Stuart Stubbs, from Northampton, lost 7 stone 12 lbs* on LighterLife Total last year and has been maintaining his weight ever since. Here, he tells us how the lessons he learned in his LighterLife group work have empowered him to make better decisions.
What was life like for you prior to doing LighterLife?
“Before joining the programme, I had led a very stressful life and had piled on the pounds. At the start on January 2012 I suffered a nervous breakdown. I had a very unhealthy lifestyle and hadn’t exercised for about three years. I then went on holiday in July and found that my weight was a big hindrance – I struggled getting into the seat on the plane and was embarrassed. I returned from my holiday determined to turn my life around. I had a consultation with my LighterLife counsellor, Tina Rahman, and it was really simple and straightforward. She offered me lots of advice and encouragement and really helped me believe I could do it.”
What was the most challenging part of your LighterLife journey?
“I managed to lose 7 stone 12lb in four months on LighterLife Total. After I stopped, I suffered bereavement and had a lot of family issues. Whilst managing all of this, I felt tempted on many occasions, but I clung to what I’d learned in my LighterLife group sessions and I used that knowledge to handle the situation. My confidence in myself has really grown from that – I know that I’m in control of the situation and I get to decide if I stick to my healthy diet or not.”
In your opinion, what makes LighterLife different to other diets?
“LighterLife takes you out of your comfort zone and teaches you how to manage your thinking with regards to portion control, food acceptance and nutrition. I had tried loads of other diets before with mixed success, but as soon as I came off them I always reverted back to my old eating habits. Doing LighterLife helped me to understand where I was going wrong – I was using my emotions as an excuse and I did a lot of ‘crooked thinking’. I recognise that now and have changed it.”
What motivated you to keep going?
“One of the big motivators was the consistent weight loss, I lost 18 pounds in my first week and my motivation was sky high. One week I didn’t lose any weight and, although I was disappointed, it made me even more determined as I’d already seen results and I knew I could do it again if I really wanted to. The way I looked at it, LighterLife was giving me a chance to change – so I made sure I grabbed that chance with both hands.”
What were the reactions of your friends and colleagues when you said you were doing LighterLife?
“My friends, colleagues and family offered their full support. I had so many compliments that it started to become rather overwhelming. After a few weeks, I experienced some physical changes and the compliments continued – people could really see it was working for me. Even the staff at work noticed and were commenting on how much better I looked. It was really nice.”
What’s the most useful thing you learned about yourself on LighterLife?
“I learned how to be more disciplined with myself, but also I gained a great deal of self-belief from doing the programme. It really does improve your self-esteem. I think a lot more positively now than I used to.”
Have you seen any health benefits since you started LighterLife?
“I suffer from Type II diabetes, but since completing the programme I have decreased my diabetes medication by 50% and my doctor is considering a further decrease. My doctor can’t believe how much my blood pressure has improved – I’ve gone from rather concerning to near athlete in just a year!”
How are you balancing your weight now that you’ve reached your goal?
“I tend to eat low carb, high protein, and low fat foods. I’m a lot more active nowadays as well, exercising three times a week at the gym and cycling at weekends. My weight sometime fluctuates by 2-3 pounds but I am conscious that there is no turning back. I have also donated all my big clothes to charity, which was a real turning point for me. I don’t plan to ever wear them again!”
*Each of our client’s results and stories are unique to them and their experience of LighterLife. Your own results will be personal to you and may vary.
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