Group Support

Unrivalled support every step of the way

A key part of LighterLife is the great support you receive. Research shows that small groups are more successful than one to one work. Groups help you make long term lasting change.

Your LighterLife journey

What to expect from our group support

LighterLife isn’t a one size fits all programme. With us it’s about you and not just the food. Everyone who uses LighterLife is on an individual journey.

But you won’t be travelling alone – like most journeys, its better when others are along for the ride whichever way you choose to do LighterLife – either in one of our Centres or over the telephone on LighterLife2U, you’ll be part of a supportive group. You’ll also have a LighterLife Counsellor guiding you every step of the way.

Our expertly-trained LighterLife Counsellors will help you to understand what’s happening in your body and mind, so you can explore why you eat in the way you do.

Separate groups for men and women

LighterLife is a great programme for men and women. But we’ve found that single-sex groups work best. So with LighterLife you’ll join a small group made up exclusively of men, or of women, for your journey to long term weight maintenance success.

What’s a LighterLife group really like?

LighterLife client Debbie recalls her experience of what it’s like to be in a LighterLife group:

“I was a little nervous at my first group session, like you are when you start anything new, but I needn’t have worried. Everyone was very friendly, after all, we were all there for the same reason.”

“The group sessions are quite informal, which makes you feel at ease and very comfortable. But there is an overriding structure and theme which is led by the LighterLife Counsellor.”

“At the beginning of each session you’re weighed. This is usually done by your LighterLife Counsellor away from the rest of your group, so it’s up to you if you want to talk about your weight loss. But there’s never any sense of judgement, just loads of encouragement and support.”

“You order your food options for the week ahead, and then your group session begins. There’s absolutely no pressure to contribute. I’ve found that you can say as much or as little as you want. Some weeks I want to talk about my experiences, others I don’t. But there are always people in my group who want to explore their thinking in relation to eating. And afterwards I often find it’s something someone else said which sticks in my mind, and helps me manage in the week ahead.”

“There’ll often be some laughs, and it’s amazing how many times I’ve heard someone else in my group say something that I thought only I did. It’s really good to know that I’m not alone.”

“For me, the support of my group has been so important, as it’s where I really started to challenge my thinking around eating and how I use food. The techniques my LighterLife counsellor has shown us have helped me learn how to uncouple my eating from my emotions. It’s been so liberating, and I can finally see a way to successfully balancing my weight in the future.”