A retired British woman who felt too "ashamed" to leave the house has shed more than three stone. The 66-year-old credits an AI coaching app with transforming her relationship with food after six decades of struggling.
From 15st 13lb to a new lifestyle
Teresa Hunter, from Plymouth, had been on a 'slippery slope' of weight gain for more than a decade, reaching 15st 13lb (223lb) by January. Battling with her mental health, Teresa stumbled across the Simple app during a sleepless 3am scroll, which she claims has since "transformed her life."
The weight-loss app focuses on personalised plans and realistic, achievable habits rather than strict calorie counting or eliminating entire food groups. It emphasises small, manageable changes that are easier to maintain over time.
Struggles with weight and mental health
Teresa admits she has "dieted her whole life," experiencing a mixture of triumphs and setbacks over the years. She said: "I lost 100 pounds in 1991 with Weight Watchers and kept it off for a considerable number of years. But since about 2013, I've been on the slippery slope of gaining more and more and more each year."
For Teresa, the physical burden of her weight eventually started to affect her emotional wellbeing. She said: "I was suffering with my mental health because of it," Teresa admits. "I felt ashamed. I couldn't do anything, couldn't go anywhere, I didn't want to go anywhere. I didn't feel I had the right to go anywhere, which is really sad."
Discovery at 3am
The decisive moment arrived just after Christmas. Weighing 223lbs (15st and 13lbs) and struggling to sleep one night in January, she recalled: "I was scrolling through the phone like you do these days, and there was this app called Simple telling me all about fasting."
Initially sceptical, she worried she would "go faint" or "pass out" without her regular meals, but the concept remained in her thoughts. Keen to begin, Teresa explained: "I got up, went down and got my card, come back to bed and signed up. By the morning I was on my first fast, and I've never looked back since."
Rapid results and AI coach
Following a rigorous "clean fasting" regime of up to 19 to 20 hours daily, the outcomes were 'rapid.' Within four weeks, she had shed a stone, observing that the weight was "melting away" from her stomach and back. Six weeks on, she lost a second stone, and another six weeks later, a third.
After 175 days of using the app, she now weighs 167lbs (11st 13lb) and describes herself as "truly happy." A notable feature of Simple is Avo, the app's AI coach, which delivers instant advice, recipe suggestions and supportive motivation.
Newfound confidence
Teresa attributes her success to the app's AI wellness assistant, Avo, and the straightforward meal logging system for maintaining her commitment without inducing feelings of shame. "It's just like somebody flicked a switch in my head and taught me how to eat after 66 years," Teresa says.
She now enjoys a balanced diet featuring salmon, vegetables, and her favourite lunch of avocado and eggs on toast, along with her "must-have" peanut butter with celery or bananas. Thanks to her transformation, Teresa is now fitting into clothes she hasn't been able to wear for more than a decade. "Trying on all my clothes has been mega fun," she laughs.
Alongside her enhanced confidence, Teresa has discovered a renewed zest for life, recently enjoying a holiday abroad and embarking on lengthy, solo walks in addition to walking her four dogs. "I actually feel amazing," she beams, revealing that she now regularly has to accept compliments from people who don't even recognise her at first glance.
"I don't know if there was some kind of sign that sent it to me in the middle of the night... but I'm so glad I didn't sleep that night. If I can do this, you can all do this."
User reviews and offers
Members have shared their views on the Simple app via Trustpilot, where it holds a 4.3 out of five star rating, categorising it as 'Excellent'. One user said: "It has helped me in so many ways with my health my physical appearance I've been so satisfied with this app and to the information that they give me is wonderful easy explanatory and easy to understand this app I recommend highly I give it a 10."
Another wrote: "There is nothing I didn’t like about the program. My coach gave encouragement and structure with my plan. I tried my best to do the plan each day and learned great information about how to get to the fat burning stage and I loved the daily exercise that I can now carry forward to stay on track on my own."
A third added: "A little over a week in and I'm loving this! I've already noticed patterns that I can apply to my diet and I'm seeing a change in my most stubborn areas! ! Highly recommend!" Others deducted stars, with one writing: "The exercises are very repetitive. The advertising was misleading as it talks all about thai chi but it is not really making a difference to me. I am disappointed."
However, the majority expressed satisfaction as another user wrote: "So far it is helping me keep track of my diet and health while also navigating my kids life and helping their mom and myself get through the work day. Solid.." Another summed it up, saying: "This has been so helpful with my fasting and I love my AI coach. Definitely worth the money." Customers can save 80% on Simple's weight loss plans by entering the code REACH at checkout.
