained to work with complex issues associated with weight gain and loss… the stuff of life. They have helped over a million people manage a distorted and difficult relationship with food and live lighter.

Within your weekly Re-Creating Me group and on the days between your sessions, your Mentor is there to provide information, help you manage your boundaries and support the development of your self-awareness and life skills.

To lose weight and keep it off, you need to go beyond food.

You need to find and change the “why” of why you have gained weight, rather than just thinking about the how (the food). This helps you challenge your Radio Blah Blah that tries to tempt you into having “just one more”.

Your Mentor delivers weekly groups via Zoom, so you can access your free group no matter where you are, and also provides other methods of support, such as WhatsApp chat rooms. We do run some face-to-face groups, but the vast majority of our clients find the convenience of Zoom groups makes them a much more accessible option. Your Mentor will explain how the group works and give you any guidance you need for using Zoom.

None of us is as smart as all of us

Ken Blanchard, Leadership expert and author

I lost 12st 4lb in 10 months and have been maintaining since 2024

Jennifer

“I’ve reversed my type 2 diabetes”

JENNIFER’S STORY

“For the first time in my adult life, I don’t feel I have to apologise for being in a space”

With LighterLife’s support, Jennifer was able to understand her secret eating and obsessive food thoughts so she could manage her emotions more effectively, change deep-rooted habits and regain her health.

“I’d never before realised that other people ate in secret too”

The world treats you differently when you’re overweight.

For as long as I can remember, I have been plagued by thoughts about food. I used to eat but afterward would still think I was hungry. On reflection, my adult life was occupied with slimming clubs, Calorie counting, exercising for weight loss. This diet, that diet – you name it, I’ve done it. Then, mission accomplished or diet abandoned, the bingeing came back. Healthy for a time, then back to overeating, usually alone.

I wanted to be invisible.

I hated people staring at me. I’d imagine that they were criticising and judging me. I added to what I thought they were thinking by criticising and judging myself.

Despite personal and professional successes, the one area of my life where I couldn’t find success was with my weight. I struggled with loneliness and postnatal depression, overwhelmed by the unrelenting pressure to be present at work like I wasn’t a parent and finding time to parent like I didn’t have to work.

My depression continued to reinforce a lifetime of terrible habits.

After around eight years of existing on four to six hours of sleep each night and a diet of more Calories and more coffee than one person should ever reasonably expect to consume, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, vertigo and a fatty liver. Bariatric surgery seemed like the solution, so I joined a consultant waiting list which was already a few years long. I went on holiday and spent a week sweaty and uncomfortable, and being frightened of chairs collapsing. On the flight home, the female flight attendant pushed the armrest into my bulging side, telling me something or other about life choices, which brought me to a new low. I was mortified. I cried all the way back to London. Then I put on my (very) big girl pants and took out a 12-week LighterLife subscription.

This time, I took a different approach to my weight loss, health and wellbeing.

Living fat is a lot harder than keeping the weight off

Each week, I took part in my LighterLife online group. I felt a bit apprehensive in the beginning but very soon found that it was great to have other people around me who understood. I’d never before realised that other people ate in secret too, often to excess, and felt the same way about their bodies as I did about mine. This was a revelation.

For the first time in my life, I’m learning to sit with the uncomfortable feelings I’d previously thought of as hunger.

I’ve learned to quiet the noise of the relentless argument raging in my head for the last 35 years about food. I am no longer depressed. For the first time in my adult life, I don’t feel I have to apologise for being in a space. People welcome me, smile at me, hold doors open and sit next to me on the train.

In my first week, I lost a stone. I stuck to my four Foodpacks a day with no conventional food, and in ten months I lost over 12 stone.

I’ve realised that on traditional diets, I’ve often looked for ways to cheat, eventually caving in completely and returning to my old habits. LighterLife is so different – with the help of my Mentor and other group members, I’ve started to discover how I can change my deep-rooted behaviours, recognising the difference between habits, needs and choices. On a practical level, planning my Foodpacks and establishing my mealtimes in advance has helped me to better maintain control.

I will always have to proactively manage my weight, but I’m getting better with that. Living fat is a lot harder than keeping the weight off. With LighterLife’s help, I’ve reversed my type 2 diabetes and fatty liver, and I find myself in the best physical health of my life. I have never felt better.

“Jennifer joined my group in September 2023. She fuels her perseverance by turning obstacles into stepping stones to ignite her progress. She committed fully to showing up for herself and the group – a great example of how the group work is contagious. Jennifer is a true example of how your commitment sparks a chain reaction within the group.”

HAZEL, JENNIFER’S MENTOR

At first, I thought...

...LighterLife wasn’t for me –too expensive, I’d be constantly hungry and wouldn’t have time for the group meetings.

But thankfully I didn’t listen to myself and

I’ve never looked back...

After losing 7lb in my first week, I felt fantastic! The first three days were the hardest. But I wasn’t hungry, and since then I’ve been bursting with energy.

Sarah

I’d totally dismissed the Mentor element and thought, “that’s not for me,” so I put all the weight back on over the next two years. So, I thought, well, that didn’t work, let’s try again, but this time with the Mentor support.

Janine

LighterLife is not expensive. You don’t need anything else at all to eat or drink (except water).

Rachel

Tina

In my first week on TotalFast I wasn’t hungry, and I felt amazing –full of energy and glowing.

Deb

I was concerned it would be expensive, but I soon worked out that by the time I’d stopped buying takeaways and alcohol, I was actually saving money.

Sharon

I’d often considered LighterLife but felt I couldn’t justify the cost. In fact, this was counterintuitive because when I added up the cost of my weekly shop, and the snacks. LighterLife probably only cost me half of what I actually spent before.

During the first few days on TotalFast, I was a bit tired, but I just got through it. After that, I had more energy than ever before – I can honestly say I NEVER felt hungry!

Natalie

Having black and white boundaries really works too. I think LighterLife is great value for money.

Amanda

If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right

Over 2,000 years ago, the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus wrote, “The thing that upsets people is not what happens but what they think it means.” Some 1,800 years later and an ocean away, an American psychiatrist called Dr Aaron Beck was surprised to find that when his depressed patients challenged their negative thinking about situations, they were less likely to behave in unhelpful ways. This discovery led to the development of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), now the most widely used treatment for a growing range of health issues –everything from addiction, depression, anxiety and phobias to sleep problems. Multiple studies also show it to be highly effective when coupled with a weightmanagement plan in helping people lose weight and maintain that weight loss – and that’s why we’ve used CBT in the LighterLife Programme for decades.

LighterLife’s medical director Dr Matt Capehorn, who is also clinical manager of the Rotherham Institute of Obesity and former clinical director of the National Obesity Forum, says, “CBT is an ideal tool to use in weight management. It has a very good evidence base and is particularly useful for addressing the underlying emotional causes of overeating. There is evidence that combining CBT with other interventions, such as a Very Low Calorie Diet, can increase weight loss. It’s also helpful for enabling patients to tackle long-term weight management. It’s regrettable that too many dieters focus on weight loss, without using techniques like CBT that can help them keep the weight off.”

“The thing that upsets people is not what happens but what they think it means”

Epictetus, Greek philosopher

BEHAVIOUR

FEELINGS

We often get upset about our perceptions of a situation. These perceptions can be based on distorted thinking, which negatively affects your feelings and behaviour.

CBT TRIANGLE

One way into the CBT triangle is by working on your behaviour. This involves doing things that move you in the direction of your goals, which in turn have a positive impact on your thinking and how you feel.

HOW CBT WORKS

CBT recognises that thoughts, feelings and behaviour are all interconnected – that what we think affects how we feel and behave. People routinely upset themselves with the meaning they give to things that happen. Yet this “meaning” is not always based on fact. For example, imagine a friend is unexpectedly late for a night out and hasn’t contacted you. What would your first thought be? “Oh no, I hope she’s not had an accident!” Or perhaps, “Well, she’s obviously not that keen to see me.”

Both those responses are examples of what Dr Beck called automatic thoughts. They aren’t evidence-based, because you don’t have any evidence to support them. They come from deeply held core beliefs – the ones we create in childhood, reflecting the behaviours and attitudes we experience. In later life, many of us allow unhelpful core beliefs to inform our thinking. And they are the type of distorted thoughts that can drive overeating as an (unhelpful) attempt to, for example, console yourself or calm yourself down.

CBT helps you challenge your thoughts and create more helpful responses to life’s stresses and strains. People are often unaware of the thoughts popping into their minds, but you can learn to spot them and question their usefulness – which helps you feel better and less likely to reach for food as a self-soothing mechanism. Another way into the CBT triangle is by changing your behaviour – taking action to move towards your goals, such as joining LighterLife and committing to TotalFast to lose weight. In turn, this reinforces more positive thinking and feelings. What could be a vicious triangle of distorted thinking, feeling and doing becomes a virtuous one of healthier thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

In our Re-Creating Me premium groups, we have CBT tools that help you shift away from automatic responses that result in overeating to mindful responses that support your goal of living lighter.

THOUGHTS

CBT gives you the skills to challenge unhelpful thinking. This helps you change your perceptions, with a positive knock-on effect on your feelings and behaviour.

“CBT is an ideal tool to use in weight management and is particularly useful for addressing the underlying emotional causes of overeating”

Dr Matt Capehorn, LighterLife’s medical director, Obesity and weight management expert

A SHORT HISTORY OF CBT

One day in the late 1960s, Dr Aaron Beck was listening to a female patient describe the torturous thoughts in her head. These thoughts kept telling her she was socially inept. She described being at a party where she had difficulties connecting to people. Her thoughts were telling her, “Nobody cares for me. I’m a social outcast.” She felt so overwhelmed that she left the party early. Instead of the usual psychoanalytical response, which encourages people to explore their hidden triggers, Beck tried something different. He asked his patient: “How do you know those thoughts are true?” He encouraged her to tell him about the people she knew who did care for her and liked being with her. And, sure enough, as she reeled off their names, her mood lightened.

Intrigued, Beck encouraged more patients to challenge their negative thoughts, and found that when they did so, they were more likely to change them, and far less likely to engage in self-destructive behaviours.

Obese people typically use food to cope with the kind of unhelpful thoughts experienced by Beck’s patient. His daughter Dr Judith Beck, president of the Beck Institute, says, “People get trapped by emotional eating. They think that if they’re really upset, food is the only thing that will make them feel better, or that they’re entitled to eat to make themselves feel better.”

ARE YOU PAYING Attention

Mindfulness is a simple but powerful tool that helps you consciously focus on what’s going on around you – literally reshaping your brain to unlock a calmer, more present life.

Try a quick experiment – take a moment to think about your left foot. What do you notice –its position, the temperature, the floor, your shoe? But before we asked you to think about your foot, were you aware of these things? You probably weren’t, and there is a very good reason for this. Every nanosecond, there’s a constant stream of information flooding into your brain from both outside and inside your body. To protect you from information overload, only a fraction of this information is filtered into your conscious awareness, but that doesn’t mean the rest has been deleted. It’s still inside you, subconsciously influencing your thoughts, feelings and actions.

When learning to drive, we give all our conscious awareness to making sure we look in the mirrors, signal to manoeuvre and learning the highway code. Over time, all these actions become second nature. You don’t have to consciously think about any of them – they become automatic. Automatic thinking and behaviour is extremely useful for driving, but it also plays a huge role in overeating. Have you ever sat on the sofa, mindlessly snacking on biscuits while engrossed in a TV programme, only to have been surprised that the packet is “suddenly” empty? This is often called “mindless eating”, because it happens outside of your conscious awareness. One very effective way of challenging it is through mindfulness – the practice of being fully present and aware of what is happening.

Becoming more mindful

Mindfulness involves paying attention to your thoughts, feelings and surroundings with curiosity, rather than reacting on autopilot. Instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, mindfulness helps you focus on the here and now. It can be done through meditation, deep breathing or simply bringing awareness to everyday activities like eating or walking, to all of life. The goal isn’t to empty your mind but to consciously be aware of your experiences.

When our minds are caught up in stressful thought patterns outside of “aware thinking”, this can lead to automatic and sometimes destructive behaviour. Mindfulness helps us become reflective – which means we’re more able to assess what’s going on and make better choices. It helps us respond to life’s challenges with greater calmness and clarity, making it a valuable tool for mental and emotional resilience. As with all skills, the more you practise it, the better you become and the easier it gets.

The science behind mindfulness

Mindfulness has its origins in ancient meditative practices, and not so long ago was often regarded as a bit “woo-woo”, but there is now an extensive body of clinical research explaining its powerful effects. For many years, the adult human brain was believed to be a closed box, fixed in its structure and how it works – so, as an adult, you were essentially stuck with the brain you had. But scientists have found that the adult human brain can rewire itself by creating new neural connections in response to new experiences – what’s known as “neuroplasticity”.

According to Dr Shauna Shapiro, clinical psychologist at Santa Clara University and author of The Art and Science of Mindfulness, this suggests mindfulness can change your brain’s physical structure and therefore the way it works.

A study by the University of Toronto supports Dr Shapiro’s ideas and shines a light on what happens in your brain when you consciously stop yourself from acting on an emotional impulse to eat. Students who completed a mindful meditation course were found to have more activity in their brain’s insula and less activity in their medial prefrontal cortex than a control group who hadn’t meditated.

The insula is the brain’s emotional and bodily awareness hub, playing a crucial role in how we feel and react. People who meditate regularly have a thicker insular than those who don’t. The prefrontal cortex is often called the brain’s CEO because it coordinates complex thoughts, behaviours and decision-making. Its medial area is home to your brain’s “default mode”, where neural activity is highest when you’re not engaged in goal-oriented behaviour –such as when your mind starts to wander.

