My first experience with LighterLife was back in June 2006 when I weighed 17st 6lbs and got down to 13st 6lb by March 2007. However, over the following years I yo-yoed due to difficult family times, and ended up at 18st in September 2014, although I did successfully lose a further 3st in 2016/17 due to needing hip replacement surgery.
In January 2022 I decided enough was enough and, fed up with being a larger lady, took the decision to get down to my ideal goal weight and stay there. Fuelled by a looming “big birthday” and with my mind fully focused, that’s exactly what I did, and lost the final 6st.
What I like about LighterLife
Apart from going to the gym and training, I’d not tried other diets. But the LighterLIfe Foodpacks make it so easy, there’s no weighing and measuring required. I needed something that I could make almost instantly to eat when I wanted to.
During my first week on TotalFast I wasn’t really hungry, and I definitely had more energy. What kept me going on was the fact that it worked!
I‘ve continued to use a combination of Foodpacks and my own healthy food choices, and stick to my plan. I also found myself a personal trainer and attend one-to-one gym sessions twice a week which I love, as well as enjoying walking on a daily basis. So, a complete lifestyle overhaul, which has enabled me to successfully maintain my current weight.
Admittedly, the newer LighterLife Foodpacks were also an incredible help and I’m particularly partial to the Pasta Bolognese Fastpots and Vanilla Shakes!
Mentor support and CBT Mindfulness
My Mentor and the CBT Mindfulness group support was amazing, especially being part of a small, like-minded group that understood my journey. And the mindfulness and “toolbox” exercises have stuck with me ever since.
Along with the group therapy and support of Judy, my wonderful, amazing Mentor, I was able to recognise that certain feelings were down to old habits of emotional and stress eating, rather than an actual physical need to eat.
I looked forward to the weekly sessions and support upon weigh-ins and learning how much weight everyone had lost that week. Whenever I returned there was never a feeling of being a loser or being judged if there’d been any weight gain, and this made it easier to keep coming back.
My family helped too in that they didn’t badger me or make a big thing about eating when I turned up with a “pot”!
My new lighter life
Having lost 6 stone, I’m hugely more confident. Although I’m still getting used to the fact that everything I try on looks nice and fits now! I always used to wear bright colours anyway, but now I prefer close fitting clothing that shows off my shape. I generally go out a lot more when invited too, rather than hide away.
What have I learned?
That it’s OK to make a mistake and, even if you take the “long way around,” if you keep trying, you will reach your destination and you can keep your weight off long-term.
What would I say to someone thinking of joining LighterLife?
Give it a go, it works, and when you see the effects so quickly it’s a real boost. Every pound you lose soon adds up to half a stone and every half a stone to a full stone. It’s very empowering to see such results.
