Christine Swain was on holiday in Marrakesh last year when she asked her husband, Richard, to take a photo of her. Lounging in a bikini in front of a stunning rooftop view, she thought it would make a lovely picture.

But one glance at the photo which showed, in her words, her ‘huge thighs and barrel waist’ led her to delete it.

‘I’ve always been a size 14, but when I hit menopause I suddenly changed. I was a size 18, struggling and didn’t feel good about myself,’ the 55-year-old tells Metro.

Christine was bloated, suffering from debilitating menopausal symptoms, and in constant pain due to fibromyalgia.

‘I was eating healthily all day, but then in the evening I would find myself comfort-eating. Richard works shifts, so I would be waiting for him to come home eating a big bag of crisps or snacking on chocolate.

‘I didn’t feel good about myself; it made me feel ashamed. I didn’t need to eat it and afterwards I’d regret it.’ 

Having never wanted to lose weight before, Christine admits she wasn’t sure where to start.

She had read about the ‘quick fix’ of Ozempic and Mounjaro, but dismissed them as solutions. ‘I don’t like the idea of putting any unnecessary chemicals into my body. I wanted to try to eat healthily and exercise first,’ she remembers. 

By chance, Christine spotted an article about health and nutrition coach Chloe Thomas, where she explained how she’d helped a woman with their fibromyalgia and menopause.

‘They were issues affecting me and I was really drawn to her message about mindset – and how through therapy you can learn about eating mindfully, rather than bingeing.’ 

Never having had therapy before – and with no clue that it could ever be used for weight loss – Christine tentatively contacted Chloe to find out more. 

A brief call made it clear; alongside diet and exercise, sound healer Christine needed to change the way she thought about food. She would need twice-monthly therapy sessions via Zoom to talk about fitness, nutrition and why she ate the way she did. 

At £150 a month, it wasn’t cheap, but Christine saw it as an investment. 

‘Chloe worked on my subconscious and self-limiting beliefs. My previous marriage hadn’t been great and I had all these notions that I wasn’t good enough,’ she explains. ‘I would eat if something stressful happened, or drink to fulfil that need of having someone with me. 

‘Then I would feel worse and rely on those destructive habits more. It was a vicious circle. I also learned about reading labels properly and started really thinking about what I put in my body, as well as tracking what I ate.’ 

Christine adds that one of the things that really helped make a difference was something she had always hated the idea of: affirmations.

‘These were things like: “‘I am safe. I am who I am and that is enough.” They never used to resonate with me and would almost make me angry. But this time they helped me start to treat myself in the same kind, loving way that I would my dog or children,’ she says. 

‘We easily beat ourselves up about how fat and ugly we are – especially as women. The mindset work helped me notice when I was doing this and change it. And it didn’t feel silly at all -I really enjoyed the process.’ 

Through neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) Christine learned to rewire her response to food and how she shouldn’t see crisps, chocolate and pizza as “guilty pleasures”. 

‘I still enjoy them in moderation – and really enjoy them, because I eat consciously now, bearing in mind the lessons I have learned. I know I can still have them, but I have to make that choice.’ 

Meanwhile, talking through her issues with Chloe, also helped Christine notice patterns in her behaviour; how feeling weak and drained through fibromyalgia made her feel bad about herself and trigger comfort eating.

‘I would remember why stress makes me want to eat and interrupt that process – choosing a healthy treat to break that cycle. Something just switched off; whatever it was that made me want to put that stuff into my body.’

Despite being new to therapy, Christine said she embraced the idea, especially as it meant she wasn’t using a quick fix to lose weight. 

‘I’ve seen results on people with the injections. Yes, it gives people that confidence if they do lose some weight, but then when they come off of them, they haven’t addressed their problems and they’re just going to put it back on. ‘I feel confident that I have changed something significant internally’ she insists.

‘I honestly loved the therapeutic approach and welcomed the opportunity to change the way I was living and the way I saw myself. I thought I’d be unhappy with how I looked for the rest of my life and  even gave away all my party dresses. So it was a welcome relief to unpack all those beliefs and change them. It was really comfortable talking about my issues.’ 

Since she started nearly a year ago, Christine has lost more than three stone – and  feels much more healthy. 

‘I’ve not felt this good for a very long time and it has spurred me on to try other new things in my life,’ she says.

‘I can honestly say I don’t have any f** it days. I saw it as a huge learning opportunity and I really enjoyed learning about nutrition and how my mind works.’

Christine continues to see Chloe once a month, who now provides her coaching around other areas, including personal issues and business. She isn’t sure exactly how much she has spent but believes the investment to have been worth every penny.

‘I think everyone should have a mentor,’ she says. ‘Yes – it is more than a slimming club membership but I’m happy to pay for that one-to-one support. I am glad I went down the therapy route as I’ve seen fantastic changes that I know will last for the rest of my life.’