When our Finance Director, Rachael, felt lost with her nutrition, she sat down with Rhian for advice. The plan was to review her macros and work out why she couldn't shift body fat - but what happened next completely changed her relationship with food. Here's how Rachael lost 4kg of body fat, improved her energy, cut bloating, and rebuilt the way she eats.  

She went from exhausted by food rules and stuck in a binge-restrict loop to hitting new personal bests, feeling more energised, and finally experiencing genuine food freedom. What most people assume takes endless willpower actually came from understanding her body, upgrading her habits, and focusing on food quality - plus targeted supplements that worked with her, not against her. 

The supplements Rhian recommended are part of our Strength + Hydration Stack — Cellular Hydration and Essential Creatine — alongside Essential Fibre+ for digestive support and cravings.

In this Q&A, Rhian and Rachael talk candidly about what wasn't working, what finally clicked, and how she eats now. 

What did your relationship with food look like before you changed your mindset? 

Rachael: I'd been following a strict calorie target and macro split for years. I planned every meal a week in advance, so there was no space to go "off plan." I really wanted to shift body fat and had been training for my first half marathon, but the scale wasn't moving and I was frustrated with having to be so rigid about what I ate. If I gave myself any choice in the moment, I'd either pick something because I thought it was super healthy and not enjoy it, or I'd have what I actually wanted and then binge because I felt like I'd blown it. It was totally unsustainable. 

I was always tracking, always adjusting, always a bit disappointed in myself. I love services like Gousto because they took the decision-making away, but that also kept me stuck - I had no idea what to choose if I didn't have a pre-made meal to fall back on. 

You also said, "I'm tired of counting calories… I'm constantly anxious about what I'm eating." What did that anxiety sound like in your head? 

Rachael: It was non-stop commentary. "Can I have this? Is this too many calories? If I have this now, what do I need to cut later?" Even on runs, I'd be working out what I'd earned by burning calories. 

I was frustrated that I could never reach my goal and stay there. My weight and habits were always creeping up or down. I wanted to eat well most of the time without thinking about it - so that a takeaway or meal out didn't tip me into panic or restriction afterwards. 

Rhian, from your point of view, what wasn't working for Rachael? 

Rhian: Rachael had fallen into the trap so many women experience - a sole focus on cutting calories. This almost always ends in the yo-yo between ‘perfect’ restriction and chaotic overeating. Her food diary showed plenty of effort: planned meals, good protein, solid activity through running and half-marathon training. But in my view, she was under-fueled, which kept her hungry and left her workouts less effective. Additionally, the focus on calories meant the quality of her diet was really suffering. This is so common with tracking apps that only care about macros. Her protein was there, but she was short on fibre, vegetables, fruit, and she generally leaned on refined grains with little whole foods. 

What were the main things you changed? 

Rhian: Rachael's diet was refined-grain-centric, with a lot of bread, pasta, pizza, naan, tortillas and bagels forming the base of most meals. We brought in more lentils, beans, and whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, and barley to take their place - which also made her protein and fibre targets far easier to hit. 

There was a lot of added sugar creeping in from store bought granola, sweetened yoghurts, and snacks, yet very little fruit. We increased her fruit intake and cut the added sugar from her daily habits unless it was something intentional. We also swapped out the less healthy snacks (like crisps) for whole-food options - fruit and nuts, hummus and veg, yoghurt with ARTAH granola. 

Finally, she often skipped breakfast and ran on coffee until 1pm, which made it easy to keep calories low but works against strength and performance goals. It will also stall fat loss over time. We increased calories here and focused on fueling after workouts so her body could adapt and recover.  

The combination of the above was causing erratic blood sugar, big appetite swings, and very likely pulling her metabolism down - if low calorie becomes the norm, metabolism adapts downwards to compensate. 

What supplements did you recommend? 

Rhian: I put her on the Strength + Hydration Stack - Cellular Hydration and Creatine - to support her body composition goals, and also her mental energy throughout the day. Because she wasn't hitting fibre easily and had a history of bloating, I also gave her three months of Essential Fibre+ first thing in the morning. This helped with sugar cravings and kept her feeling full, which led to calmer, healthier choices throughout the day. 

Rachael, Let's talk numbers and performance. What changes have you seen since following this pattern consistently? 

I've lost 4kg of fat mass. My muscle mass is up, and I feel more toned, especially in my legs and core. I have more energy day to day as well as on my runs. And I've just run my first half marathon - and loved it. 

The  Strength + Hydration Stack Rachael used is designed to support body composition and energy.

But honestly, the biggest change is that my head is calmer. I'm not constantly negotiating with myself about every bite. 

What was the hardest part of the plan? 

Rachael: Honestly, it was my mindset. I'd tracked macros and calories for so long that the thought of letting go made me really anxious. I was worried I'd gain weight and feel out of control - but I'm shocked at how much this has changed my relationship with food. 

Rhian: Mindset shifts take time, and it's difficult to get someone to stop thinking about calories when it's been their default for years. So although the focus wasn't on calories, I still gave Rachael a guide to what she'd be eating in those terms so that she felt comfortable as we eased away from this way of eating. It was still a challenge to adopt, but she embraced it fully, and the results have been amazing to see. 

Rachael, what were some of the biggest realisations you had about how you were eating? 

Rachael: Looking back, focusing on quality over calories seems so obvious - but I'd never approached food that way before. Three months in, it feels completely intuitive. 

I was also eating far more hidden sugar than I realised, and so much of my diet was beige. White bread, white pasta - even though I thought I was following something far more balanced. 

It's the first time in my life I feel like I've really learned what to choose, and how to judge whether something is genuinely healthy. That's been liberating, and it's freed up so much mental space. One thing that has genuinely changed things for me is the fact I didn’t have to change everything in my diet, I could just make some small changes to what I like and it’s made a huge impact. For example, my favourite meal (curry) - I have added butter beans and veggies and dropped down the 2x white carb sources to one wholegrain source. It’s a simple swap that changed the nutritional composition, and I actually find it tastier! 

Rhian, from a practitioner perspective, what do you think was the key to those results? 

There's never one magic bullet - it's working on balance, consistently, that moves the needle. We kept protein around 1.6g per kg of bodyweight per day and made sure every meal had a clear protein anchor. 

We pushed fibre up to 30-40g a day by adding vegetables and pulses rather than just more diet products (ie bars and snacks), and used Essential Fibre+ to help her hit that consistently. 

We reduced free sugars and refined starches without banning anything, so her blood sugar and cravings stabilised. We stopped relying on calorie counting as the main lever and used structure and food quality instead. And we got her eating far more fresh fruit and vegetables. 

The result was that her appetite started working with her goals - without her having to white-knuckle her way through the day. What I have loved is seeing Rachael become calmer and more confident with food – she’s eating more, enjoying what she’s eating, and feeling stronger in every way.  

Quickfire Questions With Rachael: 

Favourite new food: Bold Beans - honestly, the best. 

Most refreshing change: Not counting calories. 

Hardest change: Not counting calories!  

Favourite supplement: Cellular Hydration.

Favourite sweet treat: I'm a savoury girl - I'd rather have pizza!  

One thing you wish you knew sooner: How impactful a high fibre + high protein breakfast is on my day. 

Favourite new meal: Butterbean + chicken curry (with extra veggies!)