Healthy Weight

It's time to get healthy

Unhealthy weight is a risk factor for a range of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. 

Access the Diabetes UK 'Know Your Risk' tool below to find out your risk level for developing type 2 diabetes. 

(Diabetes UK) Know Your Risk

The information below is designed to help you achieve a healthier diet.

Tips for Eating Well

Eating a healthy diet is important for both physical and mental health. It's now even more important in this challenging time of working and living with COVID-19. Eating a healthy balanced diet will provide adequate nutrients and energy to help you maintain a healthy weight. You can find further information on healthy eating here: Food and Nutrition NHS Inform

• Plan your meals - think about 3 regular meals, snacks and drinks in your day. Especially if you are working
• Aim to eat your five a day - frozen, tinned, fresh or dried fruit and veg all count
• If working, take breaks form your desk to have your meals
• Prepare healthier meals and snacks before you get too hungry. This will help reduce temptation to fill up on high sugar and fat snacks like biscuits, crisps and sweets
• Drink at least 6-8 varied glasses of fluid a day - not just tea and coffee
• Choose low fat sugar options. Include healthier food made from basic ingredients and avoid too many processed or ready made meals
• Watch your portion sizes. Sometimes we eat the right food but in too big portions!
• Find some great snack ideas here: 100 calorie snacks or healthy snacks
• Finally take time to enjoy the meals you prepare

Healthy Affordable Recipes

Want to make more healthy meals but need some inspirations? The following websites have some great ideas for you to try:

• Confidence 2 Cook is NHS Grampian's food skills programme and you can find some great healthy recipe ideas here: Confidence to Cook
• Change4life has lots of recipes and practical activities to her families be healthier: NHS Change4life
• Eat Better Feel Better has videos, recipes and meal planners aimed at family cooking: Parent Club, Food and Eating

How to Achieve a Healthy Weight

There's not a single way to achieve a healthy weight and it may involve making changes to more than one aspect of your lifestyle. The key to success is finding the plan that's right for you.

Online Healthy Helpings is a free NHS Grampian weight management programme which offers a fun, interactive and informative way of finding out more about healthy eating and healthy lifestyle and the best ways to put it into practice in your everyday life. 

Suitable for anyone who is:

• Aged 18+
• Has a BMI > 25kg/m2
• Motivated to lose weight

More information aimed at helping to achieve and maintain a healthier lifestyle and weight can be found on the Healthy Weight Grampian Website:

Healthy Weight Grampian 

Top Tips

• Plan what you are going to do
• Increase your activity
• Eat 3 regular meals including breakfast every day
• reduce your plate size
• Write it down - keeping a diary of eating and activity levels help identify areas to change

Further Tools and Resources

• NHS Inform - includes a new 12 week healthy weight programme
• NHS Healthy Weight Website - information and tools including a 12 week NHS weight loss plan
• British Dietetic Association - a range of food facts including healthy eating, healthy snacks and weight management
• Association of UK Dietitians - Healthy Snacks: Food fact sheet

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