Make long-term lifestyle changes without yo-yo dieting
Alexandra Sasidharan-Scherrer
We can all tell when the time has come for a change. That feeling pervades your daily thoughts like a creeping mist. And at some point you find yourself wondering just how to approach such a change. That is what happened to Franziska Büschi one afternoon in autumn 2024. She was looking for something on the SWICA website and found herself lingering on a page. While reading through it, this feeling came up again.
Change your own lifestyle?
“A lifestyle change programme? Not for me!” thought Franziska. She closed the computer and pushed the thought aside. At the end of 2024, the mother of two adult children was in bed with flu. She contacted santé24 for advice. The conversation went rather differently than she expected. At some point it is also turned to height, weight and elevated BMI, and taking preventive care of one’s health.
Franziska was advised to sign up to the lifestyle (change) programme. This is a new offer from santé24 for SWICA customers. The programme combines exercise, nutrition and wellbeing and can run for up to one year. She filled in a questionnaire, gathered information about her family’s medical history and had a blood test evaluated by a doctor at santé24. “It was voluntary, but I really wanted to know what shape my health was in before I started.”
She was very conscious of family illnesses and predispositions towards conditions such as type two diabetes, high cholesterol, heart attacks and cancer. She wanted to change something in her life. At first, it was just about the eight at the start of the reading on the scales.
Exercise is now part of her routine
Weight loss, for example, is a longer-term goal, and that sometimes requires you to take stock of where you are right now. “It doesn’t have to be a to-do list; the key is simply recognising what you’ve already achieved and allowing yourself to take pride in that,” explains Kim. She supported Franziska throughout this year and provided motivation when she got a little out of her routine after celebrations and festivities.
For 52-year-old Franziska, sport and exercise had never been part of her life – or at least not consciously. “If I think about it, I go for a walk with a friend and swim at least once a week.” She reflects on what she has said and has to laugh at herself: “Sport was never important to me, and now I miss it when I don’t get enough exercise.”
In one of her first consultations with Kim Zwygart, she found out what equipment she already had at home. She was amazed to discover that she already had Therabands, weights and even a stepper under her roof, thanks to her son. She received a programme of strength exercises, incorporating twice-weekly sessions into her schedule. She completed an exercise log, noting what she did, for how long and at what intensity.
They spoke every three to four weeks initially, later changing to every six to eight weeks. “That was exactly what I needed. Keeping a record forced me to be honest with myself and encouraged me not to fall out of the rhythm.” Having consultations over the phone also saved her time and gave her the flexibility she needed in everyday life.
santé24: lifestyle (change) programme
The lifestyle (change) programme is exclusively open to SWICA customers aged 18 or over. The coaching is free of charge, but there may be costs for laboratory tests or psychological/psychiatric consultations. The programme is offered in German and English. If you are interested in signing up, please answer a few questions about your health and then book an appointment online. Do you have any further questions? You can reach us any time on +41 44 404 86 86.
The plate model and conscious eating are game changers
How did her family react to the lifestyle (change) programme? Thankfully, they were supportive. Her husband and son went on the journey with her, also shed a few kilos and gained a wife/mother with new-found body confidence. After three to four months, Franziska had already lost four kilos. She could get back into clothes she had been avoiding. At seven kilos, the process stagnated: “My weight was going up and down.”
She worked with nutritionist Julia Sturzenegger to examine her eating habits more closely. The time between breakfast and lunch was too long, meaning the hunger pangs took over. Croissants, biscuits or evening snacks in front of the TV were replaced by muesli, fresh fruit or a handful of nuts. “The plate model was the game changer for me, though,” declares Franziska.
Not a diet, but a change of eating habits
Apart from willpower, what are the biggest obstacles over the course of the year? “When it comes to healthy eating, it’s the foods that are readily available in shops or at home,” says Julia Sturzenegger. It is very hard to say no in such situations, especially when someone is in the early stages of changing their behaviour. That is why it is important to consciously plan what you eat, but also to enjoy your food.
Franziska nods. She recalls her food diary, which she filled out over the months and discussed in detail with her nutritionist. Slips during the holidays still occurred, but they became the exception rather than the rule. “It’s not a diet, it’s a change of eating habits,” she says confidently.
A few extra years of life
By the end of November 2025, she had done it: the number on the scales began with a seven. Franziska had lost ten kilos within a year, and she treated herself to a new jumper to mark the occasion. The last appointments were soon over, and the programme came to an end. But she is still sticking to her portion sizes, weighing herself regularly and keeping up her new exercise regime.
“Thanks to the lifestyle (change) programme I have certainly gained a few extra years of life without having to sacrifice much,” she sums up. When she says that, she beams. She is very evidently proud to have proved to herself that a little thought can often achieve great things.
