Manage your weight

It is normal for us all to have different body weights and shapes, and for our bodies to change over time.

For health reasons, some people’s doctors may recommend weight loss to reduce the risk of certain conditions, or to help with the management of existing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or sleep apnoea. If this applies to you and you would like to learn about ways of managing your weight, you’ll find helpful information in the ‘Learn’ and ‘Manage’ sections here.

If you are unsure if you need to lose weight, you may want to read the information in the ‘Assess’ section first.

Manage your weight is associated with:

Manage your weight

It is normal for us all to have different body weights and shapes, and for our bodies to change over time.

If you are unsure if you need to lose weight, you may want to read the information in the ‘Assess’ section first.

Manage your weight is associated with other difficulties such as:

Resources & Guidance

Managing your weight

There are lots of things that can contribute to changes in your weight, including some things that you did not choose and others that are linked to your everyday habits.

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It’s normal for us all to have different body weights and shapes, and for our bodies to change over time.

For health reasons, some people’s doctors may recommend weight loss to reduce the risk of certain conditions such as type 2 diabetes, or to help with the management of existing medical conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or sleep apnoea. If this applies to you and you’d like to learn about ways of managing your weight, you’ll find helpful information in the ‘Learn’ section here.

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Manage your weight

Whilst there’s often a focus on weight, it’s also important to think about your overall health and to try to make small, realistic lifestyle changes you can keep up in the long term. For example, focusing on gradually increasing your physical activity, eating regularly, or increasing how many vegetables you eat can be good for your health, even if your weight doesn’t change

Tips on managing change in our lives

We all have to cope and manage with change in our lives for lots of reasons. Here are some tips and thoughts on navigating through a period of change.

Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a psychological therapy based on the relationships between what we think, what we do and how we feel. CBT teaches you how to recognise and tackle problems in the here and now, rather than in the past.

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If you don’t feel able to work through the resources recommended on this website, you might want to ask your GP for a referral to your local weight management service. You can learn more about the NHS Lothian weight management service here.

The relationship people have with food can be complicated. Everyone’s personal circumstances are different, and whilst focusing on a healthier lifestyle might be easy for some people, there are some situations where people may need more support first. If you’re finding that significant stressors, such as the care needs of loved ones, financial pressures, or your mental health are affecting your eating habits and lifestyle, you may wish to contact your GP, local social care service, or Citizens Advice Bureau.

It might also be helpful to have a look at some of the other pages on this website.

If you think you may have an eating disorder, focusing on weight loss may not be the best thing for your health, so please speak to your GP. You might also want to consider whether support from the eating disorder charity, Beat, may be helpful to you.

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