Woman lost 3 stone after turning 40 and feeling 'frumpy, funky and flabby'

North Wales Live

2 days ago

A woman who has shed 45 pounds using an AI coaching app has revealed that when she reached 40 she felt 'frumpy, funky and flabby.' But having discovered an app that helped her shed the weight, she hailed is as " not a diet, it's a lifestyle change."
Meredith Lewis revealed she had been concentrating on her husband, who had experienced his own medical crisis, and explained that over a two-year period she had 'lost sight of' her own health. She said: "I think, like most women, when they hit 40 years old, they're optimistic and thinking, I'm going to be 40 and fabulous. But for me, I felt forty, frumpy, funky and flabby, and I knew I needed to change something.
"Over the last two years, I've been focusing on my husband, helping him through his medical crisis that he went through, and making sure that he's here for us still. But in that two year time frame, I lost all sight of myself, all sight of my own health and nutrition and exercise routines that I used to do."
"So I started to search online for the newest fad, the newest diet, whatever it may be. And thank you to my algorithm for showing me a reel on Facebook from the Simple app," reports Belfast Live.
The Simple App - currently offering 60% off weight loss plans with the code REACH60 - is an AI-powered coaching tool designed for adults aiming to lead a healthier lifestyle. Built by a team of experts in nutrition, behaviour change, digital health and medicine, the app supports users in kickstarting their personal wellness journey.
To get started, users complete a detailed survey covering their health goals, preferences, and past weight loss experiences. Once set up, they can access features like food logging - via typing, voice, or photo - a NutriScanner to help break down meal nutrition, daily workout plans including wall pilates, and round-the-clock support from Avo - the app's AI coach, ready to answer questions anytime, day or night.
"This isn't a diet," Lewis says. "It's a lifestyle change. I don't think of this as being a short term solution for a long term problem. This is a long term solution for a short term problem."
So far she has been on Simple app for 101 days.
"I am down 46 pounds. I'm almost to my first goal weight, I wanted to make sure I had a realistic goal to start with, so I put a 55 pound weight loss as my first goal," she says.
"I'm almost there in 101 days without starving myself, without killing myself doing cardio for four hours a day, or whatever by doing this the Simple way you can do this, the Simple way with the Simple app. It's that easy. It really is.
"You figure out your fasting window and your eating window. The app alerts you when it's time to eat. It alerts you when it's time to start your fast."
Boasting over 17 million downloads, the app is praised for its gentle approach to forming healthier habits through small and consistent daily choices. It doesn't require users to restrict food groups and provides non-judgemental, real-time, personalised feedback and answers.
She further commented: "I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't feel like I was starving or neglecting or denying myself anything at any point in time. In fact, you're not denying yourself anything with intermittent fasting. You can eat what you want.
"You're just delaying when you eat it. So if you're craving pizza, you can have some pizza. I'm just going to have it when my eating windows open."
Another advantage she mentions is the app's nutrition tracking feature, which she says has "been a big eye opener for me, and realising that the food that's on my plate that I put into my body really is the fuel to keep me moving, to keep me going for the next 24 hours."
Since using the Simple app, she has noticed significant health benefits, including improved sleep quality. As someone who "used to be a big toss and turner, any little noise would wake me up", she says: "I haven't slept this good since before we had babies I think, so that is a huge, huge advantage right there is just the sleep, but obviously losing weight, taking that stress off of my joints, off of my back, has been a big thing for me, also just my cardiovascular health and feeling that I have more energy so I can go and do these workouts like I want to do."
She plans to "continue to use Simple even after I have met my goal weight for when I go into a maintenance phase. Again, this is a lifestyle, it's not a diet. So I am making sure that this is a continual part of my lifestyle for the long term, so knowing that you can adjust it as needed."
Holidays can sometimes complicate any eating plan or new routine, but Meredith also found using Simple while away was beneficial.
She explains: "I just got back from a three week holiday. I didn't stop using Simple, I continued to use it, I just modified it. So I opened up my eating window a little bit longer, so instead of only eating for six hours, I'd eat for eight hours so that I could enjoy going out to eat at restaurants with family and friends, or having that late night dessert that I used to always have, but I really wanted it when I was down at my favourite restaurant in Texas."
If this particular app isn't quite right, there are numerous other alternatives to consider. MyFitnessPal, for instance, stands as a widely-used health and fitness monitoring app and website accessible on both Android and iOS platforms. It enables users to log and monitor their calorie consumption, exercise routines and weight reduction targets, assisting them in keeping track of their advancement.
Another excellent option is Lifesum - a worldwide platform that tracks food consumption and physical activity whilst providing tailored feedback, meal plans, and recipes to encourage a healthier way of living.
Fans seem to be impressed with the Simple app, giving it an impressive 4.3 out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot. One user said: "Helpful app! The suggestions for better diet choices specific to what you have in the fridge/pantry is super helpful. Great feedback for menu suggestions, snack ideas, encouragement to move without guilting you, and daily (friendly) nudges to record what I am doing."
Another simply added: "Easy to use and motivating."
Not everyone agreed however, as some others shared opposing reviews. One said: "I have been in the program for three weeks and have been fasting, eating healthier, and exercising, but the weight keeps fluctuating and isn't dropping like I expected it to."
Most reviews were positive, with another customer explaining: "I am still in the beginning of my journey with Simple and, having had some questions, I had a very good and supportive experience with the support team. Glad to have learned how much easy talking can be!"
Simple is currently available at a 60% discount with the code REACH60.