Emotional behaviours enacted outside of conscious awareness – those automatic thoughts (impulses) that have us reaching mindlessly for food (behaviour) – could be arising because the insula isn’t being used to “make sense” of them. The work you do in your LighterLife premium groups to help you notice your impulse to eat could exert a similar effect in your brain to that seen in the students practising mindfulness. Food for conscious thought indeed!

The benefits of just ten minutes of daily mindfulness

A 2024 study published in the British Journal of Psychology found that, compared to a control group, participants who practised ten minutes of mindfulness (including relaxation exercises and breathwork) each day for a month reported:

• 19.2% less depression

• 12.6% reduction in anxiety

• 6.5% more motivation for making healthy lifestyle changes

• 6.9% improvement in wellbeing

“All of us have the capacity to change. Science proves it. No matter what your past, no matter what your current circumstances, it is never too late to rewire your brain for greater calm, clarity, and joy.”

Dr Shauna Shapiro, Clinical psychologist

Tune out the food noise

There is a proven alternative to achieving fast weight loss and, importantly, lasting results – and it’s as much to do with what’s going on in your head as into your mouth.

Since we created LighterLife, we have spent more than 30 years developing ways of helping people suffering from the consequences of obesity. We’ve seen various attempts by the pharmaceutical industry to help people lose weight. Back in 1997, sibutramine was licensed in the UK as Reductil, until it was withdrawn three years later across Europe and the US due to an increased risk of heart problems. Having lived with obesity ourselves, we welcome any effective, safe solutions. The NHS has offered numerous treatments, typically run by dietitians. The government message has consistently been “eat less – move more”. Ignoring the important part of the equation – how!

And this highlights the basic problem. As the classic saying goes, “Losing weight is easy. I’ve lost weight a hundred times… and put it back on a hundred and one.”

Almost everyone treats obesity as if it’s just a food problem, just a weight problem. Lose the weight and you’ve lost the problem. Unfortunately, you know that isn’t true. Thankfully, awareness that there is a need for mindbody work is growing, that in the same way as those who drink too much are not helped by learning how to make a nice cup of tea. Most alcohol-treatment programmes include group work in order to address the underlying causes.

The “skinny jab” has received a huge amount of media attention over the past few years – and what’s not to like? A small jab from a tiny painless needle, just once a week, and appetite falls off a cliff as you watch the pounds melt away. But again, losing weight and keeping it off is not that simple.

The jabs were originally developed for treating diabetes. They slow down the passage of food from the stomach, which prolongs feelings of fullness, and also act on the brain’s appetite centres to reduce the physical desire for more food. After eating, when blood glucose (sugar) levels rise, GLP-1 stimulates the pancreas to release more insulin to move the glucose into cells for energy or storage. It also reduces levels of glucagon, a hormone which tells the liver to release its stored glucose when glucose levels fall. The result is weight loss, along with improved blood glucose control.

So far, so good. However, this class of drugs is often accompanied by unpleasant side effects – including heartburn, nausea, stomach upsets and tiredness – especially just after taking the jab and with higher doses. Meanwhile, with the appetite severely blunted, many people don’t consume the right balance of nutrients to help fat burning and preserve lean mass.

A trial conducted as part of the approval process for using Ozempic (semaglutide) for weight loss found that after 68 weeks, less than 5% of the average 16.86kg (2st 9lb) lost was visceral (abdominal) fat, while 41% appeared to come from muscle and bone. A follow-up, double-blind randomised control trial (the highest quality research there is) also found impairments in bone health after 52 weeks of semaglutide injections. This has worrying implications for long-term health.

Why diets alone don’t work

People using obesity jabs often say their “food noise” disappears, bringing them a sense of peace around eating that they’ve not experienced for a long time, if ever. The problem is that if they come off the jab, that food noise and hunger often return vigorously… along with their weight. If the focus is only the physical factors in weight gain, people don’t get the opportunity to explore the emotional reasons behind their overeating.

So when they’re faced with a challenging situation, they haven’t developed the tools to step away from using food as a way of dampening down those uncomfortable feelings. Which means the diet inevitably fails, like all the others did in the past.

LighterLife

Ketosis takes away the “food noise”

Ketosis plus mind change –a powerful alternative

Total diet replacement, formula-based, very low calorie diets like LighterLife’s TotalFast provide at least 100% of the nutrition required for good health to ensure you stay fully nourished while losing weight. Coupled with the Re-Creating Me premium programme’s effective tools for helping you change your mindset around food, plus the support of a LighterLife Mentor in a free weekly group, this approach addresses the issues associated with weight loss jabs.

Ketosis is a natural, adaptive process that occurs when carbs –usually your main source of energy – are restricted and the body breaks down stored fat to use for fuel. This results in rapid weight loss, with LighterLife clients losing an average of three stone in 12 weeks.

While fat can be readily used by most body tissues, the brain is the exception – it gets virtually all its energy requirements from glucose. So, during this process, the liver converts some of that released fat into ketones, which the brain can happily use as a highly efficient alternative energy source. If this didn’t happen, the body would break down muscle tissue for use in a process called gluconeogenesis, which converts protein to glucose.

What is particularly interesting is that research – and the personal experiences of millions of people – shows that in ketosis, physical hunger is naturally blunted. Ketosis literally takes away the food noise too. This appetite-suppressing effect continues throughout the diet, even when massive weight loss is achieved.

The other key part of the weight loss picture is addressing the emotional causes of overeating. Without doing this, no diet will succeed in the long term. The Re-Creating Me premium programme provides the tools that enable you to untangle the signals of physical and emotional hunger and turn down the volume on that food noise (what we call Radio Blah Blah).

average of 3 stone in 12 weeks

This means that when you’ve achieved your weight loss goal you shift towards conventional food plus you are building the skills you need to nurture your long-term weight management.

Change your habits

The science of making better choices

Habits drive much of what we do and shape the way we live our lives – often without us realising. But they’re not set in stone. By understanding how habits form, we can break negative patterns and create lasting, positive changes.

Way back in 1989, Stephen Covey wrote the classic book, The Seven Habits of Successful People. One of his most famous quotes is: “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny. It’s not what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us.”

That’s just who I am – or is it?

What are habits all about? You could think of them as knee-jerk reactions or even computer programmes that run in the background of your mind. Habits require little or no conscious thought and are learned rather than something unchangeable that we’re born with. We have limited attention capacity, so habit creation enables us to shift many behaviours into automatic thinking.

When wanting to live a healthier life – whether that means losing weight, stopping smoking or becoming more active to reduce aches and pains – the most powerful skill you need is habit change.

How to build healthy habits change your life

This means shifting healthier behaviours from all the effort of conscious thinking into automatic thinking. When overconsuming food (and perhaps alcohol) becomes a habit, different habits need to be created to take their place – like overwriting a dodgy computer programme. And if you’ve lived as a yo-yo dieter, you know how difficult that can be.

Habits play a significant role in shaping our lives. By understanding how they work, we can create new habits to create positive change.

“Eventually I got to a place where I didn’t even have to think much about making healthier choices. It had just become a habit”

In his book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg discusses the “habit loop”, which consists of three components: cue, routine and reward. A cue triggers a habitual action (the routine), which is followed by a reward that reinforces the behaviour. By identifying and modifying these elements – at first consciously and then, over time, as the behaviour shifts towards becoming automatic for you – you can replace bad habits with more helpful ones.

James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, argues that the key to lasting change does not rely on motivation or willpower but instead on designing an environment and system that naturally foster better habits. He explains that true habit change comes from shifting your self-image – seeing yourself as the type of person who embodies the desired habits, rather than just focusing on specific outcomes. For example, instead of just saying, “I want to lose weight”, visualise yourself as already slimmer, living life as that new you.

Clear introduces his four “laws of behaviour change” as a framework for building good habits:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Make it obvious –Design your environment to make good habits visible and easy to start.

Make it attractive –Use rewards, social reinforcement and habit-stacking to increase motivation.

Make it easy –Reduce friction and lower the effort needed to perform a habit.

Make it satisfying –Reinforce habits with immediate rewards to encourage repetition.

LighterLife is all about habit change

1. 2. 3. 4.

Make it obvious –Your four daily Foodpacks on the TotalFast plan provide you with at least 100% nutrition, give you the best opportunity to step away from conventional food habits and redesign your eating habits. Belonging to a Re-Creating Me group provides a supportive environment for change rather than you trying to change alone.

Make it attractive –On your TotalFast plan, the fast weight loss is a reward in itself. Going down a clothes size every four weeks is a fantastic motivator and helps you develop the belief that “This time, I’m going to do it”.

Make it easy –TotalFast enables you to shift into ketosis, which is the body’s natural way of reducing physical hunger – and that’s so important in helping to deal with cravings and create a new way of living.

Make it satisfying –Every single aspect of the Re-Creating Me premium programme supports the creation of habit change, the daily reward of hope replacing the feeling of hopelessness.

Changing habits isn’t about willpower– it’s about creating a system that makes success inevitable. With LighterLife’s focus on habit change, support, and structured plans, you can break those old patterns and build a healthier, more fulfilling life. The power to change is already within you – one habit at a time.

Habitual thinking that underpins unhelpful behaviour

I’m not good enough

I don’t have the energy to go for the healthy option

I know I should be following my plan, but after the day I’ve had, I need a treat

I’ll take a day off today and make up for it tomorrow

I’m not worth it

I never have enough time for me

I can’t afford healthy food

I don’t know what to do

I’m so stressed, I’ve got to eat

It’s a party! I’m not even going to try and eat healthily

If he’d not brought that takeaway pizza home, I wouldn’t have eaten it – it’s his fault

A Radio Blah Blah Story

Your mind’s Radio Blah Blah plays a constant loop of self-sabotage. But guess what? You control the dial and can tune in to a supportive new frequency.

You’re going about your day when suddenly you hear that voice in your head, Radio Blah Blah’s Sabotage channel. It’s quiet at first, broadcasting a food-talk programme, with the main characters – chocolate, cheese, biscuits, crisps, chips – insisting “Eat me, eat me”. The volume increases until the only way you can shut it up is to follow those characters’ instructions.

In a typical scenario, regret stories follow and the channel plays familiar versions of critical scripts – “You’re useless. You’re never going to lose weight” – followed by overwhelming stories. These “whelming” stories are always hopeless, helpless stories with sad endings. Sound familiar?

SABOTAGE CHANNEL SCRIPT

I must have some of that Nobody’s going to know if I have some I’ve been so good – one little bit won’t hurt

Nobody thinks I’m any good. I need a drink

I always fail at diets, so what’s the point in trying?

Change the channel

You don’t have to listen to Radio Blah Blah’s Sabotage channel. You can press the pause button, tune into Channel Support and listen to its “Yes I can” programme. Tuning in to helpful channels is a skill, like any other skill, that improves over time. Radio Blah Blah’s Sabotage channel is just a story, but most likely a frequently played one.

You can create your own versions of scripts for the Radio Blah Blah in your head, your own playlist for Channel Support. The more you listen to them, the more familiar they become, even becoming your default channel.

Becoming more aware of your Sabotage channel and your power to change channels is key to changing your relationship to food and yourself and your world.

CHANNEL SUPPORT SCRIPT

I would like to have some, but I don’t need to Who am I kidding? That makes no sense I do deserve a reward, but not something that I’m going to regret I am worth taking care of I’m not going to try – I’m going to do

totalfast

MAXIMUM WEIGHT LOSS, MAXIMUM NUTRITION

LighterLife Foodpacks are made out of the same stuff as ordinary food. They contain the highest quality ingredients and have identical nutrition levels. Research presented at a European Congress on Obesity showed that out of 11 Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCDs) on sale in the UK, LighterLife was the only company to provide the right amount of nutrition.

FULL NUTRITION IN 600-800 KCAL*

Independent research shows it’s impossible to get all the nutrition you need – the protein, fibre, carbs, essential fats, vitamins and minerals – that your body needs each day from 600-800 kcal of ordinary food. But that is exactly what you get with four Foodpacks a day.

THERE ARE TWO CATEGORIES OF FOODPACK:

VLCD Foodpacks each contain around 150 kcal, each providing 25% of all the vitamins, minerals and essential fats your body needs each day while losing weight, and low levels of carbohydrate. They include Porridge, Spaghetti Bolognese, Garlic Flatbread, Blueberry Pancakes and Chocolate Mug Cake, as well as soups, shakes and bars.

Meal Replacement Foodpacks (MRFs) each contain around 200 kcal, each providing around a third of your daily requirements for vitamins, minerals and essential fats, and slightly higher levels of carbohydrate than our VLCD Foodpacks.* They include Thai Noodle and Chicken Noodle FastPots, Super Green Soup, Maple Syrup Pancake and Waffle, Salted Caramel andDouble Chocolate bars, Berry Smoothiesand more.

*Our Meal Replacement Foodpacks are higher in carbs than our VLCD Foodpacks, so having more than one a day could tip you out of ketosis.

THE TOTALFAST WEIGHT LOSS PLAN

LOSE A STONE A MONTH

The TotalFast weight loss plan is totally different. It’s a VLCD combined with our unique group work, and it has always been our main focus. It gives you the opportunity to step away from the cravings – that “shall I/shan’t I?” thinking – enabling you to reach the healthy weight you want to be and keep it there.

TotalFast includes your place in a free LighterLife group and your Foodpacks, together providing nutrition for your mind and body. Research on over 30,000 LighterLife clients shows that the average weight loss in 12 weeks is just over three stone.**

ON TOTALFAST, EACH DAY YOU CHOOSE:

• Either 4 x VLCD Foodpacks

• Or 3 x VLCD Foodpacks + 1 MRF

• Plus a range of optional daily LighterLife snacks

This provides you with at least 100% nutrition and a low carb intake of 50-75g a day, in 600-800 kcal.***

**Each of our clients’ results and stories are unique to them and their experience of LighterLife. Your own results will be personal to you and may vary.

