Pills, injections and skim teas are just a few of the fads that desperate dieters turn to in their never-ending struggle to lose weight.
But now three women who’ve lost a whopping 50 pounds combined claim they’ve found one that actually works — and apparently all it takes is listening to a quick recording each day.
Hayley Millar, Lorraine Murphy and Ava Brodie battled their junk food addiction for years and spurned bags of chocolate and candy every day.
The trio hated their own habits so much that they brutally labeled themselves “beasts,” “couch poopers,” and “sugar addicts.”
Desperate for a change, the three turned to Slimpod — a 9-minute mindfulness tape that boasts it can teach listeners to “lose the urge to snack.” Users listen as they prepare for sleep each night.
Hayley Millar, 41, from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, went from a size 24 to a size 12 in just 18 months
Unlike similar “quick fix” diet trends, Slimpod doesn’t claim to get the body to burn more fat.
Instead, it claims to “retrain” the brain so that healthy eating becomes an “automatic habit.”
Users of Slimpod, the brainchild of a Harley Street behavior change specialist, are signing up for a 12-week “audio/visual transformation programme” costing £148 and delivered via an app.
It includes video coaching, free recipes, and access to a private Facebook support group.
It also offers access to four “unique life-changing audio recordings” that use “cutting edge neuroscience” called “Nudge Thinking”.
Slimpod claims that this affects people’s habitual and emotional responses to food.
The company also adds that its methods result in “permanent” fat loss for many without resorting to “humiliating” weekly weigh-ins, diet pills or weight loss shakes.
However, experts said that while this approach produces positive results, it is not dieting.
dr Hana Patel, who works as a GP in south-east London, said: “Slimpod is not a diet.”
“It uses the science of unconscious belief to gently change your attitude about food.”
“The clinical studies have shown that Slimpod provides positive results and shows that listening to it every day can increase self-efficacy in eating and thus contribute to weight loss.”
Doctors warn that while these weight loss observations may seem promising, it is very rare for a changing factor to be the cause of such drastic weight loss.
NHS North London GP Semiya Aziz said: “Weight loss often requires a variety of lifestyle changes to ensure the individual is able to lose weight in a controlled and regulated manner.”
“Very rarely is there a factor that aids in weight loss.” This is not a quick fix, but often a bespoke endeavor.
“Any person who decides to lose weight should do their homework before enlisting the help of various weight loss organizations.”
“You need to look for more evidence-based, clinical success information and not just observational statements from those who have succeeded in losing weight.” [Slimpod] Program.’
HAYLEY MILLAR, 18TH TO 12TH
Hayley Millar, from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, praises Slimpod for helping her go from a size 24 to a size 12 in just 18 months.
The 41-year-old teacher blamed her addiction to junk food and chips for her weight soaring to 18 (114 kg).
Hayley, who describes herself as a “couch potter,” said she cried when she saw a picture of herself and her confidence was so low that she often felt unable to leave the house.
But she was able to lose 6th place after making dramatic changes to her eating habits, which she says was down to listening to the audio clip every night.
Haley said her life changed so dramatically that she finally had the courage to get married.
She said: “Recently I bought a bag of chips and threw them in the bin because when I put them in my mouth I felt like I just didn’t want them.”
“For years I have covered my body in baggy, shapeless clothes. I hated shopping for clothes. I tied my long, shaggy hair back into a ponytail and lived in sweatpants. I felt old, ugly and frumpy in my 30s.’
LORRAINE MURPHY FROM 24TH TO 12TH
Mother-of-two Lorraine Murphy dubbed herself a “beast” for her habit of eating at least three candy bars every day.
But the 64-year-old from Manchester has now lost half her total weight in two and a half years – from 24 to 12 (152 to 75 kg).
Lorraine Murphy dubbed herself a “beast” because she ate at least three bars of chocolate a day
The 64-year-old from Manchester lost half her weight in two and a half years – from 24 to 12 kilos
Lorraine said that for most of her life she was severely addicted to sugar and couldn’t control her insatiable love for cakes, sweets and snacks, which resulted in her waistline getting bigger and bigger.
Being overweight, she avoided meeting new people and feared that they would judge her because of her size.
After years of desperately yo-yo dieting, she’s finally shed the pounds, which has allowed her to become “the life and soul of the party.”
“Slimpod was a lifesaver because it triggered something in my brain that changed how I felt,” she said.
“I literally felt like I was living in a fat suit – and I had no idea how to get out of it.”
AVA BRODIE FROM 12TH TO 8TH
After years of feeling fat, Ava Brodie halved her dress size in two years.
The 64-year-old from Greater Manchester lost fourth place (25kg), falling from a size 16 to a size 8.
Ava Brodie, from Littleborough, Greater Manchester, has halved her dress size in two years. She slimmed down from a size 16 to an 8 by shedding four pounds
The self-confessed “sugar addict” said she ate family bags of chocolate and candy every day.
But two years later, Ava said she now realized “the sugar has taken over her brain” and that losing weight saved her life.
She said she finally felt like she was in control again and decided to go out in a little black dress in her 60s.
She said, “I feel like a normal person when I eat. I’m in control of the food and not that the food is in control of me.”
What should a balanced diet look like?
According to the NHS, meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grain
• Eat at least 5 portions of different fruits and vegetables daily. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Base meals are potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This equates to eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole-wheat granola biscuits, 2 thick slices of whole-wheat bread, and 1 large baked potato with its skin on
• Consume some dairy products or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) and choose lower-fat, lower-sugar options
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish each week, one of which should be oily)
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and eat them in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water daily
• Adults should consume less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women and 30g for men per day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
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