Amanda

Meet Amanda

At 56, Amanda Smyth radiates vitality and a zest for life. A London native who now splits her time between the UK and Kalkan, Turkey, she juggles many roles — hairdresser, DJ, aerobics instructor, and grandmother. Her life looks vibrant today, but her path to balance and energy has been shaped by years of trial, error, and ultimately, transformation.


From self-professed “cardio queen” to listening to her body

Women are constantly bombarded with messages: Look like this. Train like this. You’ve got to be slim and sleek. You’ve got to be fit. You’ve got to have this or that body image. You’ve got to eat like this.

“A lot of it is male-oriented, and it doesn’t work for us. It just doesn’t. And unfortunately, you don’t know that until you actually hit rock bottom. It can wreak havoc on your endocrine system and hormones, and I know that from firsthand experience,” says Amanda.

Amanda's journey with Lumen

Amanda spent years doing “all the wrong things” that many women know well: overtraining, yo-yo dieting, extreme fasting, and avoiding carbs. 

“I literally was cardio queen. What I was doing was ridiculous, but I wasn’t losing weight. So, I’d cut back on my food and think, ‘What’s going on here?’ I just didn’t understand. I didn’t know what I needed to work towards,” Amanda reflects.

Curiosity and a love for biohacking led Amanda to discover Lumen. Drawn to the promise of understanding her metabolism, she tried it, which changed everything.

A boost in energy levels

Building healthy habits, one day at a time

Small, consistent habits have helped Amanda shed 28 pounds and keep it off. Her daily routine now revolves around listening to her body and using Lumen to guide her decisions. 

  • Morning metabolic measurements: She starts her day with Lumen’s wake-up breath measurement to understand her metabolic state.
  • Effective workouts: Gone are the endless cardio sessions. “Whereas I said before that I was a cardio queen, I now do only two days of cardio. I tend to do weight training the other three days, which has changed me completely.”
  • Smart fasting: Amanda learned to let go of extreme fasting and embrace balance. At the beginning of her journey, Amanda thought the more she fasted, the more she’d get into fat burn, but Lumen helped her discover she was actually stressing out her body.

    She quickly understood that fasting is very individual: “I now have a short fasting window. I stop eating in the evening and start eating early in the morning.”
  • Embracing carbs: A big light bulb moment for her was realizing she needed carbs to boost her metabolism and weight loss. “I wasn’t fueling myself before, so I was just burned out all the time, working like a Trojan but not getting anything back. So, Lumen has helped me to no end with that,” she reflects. “I now love my carbs. I eat very good, high-quality carbs to fuel myself.”
Amanda's chart

Feeling happier and at ease in her body

One of Amanda’s biggest non-scale victories was feeling at home in her own skin. “Because I have a window to my metabolism, I feel more at ease with myself,” she reminisces.

Her energy soared as she stopped burning herself out. “I feel much more in tune with my body, happier, and more relaxed.”

With her newfound energy, she’s working towards running a half-marathon, inspired by her daughter, who ran the London Marathon this past year.

Amanda's quote

Getting into a good frame of mind

Mindset played a central role in her transformation. “You’ve got to be in a good frame of mind,” Amanda explains. She embraced patience and self-compassion at every step, reminding herself, “This didn’t happen to you in a day. All your bad habits didn’t happen to you in a day. So, those things have to be undone.”

Even setbacks became learning opportunities for Amanda. “If I woke up at a Lumen level 4 or 5, that would tell me something. Yes, it’s frustrating, but do something about it to change it.”

“You can’t be 100% every single day of your life. I would love to be, but I’m not. I’m human,” she adds.

Learning to slow down and enjoy life

With Lumen, Amanda learned that less is often more. “It’s not a quick fix. Nothing’s a quick fix. Nowadays, everybody wants a quick fix, but your body can’t do that.”

She began taking time for herself, incorporating “me time” with massages, podcasts, and horse riding. “I never used to do me time. I used to always give, give, give to everyone else, but I wasn’t giving myself time.”

Even during holidays, she adopted a balanced approach, finally realizing that having fun on vacation shouldn’t be a punishment. “Two or three years ago, before I found Lumen, I would really beat myself up over my choices, thinking I had to get back home, diet, and over-exercise,” she reflects. “Now, I come back from a holiday and am back to Lumen levels 1 and 2 within a day.”

Finding strength in community and patience

Amanda credits patience, perseverance, and community support for her success. The Lumen forums and ambassador program became valuable spaces where she shared her progress and learned from others.

“It’s great to see other people’s journeys, have tips and support, and help people. The positivity is lovely, and the camaraderie is nice too.”

She encourages newcomers to embrace patience. “There’s going to be bridges you’ve got to cross. It is a fabulous tool to work with, it really is. And as I say, if you have questions, ask the ambassadors, the forum, and the support team.”

Amanda’s plans to live to 99

Today, Amanda’s why is clear: her family, health, and love of life.

Amanda’s transformation is about more than just physical health. “Life is not a dress rehearsal. I’ve seen and lost close dear friends due to ill health, and I think life is to live. If you can be as healthy as possible, help yourself to eat well, sleep well, exercise, and enjoy life.”

Family is her greatest motivation. “I’ve got three gorgeous grandchildren and a wonderful husband. I want to live life to be with them. My why is that, to be honest. My father was 99 when he passed. I want to get into my father’s shoes.”

Final thoughts for others on their health journey

Amanda’s journey proves it’s never too late to thrive with the right mindset, community, and tools.

“Give Lumen a go, just try it because it works. It’s not a fad. It’s a true window into your metabolism and your life. It’s transformed me and opened up the knowledge of how my body works. ”