Whether you’re considering joining LighterLife or are already a member, you’ll love these inspiring success stories from our latest photoshoot.
We took 11 amazing clients – including our Brand Ambassador Denise Welch – to Down Hall to enjoy a wonderful day of pampering and their own personal stylist to help them pick out a fantastic outfit for their photos.
Our photoshoots are always tremendous fun – a real chance to celebrate success, make new friends, swap notes and share experiences.
Read on to find out more about our new LighterLife photo stars, and watch out for their videos, pictures and stories on our social pages!
Emma lost 5st 2lb (32.7kg)
LighterLife has totally changed how I see myself. I started my journey for my physical health and my mental wellbeing. My self-esteem was on the floor and so many things had become difficult. I was breathless walking short distances, struggling with joint pain and missed the sociable me I used to be.
What drew me to LighterLife was the chance to feel differently about food and myself. The plan is so easy to follow, but the real magic for me has been the Zoom group sessions and my fabulous Mentor, Georgina.
Your group feels like a safe, wholesome space where you learn from each other and lift each other up. Working with CBT and mindfulness is how everything begins to change. It’s so insightful – you really evaluate yourself and discover how your thoughts, emotions and actions are all linked.
Obesity starts in the mind, and LighterLife tackles this so brilliantly. I’ve dropped four dress sizes and I can walk for miles without backache or feeling breathless. My blood pressure has improved, and I feel like me again.
Sharon lost 10st (63.5kg)
For as long as I can remember, I’ve started a diet every Monday, but I didn’t set off on my LighterLife weight-loss journey because I had a holiday or a wedding to aim for. It was more profound than that.
I started to put on weight while pregnant with my first child 30 years ago. After two more children, I was probably three stone overweight. But my biggest gain in weight came while I was in an abusive relationship. I used food as a coping mechanism and hid behind my weight – it made me invisible to the world.
It got to the point where I hated myself and was utterly miserable. When that relationship ended, I went on a journey to find myself again, and a big part of that was weight loss, because I wanted to look in the mirror and see the real me.
I’d often considered LighterLife but felt I couldn’t justify the cost. In fact, LighterLife probably only cost me half of what I actually used to spend on food.
I loved the programme’s structure, boundaries and simplicity – it was exactly what I needed. It takes away the need to think about food, which used to consume my thinking.
The CBT element and my Mentor, Debbie, were instrumental in unlocking the reasons for my eating habits. I now know that I’d used food as a coping mechanism and my weight as protective armour. I now really understand my triggers and how to take the time to consider what’s really going on for me if I have a craving.
Importantly, I also know I don’t have to deprive myself of foods I enjoy in the future. I have the confidence to know I can enjoy them mindfully as part of a healthy diet, rather than using them to fill an emotional gap.
Losing weight has given me the confidence to start dating again, which I haven’t done for many years. People who know me not only comment on my weight loss – they say my whole demeanour has changed, how I hold myself, how I speak, how confident I am. And my success prompted four of my friends to join LighterLife as well!
Sarah lost 3st (19kg)
Carrying so much extra weight was a burden, both physically and emotionally. I was plagued by acid reflux and in constant pain from arthritis, with high cholesterol and no energy. It felt like I was dragging myself through each day.
After trying every diet going, I finally realised the real battle wasn’t losing weight – it was learning how to keep it off in the long term. So, when I joined my LighterLife group, I was truly focused on the bigger picture.
As the weight came off consistently, I began to feel lighter in body and spirit. And I started to think differently. In the group sessions, I was able to see why I’d gained the weight and what I needed to change. That’s where LighterLife’s CBT and mindfulness work is so important – it gives you the crucial mindset tools to make lasting changes.
The support I got from my Mentor, Hazel, made all the difference – she was always there if I needed a private chat, something I’d never had with any other slimming group.
Words cannot adequately express the changes for me today. I dress in a kaleidoscope of colours instead of just black, and I’m much more confident and full of energy – I even went surfing on holiday this spring!
Best of all, my cholesterol is at a healthy level, my chronic acid reflux has disappeared, and instead of struggling to walk with arthritis, I’m almost pain-free. I feel completely rejuvenated.
Carolyn lost 10st 9lb (67.6kg)
I’d got to the stage where being overweight was impacting my health, my social life and my self-confidence. I wanted to feel and look like the me I knew I really was underneath the weight and fulfil my true potential.
Over the years, I’ve tried everything from slimming clubs to ridiculous fad diets, but the only thing that had ever worked for me in the longer term was LighterLife. Unfortunately, life got in the way – I stopped using the weight-management skills I’d learned and the weight piled back on again.
But I knew that LighterLife works if you really commit, so I took the plunge and rejoined – and I’m so glad I did.
