COWDENBEATH woman Debbie Unwin realised she had to do something when her snacking habits got out of control.
Debbie, 55, had always tried to be active and was very conscious of her family’s health. When she moved to Edinburgh and started working from home, her snacking habits became out of control and her weight shot up to over 13 stone. 
She explained: “I moved to Edinburgh in November 2013 when my husband’s job relocated. Luckily I was able to take my accounting job with me and I started working from home three days a week. 
"Not long into working at home my eating patterns became irregular. I soon found myself grabbing more and more biscuits from the cupboard."
She added: “At just 5’my BMI was high, my blood pressure was high and I was struggling to walk the dog. The situation became dangerous because I knew high cholesterol and heart problems ran in the family yet I was continuing to ignore the warning signs.”
Debbie’s weight began creeping up after having her two children in the early nineties and the children were very young. 
She went on: "As a mother it’s natural to put the needs of your children first, and even though they are in their twenties it is only now that I have taken time for myself. 
"Ever since finding out my son had coeliac disease (a severe intolerance to gluten) I was always worrying about his diet. My dietary needs became secondary to his and went to the back of my mind.”
With her weight at 13st 4Ibs, Debbie joined LighterLife Counsellor Jo Ostlere’s group in Edinburgh. Debbie followed the Total Programme, where conventional food is replaced by four LighterLife meals, bars, shakes, soups and porridges. 
She also attended weekly group sessions, where Jo took her through LighterLife’s unique behaviour-change programme which includes Transactional Analysis (TA) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques. These group sessions helped Debbie to understand why she had a problem with overeating and helped change her mindset towards food in the future. 
Nine months after moving onto LighterLife’s management phase Debbie’s lifestyle has changed dramatically. 
Said Debbie: “LighterLife has changed my life. Looking back I wasn’t mindful enough about what I putting into my body and the health implications my overeating was causing. 
"I enjoy group so much, it reminds me each week on why I am on this journey and has given me the tools to never return to my comfort eating ways. I am totally re-energised.”