*** This is the minimum nutrition required to ensure you stay within the Calorie and carb limits of your TotalFast plan.

Top Foodpack hacks

Sticking to a plan doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavour or variety. With a few simple hacks, you can elevate your Foodpack meals, making them more exciting without straying from your goals.

JUMBO COOKIES

Mix either a Chocolate Mug Cake or a Blueberry Pancake or a Maple Syrup Pancake into a thickish paste. Spread onto some baking paper, cut a Nut Fudge Bar or Toffee Bar into small chunks and push into the paste. Microwave for 30-40 seconds, or air fry for 6-8 minutes for a crunchier outside.

TRIFLE

ICE CREAM

Add 60ml of water, 12 ice cubes, and your favourite Shake to your mixer. Whizz together for 2 minutes and enjoy. Banana, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate, Chai Latte, or Mango & Passion Fruit –which flavour are you going to try first?

Make up your favourite Jelly, then add half a packet of your favourite Shake to 1 x tsp of Mousse mix and blend. Pour over the Jelly and refrigerate until set. Add half a packet of Vanilla Shake to roughly 25ml of water to make a cream. Pour over your Mousse and crumble a small amount of Crispy Peanut Bar on top. Enjoy the leftover Shakes later…

Try Orange Jelly with Mango and Passion Fruit Shake or Chocolate Shake.

Try Blackcurrant Jelly with Strawberry Shake or Vanilla Shake. Try Raspberry Jelly with Chocolate Shake or Strawberry Shake, or Vanilla Shake.

If you would like to share your Foodpack creations with us on social media, please remember to tag @lighterlife so we can see them!

Scan the QR code for more Foodpack hacks.

“

SHAZIA’S STORY

What’s been key is discovering I’m not always as hungry as I may think”

When Shazia couldn’t face the cameras at her son’s wedding, she knew it was time to make serious changes.

“My blood pressure is now stable and my overall health has improved”

I lost 3 stone in 3 months and have been maintaining since 2024 Shazia

Back in July 2022, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. As I was very overweight, I knew if I didn’t get to grips with it, my health would continue to deteriorate. I had lost weight with LighterLife back in 2007 – losing 3½ stone in three months – and had kept it off for eight years. But then around 2015 I hit the menopause and my weight reached an all-time high. On reflection, I now realise that I was going through a lot of physical and psychological changes, which made life feel very challenging. During that time my eldest son got married and I was so unhappy with how I looked that I avoided the camera. I was out of breath and sweaty climbing the stairs, while carrying my grandson wasn’t as easy as it should have been. When I went for morning walks with my friend, I’d get embarrassed because I was so breathless and would often need to slow down. Fast forward to 2024. My younger son was going to get married and I was determined to fit into a beautiful dress and really enjoy participating in the family photographs instead of hiding away. I remembered how well I’d done on LighterLife back in 2007 and how well I’d felt. It was time to get the old me back.

I contacted my Mentor, Lisa, and joined her online group. It didn’t take long to know I was back in that safe supportive environment. Why had I spent so long playing around with ordinary diets? I started TotalFast and after a couple of days getting into ketosis I felt the positive changes in my body, which was so motivating. I already felt lighter and had more energy than I’d felt for a while. And I loved my Foodpacks. My favourite products were the Spaghetti Bolognese, Nut Fudge Bars, Salt & Vinegar Popped Chips and the Vegetable Soup – which surprised me, as I’m not usually a soup girl!

“The Management programme is also something that slimming clubs don’t really focus on or even offer”

A completely new viewpoint on life

The new work I did with Lisa and my group was a real eye-opener. I’d spent so many recent years back in my old negative relationship with food, and myself. It was fascinating and it’s enabled me to find a completely new viewpoint on life.

Working more with mindful eating, taking time to consciously enjoy my food and thinking about mealtimes as a positive experience. Some of the topics we discussed in the meetings were challenging, but I found this refreshing, as it’s only when you address the core reasons for your habits and mindset that real changes happen.

The Management programme, which I’m now following, is also invaluable for staying on track. It’s something that slimming clubs don’t really focus on or even offer – yet keeping the weight off in the long term is the most crucial part of your journey.

Lisa’s WhatsApp chat room was especially helpful. I particularly enjoyed seeing pictures of other people’s weight loss successes and reading personal stories of how people in our group had overcome their own challenges. It was so inspirational and boosted my own belief that I could do this.

I now focus on one day at a time

Today, having lost my menopausal weight, I’m working with the Management programme. I’m much more confident. I dress differently at work, I think differently and I even stand taller. Swimming, which I’ve always loved, is now part of my weekly routine, as I feel much happier wearing my costume. Today, I can comfortably jog up the stairs and carrying my grandson is now a wonderfully precious moment. My walks are also much more enjoyable. And the other great news is that my blood pressure is now stable and my overall health has improved. I had a vast wardrobe of clothes that hadn’t fitted me. Now, I can pick out anything, knowing it will fit and look great. 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 four inches as it was too big for me! Needless to say, I absolutely loved wearing it and enjoyed every moment of the day. What’s been key is discovering more about my triggers and being aware of the difference between physical and emotional hunger. If I could, I would shout from the rooftops about LighterLife and how it changes your life for the better.

“Shazia continues to be committed to group work and shows great determination. She recognises the importance of staying focused and engaged to ensure she develops the skills of long-term weight stabilisation in her Management group.”

LISA, SHAZIA’S MENTOR

Your hidden

The vagus nerve is a vital mind-body connection pathway and learning how to control it can help reduce stress, boost mood and enhance vitality.

Many people have come to see their bodies as the enemy, something to be hated, as disgusting. An unlovable part of them, sort of out there, separate from “who I am”. People talk of a real slim them living inside and “waiting to get out”.

In the separation process, we have stopped listening to our body’s wisdom that operates inside us via the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which manages every automatic body function you don’t need to consciously control. It raises our temperature to deal with an infection, increases our heart rate and reduces blood flow to our extremities to help us have the energy to run away from the tiger… There’s an unsung hero inside our bodies that plays a critical role in our overall wellbeing – the vagus nerve, one of the most fascinating and essential components of our wellbeing.

The vagus nerve – the “superhighway” of the nervous system – originates in the brainstem and extends down through the neck, chest and abdomen, connecting with vital organs like the heart, lungs and digestive system. It’s a master regulator, keeping many crucial bodily functions in check.

New understanding of this remarkable nerve and its influence over key aspects of energy balance, hunger and digestion is proving to be a game-changer for medicine, mental health and personal development. The scientific community is increasingly recognising the vagus nerve’s benefits for managing conditions such as depression and inflammatory diseases, while its potential for treating conditions like PTSD, Alzheimer’s, addiction and obesity is now being explored.

Understanding the vagus nerve’s role in weight regulation underscores the importance of finding out as much as possible about how you tick. Enhancing your vagal tone can improve your ability to manage all sorts of hungers and support your metabolic health. By understanding and actively engaging with this vital nerve, we can tap into its extraordinary benefits for reducing stress, improving mood and enhancing overall wellbeing. So the next time you take a deep breath, hum your favourite tune or enjoy a moment of mindfulness, you’re giving your vagus nerve the attention it deserves.

Being “Inside-Aware”

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) focuses on our thinking, and the Inside-Aware model focuses on our feeling sensations. LighterLife brings together our unified “mindbody” experiences – that voice in your head saying you must eat that now, sensing a gut reaction, feeling a lump in your throat, maybe some muscle tension in your neck.

Inside-Aware helps us understand how we can improve our lives, why we reach for another piece of that “thing” when it’s blatantly not what we need. Inside-Aware helps us literally have insight into explaining so much of our “stuff’ – the why and how we sometimes live in the hopeless, helpless place as well as the “Yes, I can do this” place. Everyone has the power to shift away from an uncomfortable “that doesn’t feel right” place into a more comforting place without destructive eating. Creating this more supportive environment is what LighterLife is all about.

Key roles of the vagus nerve

The vagus nerve is the body’s longest and most complex cranial nerve (one that emerges directly from the brain). Here are some of the key roles it plays:

Heart-rate control

Helps slow the heart rate and regulate blood pressure, reducing the risk of cardiovascular issues.

Digestion and gut health

Aids digestion by stimulating the production of digestive enzymes and maintaining a healthy gut-brain connection.

Inflammation reduction

Triggers anti-inflammatory responses to help mitigate chronic inflammation and autoimmune conditions.

Mental health and emotional regulation

A well-functioning vagus nerve supports stress resilience, reduces anxiety and promotes emotional balance.

The vagus nerve and the mindbody connection

The vagus nerve is crucial in linking the mind and body, and is directly associated with emotional regulation, social engagement and improved overall wellbeing. Fortunately, you can actively improve your vagal tone through simple lifestyle habits. Here are a few sciencebacked techniques to stimulate the vagus nerve and enhance overall health:

Breathwork

Slow, deep breathing from the diaphragm reduces stress and promotes calmness.

Humming, chanting and singing

Vibrating your vocal cords stimulates the vagus nerve, improving mood and relaxation.

Gargling water

This engages the muscles at the back of the throat, activating the vagus nerve and mental clarity.

Laughing

Having a good chuckle has well-documented benefits, from soothing tension and boosting your mood to improving your immune system and even relieving pain.

Massage, yoga, walking and meditation

These are all methods of relaxation that reset the vagus nerve.

Listening to music

Some frequencies (30Hz, 120Hz and 160Hz) particularly resonate with the vagus nerve.

“

All the world’s a stage. And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.

And one man in

his time

plays many parts.

William Shakespeare

Could you be playing psychological games thatare stopping you from losing weight?

Have you ever felt like you keep repeating the same patterns over and over again?

That you seem to get stuck in the same kind of toxic thinking, relationships and habits? If so, you might be caught up in an unconsciously played psychological game called the drama triangle.

The drama triangle describes three different types of thinking – Victim, Rescuer and Persecutor – when interacting with other people and listening to that unhelpful voice in your head (what we call Radio Blah Blah).

It’s not about who we actually are, but the ways we behave in order avoid stress and painful challenges in our own lives –including our weight.

It’s worth noting that we can also play the drama triangle by ourselves, inside our own heads – with our inner voices (different trains of thought) taking on the three different roles.

The whole (and largely subconscious) aim of a drama triangle game is achieving the destructive “payoff” at the end of the game. This is that old, familiar feeling of being used, being bullied or manipulated, feeling frustrated, angry, worthless or helpless that becomes a justification (excuse) to eat or at least think of doing so – “Poor me, it’s not fair, they’re all stupid… I deserve some food.”

Understanding the drama triangle and noticing when you are engaged in it – whether with others or with yourself – is highly empowering. It provides an opportunity to exit stage left, step out of the drama and take action that will help you break the cycle of destructive habits and thinking patterns. It frees you up to focus on the goals you want to achieve, including successful long-term weight management.

The Persecutor

The Persecutor

(“It’s all your fault”)

is full of self-righteous anger, blame and a false sense of superiority. They capitalise on the fact that the Victim agrees to play the weaker role in the game, which opens the door for the Persecutor to bully and manipulate. Easily frustrated, they use anger to deal with their own uncomfortable feelings. This helps them feel better about themselves, although deep down they are fearful and vulnerable.

The Drama Triangle

The Rescuer

The Rescuer (“Let me help you”) tries to “fix” the Victim by discounting the other person’s ability to work things out for themselves. At first, it looks like they are selflessly giving advice, but they are actually doing it to boost their own vulnerability and fear of not being needed. Rescuing is an attempt to avoid their own feelings of anxiety. They often become irritated or miserable when others reject their offers of help.

The Victim

The Victim (“Poor me”)

isn’t an actual victim, but someone who thinks they are one. They often feel overwhelmed and disempowered, and are frightened of not “getting it right”. They invite the Rescuer to “save” them by playing the “poor me” or I’m a failure” card – thereby discounting their own ability to think or act for themselves. By allowing a Persecutor to put them down and seeking a Rescuer to save the day, the Victim perpetuates their cycle of negative feelings and unhelpful behaviours.

REMEMBER…

• Sometimes you’re vulnerable and need support. This isn’t being a Victim.

• Sometimes you need to be strong. This isn’t Persecuting.

• Sometimes you can respond appropriately to someone’s distress without discounting their own abilities to resolve their problem. This isn’t Rescuing.

THE “WHY DON’T YOU… YES BUT” GAME

Here’s an example of a conversation about weight loss that mirrors the dynamics of the drama triangle. Both people are playing a drama triangle game called the “Why don’t you... yes but” game, and as one player pushes the boundaries of the other, they end up swapping roles…

A: “I need to lose weight but I’m so stressed at work that it’s hard to focus on other things.” (Victim)

B: “Why don’t you try that new weight loss plan? I know someone who lost three stone!” (Rescuer)

A: “Yes, but I’m just so busy. It’s too much of a commitment.” (Still Victim)

B: “Why don’t you try joining the gym? A few of us go to a spin class together – it’s fun.” (Rescuer)

A: “Yes, but I really don’t like gyms. They’re boring and I feel too self-conscious.” (Still Victim)

B: “Why don’t you try cutting down on snacks then?” (Still Rescuing)

A: “Yes, but I hardly eat a thing as it is. You just don’t understand!” (Victim becomes a Persecutor)

At this point, A (the Victim) has switched to a Persecutor role and B (the Rescuer) is either left feeling frustrated and goes into Persecutor mode or feels attacked and switches to Victim. Whichever roles they’re now in, both feel justified in doing something to soothe their feelings… like heading for the biscuit tin or reaching for a cigarette.

Once someone notices they’re in a game, they have the opportunity to stop playing. So, in this example, when player A invited player B into the game, instead of accepting the invite, B could have turned it down – by changing the subject, by not answering or by saying something neutral like, “Yes, many people do find it hard to lose weight.” Or, after player B’s initial response, if player A took a beat to think about what’s going on, they could have shut the game down by saying something like, “Thank you – I definitely need to make time to look after myself.”

