From struggling to walk upstairs to running races!
This summer, I did something I thought was impossible. At my grandaughters’ sports day, I not only had the confidence to enter the two parents’ races… I finished them both!
My granddaughters were so proud of me, and so was I. Because, just a few months before, my knee pain going up the stairs was awful, and I knew it would continue to get worse if I didn’t tackle my weight. I could never have even considered entering those races for fear of falling over, not reaching the finishing line, or passing out at the end.
50 years of food noise
I’ve spent the last 50 years dieting and thinking about food. By the start of 2025, things were getting to the stage where I was seriously scared about my health.
Of the umpteen times I’ve tried to lose weight in the past, only LighterLife had ever worked to give me significant weight loss. All these years after I’d first done it, I realised it was time to revisit the programme. I knew I needed to engage with the CBT to help me manage the food noise, and I definitely needed the support of a Mentor to keep me on track.
Starting was easy
So, in February 2025, I signed up to the new Re-Creating Me Programme – four Foodpacks a day on the TotalFast weight-loss plan, and weekly closed-group meetings with my Mentor, Zoe.
The first week was easy. I had no real challenges, except the obvious one of missing real food. But I knew that would pass. And it did – because when I got into ketosis, I stopped thinking about food all the time. I just got on with having my Foodpacks. Original Porridge and the Pasta Bolognese FastPots were my favourite, and I’d make hot chocolate from the Chocolate shake and muffins from the Blueberry Pancakes to ring the changes.
My Mentor is invaluable
I really enjoyed the Re-Creating Me groups. The weekly meetings were very helpful, with the CBT tools and discussion topics helping me so much with my plan for my healthy future.
Having a Mentor is invaluable. Zoe has been fantastic – she’s always there for me if I have a quick question or need to offload. After I achieved my weight-loss goal, I went into Management, and I’m now maintaining my weight with Zoe’s help and constant support. She checks in with me regularly, and it’s great to have access to someone who recognises my weaknesses and helps me avoid pitfalls – she opens my eyes to times when I’m at risk of “going wrong”.
Mindful eating is the key
The main thing Zoe has instilled in me is mindful eating – listening to how my body feels so I don’t overeat, questioning my choices, giving myself boundaries. It’s all about catching yourself before you have chance to slip back into bad little habits which can landslide into huge ones.
I’ve also had great support from my family – no one ever blinked an eye when I wasn’t eating at shared meals. I also have a Facebook buddy my age, and we’ve supported each other when the scales don’t show what we want to see.
“LighterLife is the best thing I’ve ever done”
Since losing weight, my self-esteem has soared – I love the joy of everything in my wardrobe fitting and liking how I look in everything. My mobility has massively increased, too, and I no longer have pain in my back and my knees. Keeping up with my grandchildren is easy now, and I can go on long walks with no fear of inclines, even steep and very steep ones! And at 72 – loving fast paced Zumba dancing each week is one of the greatest gifts.
LighterLife is the best thing I have ever done for weight loss. If you’re thinking about starting, get a Mentor and join a group – all that support really helps you stick to the TotalFast plan. Take it week by week and focus on the positive changes you see in your life beyond what the scales say. Reach out if you hit a barrier – don’t stick your head in the sand. Your Mentor will be there for you.
Be proud of starting your journey and doing your best. I did it, and you can too.
