“Having space from ordinary food is so helpful”
When I found myself struggling to walk relatively short distances, I realised I needed to do something serious about my weight for the sake of my health. And, with a big holiday coming up, I had a second goal to aim for – and a time frame to achieve it in.
In the past, I’d tried slimming clubs quite a few times, but they just didn’t work for me. Having done LighterLife years ago and lost a lot of weight with the programme, I realised I needed to return to lose the two stone which had crept back on – and I knew it would help me achieve my goal fast.
No more gorging on junk food
I only felt hungry in the first few days on TotalFast, and that was tempered by feeling so much better for not gorging on endless crisps and chocolate. I really enjoyed having space from ordinary food by just using Foodpacks. I do have a rather sweet tooth, so I soon gravitated towards the Nut Fudge bars, Blueberry Pancakes and Porridge Foodpacks – and I’m addicted to the Toffee bars even now I’m in Management!
My weekly group meetings with my Mentor, Carol, have been a great encouragement, especially as I’ve been going through a tricky divorce, where there’s always the temptation to use food as comfort. In the group, we’ve talked about our relationships with food in terms of emotional eating and pressing the pause button before making choices, which is very helpful, especially in Management. I still attend my meetings most weeks, as it allows us to share ideas about the things that work and the things that don’t.
I’m back in my favourite jeans!
After losing two stone, I’m able to walk much further than I could before, which is fantastic. I’ve dropped two dress sizes, and it’s great being able to wear anything in my wardrobe again – including my favourite jeans, which I’d really missed wearing! When I’m out shopping now, it’s great being able to buy new clothes without worrying if they’ll fit. Going to a family wedding recently in a beautiful new dress that fitted perfectly was a huge confidence boost.
I love to write and have already had a children’s book published, with another in the pipeline. I’m now working on a novel which shares some of my personal experiences, including my weight loss, in the hope that it will help others.
Maintaining my new weight in Management
Now that I’m in Management, I’m really putting the CBT and mindfulness tools I learned in the group meetings to use. If I have a challenging day or week, I don’t beat myself up – I just go back to four Foodpacks a day for a short time to get myself back on track. One other great result of doing the programme is that, after having no alcohol while I was on the TotalFast plan, I’ve found it easy to cut right back on it in Management.
With LighterLife, seeing results so quickly and learning how to keep the weight off for the long term is so motivating. If you’re thinking about joining, all I’d say is, “Just do it!”