CREATING A NEW SCRIPT

If you recognise that you’re playing a drama triangle game, here are some suggestions for stepping out of it.

Persecutor

• Think about how you can use healthier ways to feel good about yourself.

• Listen out for you shouting or having to get your own way when others disagree.

• What do you like about your payoff? Could it be that you are seeking an adrenaline rush?

• Stop “having” to be right.

• Have the courage to face up to the fact that your behaviour can hurt others.

• Take time out with a deep breath (or breathwork, see page 45) to calm yourself.

Rescuer

• Stop thinking that your self-esteem is about helping others – you might not know what’s best for them.

• Look inside yourself before you launch a rescue attempt, and think about what’s really going on.

• Recognise how you let others rely on you to sort things out.

• Let go of needing to control.

• Take responsibility for yourself.

• Do you take care of others more often than you take care of yourself? Victim

• Stop denying your own ability to cope.

• Look inside yourself and listen to that voice in your head, your Radio Blah Blah (see page 28).

• Be prepared to ask for what you want.

• Don’t swallow your feelings (food is often involved in this).

• Take time out if you think others are treating you as a Victim.

• Seek out others who value who you are and steer clear of Persecutors.

you

What are hungry for?

When you turn to “comfort foods”, do they truly soothe you? And how can you manage the urge to eat them?

When you’re feeling low, what do you do? How do you typically try to cheer yourself up, escape from that uncomfortable feeling? One very common response is to reach for food – and lettuce rarely appears high on anyone’s comfort-food list. So why do certain foods bring us solace, and how can we manage our cravings more healthily?

Why we certain foods

CRAVE

The foods we turn to for comfort often have a scientific and emotional connection. Sugar and carbohydrates boost levels of serotonin, known as the “feel-good” hormone, while fatty and salty foods provide a sense of indulgence and satisfaction. Fermented foods such as cheese, chocolate, bread and alcohol also play a role in this game. Then there are nostalgic associations – food is often linked to childhood memories, traditions or feelings of security.

comfort

What is eating?

Comfort eating is the act of consuming food for emotional reasons rather than physical hunger. It’s often triggered by feelings such as stress, boredom, sadness – even happiness. Many comfort foods are rich, indulgent or nostalgic, providing a temporary mood boost by stimulating the brain’s reward system. Some foods have become the ultimate go-to comforts – you might be familiar with the siren voices of chocolate, chips and cheese…

Comfort eating isn’t just a habit, either – it can be influenced by the interaction of our mind and body’s natural responses. For example, high stress levels increase cortisol, a hormone that drives cravings for high-energy foods. Eating pleasurable foods triggers the release of dopamine, a brain chemical that plays a key role in pleasure, motivation and reward, making us associate food with comfort and relief. And then there are factors like poor sleep, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause, which can intensify cravings, particularly for sugar and carbs.

Food is also deeply tied to emotions, traditions and even self-care. Many of us eat to relive childhood comforts and warm memories, to create a sense of ritual, such as treating ourselves after a long day, or to fill an emotional gap like loneliness, anxiety or fear.

Comfort or discomfort eating?

Would “uncomfortable eating” or “discomfort eating” be a better label? After all, while comfort eating can soothe your emotions temporarily, it inevitably ends in an uncomfortable eating cycle that begs the question, “Why do I keep doing that? Why do I continue with a behaviour that has negative consequences?”

Physical emotional HUNGER

Understanding the difference between physical and emotional hunger can help you make more caring food choices.

PHYSICAL HUNGER

• Gradual onset – it develops slowly over time.

• Hunger at regular intervals – physical hunger follows a pattern based on meal timing and activity levels.

• Stomach cues – you might hear your stomach growl or feel hollow.

• Open to options – you’ll be satisfied with a range of foods, not just one specific craving.

• Satisfaction after eating – once you’re physically full, you stop eating and feel content.

EMOTIONAL HUNGER

• Sudden cravings – emotional hunger appears out of nowhere, literally in response to a change in “felt sense”.

• Triggered by that change – perhaps sensing that something just feels “off”.

• Mindless eating – you eat quickly without fully enjoying the food or even registering it going into your mouth.

• Specific food desires – you crave particular comfort foods like bread, chocolate, cheese, crisps, or biscuits.

• No physical satisfaction – after eating, you may still feel that you want more.

How to challenge your eating urges

“comfort”

Pause and check in – giving yourself space can help you determine whether the need is physical or emotional. So, before reaching for a snack, ask yourself, “Am I physically hungry, am I actually just thirsty – or am I eating to soothe an emotion?”

Delay and distract – if you decide it’s emotional hunger, try some mindful-breathing exercises or explore your thoughts in your journal. Moving your attention to these types of self-care activities can be a really effective way of preventing uncaring eating.

Practise mindful eating – if it really is physical hunger, slow down and pay attention to actively enjoying your food. Focus on the textures, flavours and sensations in each bite. Then, after finishing, wait about 20 minutes to check if you’re physically full. It takes that long for your brain to register signals from your stomach and hormones that indicate fullness. (And remember, you don’t have to clear the plate if you notice you’re feeling full before finishing your meal!)

The key is to identify and be mindful of your triggers, enjoy food with awareness and find a balance that makes you feel good inside and out. Practising mindfulness can help you connect with your body, understand your emotions and ultimately enjoy food in a way that nourishes both your body and mind. These are all part of the toolbox of skills and techniques you acquire and practise in the Re-Creating Me premium programme.

stress eating Self-care

Discover

how mindfulness techniques like journalling, breathwork and mandala colouring can transform stress into relaxation, helping you break free from emotional eating and reclaim balance.

Stress... just the word alone can evoke sensations felt in the mind and body, pressure in the head, the clenching of jaw muscles, a tightening in the chest or a heavy feeling in the pit of the stomach.

In today’s fast-paced world, many illnesses have their roots in stress. Millions of people turn to medication and other mood-changing strategies such as food, alcohol, smoking, drugs and exercise as a way of coping with stress.

Stress happens when the perceived demands on us exceed our perceived abilities and what we believe we can achieve (overstimulation). Stress can also occur when our abilities and skills aren’t being challenged enough (understimulation). Work, finances, relationships, the internet, loss… these are all situations with the potential to lead to stress, but it’s how we react to those situations and the feelings that trigger reactions – feeling overwhelmed, unloved, out of control, that you’ve failed – that lead to the experience of stress.

How often have those perceived feelings of stress led you to the kitchen in search of comfort, maybe for a comforting snack or two, or to open a bottle to take the edge off? How often have you found momentary escape or relief as eating or drinking soothed your stresses away? And how long did it take until that “food/drink fix” that you believed offered comfort became the cause of so much discomfort in your body?

That instant relief often disappears within minutes, because the stressful situation is still there, the tension is still bubbling under the avalanche of carbohydrates, sugars, fats or alcohol you consumed to try to sweep it away. Only now that tension has company – the feelings of guilt, disappointment and shame of using food to cope with your challenges. Food may have numbed those stressful feelings for a while or offered a temporary respite from the discomfort, but those feelings all flood back, heavier than ever.

The good news is that you can learn to manage stressful situations in more helpful ways that actively improve the quality of your life. Switching the focus from what’s happening on the outside to what you’re feeling on the inside using simple daily mindfulness techniques promotes relaxation and can lead to significant change in the long term.

“Isn’t it odd. We can only see our outsides, but nearly everything happens on the inside”

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

Lighten

your life

Living a lighter life isn’t just about what’s going on outside – it’s about what’s going on inside and how the two are influenced by each other.

The mind and body are not separate systems but a unified “mindbody”. There’s a two-way communication pathway between them that runs via the brain, up and down the spine and through all the organs in the body, including the gut (see page 34). This interconnected system affects emotions, thoughts, perceptions and behaviours, and you can take action to influence it –which is key to helping reduce stress and anxiety. Within the Re-Creating Me premium programme, we invite clients to experiment with different ways of managing stress by using techniques (often called practices) they may not have tried before. As well as working with CBT mindset tools to help you explore your thoughts, perceptions and what it feels like to use your personal power, we also provide mindfulness tools for focusing on the mindbody connection. Mindfulness practices such as breathwork, mandala art and journalling offer new ways of soothing, relaxing, calming and re-regulating your body to change your relationship with stress. It’s all part of becoming more Inside-Aware. The following techniques address the psychological aspects of eating behaviours, stress management and emotional wellbeing. Integrating these mindful relaxation strategies into your daily routines can foster a more balanced and sustainable path toward achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and weight management

A study* published in the online scientific journal PLOS ONE explored the impact of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on people who had recently lost weight. The findings revealed that MBSR altered functional connectivity in the amygdala – a brain structure involved in emotion regulation. This suggests that mindfulness practices can modify neural pathways associated with stress and eating behaviours. This neural adaptation may help people maintain weight loss by enhancing self-regulation and reducing reactivity to stressors that often lead to unhealthy eating habits.

*Chumachenko et al. Keeping weight off: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction alters amygdala functional connectivity during weight loss maintenance in a randomized control trial. PLoS One, 2021

1Journalling

Exploring what’s weighing on your mind right now

Keeping a written journal can be a transformative tool in achieving profound changes as you re-create you, including how you manage stress. A journal is both a mirror and a map – reflecting your progress, challenges and emotions while guiding you through the complexities of life.

The physical act of writing is both calming and clarifying. Journalling can improve your mental health, help you focus, put things into perspective and realign your priorities. Journalling is like having a conversation with yourself in a powerful way –tuning your Radio Blah Blah (see page 28) into a more helpful station. As you move through time, you will not be the same person you were even just a couple of days ago. Your journal will help this changing you establish a new, supportive routine.

This is key in creating change from within and cementing a new pattern of thinking and behaving – a new way of living lighter.

The Re-Creating Me Journal includes daily prompts to guide you along the way, including:

How

can I create a life I don’t want to find escape from?

How

can I guide myself to my greatest life?

What have I been avoiding, and how can I take action to deal with it?

What would I do differently if I had no fear of failure?

2Breathwork Take a

breath

Breathwork techniques help you reduce stress, anxiety and impulsive behaviours by promoting relaxation and calmness.

They can help you tap into subtle messages your mindbody is sending you, such as tension in your shoulders or jaw, areas of tightness, or shallow breathing and difficulty in inhaling deeply. Being mindful and observant allows you to recognise these messages and respond more appropriately to your needs.

While you don’t have to pay attention to breathing because it happens automatically, it’s one of the few body systems you can also consciously control. Rapid, intense breathing activates the sympathetic nervous system to enhance focus, increase energy and stimulate alertness. Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing stress hormone levels and promoting relaxation and calmness. This can help to reduce thoughts of using food and emotional eating as a coping mechanism. The deeper connection it creates in the mindbody encourages more intuitive self-care as you become more aware of how your thoughts and feelings affect your physical wellbeing. Our Re-Creating Me premium programme offers a breathwork activity in each online session for you to practise and use in your everyday life so you can “keep calm and carry on”!

Breathwork fact

Exhaling more slowly and deeply activates three states in your body which are controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system. The relaxation state lowers heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormone levels, and causes muscles to relax. The recovery state boosts immunity and mood, and lowers inflammation, while the digestion state improves digestion and metabolism. Activation of these states signals to your brain that it’s safe to relax.

3

The art of weight loss

How mandalas can help you shed pounds

With weight loss, we often focus on diet and exercise and overlook the crucial role that mental wellbeing plays in achieving sustainable results.

Surprisingly, an unconventional yet powerful tool has emerged to help people on their weight loss journey – colouring mandalas. Once considered merely a creative pastime (and perhaps even a bit woo-woo), this meditative art form is now recognised for its benefits in stress reduction, mindful eating and overall wellness. But how exactly does colouring mandalas contribute to weight loss? Let’s explore...

REDUCING STRESS TO PREVENT EMOTIONAL EATING

Stress is a well-known trigger for emotional eating, causing many people to turn to high-Calorie comfort foods. Colouring in mandalas has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety by inducing a meditative state. The repetitive, rhythmic motion of colouring calms the mind and lowers cortisol levels – helping to curb the impulse to reach for unhealthy snacks. Incorporating this relaxing activity into your routine creates a mental buffer against stress-induced cravings.

ENCOURAGING MINDFULNESS AND CONSCIOUS EATING

Weight loss is not just about “moving more and eating less”. It’s about being present in the moment. Colouring mandalas trains the brain in mindfulness, enhancing your ability to focus and remain aware of your actions. This mindfulness naturally extends to eating habits, helping you recognise hunger cues, control portion sizes and savour each bite. This shift toward conscious eating leads to healthier choices and prevents overeating – it literally reduces the absentminded eating that leads to you later asking yourself, “Why did I do that?”

Mandala fact

Colouring in mandalas can lower blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels. Soft, calming colours such as blues, greens and other pastel tones can soothe cravings and reduce stress.

PROVIDING A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE TO SNACKING

Boredom – not hunger – is one of the most common reasons people give for eating. If you find yourself reaching for crisps or sweets out of habit, replacing this behaviour with colouring can be a game-changer. The activity keeps your hands busy and your mind engaged, offering a satisfying and rewarding alternative to mindless munching. Additionally, the sense of accomplishment from completing a mandala can provide a similar dopamine boost to that people seek from sugary treats.

ENHANCING MOTIVATION AND SELF-DISCIPLINE

Weight loss requires consistency, motivation and discipline – qualities that can be strengthened through colouring mandalas. The structured yet creative nature of mandala colouring fosters patience and perseverance. Just as it takes time to complete a detailed design, achieving your weight loss goals requires dedication. Engaging in this practice can build a mindset of resilience and self-control, helping you stay committed to your health journey.

