{"id":6811,"date":"2025-10-12T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/?p=6811"},"modified":"2025-10-15T21:34:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T21:34:24","slug":"i-didnt-want-to-use-jabs-to-lose-weight-so-tried-therapy-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/12\/i-didnt-want-to-use-jabs-to-lose-weight-so-tried-therapy-instead\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I didn\u2019t want to use jabs to lose weight, so tried therapy instead\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bi-monthly therapy sessions sat at the heart of Christine’s weight loss journey (Picture: Chrstine Swain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Christine Swain was on holiday in Marrakesh<\/a> 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. <\/p>\n

But one glance at the photo which showed, in her words, her \u2018huge thighs and barrel waist\u2019 led her to delete it.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve always been a size 14, but when I hit menopause<\/a> I suddenly changed. I was a size 18, struggling and didn\u2019t feel good about myself,\u2019 the 55-year-old tells Metro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Christine was bloated, suffering from debilitating menopausal symptoms, and in constant pain due to fibromyalgia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Menopause saw Christine struggling to feel good about herself (Picture: Chrstine Swain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018I was eating healthily<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

\u2018I didn\u2019t feel good about myself; it made me feel ashamed. I didn\u2019t need to eat it and afterwards I\u2019d regret it.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Having never wanted to lose weight before, Christine admits she wasn\u2019t sure where to start.<\/p>\n

She had read about the \u2018quick fix\u2019 of Ozempic<\/a> and Mounjaro<\/a>, but dismissed them as solutions. \u2018I don\u2019t like the idea of putting any unnecessary chemicals into my body. I wanted to try to eat healthily and exercise first,’ she remembers. <\/p>\n

By chance, Christine spotted an article about health<\/a> and nutrition coach Chloe Thomas, where she explained how she\u2019d helped a woman with their fibromyalgia and menopause<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018They were issues affecting me and I was really drawn to her message about mindset – and how through therapy<\/a> you can learn about eating mindfully, rather than bingeing.\u2019 <\/p>\n

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Chrstine thanks exercise and ‘eating mindfully’ for her transformation (Picture: Christine Swain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

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

At \u00a3150 a month, it wasn\u2019t cheap, but Christine saw it as an investment. <\/p>\n

\u2018Chloe worked on my subconscious and self-limiting beliefs. My previous marriage hadn\u2019t been great and I had all these notions that I wasn\u2019t good enough,\u2019 she explains. \u2018I would eat if something stressful happened, or drink<\/a> to fulfil that need of having someone with me. <\/p>\n

\u2018Then 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.\u2019 <\/p>\n

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Christine’s intentional habits saw her drop dress sizes (Pictures: Christine Swain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Christine adds that one of the things that really helped make a difference was something she had always hated the idea of: affirmations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018These were things like: \u201c\u2018I am safe. I am who I am and that is enough.\u201d 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,\u2019 she says. <\/p>\n

\u2018We easily beat ourselves up about how fat and ugly we are – especially as women<\/a>. The mindset work helped me notice when I was doing this and change it. And it didn\u2019t feel silly at all -I really enjoyed the process.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Through neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) Christine learned to rewire her response to food and how she shouldn\u2019t see crisps, chocolate and pizza<\/a> as “guilty pleasures”. <\/p>\n

\u2018I 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.\u2019 <\/p>\n

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Affirmations played a large role in Christine’s weight-loss journey (Picture: Christine Swain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u2018I 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.\u2019<\/p>\n

Despite being new to therapy, Christine said she embraced the idea, especially as it meant she wasn\u2019t using a quick fix to lose weight. <\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve seen results on people with the injections<\/a>. Yes, it gives people that confidence if they do lose some weight, but then when they come off of them, they haven\u2019t addressed their problems and they\u2019re just going to put it back on. ‘I feel confident that I have changed something significant internally\u2019 she insists.<\/p>\n

\u2018I 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\u2019d be unhappy with how I looked for the rest of my life and  even gave away all my party dresses<\/a>. So it was a welcome relief to unpack all those beliefs and change them. It was really comfortable talking about my issues.\u2019 <\/p>\n

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Suffering from fibromyalgia, Christine thought she would never live her fullest, most confident life — but now she does (Picture: Christine Swain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since she started nearly a year ago, Christine has lost more than three stone – and  feels much more healthy. <\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve not felt this good for a very long time and it has spurred me on to try other new things in my life,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

\u2018I can honestly say I don\u2019t have any f** it days. I saw it as a huge learning opportunity and I really enjoyed learning about nutrition<\/a> and how my mind works.’<\/p>\n

Christine continues to see Chloe once a month, who now provides her coaching around other areas, including personal issues and business<\/a>. She isn\u2019t sure exactly how much she has spent but believes the investment to have been worth every penny.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think everyone should have a mentor,’ she says. ‘Yes – it is more than a slimming club membership but I\u2019m happy to pay for that one-to-one support. I am glad I went down the therapy route as I\u2019ve seen fantastic changes that I know will last for the rest of my life.\u2019<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\tComment now<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-preferred-source\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bi-monthly therapy sessions sat at the heart of Christine’s weight loss journey (Picture: Chrstine Swain) 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. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6813,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6811"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6811"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6820,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6811\/revisions\/6820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}