My Mentor, Tracy, has been incredible – always there for me, even outside the group meetings. The excellent mentoring based on CBT and mindfulness is what sets it apart.
Because it’s not really about food – it’s about what you were using the food for. It’s about understanding why we make the choices we do and changing that old programming for the better – and that has huge benefits for your whole life.
I still have a way to go before I reach my weight-loss goal, but at 10st 9lb down so far, LighterLife has already changed my life in many ways. I’ve taken up singing lessons and I’m learning to play the piano, I jog and go to the gym, and I’m far more sociable and confident.
Best of all have been the vast improvements in my health. I used to take four different painkillers for leg pain – now I don’t need any. My blood pressure has fallen to normal levels. And the biggest win is that I no longer have obstructive sleep apnoea and I’ve been able to ditch the CPAP machine when I’m sleeping.
Janice lost 5st (32kg)
I was about to turn 60 and I’d been on at least a diet a year for over half my life. Enough was enough. After a lot of research, I realised that LighterLife was exactly what I needed to break my yo-yo dieting cycle.
I loved the Foodpacks and I never felt hungry – just lifted and proud to be doing this for me. But it wasn’t just the Foodpacks. The free weekly group meetings and the support of my Mentor, Natalie, made all the difference.
I loved the CBT and mindfulness techniques we learned, which have enabled me to challenge my emotional eating habits, and it’s great to discuss what we’re going through – and have a laugh as well!
In five months, I dropped from a size 20-22 to a size 14, and I’ve been maintaining my weight since April 2024 with the help of LighterLife’s Management programme. The joy of buying clothes that fit, especially the special outfit for my 60th birthday, feels so good. You just can’t bottle that feeling!
Richard lost 10st 3lb (65kg)
Three years ago, I was buying the XXXL clothes I needed from online specialist shops, and quietly worried whether chairs would hold my weight. Each dieting failure chipped away at my self-respect and my health and mobility were suffering.
I knew I needed something different, and that was LighterLife. I’d tried it once before but didn’t properly commit. When I rejoined in January 2023, this time I was ready.
My Mentor, Rachel, was hugely encouraging, and the other men in my group were particularly inspirational. Many of them have lost significant amounts of weight, so it’s great knowing you’re not alone and you can do it, too.
I’ve now lost over ten stone, and from barely being able to move without discomfort, I’ve completed a bunch of half-marathons and ran my first full marathon in April.
The CBT and mindfulness techniques have really impacted my mental attitude – I now understand how I was letting my thoughts drive my feelings and fuel my urges to overeat. This has given me the space to think before I eat and to take back control of my life.
Rachel lost 4st 9lb (31kg)
My weight was so heavy, both mentally and physically – there was no escaping it. I’ve lost count of all the diets I’ve tried over the years and none had worked out. With LighterLife, it was different.
Having a brilliant Mentor was a key factor in my success – it was like finding gold. Her weekly online CBT and mindfulness sessions kept me on track and helped me learn about myself and how to change my beliefs. They gave me confidence as well as a “toolbox” to help me through difficult times.
For example, I’m very much a stress eater, but I’ve learned that comfort food actually makes me feel very uncomfortable. And, having experienced a lot of stress while on TotalFast, I realised I don’t need to eat to manage that stress, that I can choose to override the bad habit and have a positive outcome instead.
I’ve also learned that self-care and taking time for me isn’t selfish. It’s a priority, not an afterthought.
My wardrobe now reflects who I really am, full of fitted clothes that show off my new shape – nothing baggy for me anymore! I can walk faster and further without being out of breath, while the little day-to-day things like getting dressed and putting on shoes are so much easier.
I hadn’t realised how disabling my weight was, that it stopped me doing things like cleaning out the kitchen cupboards because it was uncomfortable. But now I have no excuse!
Janine lost 6½ st (42kg)
While I’ve dieted countless times, nothing worked in the long term. I’d once lost five stone with LighterLife, but I dismissed the Mentor and group support, and soon put it all back on.
When I rejoined LighterLife in 2024, this time I fully committed to the weekly CBT and mindfulness group sessions. They can be challenging, but they are so uplifting – and through them I’ve learned the importance of stopping to listen to and really understand my feelings around food.
Without the fabulous support of my group and Mentor, Georgina, I wouldn’t be where I am today – 42kg lighter and so full of energy that my son asks me where I get it all from!
When I’m walking, I’m no longer in pain, and I can fit into the Levi’s jeans I’ve always wanted. What’s been really massive for me is selling all my bigger clothes on eBay or sending them to the charity shop. I’d always held onto them in the past, knowing I’d need them again – but not this time. Trust the programme, and it will work.
Linda lost 3st 5lb (21.3kg)
Like many people, COVID meant a change in my work. As a teacher, I’d be running around after the kids at school, but switching to online learning during lockdown meant I picked up bad eating habits and gained a lot of weight – and felt awful about myself.
