Lizzie Merritt, a Ponte Vedra resident, has recently released her newest book, “LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss.”
Merritt never thought of herself as a writer but after reading countless diet books that did not seem to be helping, she decided to change her mindset.
“If diet and exercise aren’t helping me feel comfortable in my skin, maybe it’s less about what’s on my plate and more about what’s happening between my ears,” said Merritt.
Before Merritt started writing, she taught middle school science, which is probably why curiosity and experimentation show up so much in her writing.
Merritt’s first book, “You Are A Miracle: How to Lose Weight and Love Your Body Too,” came out in 2022. The goal of this book was to help women see that they don’t have to hate themselves in order to lose weight.
“I wanted women to feel good about themselves while they lose weight, not wait until some future finish line,” Merritt said.
After writing her first book, Merritt’s background as a science teacher once again came into play. She did a lot of research on the body’s nervous system and how it plays a huge role in weight loss.
“If your nervous system is not on board, it does not matter how much you ‘know’ what to do. Your brain will not let you follow through if it does not feel safe. I wanted to create a framework that helps women work with their brains instead of fighting them,” said Merritt.
Merritt’s new book is based off the idea that learning cannot happen unless your brain feels safe. This is where the “L.I.G.H.T. Method” comes in.
“LIGHT is essentially the scientific method applied to weight loss. Each step helps you speak your brain’s language instead of trying to overpower it,” said Merritt.
In the book, Merritt goes into detail about LIGHT, which stands for learn, investigate, gather, hardness and tend.
“The LIGHT Method removes the fear of failure because all you need to do is be able to learn and be curious. And we were all born with that innate ability,” Merritt said.
Merritt has made it her mission to be an encouraging voice amidst all the weight loss noise in today’s society.
“My whole mission is to help women live the life they want to lose weight for. If I can help one woman step more into the life she’s meant for, that’s a win,” said Merritt.
