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“Go Lower: learning new eating habits”

Written on: 01/02/2012

I've always been interested in keeping trim, in clothes & fashion but a year into having my first baby & going back to work/juggling family life, the fashion factor in my life seemed to have taken a dive. I couldn't get used to my new shape and had almost resigned myself to the fact that I'd never fit into slim & sexy clothes again. Deciding to take action I found Go Lower on the internet & it seemed to tick all the boxes for me -a simple food plan which would help re-train old, insidious eating habits with delicious meals delivered to your door and all at a reasonable price. They were offering a summer discount if I booked quickly and a further percentage off if i booked with a buddy so I decided to sign myself up along with my Mum & Dad who both wanted to lose weight. The novelty of us all signing up together was great - receiving our food parcels was exciting and we compared which meals we liked & which we loathed - you're able to send back the recipes you don't like & swap them for the ones that you prefer. Sri Lankan lamb curry was a favourite and the Tex Mex soup is knock-out >spicy and filling; on the downside some of the chicken meals began to taste a bit like cardboard after a while but we swapped these amongst ourselves or sent them back to Go Lower who posted out our favourites. We've all 3 continued to buy the best recipes on-line as stopgaps for our cupboards when we want a quick fix lunch and can't be bothered to cook.

On my first morning I was alarmed at how small the granola portions seemed to be but once I'd added my 2 spoonfuls of creme fraiche and handful of berries (any & all that you can get your hands on!) my appetite was sated. Somehow taking the thinking out of cooking & preparing meals re-focused my mind on the more interesting things which fill my day. I was conscious & mindful of what i was eating but I felt calm and in control and miraculously lost the anxiety/emotional aspect of eating which had started to take over. Bread & potatoes had been my downfall but I didn't miss them at all. The first two weeks focus on ketosis (cutting out carbs and sugar completely) - you simply prepare the meals which you've been sent and decide which delicious vegetables you're going to steam/boil to accompany. I became ever so much more adventurous picking up asparagus, avocados, purple broccoli spears to go with my evening meal. After the first two weeks we were able to have a glass of cava or wine or gin & tonic in the evening every couple of nights if we wanted which was just heaven. The snack bars are pressed seeds and coconut - delicious with your afternoon cuppa - and you even get chocolate-coated raspberries and brazil nuts as a treat whenever you want to be naughty. This is a realistic food plan that allows you to get on with your life and lose weight sensibly without taking the joy out of living. It's not about denial or beating yourself up about being hungry but teaches you to enjoy smaller portions of protein-based meals with creamy, spicy sauces. The weight has stayed off because I've reconfigured my relationship with food. It's restored my sense of self and boosted my confidence - I can't recommend Go Lower enough.