I’d fallen out of love with any kind of food except junk. I’d even hide the fact that I’d already eaten from my partner and then have a second dinner with him.
I tried so many diets, but as soon as I hit a weight-loss plateau, I’d give up and end up gaining more weight than I’d lost. When I came across LighterLife on social media, reading through all the client success stories really motivated me to sign up.
What I loved about LighterLife was that being on TotalFast gave me a break from thinking about food, while the CBT and mindfulness group work helped me identify the stress that made me want to eat when I wasn’t physically hungry.
My Mentor, Julie, and my group were amazingly supportive, especially as my family and friends didn’t approve of what I was doing at first – although they changed their minds once they saw the positive difference LighterLife was having on my wellbeing as well as my weight.
Today, skinny jeans are my new staples and I love going swimming with my daughter without feeling self-conscious in my costume. Best of all, my relationship with my partner has improved because I feel more confident in my skin.
Jennifer lost 12st 4lb(78.7kg)
After struggling with my weight for over 25 years, I needed to change. I had type 2 diabetes and was embarrassed about my size, feeling uncomfortable in family photographs and needing a lap-belt extender when flying.
My eight-year-old daughter also faced a lot of negativity from her peers at school – she even stopped eating bread because someone told her she’d end up fat like her mum.
Back in 2013, before I got married, I lost six stone with LighterLife, but put it all back – and then some – when I was pregnant. I even started looking at bariatric surgery, but the diet I’d have to follow afterwards reminded me of LighterLife, which I knew worked… So I thought, why not rejoin?
What has really stood out for me throughout my journey is the unwavering support from my Mentor, Hazel. Through her CBT and mindfulness weekly group sessions, I’ve learned that everything is a choice, including self-sabotage. Mindfully considering actions and consequences leads to thinking about other solutions to problems beyond food.
Where other diet plans try to pretend that participants aren’t struggling with food addiction, my LighterLife group has helped me to own up to uncomfortable truths and face them head-on.
So many things have improved for me since I lost the weight. I’ve got a new job and beautiful new clothes. I can touch my toes, tie my shoes, walk uphill, dance, be impulsive, shave my legs, fit in the bath, sleep peacefully without snoring… and I’ve reversed my type 2 diabetes.
Shazia lost 3st (19kg)
In 2022, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. I was very overweight and knew that if I didn’t make some serious changes, my health would continue to deteriorate. I’d lost 3½ stone with LighterLife back in 2007 and I’d kept it off for eight years. Then, in 2015, I hit menopause and my weight soared.
LighterLife offers you the opportunity to make positive changes in a safe, supportive environment – and you can see and feel the changes to your body straightaway. The closed group sessions are absolutely invaluable as everyone shares their personal experiences, which helps and encourages you through your own weight-loss journey.
The mindfulness and CBT techniques I learned from my Mentor, Lisa, in the group sessions show that your relationship with food doesn’t have to be a negative experience – it can be enjoyable and satisfying. The Management plan is also something other weight-loss plans don’t really focus on or offer, and it’s crucial for helping you keep the weight off in the long term.
Today, I am much more confident. I dress differently, stand straighter and love going swimming every week. Before, I’d get out of breath when climbing stairs or walking. Now I can comfortably jog up the stairs, while carrying my grandson is a wonderfully precious moment, not marred by needing to sit down. And my blood pressure is now stable.
If I could, I’d shout from the rooftops about how LighterLife changes your life for the better.
LighterLife Ambassador Denise Welch lost 2st (12.7kg) and has been maintaining since 2013
I’m so proud to be LighterLife’s Ambassador 12 years on from losing two stone on the programme. My wedding to my husband, Lincoln, was my short-term goal, but what I really wanted to do was tackle the negative cycle I’d found myself in with food so I could keep the weight off.
I’d swapped drinking too much for eating too much – but while you can give up alcohol, you can’t give up eating. So I needed to learn a way of managing food before I slid into long-term obesity. And that is exactly what I’ve done, thanks to LighterLife.
LighterLife’s CBT and mindfulness sessions changed everything for me. Through my LighterLife group work, I’ve learned to manage my relationship with food instead of eating for emotional reasons.
I quickly realised that I’d often listen to the child’s voice inside my head, the rebel that says, “Go on, you deserve it”. I was ignoring my rational, adult voice.
In practical terms, this means I now stop and think before I eat. I find it helps to ask myself, “Am I really hungry, or am I just fed up, tired or stressed?” This enables me to keep myself from falling back into unhelpful eating patterns.
And when I’m filming or on the go, my LighterLife Foodpacks fit perfectly into my busy lifestyle, giving me all the nutrients I need.
