Testimonials

  • “I needed some guidance and support, and Erak has provided that. I now feel so much more confident, energetic, and just feel years younger it’s a great feeling. Plus I am now getting into clothe sizes I haven't been able to get in for over 20 years; I was a size 20 and going up. Now I am a size 10 and 5 stone 1lb lighter.”
  • Sue, Business Owner, Salisbury
  • “With Erak's help, I have reduced my waistline considerably, reduced my blood pressure, and now have so much more energy which helps within my day-to-day life including my golf. I managed to lose over 2 stone working with Erak.”
  • Mr. C Mitchell, Business Owner, Salisbury
  • “I have managed to lose over 20lbs, drop 2 dress sizes, and just feel so much better about myself. Erak make this a very personalised approach to weight loss, and to top it all, I even got to appear in a national magazine.”
  • Fiona Taylor, Business Owner, Salisbury
  • “I haven’t had to starve myself or become a slave to the gym and still managed to lose 1 stone in my first 6 weeks on the programme. Erak keeps things very simple and achievable; it's being a real pleasure being coached by him.”
  • Mrs. L. James, Librarian, Porton Down
  • “12 months later, I have kept the stone off that I lost and am still a dress size smaller.”
  • Mrs. C. Stewart, Full Time Mum, Salisbury
  • “What can I say other than thanks Erak for coaching me through your programme. It is a very simple yet powerful approach to weight lossl; it has helped me lose 3 stone in 3 months and given me back some much needed self confidence.”
  • Mr. R. Hindmarsh, Businessman, Oxfordshire
  • “In just 12 weeks, I have managed to lose 2 stone and improve my fitness levels so much that I managed to cross the line first in a local village run. Erak has a nice way of getting you to exceed what you think is possible without being pushy.”
  • Mr. J. Little, Managing Editor, Winterslow
  • “After having my second child, I found losing the weight very difficult. I started the programme with Erak, and after 12 weeks found that I had managed to lose 2 stone.”
  • Mrs. Sarah Vaggs, Full Time Mu, Winchester
  • “I am now over 3 stone lighter than when I joined Erak’s 6 week programme Coach Me Slim & Trim Programme®. My weight loss has been steady, and I continue to lose a little each month, although I am now close to target give or take a pound. I do not diet and no longer consider myself to be on any special eating plan. I join my friends for meals out and entertain regularly. My life is busy and my friends say I look wonderful. Erak’s regime has changed the way I shop and eat without anyone around me noticing; his cerebral approach has changed the way I think about food and made me aware of why I was overweight and gave me the key to a lifelong change in my habits. It was indeed the key to the door of my new life. I am very grateful to him.”
  • Ms. L. Mayell, Salisbury
  • Telephone Transcript - Heather Hodgkinson 43-Year Old Mother of 3 and Full-Time Clerical Officer. She Managed to Lose 2 Stone In 12 Weeks Being Coached During Here Lunch Break!

    IV = Interviewer
    HE = Heather

    IV: Hello?

    HE: Hello.

    IV: Hi, Heather?

    HE: Hello.

    IV: How are you doing? You all right?

    HE: I’m fine, thank you.

    IV: Okay, great. Well, first of all, Heather, can I say thank you for joining on the call tonight. I know you’re a busy lady; you’ve got lots to do.

    HE: No problem.

    IV: Full time family and all that. Heather, just before we go into any specific questions, can we just sort of maybe set the scene for any listeners and maybe just get a little bit of your background age, occupation, and maybe your start weight as well, possibly?

    HE: Okay. Right, I’m a 43-year-old mother of three. I’m a clerical officer; I work at the local NHS hospital. My start weight was 18 stone 11.

    IV: Right, okay, fantastic, and what sort of things did you try before the Coach Me Slim and Trim Programme?

    HE: Right. I tried slimming clubs. I’ve actually spent hundreds of pounds on slimming clubs, trying to get slim. I start, I do okay, lose one stone maybe, lost interest. I didn’t feel I got the support, and then just go back, put the weight back on with interest. I’ve tried counting calories at home, but again without the support, it just all falls to pieces.

    IV: Right, okay, and for people listening, you’ve been on the Coach Me Slim and Trim Programme for the initial…you did the six weeks and then you did another six weeks, and how much weight did you lose in that period of time?

    HE: Just over two stone.

    IV: That was in twelve weeks, yeah?

    HE: Yeah.

    IV: Okay, so how long had you been thinking about losing weight before you started on the programme?

    HE: Ages, at least six years. I’d say probably three years before my 40th birthday, I was thinking about it coming up. I thought, right, I’ve got to do something about my weight. I’ve got to be there by the time I’m forty.

    IV: Yeah.

    HE: Tried, nothing happened. Hit forty, stayed the same and three years past 40 now, and I was still just not doing anything really, just staying the same, and actually putting on weight really.

    IV: Right, okay, Heather, what sort of things were going on in your life at that time, emotionally, physically, where were you?

    HE: I wasn’t in a good place, actually. Three years ago, I lost my best friend to leukaemia, hit an all time low, and I was just in this circle of eating, feeling angry, eating some more. Physically, I was always tired, a bit of an emotional wreck really and comfort eating a lot.

    IV: Yeah, which is, I guess, not uncommon really. I’ve heard people say similar things before maybe, yeah, and what did you perceive as being your biggest barrier to actually starting on any sort of programme?

    HE: Probably time. I felt that I didn’t have time to prepare proper food, shop for proper food, didn’t have time to exercise, I think that would probably be my main thing with the job and family, and just the busy life that I lead, really.

    IV: Yeah, so time was your big worry?

    HE: That was what I always put in the way of why I couldn’t diet or eat healthily or exercise, yeah.

    IV: What was it that then finally made you start?