PROMOTING RELAXATION AND BETTER SLEEP

Sleep plays a vital role in weight management, as poor sleep can disrupt the hormones that regulate hunger and metabolism. Calming activities like colouring before bedtime can improve sleep quality by reducing stress and promoting relaxation. A well-rested body is better equipped to make healthy choices.

CREATING A SUPPORTIVE PATH TO A HEALTHIER YOU

Weight loss doesn’t have to be a gruelling process filled with restrictions and exhaustion. Sometimes, the most effective tools are the simplest ones. Colouring mandalas offers a stress-free, enjoyable way to support healthy habits, making it easier to achieve lasting weight loss success. So the next time you feel overwhelmed by cravings or stress, pick up some coloured pencils, start filling in a mandala, and let creativity guide you toward a healthier, happier you.

Our Re-Creating Me Workbook is packed with mandalas for colouring in (alongside other relaxing resources, such as word puzzles) to give you the opportunity to spend some quality time just for you.

There’s also one here for you to try –so let your creativity run riot with colour!

It’s seldom in life that an opportunity comes along where you can change the quality of your life, even the length of your life

“ “

At over 23 stone and his health suffering, Darren needed a fast solution to his weight issues – and he found it in LighterLife.

“Being part of my group hasplayed such an important part in my success”

WI lost 9 stone in 9 months and have been maintaining since 2024 Darren

hen I was younger, I was very fit and had no real weight issues. But in my late 30s, I started focusing more on work than my health and fitness... and you can guess what happened. By the time I’d reached 23st 3lb, life was becoming so difficult that I realised I needed to do something fast. I joined the NHS Tier 3 Programme, which offered three options for diet plans – LighterLife being one of them. My work manager told me how successful she’d been on LighterLife, and that decided it for me. 1 June 2023 was the start of my new life. I wasn’t particularly worried about feeling hungry on TotalFast because I knew it would take me into ketosis. During my first week, I lost 1st 5lb.

By the end of my first month, I was 2st 6lb down. Losing so much weight so quickly and with very little effort gave me all the incentive I needed to keep going. Another incentive was all the money I was saving by only eating Foodpacks.

Add to that the amazing support I had from my Mentor, Neil, and my online group, and I never felt like I was facing a challenge. Rather, it was more of an adjustment to my daily routine – which was easy, as I didn’t feel hungry and could see a difference every day, either on the scales or in my clothes. My go-to products are the Jerk FastPot – They made lunches at work very easy. Spaghetti Bolognese with a dash of Tabasco sauce became my evening meal –That tasted like my mum’s Malaysian beef rendang!

Sharing experiences reinforces everything I’ve learned

My Mentor, Neil, has been great in helping all of us in his online group learn to constantly ask ourselves what we’re thinking or feeling. I was quickly able to identify habits I hadn’t been aware of – such as coming home after buying cleaning products and immediately thinking about eating food I hadn’t even bought. That kind of awareness has made it much easier to stick to my goals. Everyone in the weekly group meetings was incredibly supportive – Neil most of all! Being part of my group has played such an important part in my success. A couple of us started the same week, and while I continued on TotalFast. I learnt a lot from another LighterLife client who’s been on Management for a year, which helped me mentally prepare for starting Management myself. It’s these shared lessons from others living the journey that help everyone succeed. And I’ve been able to share my own experience with newbies just starting, which helps reinforce everything I’ve learned.

My team at work have also been amazing – probably my biggest supporters outside of my LighterLife group. They could see the difference in me physically before I could. They’re so proud that I’ve stuck to my plan, had my Foodpacks for lunch, and not joined in the drinking with them after work, although I never stopped socialising.

“ With LighterLife, I now have a support mechanism in place whenever I need it”

34 inch trousers are now loose

Before starting LighterLife, I wore shirts with a 19-19½ inch neck, sleeves that were two inches longer than today, and needed trousers with a 50 inch weight. Now, I’m a tailored fit with 16½-17 inch neck and 34 inch trousers are actually a little loose. Fortunately, I’d kept many of my old clothes, so I’ve been able to work down through them as I’ve lost weight. Given how quickly I lost weight, I tried to restrain myself from buying too many new clothes as I knew they’d soon be too big.

A nice problem to have.

Some of the little but uplifting changes I first noticed were being able to tie my shoelaces without breathing out first, being able to get up off the floor without holding onto a chair, being able to kneel on my knees without it hurting – it all felt amazing. Pretty much from the off, I started going on long walks, working my way up to three one-hour walks every day, partly to get my exercise in and also to fill the time that I’d usually have spent cooking. During my third month, I noticed people had stopped staring at me and by Christmas I was feeling slim enough to wear tight polo shirts again with confidence. I’d even lost enough weight to fly economy in comfort on my first flight in over four years –previously, I’d had to fly business class because I needed the bigger seat.

It’s about being kind to yourself

Healthwise, my type 2 diabetes is in remission –my HbA1c is around 36, down from around 67 when I started – and my non-alcoholic fatty liver has been reversed.

The ultrasound technician thought she had the wrong patient as she couldn’t see any fat in or around my liver, and my hepatologist expects to discharge me later this year if my results remain stable.

For me, the biggest challenge had been deciding to lose weight. With that so quickly achieved, I’ve been able to concentrate on understanding the boundaries I need to maintain to succeed.

The most important lesson I’ve learned is that this is a journey. It’s not about being “naughty” if you go off your plan – it’s about what you’ll do to get back on track as quickly as possible. And it’s about being kind to yourself. There are no rights or wrongs in life, just experiences and lessons. As long as we learn from those lessons, we’ll be able to make the changes we want. With LighterLife, I now have a support mechanism in place. For anyone thinking about joining LighterLife, I’d say, “Start as soon as you can!”

Darren’s first week on TotalFast

Thursday, 1 June 23st 3lb and ready to start my journey

Friday, 2 June

Saturday, 3 June

Sunday, 4 June

A day when I’d usually pour a glass of wine and cook a nice meal to end the week. Instead, I went for a walk –and that became my new “thing”

Felt a bit “hollow” but not what I’d call hunger. Drinking plenty of water helped

Full of beans! I had so much energy that I went for two long walks

Monday, 5 June Back to work. At lunchtime, the canteen staff were so supportive –they let me jump the queue so they could fill up my FastPot with hot water

Tuesday, 6 June I walked home from work – very proud of myself

Wednesday, 7 June Yes! 1st 5lb down!

“Losing 2st 6lb in my first month with very little effort gave me all the incentive I needed to keep going”

“Darren

has done so well and is very supportive of his fellow group members. He has really embraced the process and regularly attends the group. It’s been wonderful to see him get his life back.

He’s been maintaining his new weight even with lots of life challenges. Darren is a really good example of managing the ‘stuff of life’ once at goal.”

NEIL, DARREN’S MENTOR

What kind of eater

are you?

As children, many of us lived by rules around what time we went to bed, keeping our rooms tidy and eating everything on our plates. As adults, we may still be subconsciously following some of these rules, allowing them to influence our eating patterns – and not always for the better.

Take our quiz to uncover any unhelpful eating behaviours that may have stemmed from those childhood rules. Tick the statements that apply to you. Answer in the context of when you were a child, whatever your experiences were (growing up with two parents, step-parents, single-parents, foster parents and so on). You might be surprised at the results!

If there was a heated discussion at the dinner table, how did you typically react?

at mealtimes, you were:

When a box of chocolates appeared after dinner during family TV time, you:

There were no heated discussions at the table

Feeling that the meal was ruined and often snacking later in your bedroom to make up for it

Finished everything on your plate regardless

Felt unsettled and sought comfort in eating your meal

Losing track of what you were eating and wishing everyone would pipe down!

A balanced eater with sensible habits

Not fond of big meals, preferring to snack throughout the day

Known for eating the most – a “human dustbin”!

Eager to dive in because food made you happy

A daydreamer, often lost in thought

Took just one, because you had only just eaten

Helped yourself to a couple but then couldn’t stop thinking about them

Grabbed several at once, hoping no one noticed

Reached for them during emotional scenes

Ate mindlessly while absorbed in the programme

When a visitor brought biscuits and you were told not to have too many because they were full of sugar, you:

After receiving a bad school report, that evening at dinner, you:

When visiting someone in hospital with a box of chocolates, you:

If you didn’t finish everything on your plate, your parents would say:

When someone said that you’d put on a bit of weight, you:

home snacks were:

Just had one to be polite

Took one, then sneaked back for more when no one was looking

Took some and steadily munched your way through

Intended to have just one but couldn’t stop

Ate while chatting, losing track of how many you had

Discussed it and asked for help to get a better result next time

Felt too upset to eat much, but later on stuffed yourself with sweets

Distracted yourself with large portions

Focused on the meal to momentarily forget your worries

Ate absentmindedly while your mind raced

Left them for the patient to enjoy

Had a couple but then bought more from a vending machine

Ate more chocolates than they did

Found comfort in the chocolates because hospitals upset you

Were surprised to find most of the box gone by the end

“That’s fine, as long as you’re not hungry”

“Finish all your food or no dessert!”

“Think of the starving children in the world!”

“Has someone upset you?”

“Concentrate, or you’ll never finish”

Asked your parents or friends if they thought you were overweight

Vowed to lose weight – and made sure no one saw you snacking

Tried cutting down on your portion size, but hated wasting food

Felt demoralised, driving you to eat even more

Felt upset and unable to work out why you’d gained weight, because you were sure you didn’t eat any more than your friends

Always healthy – fruit, veg, wholemeal bread

Forbidden or regarded as treats, which you had a weakness for

Irrelevant – it was more important to have three substantial meals a day

Comforting

Perfect for munching in front of the TV

See your results

What kind of eater are you?

results

Mostly ‘A’ balanced eater

The 9 questions on the previous page can help to identify what kind of eater you are!

If you answered…

A balanced family typically produces a balanced child whose emotional needs are largely met. As a child, you were probably considered to be a good eater. As an adult, it’s likely that you can enjoy treats in moderation, without feeling compelled to finish the lot. You were probably given sensible advice about healthy eating. As a result, you don’t often turn to food to bury your emotions and rarely feel compelled to overindulge.

As a child, you might have snacked in an unconscious attempt to cope with boredom, worry, stress or anxiety, often feeling horribly guilty about it. Perhaps you were taught to view snacks as forbidden and over-indulgent, leading you to eat your snacks (and emotions) in secret. You might also have preferred frequent snacks to large meals and now, as an adult, your secret-eating impulses can play a key role in your weight. (Find out more in our ‘The truth about Lies’ feature on page 58.)

Mostly ‘B’

secret eater

Taught to always leave a clean plate, you may still feel guilty about leftovers, which often results in overeating – eating more than you physically need. You might also have been given clichéd messages like “children are starving –you should be grateful for what’s on your plate”, so you’d feel obligated to eat everything, setting you up for weight gain. Those unhelpful rules may also have led you to label yourself as a human dustbin. It’s time to stop listening to them and be kind to yourself. (Find out more in our ‘A Radio Blah Blah Story’ feature on page 28.)

Food may have been used as a reward, bribe or even punishment as a child. You might have also turned to food as a source of comfort and love, and as a way of numbing distressing emotions – literally swallowing them. This unhelpful emotional connection to food can persist into adulthood, making it harder to break the cycle of discomfort-overeating-discomfort without developing healthier coping mechanisms. (Find out more in our ‘How CBT Works’ feature on page 20.)

Mostly ‘D’

Emotional Eater

Often lost in thought, you ate without realising how much. You probably had a vivid imagination and lived in a fantasy world. You typically ate because food was simply there. Food wasn’t important to you – or so you thought. As adults, mindless eaters can battle significant weight issues as they frequently lose touch with what and how much they are eating. Becoming a more mindful eater can help you maintain healthier habits. (Find out more in our ‘Are you paying attention’ feature on page 22.)

Keeping it off

I’m good at losing weight – I’ve done it lots of times. What I’d never done until I joined LighterLife is keep it off…

I’ve tried every weight loss plan there is… the green-ones plan, exercise plan, egg-diet plan, powders-to-fill-you-up plan. The you-name-it-I’ve-probablydone- it plan. But I used to have no idea that to keep the weight off, I had to have a maintenance plan.

My focus has always been on food. I love food –always have. I love cooking and I love thinking up new ways to prepare food. I love eating out. I love feeding others. I love feeding me.

Not a problem, I thought – everyone has to eat –and I know more about the Calories in items of food better than most.

What I had failed to understand was that lots of this was not about the food. It was about my thoughts, my beliefs and my behaviour around food. While you’re on Foodpacks and the weight is dropping off, it’s easy to think, “When I get to my ideal weight, I’ll eat chicken salad and fruit – lovely!” But they just don’t hit the mark when you’re eating not because you are hungry but because you’re tired, angry, lonely, worried (insert your own reasons here).

With what I’ve learned with LighterLife, my maintenance plan has three streams.

“Learning that I was eating to squash my emotions has been an eye-opener for me”

Plan Plan

1My mental health plan

Learning that I was eating to squash my emotions has been an eye-opener for me. I have learned so many techniques to recognise and deal differently with life’s challenges, all thanks to the work I’ve done in my LighterLife group.

Honestly, if you’d told me two years ago that food was not the answer to my problems, I would have laughed. Now I know differently. Today, I’m mindful. I pay attention to my body and my needs. I’ve learned to do a simple STOP, to take a second or two to work out what is going on when the breadbin/garage/snack drawer is calling to me. I ask myself:

• Am I thirsty?

• Am I appropriately hungry?

If the answer is no to those questions, then I ask myself:

• What can I do to fix this issue?

• What do I need to do for me right now?

• Will eating help?

• What shall I do instead?

• Who can I talk to?

I remember that at a slimming club years ago, the advice was to “go and change the water in a vase of flowers”. That is such a superficial way of “taking your mind off it” – and what if you don’t have a vase of flowers handy?!

These days, I no longer look to “take my mind off it” – I look to putting my mind right on it, to work out what is really going on.

