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.

Five a day
• get off the bus/train/underground/tram a stop early on your way to work or better still
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
• 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 DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

7
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

• thick cut wholemeal bread or wholemeal pittas

own (BYO)
Bring your
• 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 Saturated fat Calories

snacks

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

1 doughnut
1 piece of fruit
3.4 318 - 20-30
(80g)

1 chocolate
1 box of
biscuit 5.0 157 - 68
raisins

9
Top tips for losing weight and keeping it off
• Always eat breakfast. 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.

Tips for losing

keeping it off
weight and
• 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 www.bdaweightwise.com
5 A DAY www.5aday.nhs.uk
Eat Well www.eatwell.gov.uk
Weight Concern 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.