When I started my LighterLife journey in August 2022, my wardrobe was full of clothes, from sizes 16 to 22. After losing 6st 10lbs in 6 months on LighterLife, I have now cleared my wardrobe of approximately six bags and given them to charity. It’s now looking very empty, ready for me to fill up with size 12 to 14 clothes! This makes me feel so proud of what I have achieved. To me it’s a great achievement being able to say I don’t want to buy an item in a shop because I don’t like it and not because it doesn’t fit.
It’s so simple
I was excited to start my journey, to embrace the change to a ‘new me’. I did wonder how I would cope without conventional food. The LighterLife plan is so simple to follow and it takes away the need to plan ahead of what you are going to eat every day.
The weekly CBT sessions are invaluable
Every session with my Mentor, made me personally learn and understand more about myself and how I behave and talk to myself. It’s your journey and you have to embrace the change to make it happen. I’ve learnt the tools to help me keep my weight off. To pause and think before you grab the next snack or meal. Think about why you are reaching for that item and ask yourself will it help you to maintain the new healthier you for life? And to always make sure I drink water. You only need food to fuel your body not to over fill it. And how to look after yourself and be kinder to the ‘new me’.
The support from my Mentor and group each week has been great. They have helped me to understand why I act in the way I do. This has helped me to create new healthier habits and learn new ways of behaving as I enter into the Management stage, so I can be the ‘new me’ for life. The WhatsApp group is very good for support, not just on the good days but the bad days too. If I have missed my Mentors weekly CBT Mindfulness session, then I made sure I watched or interacted with the Facebook Live sessions.
It’s about me being accountable on my journey
Every week of my journey I posted my progress in the LighterLife TotalFast Facebook Support Group as well as in my Mentor’s WhatsApp group. I have taken and posted pictures every four weeks, which has been a great tool to help me appreciate what I have achieved. I have also written a letter of encouragement to myself and posted this for others to see.
Since losing my weight I have achieved so many non-scale victories. The little things in life that you don’t notice, like the shower towel wrapping all the way around your body, being able to cut your toes nails, being able to look over your shoulder when in the car, not having to squeeze your way out of a toilet cubicle, walking without being out of breath when playing golf, having energy and the fact that I want to take pride in how I look.
Zoe’s tips for staying on plan
Throughout my journey I have spoken about having my positive pants on and pulled up tightly. To me this has helped me to think positively and focus on my goal of becoming the healthier me. The journey for me this time is very different to when I have dieted before and this time, I really want to do this for me, to be healthy and live a long life. Every day I look in the mirror and tell myself I look fantastic!
So, I would advise you to set a date to start, plan each day, drink plenty of water, engage in the CBT Mindfulness sessions. Remember to take before photos and progress photos along the way, never lose focus on why you started and remember to be kind to yourself.
If you, like Zoe, also need support on your own journey, at LighterLife we have lots of support to help you on your journey. Get in touch with your personal Mentor by doing a postcode search here or emailing findmymentor@lighterlife.com
