Want To Lose Weight

Want to lose weight? Small steps can have BIG effects

www.dpp.org.uk

1

Does the thought of trying to lose weight feel more like a losing battle? Forget crash diets and endless gym sessions. The good news is that making just small changes to your lifestyle can have an impact not only on your weight but also on your overall health and wellbeing. We all know that storing extra fat means that we are storing health problems like heart disease for the future, but it can often be difficult with hectic lifestyles and working lives to find time to think about fighting the fat! This booklet will help you build on your motivation to lose weight, help you to be clear about why you want to make changes to your diet and lifestyle and work out exactly how you will achieve your goals. It offers information and tips for being healthier in and out of work.

1

Why do YOU want to lose weight?

Why do YOU want to lose weight? Why do some people seem to have amazing self-discipline and motivation to lose weight or stay slim whilst for others it seems like a never-ending struggle? The big difference is the way people think about what they eat and how active they are. When you think about being slimmer and healthier you can choose to think of feeling more energetic, having healthier skin, looking good in clothes, sleeping better, living longer etc. Or you might think of hard work, being deprived and never being able to eat the nice things you like again. It’s obvious which one of these is more likely to help you get started and keep you going. Before you plan how you are going to lose weight or get more active it’s worth spending some time thinking about why you want to lose weight and the benefits that being slimmer and healthier would bring to your life. Get a clear picture in your head of a slimmer healthier you and imagine what your life might be like then. Think about how you might feel, how you might look and how people might respond to you. Write down the things that are most important to you and most likely to keep you motivated. If it helps put it somewhere you are likely to see it every day and make sure you read it each day to keep these things, and the picture of the slimmer, healthier you fresh in your mind. 2

How much weight is enough? Setting yourself a specific goal for losing weight each week will help you much more than simply saying you want to lose weight. So how much is enough? Aim for a weight that you feel comfortable and healthy with. Research shows that ‘modest’ amounts of weight loss can benefit your health and is more likely to stay off. This means that losing loads of weight quickly is not the answer. If you are overweight, health professionals encourage a weight loss of 5-10% of your body weight over 3-6 months. A healthy amount of weight to lose is 1-2 pounds (0.5-1kg) each week. So if you lose just one pound in a week it’s really good going and well worth keeping up.

A rough guide to BMI You may have heard of the Body Mass Index (BMI), a measurement health professionals use to work out weight and health risks. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered to be within the healthy weight range. The higher your BMI is above the healthy range the more at risk you are of health problems. Work out your own BMI using the formula on the next page.

3

Multiply your height (in metres) by your height. Take this figure and divide it into your weight (in kg). So if you are 1.75 metres tall and your weight is 70kg you would work your BMI out like this: 1.75m x 1.75m = 3.06 70kg divided by 3.06 = 22.9 A figure between 25 – 29.9 is considered overweight and a figure of 30 or above is considered obese.

Measure your waist BMI is a good way to give you an indication of whether you need to lose weight. However, health professionals often prefer to also take into consideration the size of your waist. Unfortunately, the more fat you have around your waist the more at risk you are of health problems like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. You can measure your waist at belly button level. For men health risks increase if their waist size is greater than 37 inches or 94cm (92cm for Asian men), and for women if their waist size is more than 32 inches or 81cm (78cm for Asian women). To find out more about how health professionals assess weight against risks to health visit the National Obesity Forum website www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk 4

Work matters Busy? Stressed? Eating on the go? Need a quick fix? Entertaining? Work shifts? It’s hardly surprising that 60% of people in the UK blame eating badly at work for weight gain (ICM research for DPP: Developing Patient Partnerships July 2004). If this rings true for you it’s time to start making changes that you can easily slot in to your working life. The key is to make small changes to your eating habits and activity levels over a period of time so they naturally become part of your daily routine – both in and out of work. Making a whole load of drastic changes at once could put you off - and may end up feeling too much like hard work!