I now know that my stress will not go away by eating – food isn’t a reward or a panacea for my stress. Instead, I use the tools I’ve learned in my LighterLife group to deal with it. I’m still in touch with my Mentor too, and I attend the Management group from time to time. It’s really good to catch up with other people who have had similar experiences.

It’s been two years now since I lost my weight and, as the weeks, months and years go by, it gets easier.

2My being kind to me plan

I still weigh myself once a week. I do it every Thursday; that way, I have a few days after the weekend to adjust if I need to, and it prepares me for the weekend ahead. And I know that the Thursday I don’t want to get on the scales is most probably the Thursday that I most need to.

Before I lost weight, I thought that slim people don’t pay any attention to their weight, that they eat what they like and somehow their weight just stays the same.

I now know, having observed the ‘slim’ people in my life, that they do watch what they eat. They treat themselves sometimes (that’s what they mean by saying they can eat what they like) but they then “pay back” with a few days of eating less.

They don’t think of it as a punishment. They think of it as balance. And I’m learning to think like them.

So these days, I am kind to me. I no longer buy big tins of chocolates at Christmas – I know it was me that used to eat most of them – and the others don’t even notice the chocolates aren’t there. I reward myself with non-edible things –a long soak in the bath, a good book, time with friends, my own choice of TV programme, a new outfit, having my nails done – the list goes on and on.

I buy things just for me. I have my “smellies” in the bathroom. I buy myself things that I would have once said were an extravagance – I have just bought a very pretty underwear set. Funny how buying inappropriate food in my past life was a necessity with my old thought patterns, rather than a needless extravagance.

Oh yes… and I got a dog. Have you any idea how many people stop and talk to you while you’re out walking the dog?

My maintenance food plan (the one I used to think – wrongly – was the only maintenance plan I needed)

Obviously food plays a big role in my maintenance plan, but the reason I’m now able to follow my food plan and maintain a healthy relationship with food is down to plans 1 and 2, which are all down to the awareness and skills I’ve learned in my LighterLife group. Otherwise, my food plan would soon be abandoned and I’d be back to overeating again, like I always used to.

I plan my meals for two weeks. I take into account social stuff I’ll be doing, and I make sure I have things ready in the fridge or freezer for the week. I have learnt that I need food to be easy to eat, almost as soon as I get in; if not, I’ll pick at things that aren’t helpful, or order a takeaway. So, these days I batch cook and freeze it for later, so I can take it out to defrost in the morning. It saves time and it’s really handy for the days that I don’t have much time.

My air fryer has been a real investment. Food ready in the fridge, straight into the air fryer, which gives me 15 or 20 minutes to tidy up, put on the washing, bath the baby, check on homework, answer emails, sit in the garden, check on friends or family (insert your own tasks here).

I still use Foodpacks – they are easy and convenient, so sometimes I’ll have a porridge for breakfast, and I keep some pots in my drawer at work, which is handy if I haven’t taken anything for lunch.

I shop online once a week; it gives me the chance to assess my previous week’s food plan, and to adjust it if something has changed. This helps me resist the temptation of the BOGOF deals, or those “I don’t really need it but it would be nice to try it” products.

I used to believe that my weight was because I ate too much. What I discovered with LighterLife was that I’d not only lose the weight but to find out what was really going on for me, so I could learn how to live my best life.

“I no longer look to take my mind off it –I look to putting my mind right on it, to work out what is really going on”

THE TRUTHABOUT LIES

The truth (and reality) hurts. So we lie… to everyone, but especially to ourselves.

Lies come in a variety of colours and sizes. Lies are complex. Lies mislead. Yet although we’re socialised from the time we can speak to believe it’s always better to tell the truth, in reality society often encourages and even rewards deception. “Does my bum look big in this?” is not always a question searching for a truthful answer. Society lies about lies.

Research findings vary about how often the average person lies but Pamela Meyer, author of Liespotting, claims that we’re lied to 10-200 times a day. It’s no surprise, perhaps, that couples lie to each other in about a third of their interactions. We learn the skill of lying at the ripe old age of about six months; fake crying and laughter bring an infant attention. After a few years of practice, we become manipulative masters at using lies to get our own way – skills we carry into adulthood and other relationships. Indeed, research shows that even telling little fibs can desensitise us to the negative emotions associated with lying.

The amygdala, a part of the brain that plays a key role in processing emotions, is most active when someone lies for the first time, limiting the extent to which they are prepared to lie, says Tali Sharot, professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, but the more lies they tell, the less responsive the amygdala is. Basically, the more we lie, the easier it gets. Practice makes imperfect.

YOU LIVE WITH A LIAR

Have you ever lied to yourself? Some of you might say, “How can I lie to myself? Surely it takes me and someone else for a lie to exist?” So how about those times you’ve told yourself, “If only the train had been on time, then I wouldn’t have broken my diet, bought that bottle of wine, spent too much at the shops”? All lies. Perhaps you call them excuses. But the truth is, when you say, “I can’t lie to myself”, well, yes you can – you are telling yourself a lie in that very instant.

When you promise yourself for the third time this week, “I’m definitely going to go to the gym, cut down on the drinking, clean the car”, how much would you bet on you actually doing it? “But when I said it, I believed it,” you might answer. How many times would it take for a friend to say, “I’ll meet you at the gym tomorrow ” and then not turn up for you to stop believing her?

These are the lies you tell yourself, the lies by which you manipulate yourself to make it OK to do it again. To not take care. To kid yourself it’s fine. Just one more, just another day. Hiding another new outfit, throwing away the food wrappers, telling yourself, “Next week, I’ll stop.”

WHEN OUR THOUGHTS LIE TO US

Our ability to lie to ourselves is evidence that we are not a “singular” self, but that we consist of many different contradictory selves. We know we want to change, stop drinking so much, start exercising, eat less chocolate, have more fun – but we also tell ourselves that we don’t. Even our memories lie to us –all those snacks we forgot about eating, the hundreds of times we’ve made the same excuse.

We all lie. There’s a social construct which suggests lying makes it easier for people to get along. When you lie to yourself, does it make it easier for you to get along with you? The words “must”, “have to” and “ought” are the telltale signs of lies, and particularly of the lies that mark addictive behaviour. But for every lie there is an alternative – a truth, should we know how to access it. If there are habits you want to change, change the words you use and you will begin to feel more powerful. Begin to feel more powerful and you will begin to feel more in control. Begin to feel more in control and you will be. You can choose not to lie about lying. You can choose not to lie to yourself.

Lie: I’ve got to have some Truth: I’d like to have some, but I can survive without it

Lie: I must eat it

Truth: I can choose to eat anything I want. Today, I’m choosing not to eat it

Lie: I’m always on a diet, but I can’t lose weight

Truth: No I’m not and yes I can

Lie: I can’t bear to deprive myself

Truth: Why?

Lie: It would be unbearable if I didn’t get it now

Lie: I really must buy these shoes

Truth: It’s not the end of the world if I don’t have it

Lie: I feel so miserable, I have to eat

Truth: Feeling low isn’t a good reason to eat stuff I don’t need

Lie: I’m so upset, I need a drink

Truth: I don’t have to drink when I’m emotional

Lie: I’m a comfort eater

Truth: Then how come I feel so uncomfortable afterwards?

Truth: I can choose not to have it – although it’s unpleasant, it’s bearable

Lie: I’ll just have one

Truth: If I could have just one, I wouldn’t be in this mess

Lie: I’ll stop tomorrow

Truth: Now is the only moment I can act

Lie: I’ve been so good, I deserve it

Truth: I do deserve something special, but not something I’ll regret

Lie: I’ll make up for it by eating less tomorrow

Truth: Is that decision taking me in the direction I want to go?

Lie: I’m a failure, useless

Truth: I made a mistake. What can I learn from it?

LIE DETECTORS LIE

The polygraph – aka lie detector –may be a popular icon in US crime shows, but the belief it can indicate when someone isn’t telling the truth is more myth than reality. The American Psychological Association says there is no evidence that any particular pattern of physiological reactions – including the usually measured heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and sweating –is unique to telling lies. So even lie detectors lie.

If you have an inkling that you might be about to do something you’re going to regret, think about these questions…

• Am I lying to myself? Is this really true?

• Does it sound familiar?

• What is the evidence for or against this statement?

• What are the benefits of acting on this statement?

• What are the problems I create if I act on this statement?

• What alternatives might there be?

• What would I say to a friend who said the same thing?

• How would someone I admire deal with this situation?

• What is the worst, best, most likely outcome?

• If my thoughts are true, what different action could I take?

This is a unique dictionary –a poem about everything…

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is brimming with brand new words to describe old familiar feelings that you’ve lived with but never had a name for.

The author, John Koenig, says, “It’s a calming thing, to learn there’s a word for something you’ve felt all your life but didn’t know was shared by anyone else. It’s even oddly empowering. That’s how the idea for this book was born. There’s a huge blind spot in the language of emotion, vast holes in the lexicon that we don’t even know we’re missing. This is not a book about sadness – at least, not in the modern sense of the word. The word sadness originally meant “fullness”, from the same Latin root, satis, that also gave us satisfaction. Not so long ago, to be sad meant you were filled to the brim with some intensity of experience… it was a state of awareness.”

Definition:

punt kick

A quiet jolt of recognition that it’s time to become a better version of yourself, sensing that all the strategies that brought you this far are no longer working – that it’s not enough any more to be cute or nice or righteous or tough –as if you’ve now entered a new phase in the game of life.

Learning how to live again

When you pass your driving test, it takes time to become confident behind the wheel. It’s the same story when you lose weight – you need time and support to master the art of weight management.

Let’s start with you, YOUR WEIGHT STORY

What have been your experiences of losing weight and keeping it off? Too many people have become expert at the “skill” of gaining weight and the “skill” of losing it. But the “skill” of long-term weight stabilisation evades most.

In part, that’s because the first year after weight loss is a fragile time, a time of needing to re-create habits, a new way of living. In the same way that no one can win, probably even survive, taking part in a Formula One race having just passed their driving test, the novice weight manager needs support for learning the skill of living their new lighter life.

Many people regain their weight because they behave as if they had “just” had a weight problem but now they’ve lost the weight, they’ve lost the problem. So they hit the future without an effective strategy in place.

Yet typical slimming organisations and even weight loss jabs are focused almost entirely on losing weight. With this type of approach, keeping the weight off seems to be a concept based on the mistaken assumption that weight maintenance will just simply happen.

LONG-TERM SUPPORT

Right from the get-go, we have had specific Management programmes and support structures. We named them Management rather than the more common “maintenance” label, because it’s not simply about one number on the scales but about managing “the stuff of life”.

Sharon

Lost 5st 5lb in 5 monthsmaintaining since 2018

“I was a classic yo-yo dieter, but with LighterLife I got off that roundabout. My Mentor, Sharon, and my group, helped me quickly see why I had been sabotaging myself. My entire outlook has changed. I’m so much happier and I’m better at making time for myself – in fact, everyone is better off because I’m better off. The whole family is living healthier.”

This is why LighterLife offers every client a free place in an ongoing Management group to help negotiate potentially difficult conditions and prevent old coping mechanisms from kicking in (remember that?).

Sarah

Lost 3st in 3 monthsmaintaining since 2007

“I was only 20 and already getting out of breath climbing the stairs. I joined LighterLife after trying to lose weight so many times before, but this time I was serious. Tracey, my Mentor, helped me realise that I’d got into the habit of eating when I wasn’t even hungry. My Management group was vital, because losing weight isn’t the end – you need to learn how to maintain your weight and health afterwards. And here I am today, 18 years on, still living my lighter life.”

Gary

Lost 6st in 6 monthsmaintaining since 2010

“I was only 47 when my doctor said I needed medication for high blood pressure, and that’s when I realised I had to do something about my weight, so I joined LighterLife. Being part of the group was a great experience. The weight came off so fast following the TotalFast plan, and Management trained me in mindful eating, portion control and nutrition.”

Jools

Lost 4st 9lb in 5 monthsmaintaining since 2017

“I lost weight to become the energetic, healthy mum my daughter needed. On our holiday in 2016, she wanted me to go riding with her. The instructor took one look at me and brought out a shire horse! That was the trigger for me joining LighterLife. The emphasis on CBT and the tools to navigate life after weight loss through the Management plan immediately appealed. I’m now living the energetic ‘young mum’ life.”

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

Albert Einstein

Stella

Lost 4st 4lb in 4 monthsmaintaining since 2010

“ I’d struggled with my weight for years, but since I found LighterLife, my life has completely turned around. Losing over four stone was key, but I must say that continuing to keep in touch with my group, all the work I did there and all the support I still get has certainly helped me to still be wearing size 8-10 all these years on. TotalFast is brilliant and the Management plan vital. Thank you, LighterLife!”

LighterLife ambassador

Denise Welch

Lost 2st in 2 monthsmaintaining since 2013

“ My short-term goal was to lose the weight for my wedding to Lincoln, but I really wanted to tackle the negative cycle I’d found myself in with food, which is exactly what I’d done thanks to LighterLife. Now, over a decade later, I still meet up with my group and attend LighterLife functions. It is such a genuine company, and all the LighterLife members I’ve met have great stories to tell.”

Your free Management group

Everyone is always in one of three states with their weight – losing, gaining or stabilising. You will get carefully designed food and thinking plans to help secure your weight loss. On TotalFast you’ve had the benefit of being in ketosis on Foodpacks. During your early weeks on Management, you slowly reintroduce a full range of conventional food, get practical shopping and cooking tips, and information on food labels while continuing to work with your Mentor.

We strongly recommend that you continue to attend your group: Every week for the first three months.

At least every other week for the next three months.

And after that, at least once a month for ongoing support.

