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Managing your weight
Do you struggle to lose weight or find it hard to make healthy habits stick?
Do you want support to make healthy changes with food and activity?
If the answer is yes to these questions, then you have come to the right place. Our team have brought together some helpful videos, resources and links, so that you can read about the options available to you and decide what suits you best.
Alternatively, if you have a poor appetite, are underweight or are losing weight click here for dietary advice.
The following videos are a great starting point and will guide you to think about your reasons for wanting to make healthy changes, and helpful ways to approach this.
This 4-minute video will give you a chance to think about what losing weight will mean to you. Have you ever written down all your reasons for wanting to lose weight? This is a positive first step.
This 3-minute video focuses on realistic weight loss. People can often feel disheartened and give up on healthy changes if they do not see the weight loss that they expect. Making healthy changes will give you many benefits. Keeping weight stable at times is a positive. Maintain focus on the new healthy habits that you are forming.
This 4-minute video will talk you through setting goals in a helpful way. If the change you decide to make is difficult to achieve or keep up, it can reduce your motivation to continue. Making small changes that can be sustained will build your confidence and motivation.
This 5-minute video explains metabolism and looks at how dieting can have a negative impact on trying to lose weight. People find that moving away from dieting is the answer to them losing weight and enjoying food more. The three changes to focus on are regular meals, keeping a check on portion sizes and having a balanced intake. It does not have to be complicated or restrictive.
This 4-minute video looks at the reasons why we eat other than when we need food or feel hungry. Many people find they eat when feeling stressed, tired, upset, bored or other reasons. The video looks at strategies that can help. One strategy when feeling tempted by a food is to stop for a couple of seconds and ask yourself three questions. The video will guide you through this approach.
What support is available to you?
In addition to the programmes and courses below, you can visit the Healthy Weight Healthy You website for more information about how you can make changes to your diet and achieve a healthy weight, or access tips and advice from the Association of UK Dietitians.
For adults
This is an 8-week group program supporting people to make healthy lifestyle change. Each session is 1 hour 30 minutes and you can attend virtually or face-to-face. Topics include food portion sizes, food labels, and moving more. Available to anyone over 18 years old with a BMI over 25 kg/m². The program is delivered by trained community staff.
A six-week course for all pregnant women and their partners, family and friends. The course offers information and tips on eating well, keeping active and achieving a healthy weight gain in pregnancy.
Click here for dates, times, locations and how to book on the self-referral form.
Email: Nutrition.Skillsforlife.cav@wales.nhs.uk
Foodwise in Pregnancy App
You can download the Foodwise in Pregnancy app from Google Play and Apple store. The app will provide recipes, shopping tips, meal planner and advice and videos on exercise and keeping active in pregnancy. Click on this link for more information.
The Adult Weight Management service is available to any person with a BMI over 30 kg/m²
If you are not sure what your BMI is, you can use this link to calculate it. There are different options available to you depending on your needs.
You will be offered a 40-minute appointment with a Dietitian from the Weight Management Team and together you can look at the support that suits you best. This can be by video or telephone. At the first appointment the Dietitian will get to know you, what support you feel you need and talk through the options. If you decide to continue with further appointments, you will be offered up to six follow-up consultations.
You can refer yourself to this service by completing this form or by emailing the department on Dietitians.CAV@Wales.nhs.uk or telephone 02920 907681 and the referral form can be completed for you. You can also discuss this with any health professional that you have contact with and they can refer you.
Eating For Life is an 8 week group that has been running in Cardiff and Vale UHB since 2002. You can choose to attend the group in person or on-line. You will be supported over the 8 weeks by a Dietitian from the Weight Management Team who will take you through information on portion sizes, food labels and cover topics such as emotional eating and forming healthy habits that stick.
Here are some comments made by people who have previously attended the group:
- “Excellent course – well delivered by Dietitian, someone who really knows what she’s talking about, happy to answer any questions. Good sized group, non-judgemental approach, positive and motivating, not negative”
- “Course well run, very interesting and I found it extremely valuable. Now a lot more motivated to keep going, really enjoyed the eight weeks -time passed.”
You can refer yourself to this service by completing this form or by emailing the department on Dietitians.CAV@Wales.nhs.uk or telephone 02920 907681 and the referral form can be completed for you.
The Midwives in Cardiff and Vale UHB run a Healthy Pregnancy Clinic for any pregnant woman with a BMI over 35 kg/m². Your Midwife will discuss this with you at your booking appointment and you will be sent a letter inviting you to attend the clinic in UHW.
The Dietitian is also part of the Healthy Pregnancy Clinic and will offer support to any pregnant woman with a BMI over 40 kg/m². You can expect a non-judgemental and compassionate conversation with the Dietitian. This is an opportunity to talk about what is most important to you to stay healthy during pregnancy.
For more information about healthy eating in pregnancy you can access some useful videos here.
This is a Consultant led multi-disciplinary team set up to support adults in Cardiff and the Vale who want to lose weight, where all other approaches have been exhausted. The Specialist Weight Management Service team includes a Consultant, Specialist Nurse, Dietitian, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, and Psychologist. There is also a dedicated co-ordinator who can help you with making your appointments and accessing our clinics.
For children
NYLO (Nutrition for Your Little One) is a free 8-week programme for families with children aged 5 and under. Topics include a healthy, balanced diet for young children, portion sizes, healthy snacks, tips to manage fussy eating and ways to increase activity.
Active Families, Active Lives is for children and young people, aged 2-18 years old, in Cardiff and Vale who wish to receive support in managing their weight and health.
Also in this section
Related Information
If you live in Cardiff or the Vale of Glamorgan and would like further information, you can arrange to see a dietitian by completing and submitting this self-referral form.
