Here’s the thing nobody tells you about being a transformation expert.
You can help thousands of people change their lives.
You can build a global movement.
You can run six bloody marathons.
And still struggle with the exact thing you’re supposed to have figured out.
That was me for thirty years.
I’m Julie Creffield. Chief Encouragement Officer at The Year to Change. Former founder of Too Fat to Run, a plus-size fitness movement that helped millions of women around the world stop apologising for their bodies and start moving them anyway.
I’ve worked in behaviour change and transformation for three decades. I’ve coached everyone from young people at risk of offending, to Fortune 500 executives, to women lacing up their trainers for the first time in twenty years. I’ve written books….seventeen of them lol. Given keynote speeches.
But here’s what I couldn’t crack: my own weight.
The Irony Wasn’t Lost on Me
There I was. Running marathons. Training consistently. Leading a global fitness community. And gaining weight every single year.
I tried everything. Slimfast in my twenties. Weight Watchers more times than I can count. The ZOE app with its fancy science. Restrictive diets that worked for three weeks until they didn’t.
The fitness part? Sorted. I could run 26.2 miles. No problem.
The nutrition part? A complete disaster.
And the shame that came with it? Crushing.
Here’s what nobody in the fitness industry wants to admit, being fit doesn’t automatically make you thin. And being an expert in behaviour change doesn’t mean your own brain cooperates when it comes to food tracking.
Mine certainly didn’t.
Then Everything Changed
In my forties, I realised I had ADHD.
Suddenly, thirty years of “failure” made perfect sense.
It wasn’t a lack of discipline. It wasn’t weakness. It wasn’t that I didn’t know better.
My brain literally couldn’t handle the tracking systems everyone insisted were the “only way” to lose weight. The MyFitnessPal interface. The endless logging. The mental maths. The decision fatigue.
For someone with ADHD, those systems aren’t just tedious, they’re impossible to sustain.
So I did what I do best. I looked for a different way.
Enter AI (and a Bit of Everyday Innovation)
This is where it gets interesting.
I’m now an everyday innovation specialist. That’s a fancy way of saying I use AI and emerging tech to help people reach their potential without needing a computer science degree to do it.
I asked myself: What if I could build a personal development plan that worked WITH my brain instead of against it?
What if AI could handle all the tracking nonsense while I focused on the actual behaviour change?
So I built a custom GPT. A personalised AI coach based on The Year to Change methodology I’d been developing for years. The same framework I’d used with clients. The same principles that actually create lasting transformation.
And I set a goal that felt both terrifying and necessary: lose 100 pounds in one year.
Here’s What Happened
I lost 100 pounds in eleven months.
But that’s not even the best part.
My perimenopause symptoms, the fatigue, the brain fog, the night sweats that were making me miserable, improved dramatically. Energy came back. Mental clarity returned. I felt like myself again.
And here’s the thing that really matters: I’ve kept it off.
Not through restriction. Not through willpower. Not through any of the nonsense the diet industry tries to sell you.
Through a system that uses AI to handle the tedious bits and focuses on what actually drives behaviour change: mindset, small daily actions, and celebrating those Gold Star Wins that add up over time.
Why This Matters for You
You might be thinking: “That’s great, Julie. But I’m not a marathon runner with 30 years of transformation expertise.”
Good news. Neither were the 200+ people I tested this method with.
They were regular humans. Different bodies. Different goals. Different levels of tech-savviness.
Some wanted to lose weight. Others wanted to sort their finances. Some just wanted to stop feeling overwhelmed by life.
What they all had in common? They were done with systems that didn’t work for how their brains actually function.
The results? People losing 6-11 pounds in the first few weeks without feeling like they were dieting. Others finally building the habits they’d been trying to create for years. Real people seeing real change.
Because here’s what I learned after three decades in this work: Nothing changes until you do.
Not your circumstances. Not your metabolism. Not your schedule.
You.
And the fastest way to change yourself? Stop fighting your brain and start working with it.
This Isn’t Another Diet Plan
The Year to Change isn’t about restriction or willpower or any of that exhausting nonsense.
It’s a behaviour change system that uses:
- The 3-phase framework (PREPARE your mindset, PLAN your 10-day sprints, DO the actual work)
- AI to handle the tracking and maths your brain doesn’t want to do
- The Day 1 mindset so you can restart without shame when life inevitably happens
- Gold Star Wins to celebrate the small steps that actually add up
- 10-day sprints that create momentum without overwhelming you
It’s the system I used. The one I’ve refined with hundreds of clients. The one that finally worked when everything else failed.
And it works whether you’re trying to change your relationship with food, sort your finances, build a business, or just stop procrastinating on the things that matter.
So What Now?
If you’re reading this thinking, “I’ve tried everything and nothing sticks,” I get it. I was you.
If you’re tired of starting over every Monday, I understand. Been there too.
If you’re ready for a personal development plan that doesn’t require you to become a different person with a different brain, you’re in the right place.
The Year to Change works because it’s built on three decades of helping people like you create actual, lasting transformation. Not through hype or hustle or shame.
Through structure. Support. And systems that work with your real life.
Take the Quiz: What’s Your Change Style?
Ready to stop spinning your wheels and start seeing results?
Take our quick quiz to discover your unique change style and get a personalised roadmap for your transformation. No email required. No sales pitch. Just practical insight you can use today.
Because here’s what I know after 30 years, 100 pounds, and zero faff: You don’t need another motivational quote. You need a system that actually works for how your brain functions.
Small steps add up. Let’s take the first one together.