    HE: The next year, I’ve got a big wedding anniversary, it’s my silver, 25 years.

    IV: Congratulations.

    HE: Thank you and we’re hoping to go to Jamaica on holiday for a second honeymoon, and I just thought, right, this is it, I’ve got to do it now. I cannot go on the beach looking like I am, or like I was. I’m getting there now.

    IV: That sounds like it’s going to be a great time as well.

    HE: Yeah, we’re going to have a party, so obviously all the people that came to the wedding, they’re going to come to our party, so I don’t want them to look at me and think, oh God, what happened to you?

    IV: And, what’s that is it going to be a fortnight out there, is it?

    HE: Hopefully yes, all being well.

    IV: What was it then, with everything that you’ve done in the past, the different programmes that you’ve tried and where you were emotionally, what was it that made you choose the Coach Me Slim and Trim Programme, in the end?

    HE: Basically, I think I liked the idea of it being a smaller group. I mean, all the other groups I’d been to were really quite big, and I’m quite a shy person, and I wouldn’t ask questions, but in the smaller group setting, I think I could see that I would feel more confident to ask, and obviously we’re all in the same boat, all the people doing the slimming, and I think that’s what it was. It was just a smaller group and the more personal approach, and the fact that I think the word coach sounds good, and I liked the idea that I was going to be emotionally supported as well, that’s what I liked about it. That’s why I decided to join. It wasn’t an easy decision. My finger hovered over the mouse for ages before I clicked the send, and I’m really glad I did.

    IV: Yeah, that’s the case for a lot of people, I guess, just taking that first step, isn’t it?

    HE: Definitely, and once I’d sent it, I thought, yes, I’ve done this, now I’m going to do it.

    IV: It’s funny, because I remember the first or second week that you came, you were a little bit dubious, because I think you said, most programmes you tried before automatically went into either the food or the exercise. We started off, if you can recall..

    HE: Yeah, I remember that, and I actually remember thinking the first week, hmm, I don’t know, is this going to work for me, and I thought, well, I’ve paid my money, so I’m going to go back for the second week, which, you know, the second week, I found a lot more helpful than the first week, if I’m honest with you. The first week I had doubts really.

    IV: Yeah, and that’s not uncommon for people, but I think the thing that you found unusual was the fact that we didn’t actually go into the food until week three, although we do touch it right at the start. I think you were saying you expected that immediately almost?

    HE: Yeah, I almost expected it to be more of a structured, you’re going to eat this and do this, and it wasn’t like that at all. It was totally different than anything I’ve ever done before. Yeah.

    IV: What would you say you’ve learned from the programme the most, once you’ve been on the programme? What are the things that have stood out in your mind?

    HE: I’ve learned to take each day as it comes, not to be too hard on myself, because I said to you before, I thought you were too nice, that you weren’t hard enough on me, but I’ve learned now that that’s not the right approach, you’ve got to be more gentle with yourself, take each day as it comes. If you have a bad day, just forget it, and move on, and I felt that the self talk bit of the programme really helped me. If I used to see something I wanted to eat, I’d just eat it, and think about it afterwards and feel cross and eat something else, but now, I look at it, and I think, now, is eating that going to make me feel better than trying on a new outfit in a smaller size, and I think, I don’t want to eat that. I’m going to go for the outfit every time.

    IV: Yeah, sure.

    HE: So, that really helped.

    IV: Good, that’s something that the programme certainly starts everybody off on, the mindset. Now, you’ve gone through the process. Obviously, you went through it initially in a small group, you’ve gone through it a second time, using the audio programme as well, did that audio sound any different to you?

    HE: Yes. A whole lot different. There’s loads of things that I think you miss in the first time through. Obviously, there is lots to take in and the second time you listen to it, you pick up lots of different things, so it’s almost like you’re in the same programme but in a different way, which helps you.

    IV: I know that a couple of ladies at the hospital where you work at the moment, I believe you’re now becoming someone that they’ve now latched onto a little bit?

    HE: Yeah, I’ve had an email from one lady, and she said, will you meet me for coffee? So, I did, and she said, wow, you’re looking wonderful and what are you doing and how are you doing it, and we had a chat, and in the end she went away really inspired, so I was quite pleased.

    IV: I remember saying to you at one point, we went through the stages that you go through mentally, and I was saying to you, at some point, you’ll become a role model, and I think I recall you maybe sheepishly smiling at me there, and maybe thinking, what is this guy talking about?

    HE: Yeah, well, now they’re asking what I’m doing, so I can’t stop now, can I?

    IV: That’s absolutely brilliant, Heather, and finally then, how confident are you now feeling? I mean, you’re now over two stone lighter, how many dress sizes down did you say you were?

    HE: Almost two.

    IV: And, confidence levels?

    HE: High, very high.

    IV: So, moving forward to achieving your long term goal, what do you think?

    HE: Very confident, I’m definitely going to do it, yeah. It’s more of a lifestyle now than a diet. I mean, I always started with a diet. It’s not supposed to be a diet, but now it’s lifestyle and my husband’s actually lost weight too, because he’s eating the same things, as I am, so we’re a lot healthier and fitter. Emotionally I’m a lot stronger too.

    IV: Fantastic, that’s good to hear. Heather, I really appreciate you taking the time to be on the call this evening.

    HE: That’s no problem. If I can help somebody else, that’s really good. If they can feel like I feel now, after losing two and a bit stone, it’s just amazing.

    IV: That’s great, and I really appreciate you taking the time. You and I will no doubt keep in touch, and maybe we’ll do an update call at some point in the near future?

    HE: Yeah that would be good.

    IV: Heather, thank you for your time tonight, bye.

    HE: All right, bye.
  • Heather Hodgkinson, Salisbury

 

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