Health app helped woman drop four stone without giving up ice cream

Daily Mirror

16-06-2025

Brianna Alexander has shared her weight loss journey which saw her shed more than four stone without giving up any of her favourite foods - and she's kept it off for five years
We're often led to believe that a successful diet requires giving up all our favourite guilty pleasures, which can turn what should be enjoyable (like indulging in a bit of chocolate on a cosy Sunday night) into a joyless endeavour. Plus, this restrictive attitude might actually hinder weight loss and long-term maintenance.
But Brianna Alexander is living proof that deprivation isn't necessary for weight loss success. She shared her inspirational story of losing over four stone (27kg, 60lbs) while still enjoying her beloved snacks, managing to keep the weight off for five years thanks to a sustainable nutrition plan crafted with help from the Simple weight loss app, which incorporated intermittent fasting into her routine.
After losing four stone and four pounds, Brianna said: "Throughout this journey I have seen many ups and downs of fasting. Reflecting on my nutrition has really taught me a thing or two on losing weight and how it affects your energy levels, your confidence, and completely transforming your life in terms of working out.'
As well as aiding her weight loss, Brianna credits the app with giving her education and knowledge to understand the effects certain foods can have. She added: "I've actually been able to learn a lot more about my nutrition and some of the things that make you feel better when you eat certain foods, and why you crash after eating a big meal. Things like that I've learned through the Simple app."
Brianna's triumph in getting fitter and healthier came from meticulously revising her diet with the assistance of the Simple app, now 60% off using the voucher code REACH60. This nifty AI-powered coaching app tailors unique slimming strategies according to an individual's lifestyle, activity level, health ambitions, and timing – it promotes a balanced diet for lasting outcomes whilst letting foodies enjoy their most-loved snacks, reports Wales Online.
"I downloaded the app in 2020 because I didn't really have a sense of where I wanted to go in terms of my fitness goals and my healthy lifestyle goals," Brianna said.
She admitted that at the time, she was not on the best path - succumbing to stress eating, indulging in midnight binges, and struggling with low energy levels. Brianna relied heavily on caffeine to push through the day and find the motivation to exercise.
Brianna shared that the Simple app was a game-changer in transforming her eating habits, providing her with a custom eating plan which could include intermittent fasting, a regimen of consuming nutritious meals during particular windows and fasting outside those times.
"The first, biggest misconception I had when I started fasting was I would be hungry all the time and it's going to make me really upset and angry," she confessed.
"After I started fasting, I realised that I actually felt hungry the entire time and I couldn't figure out why exactly I was. I eventually did some more digging and the app helped me understand why I was hungry, and that's how I learned about my nutrition.
"My nutrition was very poor and low at the time. Every time you input a food into the Simple app and it gives you a daily nutrition score. As a reflection of a low or bad diet, I was feeling terrible throughout the day, so sleepy and tired and just not my best self."
Brianna revealed that when she embarked on her healthy eating journey in 2020, her diet was laden with fast food and a lack of fruit and vegetables. The Simple app came to the rescue by helping her recognise what should be on her plate, aiding her in planning meals, shopping, and setting up exercise routines, all while receiving tips from Avo, the in-app AI coach.
"That was able to be my template for the week of things I should be doing and goals I should have throughout the week," she explained. "All that was tailored to my own personal goals and if you're a new user to it and you don't know where to start, that's one hundred percent where a new user should start."
Expressing her gratitude, Brianna added: "I really am grateful that I am tracking it, that I'm staying consistent, the app makes it really easy," and shared how even though ice cream was once her soft spot, she has discovered a way to indulge responsibly.
"Ice cream used to be one of my biggest weaknesses in terms of not getting the nutrition I needed, but eventually I found some alternatives that provide lower calories and more proteins," she shared. "So I'm not completely without ice cream, I can still have it. But ensuring my nutrition is on-point is the most consistent thing about your diet."
There are a host of other apps available that aid users in their weight loss journey, similar to Simple. For instance, Lifesum is a free app that allows users to log their meals, providing calorie and macro information, with guidance on what to eat and even an intermittent fasting tracker.
In the same vein, Noom is a weight loss app that emphasises healthy lifestyle changes and behavioural psychology, offering personalised plans and support for its users.
However, Brianna isn't the only one who has found success with Simple. Numerous people have taken to Trustpilot to share their positive experiences.
"Scanning your meal makes it so easy. But what I didn't expect was how good the coach was at providing great recipes and healthy options to make changes to the recipes," one user wrote.
Another added: "The app is very informative and helpful in keeping me on track to be successful in reaching my goals regarding my weight loss journey. I have been delightfully pleased with the results I am achieving at this time. I'm glad that I found this particular app. It's truly on point and helpful in my journey in getting to where I want to be physically and mentally."
But not every comment was glowing, as some users highlighted a few snags. One individual suggested: "A tutorial is needed for all the features for optimal use."
Another pointed out: "I am learning a lot, but if I'm honest it is too much checking in. I know this is to help me get on track, but there are times it is just too much."
While another added: "The Simple Life App is easy to follow, very useful, and informative. I can definitely see myself using this app long term!".
Currently, The Simple app has become even more accessible with a smashing 60% off using the code REACH60.