Remotelydelivered forpeoplewithlongCOVIDand therandomizedwait-list-controlled ReDIRECTtrial

Received: 24 June 2024

Accepted: 30 October 2024

A weight loss plan like TotalFast has had a remarkable impact on the health of people with long COVID

Article

LongCOVID(LC)isacomplexmultisymptomconditionwithnoknown disease-modifyingtreatments.Thiswait-list-controlledopen-labeltrial testedwhetheraremotelydeliveredstructuredweightmanagement programcouldimproverespectiveLCsymptomsinpeoplelivingwith overweight.AdultswithLC(symptoms>12 weeks)andbodymassindex >27 kg m−2 (>25 kg m−2 forSouthAsians)wererandomized(n = 234,1:1)to control(n = 116,usualcare)ortheremotelydeliveredstructuredweight management(n = 118,totaldietreplacement(850 kcalperday)for12 weeks, followedbyfoodreintroductionandweightlossmaintenancesupport)via minimizationandrandomization(80:20)tobalancedominantLCsymptom, sex,age,ethnicityandpostcode-basedindexofmultipledeprivation betweengroups.Thecontrolgroupreceivedtheinterventionafter 6 months.ParticipantsselectedthedominantLCsymptomtheywouldmost liketoimprove(fatigue,breathlessness,pain,anxiety/depressionorother) astheprespeci edrespectiveprimaryoutcome.Individualsymptomswere assessedusingvalidatedquestionnairesandavisualanalogscaleforthose withoutprespeci edscales.At6 months,theprimaryoutcomeimprovedintheinterventiongroup(change−1.16(s.d.1.42), n = 97analyzed)compared  = 117analyzed)witha

LongCOVID(LC)isacomplexmultisymptomconditionwithnoknown disease-modifyingtreatments.Thiswait-list-controlledopen-labeltrial testedwhetheraremotelydeliveredstructuredweightmanagement programcouldimproverespectiveLCsymptomsinpeoplelivingwith overweight.AdultswithLC(symptoms>12 weeks)andbodymassindex >27 kg m−2 (>25 kg m−2 forSouthAsians)wererandomized(n = 234,1:1)to control(n = 116,usualcare)ortheremotelydeliveredstructuredweight management(n = 118,totaldietreplacement(850 kcalperday)for12 weeks, followedbyfoodreintroductionandweightlossmaintenancesupport)via minimizationandrandomization(80:20)tobalancedominantLCsymptom, sex,age,ethnicityandpostcode-basedindexofmultipledeprivation betweengroups.Thecontrolgroupreceivedtheinterventionafter 6 months.ParticipantsselectedthedominantLCsymptomtheywouldmost

LongCOVID(LC)isacomplexmultisymptomconditionwithnoknown disease-modifyingtreatments.Thiswait-list-controlledopen-labeltrial testedwhetheraremotelydeliveredstructuredweightmanagement programcouldimproverespectiveLCsymptomsinpeoplelivingwith overweight.AdultswithLC(symptoms>12 weeks)andbodymassindex forSouthAsians)wererandomized(n = 234,1:1)to  = 116,usualcare)ortheremotelydeliveredstructuredweight

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03384-xforRemotelydeliveredweightmanagement thepeoplewithlongCOVIDandoverweight: ReDIRECTrandomizedwait-list-controlled trial

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03384-xforRemotelydeliveredweightmanagement thepeoplewithlongCOVIDandoverweight: ReDIRECTrandomizedwait-list-controlled trial

Alistofauthorsandtheiraffiliationsappearsattheendofthepaper

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03384-xforRemotelydeliveredweightmanagement thepeoplewithlongCOVIDandoverweight: randomizedwait-list-controlled

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03384-x

Article

Remotely delivered weight management for people with long COVID and overweight: the randomized wait-list-controlled ReDIRECT trial

Article

Received: 24 June 2024

Accepted: 30 October 2024

LongCOVID(LC)isacomplexmultisymptomconditionwithnoknown disease-modifyingtreatments.Thiswait-list-controlledopen-labeltrial

Alistofauthorsandtheiraffiliationsappearsattheendofthepaper

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03384-x

Alistofauthorsandtheiraffiliationsappearsattheendofthepaper

Remotely delivered weight management for people with long COVID and overweight: the randomized wait-list-controlled ReDIRECT trial

Published online: 8 January 2025

Check for updates

Received: 24 June 2024

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03384-x

A list of authors and their affiliations appears at the end of the paper

Long COVID (LC) is a multisystem condition that can affect approxi mately10%ofpeoplefollowingacoronavirusdisease2019(COVID-19) infection1 2. These estimates are, however, highly variable, with the pooledprevalenceofexperiencingatleastonesymptomatfollow-up of 34.82% (95% confidence interval (CI) 17.60–57.90) in people who contractedCOVID-19andwerenothospitalized3.AlthoughLCcanaffect anyone in the population, risk factors include female sex, socioeconomicdisadvantageandraisedbodymassindex(BMI)4.LCsignificantly

Remotely delivered weight management for people with long COVID and overweight: the randomized wait-list-controlled ReDIRECT trial

Accepted: 30 October 2024

e-mail: emilie.combetaspray@glasgow.ac.uk; david.blane@glasgow.ac.uk

Published online: 8 January 2025

Check for updates

Received: 24 June 2024

Accepted: 30 October 2024

Published online: 8 January 2025

Check for updates

LongCOVID(LC)isacomplexmultisymptomconditionwithnoknown disease-modifyingtreatments.Thiswait-list-controlledopen-labeltrial testedwhetheraremotelydeliveredstructuredweightmanagement programcouldimproverespectiveLCsymptomsinpeoplelivingwith overweight.AdultswithLC(symptoms>12 weeks)andbodymassindex forSouthAsians)wererandomized(n = 234,1:1)to = 116,usualcare)ortheremotelydeliveredstructuredweight  = 118,totaldietreplacement(850 kcalperday)for12 weeks, followedbyfoodreintroductionandweightlossmaintenancesupport)via sex,minimizationandrandomization(80:20)tobalancedominantLCsymptom, betweenage,ethnicityandpostcode-basedindexofmultipledeprivation 6 months.groups.ThecontrolgroupreceivedtheinterventionafterParticipantsselectedthedominantLCsymptomtheywouldmost asliketoimprove(fatigue,breathlessness,pain,anxiety/depressionorother) theprespeci edrespectiveprimaryoutcome.Individualsymptomswere assessedusingvalidatedquestionnairesandavisualanalogscaleforthose withoutprespeci edscales.At6 months,theprimaryoutcomeimprovedintheinterventiongroup(change−1.16(s.d.1.42),n = 97analyzed)compared withthecontrolgroup(change−0.83(s.d.1.14),

Long COVID (LC) is a complex multisymptom condition with no known disease-modifying treatments. This wait-list-controlled open-label trial tested whether a remotely delivered structured weight management program could improve respective LC symptoms in people living with overweight. Adults with LC (symptoms >12 weeks) and body mass index >27 kg m−2 (>25 kg m−2 for South Asians) were randomized (n = 234, 1:1) to control (n = 116, usual care) or the remotely delivered structured weight management (n = 118, total diet replacement (850 kcal per day) for 12 weeks, followed by food reintroduction and weight loss maintenance support) via minimization and randomization (80:20) to balance dominant LC symptom, sex, age, ethnicity and postcode-based index of multiple deprivation between groups. The control group received the intervention after 6 months. Participants selected the dominant LC symptom they would most like to improve (fatigue, breathlessness, pain, anxiety/depression or other) as the prespeci ed respective primary outcome. Individual symptoms were assessed using validated questionnaires and a visual analog scale for those without prespeci ed scales. At 6 months, the primary outcome improved in the intervention group (change −1.16 (s.d. 1.42), n = 97 analyzed) compared with the control group (change −0.83 (s.d. 1.14), n = 117 analyzed) with a treatment e ect of −0.34 (95% con dence interval −0.67 to −0.01), with no excess of serious adverse events. International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry registration: ISRCTN12595520

The last few years of clinical research involving the use of formula foods like LighterLife’s TotalFast have revealed some exciting and impactful findings, providing further evidence that nutritionally complete, rapid weight loss is top of the table for success.

infection1 2.Theseestimatesare,however,highlyvariable,withtheofpooledprevalenceofexperiencingatleastonesymptomatfollow-up 34.82%(95%confidenceinterval(CI)17.60–57.90)inpeoplewhocontractedCOVID-19andwerenothospitalized3.AlthoughLCcanaffect anyoneinthepopulation,riskfactorsincludefemalesex,socioeconomicdisadvantageandraisedbodymassindex(BMI)4.LCsignificantly

e-mail: emilie.combetaspray@glasgow.ac.uk; david.blane@glasgow.ac.uk

LongCOVID(LC)isamultisystemconditionthatcanaffectapproximately10%ofpeoplefollowingacoronavirusdisease2019(COVID-19)

n = 117analyzed)witha treatmente ectof−0.34(95%con denceinterval−0.67to−0.01),with noexcessofseriousadverseevents.InternationalStandardRandomised ControlledTrialNumberRegistryregistration:ISRCTN12595520

LongCOVID(LC)isacomplexmultisymptomconditionwithnoknown disease-modifyingtreatments.Thiswait-list-controlledopen-labeltrial testedwhetheraremotelydeliveredstructuredweightmanagement programcouldimproverespectiveLCsymptomsinpeoplelivingwith overweight.AdultswithLC(symptoms>12 weeks)andbodymassindex forSouthAsians)wererandomized(n = 234,1:1)tomanagement = 116,usualcare)ortheremotelydeliveredstructuredweight (n = 118,totaldietreplacement(850 kcalperday)for12 weeks, followedbyfoodreintroductionandweightlossmaintenancesupport)via sex,minimizationandrandomization(80:20)tobalancedominantLCsymptom, betweenage,ethnicityandpostcode-basedindexofmultipledeprivation 6 months.groups.ThecontrolgroupreceivedtheinterventionafterParticipantsselectedthedominantLCsymptomtheywouldmost asliketoimprove(fatigue,breathlessness,pain,anxiety/depressionorother) theprespeci edrespectiveprimaryoutcome.Individualsymptomswere assessedusingvalidatedquestionnairesandavisualanalogscaleforthose withoutprespeci edscales.At6 months,theprimaryoutcomeimprovedintheinterventiongroup(change−1.16(s.d.1.42),n = 97analyzed)compared withthecontrolgroup(change−0.83(s.d.1.14),

LongCOVID(LC)isamultisystemconditionthatcanaffectapproximately10%ofpeoplefollowingacoronavirusdisease2019(COVID-19)

infection1 2.Theseestimatesare,however,highlyvariable,withtheofpooledprevalenceofexperiencingatleastonesymptomatfollow-up 34.82%(95%confidenceinterval(CI)17.60–57.90)inpeoplewhocontractedCOVID-19andwerenothospitalized3.AlthoughLCcanaffect

A recent study, ReDiRECT,* looked at whether a formula-based, weight-management programme –previously tested as part of the DiRECT study, which successfully put diabetes into remission – could also be of benefit in people with long COVID.

Long COVID (LC) is a complex multisymptom condition with no known disease-modifying treatments. This wait-list-controlled open-label trial tested whether a remotely delivered structured weight management program could improve respective LC symptoms in people living with overweight. Adults with LC (symptoms >12 weeks) and body mass index >27 kg m−2 (>25 kg m−2 for South Asians) were randomized (n = 234, 1:1) to control (n = 116, usual care) or the remotely delivered structured weight management (n = 118, total diet replacement (850 kcal per day) for 12 weeks, followed by food reintroduction and weight loss maintenance support) via minimization and randomization (80:20) to balance dominant LC symptom, sex, age, ethnicity and postcode-based index of multiple deprivation between groups. The control group received the intervention after 6 months. Participants selected the dominant LC symptom they would most like to improve (fatigue, breathlessness, pain, anxiety/depression or other) as the prespeci ed respective primary outcome. Individual symptoms were assessed using validated questionnaires and a visual analog scale for those without prespeci ed scales. At 6 months, the primary outcome improved in the intervention group (change −1.16 (s.d. 1.42), n = 97 analyzed) compared with the control group (change −0.83 (s.d. 1.14), n = 117 analyzed) with a treatment e ect of −0.34 (95% con dence interval −0.67 to −0.01), with no excess of serious adverse events. International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry registration: ISRCTN12595520

n = 117analyzed)witha treatmente ectof−0.34(95%con denceinterval−0.67to−0.01),with noexcessofseriousadverseevents.InternationalStandardRandomised ControlledTrialNumberRegistryregistration:ISRCTN12595520.

employmentandlivelihoods,relationshipswithfamilyandfriendsand .Withover200symptomsreported inthecontextofLC,diagnosisandmanagementarebothchallenging, towhichcallsforinclusiveapproachesusingrespectiveprimaryoutcomes

affects quality of life and daily function, with common symptoms includingfatigue,breathlessnessandpain5

Significant improvements with total dietary replacement

anyoneinthepopulation,riskfactorsincludefemalesex,socioeconomicdisadvantageandraisedbodymassindex(BMI)4.LCsignificantly

Long COVID (LC) is a multisystem condition that can affect approximately 10% of people following a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection1 2. These estimates are, however, highly variable, with the pooled prevalence of experiencing at least one symptom at follow-up of 34.82% (95% confidence interval (CI) 17.60–57.90) in people who contracted COVID-19 and were not hospitalized3. Although LC can affect anyone in the population, risk factors include female sex, socioeconomic disadvantage and raised body mass index (BMI)4. LC significantly

6.Thisiscompoundedby theprofoundimpactoftheconditiononotheraspectsoflife,suchas employmentandlivelihoods,relationshipswithfamilyandfriendsand participationinthecommunity1

7.Withover200symptomsreported inthecontextofLC,diagnosisandmanagementarebothchallenging, towhichcallsforinclusiveapproachesusingrespectiveprimaryoutcomes evaluateinterventions1 8  e-mail: emilie.combetaspray@glasgow.ac.uk; david.blane@glasgow.ac.uk

Many of those affected by long COVID gained weight both during and after infection. They also struggled other health issues associated with weight gain, including sleep disturbance, worsened glycaemic (blood sugar) control and high blood pressure.

