Leena Watts
The LighterLife diet is a weight loss plan that combines a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) with counselling. Depending on the specific plan, normal food is either banned or limited, and dieters consume four meal replacement shakes, soups, mousses, or bars daily, providing around 500-600 calories and essential nutrients. The counselling aspect aims to help individuals understand their relationship with food to facilitate lasting behavioural changes. The LighterLife Total diet is recommended for adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) above 30, and individuals must undergo medical assessments and check-ups throughout the programme to ensure suitability and safety.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Diet Plan | Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) |
| Food | Foodpacks, including meal replacement drinks, shakes, soups, mousses, and bars |
| Calories | Around 500-600 calories per day |
| Nutrients | Contains protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals |
| Flavours | Chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, caramel, mushroom, chicken, vegetable, Thai chilli, nutcrunch, lemon, fruits, and toffee |
| Counselling | Weekly counselling sessions to understand the relationship with food |
| Phases | Foundation phase (100 days), followed by other phases |
| Medical Supervision | Requires regular medical check-ups and is recommended under close supervision |
| Cost | Varies, but can be expensive; however, may save money by reducing food expenses |
| Results | Rapid weight loss |
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What You'll Learn
Very low-calorie diet
The LighterLife diet is a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) that combines a restricted diet with counselling. The diet is designed to help people lose large amounts of weight in relatively short periods.
The LighterLife Total diet involves three phases. The first is the Foundation phase, which lasts for 100 days. During this time, people stick to Foodpacks and weekly counselling sessions. Foodpacks are meal replacement drinks and bars that contain all the essential nutrients. They come in various flavours and are designed to meet government guidelines for meal replacement products. The counselling sessions are aimed at helping people understand their relationship with food so that they can make lasting changes to keep the weight off. The second phase involves group sessions with a qualified Lighter Life counsellor. The third phase is not mentioned in the sources.
The LighterLife TotalFast plan is another option, which involves restricting carbs to switch the body into ketosis, a 'fat-burning' mode. On this plan, the body switches from using carbs as its primary source of energy to using up stored fat instead.
Before starting the LighterLife programme, people need to have a medical check-up to ensure they do not have any health problems that make the diet unsuitable for them. The National Obesity Forum recommends that very low-calorie diets should only be used under close medical and dietetic supervision. During the programme, people need to see their GP every four weeks for a check-up.
The LighterLife diet is not just about eating less and doing extra; it also involves exploring different solutions and developing the skills needed to make lasting changes. The programme uses a unique CBT mindfulness approach to understand how thinking affects eating behaviour. LighterLife mentors are available to help, support, and guide people through the process.
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Meal replacement products
The LighterLife diet is a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) that combines counselling with meal replacement products. Depending on the specific plan, normal food is either banned or limited.
The meal replacement products come in the form of LighterLife Foodpacks, which contain drinks and bars. These are designed to provide all the essential nutrients while removing the need to make decisions about food by removing people from situations such as shopping, cooking, mealtimes, and eating out. The drinks come in the form of shakes and soups, and are available in chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, and caramel flavours. The bars come in nut crunch, lemon, fruits, and toffee flavours. Each week, clients receive their Foodpacks from their counsellor.
The Foodpacks are designed to provide around 500 calories per day, and contain protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. They are formulated to meet government guidelines for meal replacement products and comply with all UK National and EU regulations and directives.
The LighterLife website also mentions a TotalFast plan, which involves restricting carbs to switch the body into ketosis, a fat-burning mode. On this plan, the body switches from using carbs as its preferred source of energy to using up stored fat instead.
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Counselling and support
LighterLife is more than just a diet. It is an investment in oneself. The program works on the theory that weight problems are sometimes about more than just eating too much. Like alcohol or drugs, food can be an addiction for some people. The Lighter Life Programme provides Foodpacks, consisting of meal replacement drinks and bars. These contain all the essential nutrients, but allow people to lose weight without them having to think about food. The meal replacement products are designed to take away the need to make any decisions about food by removing people from situations such as shopping, cooking, mealtimes and eating out.
The Lighter Life Total diet involves three phases. Initially, you sign up for the Foundation phase, which lasts for 100 days. During this time, you stick to the Foodpacks and weekly counselling sessions. Every week, you also attend group sessions with a qualified Lighter Life counsellor. The counselling is aimed at helping you understand the relationship you have with food, so you can make lasting changes to keep the weight off for good. The Lighter Life Total diet is only recommended for adults who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30.
