1. Let’s talk about weight

2. Do you feel you are constantly on a diet and getting nowhere?
Is your weight affecting your health?

3. Do you feel it’s the right time to make healthier lifestyle changes?
Want to lose weight and keep it off?
Do you feel it’s the right time to make healthier lifestyle changes?

4. Infographics © Obesity Action Scotland
It’s a growing problem
It’s widespread
It’s costly
Infographics © Obesity Action Scotland
Infographics © Obesity Action Scotland

5. Losing even a small amount of weight and keeping it off, can make a big difference to your overall health. Research shows that even a modest 5 – 10% of your initial body weight (that’s around 5-10Kg (11-22lbs) depending on your starting weight) is a realistic target weight to set. Individuals losing this amount of weight and managing to keep it off, will soon start to feel the benefits.

6. Did you know ?
Keeping a food diary is one of the best tools to losing weight and keeping it off!
Visit Choose To Lose for a blank diary and other downloadable self-monitoring tools that can help get you started on your weight loss journey.
Research suggests that individuals who regularly self-monitor are likely to be more successful at losing weight and keeping it off. Keeping a diary can help people learn about their personal lifestyles and can help them plan changes they want to make. So keep a detailed record of everything you eat and drink and over time you will learn more about habits you want to change.

7. Do you feel ready to start managing your weight?
If you do, then here’s a few tips to help get you started: Think about the reasons why you want to lose weight
and list any barriers you feel could get in your way.
Write yourself an action plan with clear goals – focus on 2 to 3 changes at any one time.
Keep a food and activity diary.
Weigh yourself regularly.
Self-monitor your weight It’s a key component to successful weight loss and weight loss maintenance.

8. ‘’The key to successful long term weight loss is to stay realistic and develop ways to make your new eating and exercise habits an enjoyable way of life.’’
Visit ‘Choose To Lose’ for downloadable worksheets to help get you started making healthier lifestyle changes.

9. NHS Staff
‘’Healthcare settings should be exemplary in promoting healthy lifestyles, they should take the lead with healthy workplace interventions targeting diet, physical activity and supporting staff to achieve and maintain a healthy weight’’
NHS Forth Valley:-
- opportunities for staff walking, jogging and cycling groups, greenspace for community walks...
healthier food and drink choices available from food & retail outlets and from vending machines.
access to Choose To Lose website, programme and supporting self-monitoring tools and resources.
(Source: Obesity and NHS Scotland Staff, Obesity Action Scotland, July 2016)

10. Weight loss maintenance is a very important part of any weight management journey. Evidence shows that strong predictors exist for keeping weight off for good, these include self monitoring, having a healthy well balanced food intake, being more active, having social support and understanding our lapses and knowing what to do about them. Maintaining weight after weight loss isn’t easy but it is very important for our long term health.

11. For further information on ChooseToLose@Work email: pamela.murray1@nhs.net