Well done! You’ve decided to make some healthy weight changes. We understand there is so much information about weight loss that it can be hard to know where to start and which options are suitable for you.
Don’t worry; many weight loss options can work for you and your current lifestyle. Different things work for different people.
Self-help
Effective self-help approaches for weight loss include:
- supporting your mental well-being
- making changes to your food and drink intake
- being physically active
- strengthening motivation and confidence
- using behaviour change tools like goal setting, self-monitoring, getting support and having positive routines.
Our research found that personalised content is more appealing and helps keep motivation. It is important that the changes fit in with your life and can be maintained over time.
It’s important to recognise how you may use food as a coping mechanism, as this will help you to make changes. You may need to focus on your emotional wellbeing and how this links to your weight loss journey.
For you, setting personalised goals that are achievable but challenging is a great way to begin your journey.
Targeting your specific food behaviour is key to your weight loss journey. Remember, you don’t need to give up all the foods you enjoy. There are plenty of ways to make small everyday changes that will suit you. Combining eating healthier and physical activity is a great way to see improvements in your fitness and support weight loss. Physical activity can also improve wellbeing.
Other services
Some people may benefit from additional weight loss support, e.g., if you have a BMI over 30 and/or health conditions. Contact your GP and/or practice nurse for additional help and support.
You may find group-based support helpful if you find it hard to make the changes alone.
Your local health board will offer a range of services to help support your weight loss journey depending on the support you need.
Continue your journey
Click on the next page Getting back on track after set backs to continue your journey.
