Getting Started

Reduce weight and to maintain it that way, it is essential that you are motivated, if you really want to Reduce weight, and want to improve aspects of your lifestyle. Some people lose weight by strict dieting for a short period. However, as soon as the diet is over, they often go back to their old eating habits, and the weight goes straight back on. Losing weight, and then keeping it off, needs a whole change of attitude and lifestyle for life. This includes such things as:
• Type of foods and drink that you normally buy.
• Type of meals that you eat.
• Your pattern of eating.
• Amount of physical activity that you do.
Top tip - ask family or friends to help and encourage you to keep to a healthy lifestyle.




Realistic
What is your goal weight? Many people aim to get down to a 'perfect' weight. This is often unrealistic and may never be achieved. If the weight that you aim for is too low, you are likely to become fed up about slow progress, and give up. To lose 5 kg is good. To lose 10 kg is excellent.
In most cases, most health benefits come from losing the first 5-10% of your weight. This is often about 5-10 kg

Timescale
What is your planned timetable? A weight reducing diet for about three months is realistic. After about three months, many people find it difficult to keep motivated. It may be useful to have a start and finish date for your weight-reducing diet.

Healthy eating and understanding food
Do you know which foods are the best to eat? In general, a healthy diet consists of foods high in starchy carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, but low in fat, sugar, alcohol, and salt. Can you list several common foods that are in each category? It may take some effort and reading to become familiar with this.

Food diaries
It is helpful to know how much you normally eat. Estimating from memory is not very accurate. It is best to keep a diary, and write down every amount of food and drink that you have over a week or so. Include even the smallest of snacks. Add up the number of calories that you eat and drink each day. You may need advice from a practice nurse or dietician to calculate calories. However, there are plenty of books that give calorie counts for different foods.

Planning what you eat
It is important to plan ahead. Perhaps you could plan each day's meals and recipes the day before. In this way you will know exactly how much food you will be eating. This is better than looking in the cupboard and fridge before mealtimes or snacks to see what is there.

Change of eating habits
Do you have any eating habits that can improve?Are you eating larger and larger portions when you have a meal? Try to deliberately take smaller portions when you have a meal. Do not feel that you have to 'empty your plate'. Perhaps change the plates that you have in your cupboard (which may be large) to more medium sized plates. In this way you will naturally serve up smaller portions.

Shopping
One step towards improving eating habits is to change the contents of your shopping basket

Physical activity
If you are able, aim to do at least 60-90 minutes of moderate physical activity on at least five days a week. (All adults should aim for at least 30 minutes on five days a week. However, 60-90 minutes is recommended if you are overweight or obese and are aiming to lose weight.) Moderate physical activity includes: brisk walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, badminton, tennis, etc.

Morale
The first kilogram is the easiest to lose. This is because you lose water from your body at first as well as fat. Be aware that the first kilogram or so may seem to fall off, but then the weight loss slows down. This is normal, so don't get disheartened!

Tempting situations and special occasions
It is important to recognise that holidays, festivals, eating out, etc, may interfere with your everyday food choices and eating schedule. Also, do you find that watching food programmes on TV makes you hungry? How about smells from the kitchen from someone cooking who is not aware that you are trying to lose weight? Do you get pressure from family or friends to eat or drink more?
You will be tempted by different situations to abandon your planned food intake. You have to identify any tempting situations and avoid them.