LighterLife, meant for people who have a BMI of 29 or over, is a diet based on eating 4 nutritionally complete meal replacements called LighterLife foodpacks - shakes, bars or soups each day. You’re not allowed to add any other food, not even vegetables. It’s extremely low in calories – the daily quantity of four LighterLife foodpacks provide an average of just 530 calories per day – which is why it claims to help you lose a stone a month.

LighterLife Diet Information: The Diet

The idea behind the LighterLife Diet is that if you’re addicted to food, “giving it up” for a while could help you change your attitude.

Lighter Life is a weight management programme that combines a diet with cognitive behavioural therapy, to help, you can understand why you gained weight in the first place and why you overeat, so you can come up with solutions and stop the weight creeping back on in the future. The LighterLife diet claims to be doctor approved and promises to help you lose weight permanently and end yo-yo dieting.

LighterLife Diet Information: How It Works

For the initial Abstinence Phase, each day you’ll eat four LighterLife nutritionally complete foodpacks - soups, shakes or bars. You can also drink water, black tea and black coffee, but alcohol and any other food or drink is banned. The foodpacks provide at least 100% of the recommended daily vitamins and minerals. You’re also encouraged to exercise.

This phase lasts for at least 14 weeks for women and eight weeks for men, until you’ve reached your goal weight. The diet costs £66 per week for 28 foodpacks.

Once you’ve reached your goal weight, you’ll go on the 12 week Route to Management Programme, which reintroduces food and teaches you about healthy balanced eating. From here on, you’re allowed to attend weight maintenance meetings for life.

LighterLife Diet Information: Emotional Support

The cognitive behavioural therapy side looks at the reasons you overeat – such as underlying feelings like anger and sadness. Addressing these feelings helps you to change your behaviour by finding healthier ways to deal with them. Cognitive behavioural therapy is widely used by the NHS to help people deal with their problems. The LighterLife diet also uses Transactional Analysis, offering helpful ideas on how you can change your habits and lifestyle.

LighterLife Diet Information: Pros

• There’s no weighing food or counting calories, points or food blocks
• It is a good idea to think about the reasons why you overeat and change your behaviour
• LighterLife offers diet support and counselling at a weekly group meeting, plus health checks every 28 days

LighterLife Diet Information: Cons

• The daily calorie intake of just 530 calories is worryingly low
• As much of your food intake is coming from liquids like shakes and soups, you’re likely to feel hungry
• You’re encouraged to exercise, but it may be difficult on so few calories
• You’re likely to experience side effects like dizziness, insomnia, weakness, tiredness, diarrhoea, hair loss and constipation
• There are also some more serious risks such as gallstones, gout and possible heart problems
• If you’re overweight or obese and lose weight too quickly, you could end up with loose saggy skin and this is impossible to lose without surgery
• Sticking to the foodpacks and other products will get boring fast, and is very inflexible as you can’t eat out, have snacks or drink alcohol or soft drinks
• You’re expected to be on this diet for at least 14 weeks for women and 8 weeks for men, which is a long time to be eating diet soups and shakes
• As it’s aimed at people who are at least 3 stone overweight, it’s not for everyone
• Once you go off the LighterLife meals and other products, you still  have to learn how to choose the right foods to eat and cook healthily in the real world
• Following this diet and buying the LighterLife foodpacks, soups, shakes and bars can be expensive

LighterLife Diet Information: What the Experts Say

’This is an extreme diet which, in essence, bans you from eating food!” says Blue Skies nutritionist and KeeptheDoctorAway.co.uk resident nutrition expert Sam Howells.

“The Lighter Life Diet is a Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) which is the type of diet that is normally only prescribed under medical supervision,” she says.

“Although the food replacements ensure that you get all of the micronutrients you need, you will certainly be eating significantly fewer calories than you need to keep your body functioning on a daily basis. Additionally, you will be eating much less ’bulk’ which may lead to feelings of hunger initially.”
 
She says that although the LighterLife diet is a very easy diet to follow, it does not encourage you to think about the type of foods that you should be eating - you are simply given your supplements each week.

“What’s more, these supplements are certainly not cheap. One of my concerns is ’what happens afterwards’ when you return to normal eating?” says Howells.
 
“People with a BMI over 30 do need to lose weight for health reasons but it is important that anyone eating such a low number of calories undergoes a thorough medical beforehand and continues to regularly see a medical professional whilst they continue on this diet. There are dangers associated with such low calorie intakes including tiredness, weakness, dizziness, insomnia and nausea - these symptoms are normally associated with ketosis.
She says that consuming low levels of calories can result in high levels of ’ketones’ (chemicals produced when fat is used as a fuel) and a state called ketosis. 
“In times of starvation, ketones can be used as a fuel by the brain and heart muscle to keep us alive. However, the presence of ketones in the body leads to an increased loss of body water (and weight!), bad breath, taste changes, nausea, constipation, headaches, fatigue and dizziness,” she says.
Other potential side effects of VLCDs include constipation, diarrhoea, dry skin, hair loss, amenorrhoea and the possibility of developing gout, gallstones and heart problems, Howells says.
 
“On the positive side, the fact that LighterLife dieters are encouraged to think about the reasons that they have gained weight is an essential part of any weight management plan,” she added. “Without understanding ’why?’, it is very hard to make lifelong adjustments.’
 
Do you have experience of this type of diet? What are your views on the LighterLife Diet and do you think it could work for you? Share your views by using the Comment on this Article box below.