How I lost 4st - with a little help from team
A nurse has shared her top tips on how to lose weight after she shed almost four stone with the help of council experts.
Leicestershire County Council’s services include advice from nutritionists at the Weight Management Service, who help people get healthier and stay slimmer.
Joanne Murray, 43, has credited the service with helping her get back in shape after she used it last year to start her diet.
Working night shifts for the NHS, Joanne found herself snacking regularly and felt uncomfortable in her body.
Over the past six months she has lost so much weight she is now training for a 10km run, having already completed the NHS Couch To 5k programme.
Joanne said: “It really has been a journey for me. I have a new lease on life. I’m a lot more confident and have more energy to enjoy doing the things I now love, like running and swimming.”
Joanne has shared her top tips on how to reach and maintain a healthy weight over a long period of time.
1 MAKE EVERYDAY CHANGES
Being conscious of what you are eating, how much of it, and why can help you to understand your eating habits and how they can be improved.
Committing to switching to a wholemeal bread or stopping adding sugar to a hot drink can make a big difference.
2 DON’T EXPECT TOO MUCH, TOO QUICKLY
It isn’t healthy to lose weight too quickly, and it isn’t possible to maintain when that happens.
Joanne said: “I set myself a goal to lose 1lb every week, but I weigh myself every month. If I have a less successful week, I can make up for it the next.”
3 SET A ROUTINE
Instead of saying you want to exercise every other day, be more specific. For example, aim to walk 10,000 steps every day. Joanne said that the responsibility of walking her dogs a set distance each day made her enjoy being active.
4 ASK FOR SUPPORT
By sharing your goals with friends and family, they can offer support and help you to remain committed.
Offer to prepare a meal for them or suggest meeting for walks or exercise activities. Joanne’s daughter put together a playlist for them to listen to when they go running.
5 CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION
Maintaining the mental stamina is a big part of the process so it is important to remember your motivations.
Consider how far you have come and recognise the change in how you feel, rather than just numbers on the scale.
As part of the free service, residents are partnered with an experienced nutritionist who develops a suitable plan with manageable goals.
They offer tailored advice and guidance to help people make better decisions for their health and adopt healthy habits.
Councillor Louise Richardson, cabinet member for health at the county council, said: “It’s great to see Joanne’s story, demonstrating how the weight management service really can transform people’s lives for the better.
“As a council we’re happy to be supporting those who want to make a positive change for the sake of their health.
“I’d encourage anyone who feels they struggle with weight loss to reach out to the free service and see if it’s right for them”.
Zaheera Chatra, of the weight management team, said: “When we decide to lose weight or be more active, we should ask ourselves why we want to do that and how we can achieve it realistically.
“Whether it is for our physical health, to improve our lifestyle or wellbeing or give us confidence about how we look, understanding our motivation and keeping it in mind can help us stay on track in the long-term.”
I have a new lease on life. I’m a lot more confident and have more energy to enjoy doing things Joanne Murray