5

Five a day To get focused try to make 5 positive changes to your working day to help you get active, eat well and feel good. Think this sounds a lot? Here are suggestions of some small changes you can make. Decide which you want to do and make a note of it in the box on the next page, then you can measure your progress. walk or cycle

• swap full fat milk to semi-skimmed or skimmed milk in your tea and coffee • take the stairs instead of the lift • don’t bring sweets, cakes or chocolate or crisps to work with you – instead have a stash of tasty fruit and healthy snacks (see pg 9 for ideas) to hand. If you really can’t resist the urge then briskly walk to the shop so you will at least get a bit of exercise! • park your car in the space furthest away from the building you’re going to • don’t wait until you’re really hungry to have lunch as you’ll be more tempted by the unhealthy stuff • go to the loo on a different floor and use the stairs to get a bit of exercise • choose fruit first at buffets instead of heading straight for the pastry • try to get out and get some fresh air at break times – even if it’s just a quick walk round the block 6

Five a day

• get off the bus/train/underground/tram a stop early on your way to work or better still

• swap fizzy drinks for fruit juice or water • walk up the escalator • eat a healthy breakfast, if you’re in too much of a rush take it to work instead of grabbing a coffee and muffin on the go • avoid sitting at your work station and eating, just like sitting eating in front of the TV the less you concentrate the more likely you are to eat more • drink water to keep hunger pangs at bay Remember: keep it simple and set yourself realistic goals. Decide which changes you want to make and keep on track by filling in the tick boxes each day. Don’t worry if you can’t do it all at once, use this as a starting block to build on. Change 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 7

DAY 1

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

DAY 5

Bring your own (BYO) During work you often have to eat food on the go or rely on fast food which is higher in calories and fat. Bringing your own lunch and snacks to work is a great way to control what you’re eating – see just how many calories you can save on healthier snacks in the table on the next page. If you think BYO sounds like a hassle, start off by trying it once a week and gradually build on this. Plan ahead so it becomes part of your usual food shop; here are some ideas which are also great for kids’ lunch boxes too. Take the shopping list below with you on your weekly supermarket shop.

BYO shopping list Bring your own (BYO)

• thick cut wholemeal bread or wholemeal pittas • low fat spread/mayonnaise • salad – lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions • sliced chicken, lean ham, tins of tuna • low fat varieties of cheese like brie, low fat cream cheese, reduced fat cheddar, cottage cheese

• low fat hommous • low fat yoghurts • bananas, satsumas, apples, pears, grapes, raisins 8

Snacking on unhealthy salty or sugary foods can really set you back when you want to lose weight. Here is a handy reference table you can keep in your locker or desk at work or in the car to help you decide what snacks to go for: Less healthy

Saturated fat

Calories

Healthier snacks

Saturated fat

Calories

1 chocolate bar (60g)

10.7

317

1 scone

1.7

158

1 packet of crisps (40g)

3.7

218

1 currant bun

1.3

186

1 Danish pastry

6.2

411

1 slice of toast

-

64

3.4

318

1 piece of fruit (80g)

-

20-30

5.0

157

1 box of raisins

-

68

1 doughnut

1 chocolate biscuit

9

Top tips for losing weight and keeping it off

• Always eat breakfast.

Tips for losing weight and keeping it off

Research shows that eating a healthy breakfast, like a bowl of wholegrain cereal can actually help you lose weight. • Stick to a meal routine by eating at the same times each day. • Walk it off - it’s the easiest way to get active and get moving and it’s free! • Watch portion sizes by using a smaller plate and giving yourself a 5 minute break before deciding if you really do need more. • Plan what you are going to eat so you are not tempted by fast food fixes. Avoid doing the food shop when you’re hungry as you’ll be tempted by the unhealthy stuff! • Enjoy eating, chew your food slowly and stop eating when you start to feel full instead of clearing the plate and feeling stuffed. • Eat loads of salad and vegetables – remember 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day is the minimum. • Alcohol has lots of calories in it. Cutting out 2-3 drinks a week can significantly cut your calorie intake. 10

Need more help? Talk to your practice nurse or GP if you are concerned about your weight and need more help. They will be able to give you advice and in some areas exercise referral schemes are available for some patients. Medicines to help you lose weight are available on prescription but these would only be prescribed alongside a healthy eating and fitness plan. Your pharmacist can also help you with diet and lifestyle advice.

Online information British Dietetic Association 5 A DAY Eat Well Weight Concern

www.bdaweightwise.com www.5aday.nhs.uk www.eatwell.gov.uk www.weightconcern.co.uk www.dpp.org.uk DPP is a health education charity

This leaflet contains general information produced by DPP: Developing Patient Partnerships which can be used as the first step to help you decide the best course of action to take when you or your family are not well. In the absence of any examination it is not possible to reliably diagnose and treat a medical condition. Diagnosis can only be carried out by a suitably qualified health professional after a consultation. © DPP: Developing Patient Partnerships, 2007, Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, London,WC1H 9JP. Registered Charity No. 1075105. Company No.3700340. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form without the permission of the copyright holder.