A healthier weight,
without the diet cycle
If you've tried losing weight before and it hasn't stuck, the approach was probably the problem. Real change looks very different to another restrictive diet.
You've tried. It just hasn't lasted.
Weight management is one of the most confusing areas of health. The subject isn't complicated. Most of the advice just was never meant to last.
Losing weight, then regaining it, often more than you lost
Feeling like you're doing everything right, but the scales won't move
Strong cravings that derail even the best intentions
Low energy that makes exercise feel impossible
Complete confusion about what to eat, because every expert says something different
An unhealthy relationship with food: guilt, shame, or constant thinking about it
Blood sugar swings that leave you hungry again an hour after eating
Knowing what you should do, and still not being able to make it stick
None of this means you lack willpower. It usually means you've been given tools that were never meant for long-term success, which is a very different problem to solve.
Why most weight loss advice doesn't work
The diet industry profits from repeat customers: people who lose weight, regain it, and come back for the next plan. The science of sustainable weight management tells a very different story to “eat less, move more”.
It's simple maths
Eat less, move more. Calories in versus calories out, and if it isn't working you need more discipline.
- Treats the body as a calculator
- Blames the person when the plan fails
- Ignores why hunger is winning
Biology is doing the driving
Hunger hormones, blood sugar regulation, sleep quality, stress and gut health all influence how your body stores and burns fat, often more than calories alone.
- Restriction triggers hunger and stress responses that make cravings harder to resist, not easier
- A sustainable approach works with your biology instead of against it
- When the plan fails, the plan was wrong
Working on what's underneath
I don't hand out meal plans that prescribe exactly what to eat at every meal. Instead we work out why your body is holding onto weight, or why previous attempts haven't stuck, and build a flexible approach that fits your actual life.
That might mean blood sugar balance, stress and cortisol, sleep quality, gut health, or your relationship with food. Usually it's several of those working together.
Blood sugar balance
Erratic blood sugar is one of the most common drivers of cravings, energy crashes and weight gain, and almost nobody talks about it. We look at what you're eating, when, and in what combination, then make targeted adjustments that steady your energy through the day.
Food relationship and behaviour
My psychology background means I look at more than what's on the plate. Emotional eating, binge-restrict cycles and food guilt are patterns we can work through with understanding and practical strategy, rather than willpower.
Hormones and metabolism
Sleep, stress and thyroid function all affect how your body manages weight. I look at the full metabolic picture to find what's getting in the way, and address it directly rather than working around it.
A plan that fits your actual life
There's no point optimising your diet for an ideal life you don't have. Eating out a lot, cooking for a family, training hard, or just trying to keep it simple. The approach adapts to you.
The hour is the smallest part
Every consultation includes a full written clinical protocol, and that protocol takes three to four hours to build after you've logged off. The hour is where I gather the case. The work happens after it.
The consultation
Symptoms, health history, medications, bloods, and what you actually eat on a normal Tuesday, not an idealised version of it.
Research and case review
Your case worked through against the current evidence: what's likely driving it, what the research supports for your situation, and any interactions with your medications.
Your weight protocol
Diet, lifestyle and supplement recommendations with specific forms, doses and timing, plus the reasoning behind each, so you can question it rather than just follow it.
Yours to keep
A document you own and can come back to in six months, or hand to your GP. Nothing depends on how well you took notes.
Who I work with
My approach works best for people ready to step off the diet treadmill and try something different. This tends to be a good fit if you're:
- Tired of the cycle of losing weight and regaining it
- Confused by conflicting nutrition advice and wanting clarity from someone you can trust
- Dealing with cravings, energy crashes or blood sugar swings that make eating well feel like a constant battle
- Wanting to reach a healthier weight in a way that also improves how you feel day to day, rather than only moving the number on the scales
- Open to looking at the behavioural and emotional side of eating alongside the nutritional science
- Supporting metabolic health alongside weight, such as pre-diabetes or elevated blood lipids, with your GP involved
A note on scope
I don't work with eating disorders. Those need specialised, multidisciplinary treatment involving medical and psychological care, and that's genuinely outside my scope. Please speak to your GP or contact EDANZ.
If disordered patterns come up during our work together, I'll say so and help you find the right support.
How working together goes
No guesswork. From the first conversation you'll know what we're doing and why.
Free discovery call
Fifteen minutes on what's going on, what you've already tried, and whether working together makes sense. There's no obligation, and if I'm not the right person I'll say so.
Free15 minutesConsultation + your protocol
An hour on your diet, health history, lifestyle, sleep, stress and relationship with food. Then three to four hours of research, and a written protocol with the reasoning behind every part of it.
$27560 min + protocolRefine as you go
Real change takes time and looks different for everyone. Regular check-ins to adjust what's needed and make sure you're building habits that outlast our sessions.
$95per follow-upWhat it's actually like
“Luke is a wealth of knowledge if you are looking for nutrition advice. He cares deeply about helping as many people as he can with their nutrition journeys and is amazingly supportive as you navigate your new lifestyle. I could not recommend his Wellness Package more.”Ash — Auckland
Weight management questions
Will I have to count calories or weigh my food?
No. Neither is required, and for a lot of people both actively get in the way.
If tracking genuinely helps you and you like doing it, we can use it. If the thought makes you want to give up before starting, we'll measure progress by how you're feeling and functioning, and by your bloods.
How much weight will I lose, and how fast?
I won't put a number on it, and I'd be sceptical of anyone who does. Rate of change depends on where you're starting, what's driving it, your medications and your life.
What I will say is that slow and sustained beats fast and regained, and that the aim is a change you can still be living with in two years. Individual results vary.
Do you do meal plans?
Not rigid ones. Prescriptive seven-day plans with calorie maths tend to work for a fortnight and then fall over, because they don't survive a real week with a real job and real family.
You get a Meal Inspiration Pack instead: recipes, ideas and shopping guidance matched to your goals, preferences and allergies. It's a framework you can adapt.
I'm on a GLP-1 like Ozempic or Wegovy. Can you help?
Yes, and it's worth doing. The medication reduces appetite but doesn't decide what you eat inside that smaller appetite, which is where muscle loss and nutrient gaps come from.
There's a dedicated page on GLP-1 support with the detail.
What if my weight is affected by a medical condition?
Tell me about it, along with any medications. Thyroid disease, PCOS and several common medications all affect weight, and a plan that ignores them is a plan that fails.
I work alongside your GP on this rather than around them.
Want to try something different?
Fifteen minutes, free, with no pitch at the end. Tell me what you've already tried. What didn't work is genuinely useful clinical information.
Let's talk about what's actually going on
A free discovery call is the easiest place to start. Fifteen minutes, no obligation, and an honest answer about whether working together makes sense.
Book a free discovery callOnline via Google Meet · Auckland in person available · No commitment required