The Back to Basics 12 week menopause weight management and lifestyle plan (Back to Basics) has been specifically developed by Menopause Specialist Dietitian, Nigel Denby BSc Hons, RD.

Over the past 20 years Nigel has worked with thousands of women to gain a unique insight into what causes weight gain in menopause, and with specialist menopause teams to learn the most effective tools to help treat and manage menopausal weight gain.

What is the Back to basics plan?

Back to Basics is a behaviour change and coaching plan. The program aims to help women change and adjust their diet and lifestyle and take back control of their weight management. It also aims to empower women to look at their life as a whole and make subtle changes to support their emotional health. The program also encourages women to prioritise their own needs more and make time for self-care.

How will I know what to eat?

Back to Basics teaches women to look at their existing diet and lifestyle, and understand what they can change to manage their weight more effectively. There’s no prescriptive meal plan to follow. Instead, you’ll learn how to balance your food groups, regulate hunger and snacking, and control portion sizes. You’ll learn the art of mindful eating and how to recognise hunger and satiety (when you’ve had enough). You’ll also learn how to manage emotional triggers that cause you to over-eat.

How much weight will I lose?

Normal, healthy, sustainable weight loss is anything between ½- 2 lbs per week, though every woman will lose weight at a different rate. Moreover, a lot of women notice they change shape more significantly than actually losing weight on the scales. This is often due to a change in body composition. You may lose fat but gain muscle, which means measurements reduce and you get smaller, but nothing may change on the scales.

Will I have to exercise?

You’ll have more success on your Back to Basics journey if you increase your physical activity levels. This may simply mean just walking more, but ideally we encourage you to embark on some form or strength or resistance exercise to help replace some of the muscle loss which has occurred. You can still lose weight without exercising, but it will be harder, slower and more difficult to maintain.

What’s involved in the Back to Basics program?

We meet weekly as a group, via zoom - usually in the evenings for an hour. There’s also a series of supporting booklets which can be download from the printables section of the website, and plenty of support and chat in the Lifestyle, self-care and weight management Facebook group.

The weekly classes are led by Nigel, and often there’s a guest speaker too.

What happens at the end of twelve weeks?

Back to Basics is a lifelong, lifestyle plan. It doesn’t end when twelve weeks is up. It aims to help you build your own plan so that you can take it forward. There’ll be ongoing Back to Basics support and drop- in sessions. You can also maintain support from other Back to Basics followers using the

Lifestyle, self-care and weight management Facebook group. Try not to look at it as a diet- it’s more a healthy way of life which will give you control of your weight now and for the rest of your life.

How do I join?

The program is available to members of www.harleystathome.com as part of the supported care membership at £19.00/month. The 12 week Back to Basics program runs two to three times each year.

You can join supported care membership here.