Long COVID (LC) is a multisystem condition that can affect approximately 10% of people following a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection1 2. These estimates are, however, highly variable, with the pooled prevalence of experiencing at least one symptom at follow-up of 34.82% (95% confidence interval (CI) 17.60–57.90) in people who contracted COVID-19 and were not hospitalized3. Although LC can affect anyone in the population, risk factors include female sex, socioeconomic disadvantage and raised body mass index (BMI)4. LC significantly

e-mail: emilie.combetaspray@glasgow.ac.uk; david.blane@glasgow.ac.uk

Long COVID (LC) is a complex multisymptom condition with no known disease-modifying treatments. This wait-list-controlled open-label trial tested whether a remotely delivered structured weight management program could improve respective LC symptoms in people living with overweight. Adults with LC (symptoms >12 weeks) and body mass index >27 kg m−2 (>25 kg m−2 for South Asians) were randomized (n = 234, 1:1) to control (n = 116, usual care) or the remotely delivered structured weight management (n = 118, total diet replacement (850 kcal per day) for 12 weeks, followed by food reintroduction and weight loss maintenance support) via minimization and randomization (80:20) to balance dominant LC symptom, sex, age, ethnicity and postcode-based index of multiple deprivation between groups. The control group received the intervention after 6 months. Participants selected the dominant LC symptom they would most like to improve (fatigue, breathlessness, pain, anxiety/depression or other) as the prespeci ed respective primary outcome. Individual symptoms were assessed using validated questionnaires and a visual analog scale for those without prespeci ed scales. At 6 months, the primary outcome improved in the intervention group (change −1.16 (s.d. 1.42), n = 97 analyzed) compared with the control group (change −0.83 (s.d. 1.14), n = 117 analyzed) with a treatment e ect of −0.34 (95% con dence interval −0.67 to −0.01), with no excess of serious adverse events. International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry registration: ISRCTN12595520

affects quality of life and daily function, with common symptoms includingfatigue,breathlessnessandpain5 6.Thisiscompoundedby theprofoundimpactoftheconditiononotheraspectsoflife,suchas employmentandlivelihoods,relationshipswithfamilyandfriendsand participationinthecommunity1

7.Withover200symptomsreported inthecontextofLC,diagnosisandmanagementarebothchallenging, towhichcallsforinclusiveapproachesusingrespectiveprimaryoutcomes evaluateinterventions1 8  e-mail: emilie.combetaspray@glasgow.ac.uk; david.blane@glasgow.ac.uk

affects quality of life and daily function, with common symptoms including fatigue, breathlessness and pain5 6. This is compounded by the profound impact of the condition on other aspects of life, such as employment and livelihoods, relationships with family and friends and participation in the community1 7. With over 200 symptoms reported in the context of LC, diagnosis and management are both challenging, which calls for inclusive approaches using respective primary outcomes to evaluate interventions1 8

In the six-month ReDiRECT trial, conducted by the University of Glasgow, participants described which of their long COVID symptoms most troubled them and which they would most like to improve –namely fatigue, breathlessness and pain.

Medicine | Volume 31 | January 2025 | 258–266

Long COVID (LC) is a multisystem condition that can affect approximately 10% of people following a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection1 2. These estimates are, however, highly variable, with the pooled prevalence of experiencing at least one symptom at follow-up of 34.82% (95% confidence interval (CI) 17.60–57.90) in people who contracted COVID-19 and were not hospitalized3. Although LC can affect anyone in the population, risk factors include female sex, socioeconomic disadvantage and raised body mass index (BMI)4. LC significantly

A list of authors and their affiliations appears at the end of the paper Nature Medicine

While weight loss was not the primary focus of the study, the researchers observed that after three months, participants in the TDR group had lost just under 10kg (2st 8lb), while those in the control group lost just under 1kg (2lb). At six months, the average overall weight loss in the TDR group was maintained at just over 10kg, compared to just over 1kg for the control group.

affects quality of life and daily function, with common symptoms including fatigue, breathlessness and pain5 6. This is compounded by the profound impact of the condition on other aspects of life, such as employment and livelihoods, relationships with family and friends and participation in the community1 7. With over 200 symptoms reported in the context of LC, diagnosis and management are both challenging, which calls for inclusive approaches using respective primary outcomes to evaluate interventions1 8

e-mail: emilie.combetaspray@glasgow.ac.uk; david.blane@glasgow.ac.uk

affects quality of life and daily function, with common symptoms including fatigue, breathlessness and pain5 6. This is compounded by the profound impact of the condition on other aspects of life, such as employment and livelihoods, relationships with family and friends and participation in the community1 7. With over 200 symptoms reported in the context of LC, diagnosis and management are both challenging, which calls for inclusive approaches using respective primary outcomes to evaluate interventions1 8

They were then randomised to either six months in a standard weight-management control group or to three months of a total dietary replacement (TDR) programme like the TotalFast Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD), followed by three months of food reintroduction and weight loss maintenance support.

e-mail: emilie.combetaspray@glasgow.ac.uk; david.blane@glasgow.ac.uk

The data also clearly shows that, compared to the control group, the TDR participants’ most troubling long-COVID symptoms were significantly improved at three months and remained improved at the six-month mark.

In a political climate where the government acknowledges that the UK is an obvious outlier among G7 countries for the number of people on disability benefits and out of work after the pandemic, as well as the fact that NICE endorses VLCDs, this is another example of the remarkable impact on both clinical and quality of life outcomes that a weight loss plan like LighterLife’s TotalFast can offer.

A list of authors and their

“Foodpacks freed me up to think”

A tough year had derailed Mandi’s 14 years of successful weight management. She knew the answer lay in the support and connection she’d get from LighterLife.

I lost 5st 7lb in 5 months and have been maintaining since 2024 Mandi

“All my lupus symptoms have disappeared since I lost weight – I don’t even need any medication”

In 2009, I’d lost seven stone with LighterLife and kept it off without any problem until 2023. That was an incredibly tough year. Overwhelmed by everything that was going on, I fell off the wagon, eventually gaining 4½st. At first, I didn’t realise what was happening – you often don’t until it smacks you in the face that you’ve lost your way. I recognised the changes in my body long before I recognised the emotional struggles behind them.

To make things worse, I have lupus, and as I got heavier, the harder it became to manage my symptoms. By February 2024, I’d had enough of trying to cope on my own. I went back to LighterLife because I know it works. It’s not just the weight loss –it’s the support you get, both emotionally and mentally, and all the life skills you learn. It’s exactly what you need to make effective changes. The learnings from my initial client experience were so powerful that I still draw on them, so LighterLife was the obvious place to go when I desperately needed help again.

Finding yourself again

My Mentor, Hazel, has been fantastic. As soon I got in touch, she hooked me up with an online group, and I started the TotalFast weight loss plan on 26 February 2024. By 16 July, I’d lost 5st 7lb – thanks to both my Foodpacks and my weekly online group meetings. Foodpacks freed me up to think. They enable you to be very strictly boundaried around what you can eat, giving you space to shift your focus away from food and onto your thoughts, and that’s where your group and Mentor come in.

Connection is key on your journey. To do anything like this alone would be hard. I’d basically disengaged from the outside world –by the time I joined my group, I was rarely going out because I was carrying so much weight, and I’d stopped seeing my friends. Hazel helped me feel connected again, starting with her, the other people in my group and those in the LighterLife Facebook group.

“Connection is key on your journey – doing anything like this alone would be hard”

Being in the moment

I loved our group – it was a very private and safe environment. I liked the accountability to myself and showing up for the other members. Our TotalFast WhatsApp chat room was so supportive, too – you’d often get an immediate reply to something you needed help with. I’m now part of a similar Management WhatsApp chat room, which is also really helpful for keeping me focused. Daily motivational messages from my Mentor are lovely and thought-provoking, too – one text message can guide me through the day.

Everything we discussed in the weekly Zoom groups opened my mind to my behaviours, why I did the things I did, and how I could stop my unhealthy behaviours. The CBT tools helped me realise I could be self-defeatist without being aware of it. I’ve also learned how important it is to be in the moment – not to feel compelled to eat when it’s a tough day, but to take a moment to think about what’s really going on.

It’s not a diet – it’s changing your whole life

I smile as I walk down the street – something I’ll never take for granted. I’m kind to myself now, and not everyone can say that about themselves. For years, I wasn’t nice to myself and nor did I want to be. Before, I’d stopped buying clothes – I used to rotate two pairs of leggings and two tops. Today, I look forward to going clothes shopping with friends and can happily try new things on, knowing they’ll fit.

I’ve been amazed that all my lupus symptoms have disappeared and I don’t need medication any more. I also used to suffer with joint pain in my left arm, which made my job as a florist very difficult at times, but that’s gone as well. Most importantly, I’ve reminded myself that I can do it! I maintained my weight loss for 15 years using the knowledge and skills I gained the first time around. And I accepted what happened during a terrible year and knew I would quickly get back to where I wanted to be with LighterLife. Why? Because LighterLife support is forever.

For anyone who’s struggling with their weight, who wants to know themselves better, who wants to find their happy, LighterLife is the way to go. Most diets don’t work and that’s because they’re not lifestyle changes. And that’s the difference with this programme. It’s not a diet – it’s your chance to change your lifestyle, your whole life.

“Mandi embarked on her weight loss journey with me in March 2024. From the start, she showed dedication, consistency and self-compassion, making sustainable lifestyle changes, such as embracing new mindful habits. She saw every step forward as a victory, celebrated all her small achievements and stayed motivated to reach her ultimate goal – which she smashed.”

HAZEL, MANDI’S MENTOR

Clients have their say

Ingrid

I joined the January group not knowing what to expect, but I needn’t have had any concerns. It’s a friendly and supportive group with a positive and affirmative outlook. We are able to open up about our personal feelings and thoughts to each other without any reprisals whatsoever. If you are at all unsure, don’t be.

The materials are impressive. They look good with plenty of visuals, are clear and simple to read and digest, and packed with immensely helpful information to support the Re-Creating Me journey. The closed groups feel like a step up. There’s a good blend of break-out groups, main group and my Mentor Helen’s expertise.

I’m really enjoying being part of the new premium group. The books are great, high quality and show that a lot of thought has gone into producing them. The group meetings are fabulous and combined with the books, provoke really interesting discussions and thoughts and offer suggestions about how to make positive changes in my life.

I’m feeling a connection with my group too which, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting, and I’m definitely starting to feel a loyalty to the others in my group. It’s so important for me to know at last that someone “gets me”. I love how each topic is explained and explored and the discussions we have are friendly and honest. The space for us all to contribute feels so comfortable and safe.

Claire

Being on LighterLife has changed my life. I honestly didn’t think I would ever lose the baby weight and was starting to lose hope. I was nervous and a bit quiet, but when I logged into my Zoom meeting each week, all that subsided. It’s such a boost to have a group of people going through the same challenges as you are. Being able to share your thoughts and then listen to others say they also feel better after hearing what you’ve just said… it makes you feel that you’re helping others. It’s lovely seeing the same people each week, and the support I get from everyone, as well as from my Mentor, Yvonne, is amazing!

Sarah

Foodpacks give you all you need physically and nutritionally but now, with the addition of the Re-Creating Me tools, you have everything you need mentally. I particularly benefit from the journalling. It centres me and helps me develop a good skill set for reflection and keeping focused – two essential tools needed for managing your weight to live a lighter life happily ever after!

Ian

The daily journal has helped me to focus on the positives in my day. Even if something doesn’t go as planned, it’s an opportunity to learn.

Having programme materials full of exciting goodies to look through made me feel excited and motivated to get started on the 12-week programme. I’ve used the journal every day to plan little daily goals and to reflect on my successes and practise gratitude. I think, over time, it will be interesting to track how sleep/mood/life events link in with my thoughts about food.

Rebecca

I’m truly enjoying my LighterLife journey. I feel in total control now after a few years of losing both control and myself. The Foodpacks are delicious and super-varied – I honestly never feel like I’m missing out. When I’m eating with others, I invariably have to let them have a taste, as they don’t believe me when I tell them how delicious my ‘food’ is. I’ve been part of my closed group for five weeks now. The support and encouragement from my group are invaluable. I can share anything with them and know it’s in confidence. This programme should get a Nobel prize or something for changing the lives of thousands of people!

Wendy

Have you lost weight in the past, only to regain it?

Do you sometimes eat less in public and then go home and raid the fridge?

Do you find that, despite doing well in other areas of your life, you can’t work out why you can’t keep the weight off?

Do you eat when you’re alone in the car?

Any of this sound familiar?

Do you sometimes say to yourself, “I’ll start again Monday”?

Do you find yourself saying things like “one won’t hurt”, “they’ll never know”?

Do you start a diet with high hopes, only to find yourself struggling then giving up?

Despite knowing what you should eat, do you too often eat what you know you shouldn’t?

Do you sometimes eat secretly, hide food, sheepishly throw away the wrappers?

Do you feel exhausted by what seems like a fight between yourself and food?

Do you sometimes feel guilty after eating and ask yourself, “Why did I eat that?”?

Do you have concerns about your health because of your size?

Do you resent others telling you that you should “just eat less and move more”?

Would it be a relief to have some time away from having to think about what you should and shouldn’t be eating?

Would you describe yourself as a comfort eater?

Are you unhappy with your relationship with food?

Do you give too much time and thought to food?

Do you have 3 stone or more to lose?

If you are serious about losing weight and have had enough of going round in vicious circles of yo-yo dieting, our Re-Creating Me programme is your key to lasting transformation.

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