I’ve taken back control of my weight – and my life!
I’ve been trying to keep my weight down for most of my life. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been on a diet. By mid-2024, having reached the age of 57, I had a myriad of reasons for getting on top of my weight problem once and for all.
The most important one was my daughter’s wedding this summer. I didn’t want to spoil her photographs.
My wake-up call
I first began gaining weight following a cancer diagnosis at the age of 18. After getting married in my 20s, I discovered that my husband was a great cook, and this only encouraged my tendency to overeat. Then, aged 29, I had twins, and that was when I lost all control. Between work, household chores and looking after the children, my primary diet became various forms of chocolate.
Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2023 was a wake-up call. I knew I had a chance to reverse it if I lost enough weight. And there were other things I wanted to do… like being able to get back into a beautiful dress I’d only worn once, for my best friend’s wedding, and wanting to feel more confident on a Caribbean cruise with friends that we’d booked for the start of 2025. Plus, my future son-in-law didn’t believe it was possible to lose at least three stone by the big day, so my other big incentive was proving him wrong!
Changing my outlook on life
For sustained weight-loss success, I knew I had to sort out my relationship with food. I knew CBT and mindfulness would help me understand myself better and take control of my behaviours. I needed to give up the idea that everything I did was set in stone, so that I could start looking at myself through a different lens. What I needed most of all was to change my whole outlook on life, and I knew Lighter Life could help me do this.
My Mentor, Lisa, and my supportive group, who feel like family, are so helpful and I always look forward to our weekly online meetings. Working through the CBT and mindfulness programme with Lisa has been really thought-provoking – we contribute as a group before breaking into small groups to explore our thinking in more depth.
The group work has helped me see that I used to eat mindlessly. This revelation has enabled me to reset – to live in the moment, be self-aware and make conscious decisions about how I approach food. Now I control food instead of it controlling me.
Keeping to my plan
In my first week on TotalFast, I stayed well-hydrated and I didn’t feel hungry. If anything, I felt pretty energetic, which was very motivating. I quickly discovered my favourite Foodpacks – Blueberry Pancakes, Spaghetti Bolognese and Vanilla Porridge FastPots, as well as the Chocolate and Raisin meal-replacement bars, and I’m still enjoying them now I’m in Management.
Whenever I face a moment of weakness, I remind myself of the progress I’ve made and the supportive community behind me. Right from the start, Lisa encouraged me to journal my thoughts and feelings, which helped me identify patterns and triggers. The mindfulness techniques we practise in our group have allowed me to stay present and make conscious choices, rather than reverting to old habits.
I find our group WhatsApp chat room very supportive, too – even just reading the conversations makes me smile and encourages me to stay on track.
“I told you I could do it!”
After losing nearly four stone, I’m enjoying life so much more. I love going shopping now that I can go into the same shops as my daughter and know there will be something for me. I’m actually wearing the same size jeans that I did 33 years ago, which is a great feeling. And the number of compliments I’ve received on my new look has had a thoroughly positive impact on my wellbeing.
I’m much kinder to myself, too – it’s lovely to acknowledge what I’ve achieved and to tell myself, “I like me!” And I’ve got bags more confidence. At my daughter’s wedding, I loved being in all the photographs – and also telling my new son-in-law, “I told you I could do it!”
I’m fit for anything life throws at me
As my weight dropped, my fitness improved – I’m now doing around 3000 more steps every day and can swim more than 20 lengths really easily.
I’ve also recently retired and I’ve started working on renovating a smallholding – I now have the energy to do it and to deal with whatever life throws at me. And while I currently don’t have grandchildren, I know I’ll have the energy to run around after them when they eventually come.
And my diabetes? My HbA1c score has dropped from 67, which was far too high, to 45, which is in the ideal range for controlling diabetes – and, even better, I’m on track to put myself in remission.
LighterLife will change your life
I would advise anyone joining LighterLife to fully engage with the programme and to lean on their Mentor and support group – it’s what they are there for! Embrace the CBT and mindfulness sessions, as they are invaluable for understanding and changing your relationship with food. Celebrate every small victory and remember that it’s a personal journey.
And always remember why you’ve chosen to do LighterLife and that every day is another step forward toward your goal, so be mindful of the progress you’re making. It will change your life.
