I ‘knew’ that it was common for metabolism to slow down in postmenopausal women and had unconsciously accepted this as indisputable fact, believing that weight gain was inevitable.

When I heard about how the Gabriel Method worked, it immediately resonated with me, because I am convinced that our brains and mindpower are currently grossly undervalued. When I read about visualizing for weight loss, I knew I had hit the jackpot.

The idea of losing weight without effort, without strenuous exercise, by adding nutrients rather than focussing on denial, held huge appeal. So after reading the book I started listening to the Evening Visualization at bedtime. My husband George was automatically subjected to listening as well. After he lost 9kg (20 lbs) and was looking very trim and youthful, his doctor told him he shouldn’t lose any more weight. As I had more weight to shed than he, I now have the visualization on my ipod and still enjoy listening to it, as I feel it helps promote better sleep as well as addressing issues around weight.

We were travelling around Australia and this free and easy lifestyle made it easier to change our eating habits. I listened to my first visualization in May, in Gympie, north of Brisbane and by the time we reached Darwin, 4 and a half months later, I decided to weigh myself for the first time.

Initially, I was a little disappointed that I had only shed 7 ^1/2 kg (16.5 lbs), until my husband pointed out that this equated to 7 ^1/2 of the large tubs of the yoghurt we enjoy for breakfast. On making it back to Brisbane by Christmas, 7 ^1/2 months later, I had to buy some more clothes as I was down to a size 10 from a size 16.

The big omission in my nutrition studies was that I didn’t know that your body triggers the hunger response specifically for nutrients and that if you provide it the nutrients early in the day you won’t be hungry later. I’m not actually hungry in the evenings now, it is just habit and for camaraderie to serve up something to nibble. I don’t believe fruit is the enemy; enjoying fresh fruit for breakfast satisfies sweet cravings.

For 6 months this process had cost me nothing since the purchase of the book, which I actually found at a neighbor’s garage sale, but I then joined the Support Group and have reaped many benefits from this. Once you lose some weight, introducing exercise becomes a pleasure. I laugh joyfully during the 4 minutes of Tabata exercise Support Group Fitness Coach Brian has introduced us to, and my doctor was pleased that I was doing his hip exercises. On our travels, we enjoyed many scenic walks, and flexibility exercises in the morning are no longer a chore. Having access to the SG visualization archives is wonderful, and I see that so many of them can benefit people I know. As well as helping myself, I have been able to help others and I love to tell people about the Gabriel Method for losing weight.

It was obvious to our friends when we returned that we had lost a significant amount of weight. I had lost 12 ^1/2 kilos (28 lbs) and my husband 9. We feel great and people tell us we look great too. Although I have more weight to release before achieving the body in my photo (when I was 28), I know it will continue to drop off without any effort or worry on my part.

BRIGITTE, AUSTRALIA