Before joining the programme, you’ll need to have a medical with your doctor to check you don’t have any health problems that make Lighter Life Total unsuitable for you. Then once you’ve started the Programme, you’ll need to see your GP every four weeks for a check-up. This is an essential part of the Programme – the National Obesity Forum suggests that very low-calorie diets (VLCD) should only be used under close medical and dietetic supervision and recommends people are medically assessed before starting a VLCD and are closely monitored throughout the treatment.
LighterLife also has a unique CBT mindfulness approach that goes beyond what you put in your mouth and explores how your thinking affects your eating behaviour, giving you the tools for losing weight and keeping it off. LighterLife Mentors are ready to help, support and guide you. You can access them via Zoom, WhatsApp, text, phone, Facebook live sessions or face-to-face meetings.
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Weight loss and health
The LighterLife diet is a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) that combines counselling with meal replacement products. The diet is designed to help people lose weight and understand their relationship with food to make lasting changes. The meal replacement products are designed to take away the need to make decisions about food by removing people from situations such as shopping, cooking, mealtimes, and eating out. The counselling aspect of the programme aims to help individuals understand their relationship with food and address any underlying issues that may be contributing to their weight problems.
The LighterLife Total diet involves three phases. The first phase is the Foundation phase, which lasts for 100 days. During this time, individuals stick to the Foodpacks and weekly counselling sessions. The Foodpacks consist of meal replacement drinks and bars that provide around 500 calories per day and contain all the essential nutrients, including protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. The drinks and bars come in various flavours to cater to different taste preferences.
It is important to note that the LighterLife Total diet is only recommended for adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30, indicating obesity. Before starting the programme, individuals are required to undergo a medical evaluation to ensure they do not have any health problems that make the diet unsuitable for them. During the programme, regular check-ups with a medical professional are essential for monitoring and ensuring safety.
The LighterLife programme also offers a unique CBT mindfulness approach that goes beyond food choices and explores how thoughts and thinking patterns affect eating behaviour. This approach provides individuals with the tools and skills needed to address their thinking patterns and make lasting changes to their eating habits. The programme also includes group meetings that provide support and help individuals understand their emotional triggers for eating.
The LighterLife diet is not just about weight loss; it is also about saving money. Many people who follow the programme find that they spend less money on food and drinks. The programme provides nutritionally complete meals that are designed to keep individuals satisfied, healthy, and energised while still meeting all UK National and EU regulations and directives.
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Cost of the programme
The LighterLife programme provides Foodpacks, which consist of meal replacement drinks and bars. These Foodpacks are included in the cost of the programme. The cost of the programme also includes access to a counsellor or mentor, who will help you understand your relationship with food and provide support and guidance.
The cost of the programme will depend on the specific LighterLife plan chosen. The LighterLife TotalFast plan, for example, is marketed as the "cheapest, fastest way to lose weight". The LighterLife Fast plan, on the other hand, can be done without signing up for the full programme, as the Foodpacks can be purchased in-store and online at Superdrug for around £2-3 each. However, if you want to take advantage of the counselling and support offered by LighterLife, the cost will be higher.
While the exact cost of the programme is not stated, LighterLife suggests that it may be cheaper than a person's current food and drink expenses, as it eliminates the need for grocery shopping, eating out, and takeaways.
It is important to note that the LighterLife programme is not just a diet, but also a form of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that aims to help individuals understand and change their eating behaviours. As such, the cost of the programme may be comparable to other forms of therapy or counselling.
Before joining the programme, individuals are advised to consult their doctor to ensure they do not have any health problems that would make LighterLife unsuitable for them. This medical consultation would be an additional cost to consider.
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Frequently asked questions
The LighterLife diet is a weight loss programme that combines a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) with counselling. Depending on the plan, normal food is banned or limited and replaced with four meal replacement Foodpacks per day, including shakes, soups, mousses, and bars. These Foodpacks provide around 500 calories and contain essential nutrients, protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
The LighterLife diet consists of three phases. The first is the Foundation phase, which lasts 100 days and involves sticking to the Foodpacks and attending weekly counselling sessions. The second phase reintroduces conventional food, and the third phase focuses on long-term weight management, healthy eating, and active living.
The LighterLife Foodpacks include meal replacement drinks and bars in various flavours. The shakes and mousses come in chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, and caramel flavours, while the bars come in nut crunch, lemon, fruits, and toffee flavours. The soups are available in mushroom, chicken, vegetable, and Thai chilli flavours. All products meet government guidelines for nutrient content.
The LighterLife diet works by restricting calories and, in some cases, alternating day fasting. The body raids fat deposits during the diet, and the low-calorie intake helps the body switch to a fat-burning state called ketosis. The counselling aspect of the programme aims to help individuals understand their relationship with food and make lasting changes to maintain weight loss.
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