How I Lost 10 kilos - And Kept It Off
Menopause hit me hard.
One day I saw a photo of myself and genuinely thought:
Who is she?
Then I realised… it was me.
I didn’t feel like myself anymore. My body had changed, my habits had changed, and somewhere along the way I’d lost that feeling of being in control of my own health.
And I know I’m not alone.
So many women reach midlife and suddenly the things that used to work just… don’t.
You can know all the things you’re supposed to do — eat well, move your body, get enough protein, drink the water, get your steps in — and still find yourself repeating the same habits.
For me, losing 10 kilos wasn’t about finding another diet.
It was about changing what was happening in my mind as well as what was happening on my plate.
I stopped relying on willpower
Willpower can get you started.
But if underneath it all you’re still thinking:
I always fall off the wagon.
I’ll start again Monday.
I’ve ruined today, so I may as well keep going.
It’s just harder at my age.
…then eventually those old patterns tend to take over again.
This is where my work as a hypnotherapist became such an important part of my own journey.
I began looking at the subconscious habits and beliefs driving my behaviour — not just the behaviour itself.
Instead of constantly fighting myself, I started creating an identity that supported the woman I wanted to become.
I changed four things
My approach became surprisingly simple.
Mindset. Nourishment. Movement. Nervous system.
I stopped looking for perfection and started looking for consistency.
I focused on nourishing food rather than punishment and restriction.
I moved my body because I wanted to feel strong, capable and energised — not because I needed to “burn off” what I’d eaten.
And I became much more aware of my nervous system.
Because when we’re stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted or emotionally depleted, we’re far more likely to reach for old coping mechanisms.
Sometimes the thing that looks like a food problem isn’t really about food at all.
The biggest change was my identity
There was a point where this stopped being something I was trying to do.
It simply became who I was.
I was a woman who looked after herself.
A woman who moved her body.
A woman who chose foods that made her feel good.
A woman who could enjoy life, dinners, holidays and celebrations without believing she’d “blown it”.
And perhaps most importantly, I stopped waiting to feel motivated.
Action often comes first. Motivation follows.
One good choice makes the next one easier.
And little by little, your brain begins to recognise:
Oh… this is what we do now.
This isn’t about getting your younger body back
I don’t want my 30-year-old body back.
I want to feel fabulous now.
Midlife doesn’t have to mean disappearing into elastic-waisted pants, giving up on yourself or accepting that feeling tired, uncomfortable and disconnected from your body is simply “what happens”.
And this is about so much more than the number on the scales.
It’s about feeling strong.
Clear.
Confident.
Comfortable in your clothes.
And recognising the woman looking back at you again.
That’s why I created the 5-Day Blueprint
I took the principles that helped me change my own habits and brought them together in my 5-Day Blueprint for Women, Wellness & Health.
It’s not another strict diet.
It’s not about punishment.
And it’s certainly not about being perfect.
It’s a gentle reset designed to help you begin changing your relationship with food, movement, cravings, self-talk and your own identity.
Because sustainable change doesn’t begin with another set of rules.
It begins in the mind.
And if you’ve been thinking, I know what to do — why can’t I just make it stick?
Maybe it’s time to stop trying harder…
…and start changing the pattern underneath it.
Ready for your own reset?
✨ Start the 5-Day Women, Wellness & Health Blueprint
Vanessa Donlan
Hypnotherapist | Wellness & Mindset
Facilitating change from the inside out.
