Guest Blog by YourOneLife Client Niamh 

Introduction by Claire Jones, Weight Loss Coach

As a weight loss coach, I often meet people who’ve done everything they possibly can to lose weight – from extreme exercise routines to restrictive dieting, and still feel like they’re failing.

What’s usually missing isn’t effort. It’s clarity, strategy, and support. That’s where my coaching comes in.

This guest blog comes from one of my clients, Niamh, who has given me permission to share her story.

Her words reflect not just a transformation in weight, but in self-worth, lifestyle and overall wellbeing. This is real-life, sustainable change, and I’m incredibly proud of what she’s achieved. Here’s her story.

That First Session: A Turning Point

Last week I listened back for the first time to the recording of my first session with Claire. I remember the day so well. I was sitting in my car in the gym car park after yet another marathon gym session, trying desperately to exercise so often and so hard that I would lose weight, leaving me with little energy to enjoy anything else in life.

It’s not that I didn’t understand or know that diet is the most important part of any weight loss journey. It was that I genuinely believed I couldn’t control what I ate, and that my genetics would always land me back where I started if I didn’t find an exercise schedule to cheat the system.

At My Wits’ End

I was what I would describe on that day as “at my wits’ end” after working my way through a handful of personal trainers and online coaches over the last year or so, having tried every gym class I could find, and even having trained for and run a half marathon. I was described by my family as “exercising like a demon” but yet I was getting bigger by the day and week. I just couldn’t work it out.

Listening back, I thought to myself I didn’t recognise the person I was back then, but then I remembered that I did. I knew her very well. I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness for her and the months and years of pain that led up to that point. But then I felt incredibly proud and excited about my journey and all of the amazing achievements and benefits I have gained since that time.

Two years on, I am 17.5kg (2 stone and 10 lbs) lighter in weight. But more importantly, I have gained a new lease of life, which I often describe to Claire as “unlocking a new level”, and I have never felt better.

Why I Said No to Weight Loss Injections

This realisation got me thinking about some of the other options out there and why I am beyond thrilled that I took the decision to work with Claire and not to embark on them — namely GLP-1 medicines such as Mounjaro.

They are everywhere at the moment, and I think it’s extremely likely that while reading this you are thinking of at least one person in your circle who is taking one of them. Looking back at my BMI when I started my journey, I would have been eligible for treatment. And while I may have had to pay privately, and realistically it may have been a similar cost to the coaching I have with Claire, there is not one part of me that regrets my decision.

A Slower Journey, A Deeper Transformation

My journey has not been fast. I have lost my weight over two years, and any quick Google search will no doubt bring up stories of people who have lost that in three months, or perhaps less. There will be flashy photos of them with a big grin on their face, and probably a snapshot of “diet before and diet after”. But these stories only show a snapshot in time. They don’t show:

• What to eat to stay healthy and nourished while using them  
• the cost of these medicines and the fact that once you are using them, there is a pressure to maintain that cost for a long period to keep the results coming 
• the side effects or health risks of taking these medicines which include things like constipation, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain or excess wind. (We don’t yet know the long term effects and risks)
• the impact on your family and social life when you suppress your appetite to the point that you no longer enjoy lunch out with friends or making a dinner for your family
• the fatigue and impact on your hobbies and quality of life when the lack of food starts to impact your energy levels
• how to keep the weight off once you’ve lost it 

Of course, there is a time and place for these medicines, hence why they are licensed and prescribed. But the elephant in the room here is how easily they are available privately and whether they are always being prescribed appropriately.  

Uncomfortable but Worth It

My journey has also not been glamorous. There have been times I have found the journey of self-discovery quite uncomfortable. I have learnt to understand firstly how much I was eating, secondly why, and thirdly how to move towards eating in a way that fuels my body with the nutrients it needs,  whilst enjoying what I am eating, and maintaining fitness and a social life.

I have also learnt to drown out all of the noise and find my own way. Because believe me, once people begin to notice weight loss, everyone around you becomes a “nutrition expert” and offers advice on what you should or should not eat, or what time to eat. This often left me overwhelmed and confused, searching online for another diet or exercise programme.

What I’ve Gained

Although my initial goal was weight loss, along the way I have gained so much more:

• Energy and vitality – I used to struggle to get out of bed at midday on a weekend, now I am awake at 8am on a Saturday morning
• Confidence and pride in my new physique and body – my goal and ambition were to dress for fashion and my taste rather than to cover up the bits of my body I didn’t like
• Physical strength and fitness – the type of exercise I like to do has changed significantly, and I feel fitter than ever, no longer forcing myself to do things to “burn calories”
• Inspiring others – friends, family and neighbours have commented on my new lifestyle and habits, and a few have even started their own journey after seeing mine
• Management of a new long-term condition – learning to manage this with nutrition, lifestyle and healthy habits drives me every day, and the health professionals in charge of my case have been impressed with my continuing progress
  

Why This Was Never Just About Fat Loss

In summary, this has been about so much more than fat loss. I strongly believe that my weight was a symptom of my lifestyle issues, rather than it being a single problem to be solved. Had I opted for a more extreme measure such as weight loss injections, I do believe I would have lost weight quickly. But I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to explore my wider health and lifestyle, with the weight quickly returning after I stopped the injections.

Instead, by investing time and money in coaching with Claire, I have built a toolkit of resources and knowledge which I can apply for the rest of my life. At the time I wanted quick results. Now, I want to build a lifestyle which I can maintain for the rest of my life.

For Anyone Considering Quick Fixes

For anyone else feeling tempted by the quick fixes, I get it. But I also want you to know that it is possible to do it another way. A kinder way. A more empowering way. And the best part? The progress you make this way doesn’t disappear when the prescription runs out.

If you’re reading this and wondering whether coaching is worth it, I can tell you with absolute honesty — it has completely transformed my life.

Yes, I have some great before and afters (which I have chosen not to share because the work that Claire and I do together is deeply personal and I’d prefer it to remain private). But more importantly, I have a whole new lease of life. And this year, for the first year ever, I am looking forward to wearing a pair of shorts this summer. Because I have literally never worn a pair before.

But this summer I will. And I will continue my journey  –  to health, to self-respect, and to freedom.