Adult Healthy Weight
Tailored to you
We understand that getting to a healthier weight and sticking to it can be hard, but it is easier with expert help.
There are many physical and mental wellbeing benefits linked to a healthier weight and being more active, we can have better mobility and energy, more restful sleep and improved mood.
More information on making healthy changes and support from Lanarkshire services can be found in the links below.
Programmes for additional support
Healthy changes happen best when we make small, realistic changes to how we eat and the level of physical activity we do. If you need more support to reach a healthy weight, click on the links below to find out more about the free NHS Lanarkshire services available.
Weigh to Go
Weigh to Go is NHS Lanarkshire’s free 15-week weight management group, followed by 15-weeks of Weigh to Go Maintenance, held within various North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire leisure venues.
The programme is coordinated in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture and can be attended by all residents aged 16+ who want to lead a healthier lifestyle. Healthy Valleys, Lanarkshire Community Food and Health Partnership and Getting Better Together Shotts are now holding Weigh to Go within the community, giving residents even more classes and venues to pick from.
Weigh to Go - New Mums
Lead by a qualified post-natal instructor, this class incorporates a 45-minute nutritional class followed by 45 minutes of circuit based exercise, designed for new mums who wish to be more physically active, bond with their new arrival and socialise with other new Mums.
Find out more about Weigh to Go – New Mums.
12 Week free weight management programme
This 12 week step-by-step programme supports you to review your current lifestyle and make healthier behaviour choices, that then become daily habits.
Each week is made up of a number of sections covering different topics. Many of these have links to further information and activities.
You will also:
- find tips from people who have gone through a similar health and wellbeing journey
- be asked to undertake weekly tasks, like completing a lifestyle diary, checking food labels or planning your meals for the week
This free 12-week plan requires no previous exercise or nutrition experience, and includes a body mass index (BMI) calculator to find out if the programme is right for you. It’s great for those that are taking their first steps to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Find out more about the 12 week weight management programme.
Support for maintaining a healthy weight
There are many contributing factors to maintaining a healthy weight:
Diet & Nutrition
A balanced diet is an important ingredient in maintaining a healthy weight. The types of food that we eat will influence our mood, energy levels and ability to deal with daily tasks.
Mental Health
We know that weight loss can be tough and that the challenge isn’t only physical. Understanding relationships with food, as well as support to deal with emotional triggers are important to achieving healthy weight goals.
Green Health
Getting regular exercise can improve sleep quality, especially exercise that involves natural light. Even a short walk during the day may help improve sleep, there are lots of local Green Health opportunities.
Physical Activity
Being physically active offers a huge variety of benefits to our health, both physically and mentally. Staying healthy and increasing physical activity each day is a great way to help you become and maintain a healthy weight.
Diabetes
For information on diabetes and contact information, visit the diabetes section of our website.
Common symptoms of diabetes:
- Going to the toilet a lot, especially at night
- Being really thirsty
- Feeling more tired than usual
- Losing weight without trying to
- Genital itching or thrush
- Cuts and wounds take longer to heal
- Blurred eyesight
Type 2 diabetes (BSL)
These British Sign Language (BSL) videos explain the symptoms and causes of type 2 diabetes, how it’s treated and what you can do to manage the symptoms yourself.
Specialist Individual Services
Knowing that one size doesn’t fit all, we have developed a service to cater to different needs. This specialist and targeted service is designed for those who have encountered challenges in managing their weight, perhaps for a long period of time.
Our package of support includes complex case management, group interventions, psychology input and signposting to self-help resources and other community services.
Counterweight Plus
Counterweight-Plus is a 12 month weight management programme delivered by Diabetes Specialist Dietitians throughout Lanarkshire. It is made up of 3 stages that require participants to attend a mix of group and 1:1 sessions (20 sessions in total over 12 months). The key aim of which being diabetes remission.
The first stage involves taking a Total Diet Replacement (shakes and soup provided by NHS Lanarkshire). This is followed by Food Reintroduction when shakes and soups are gradually reduced as foods and drinks are slowly introduced back into your daily intake. The final stage, Weight Loss Maintenance, is all about support, to help you keep your weight at the new lower level. The whole programme aims to help you manage your weight by making permanent changes to your eating habits and activity levels.
Let’s Prevent
Let’s Prevent is a group education programme designed exclusively for those diagnosed with pre-diabetes. The programme discusses key topics required to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, these include; dietary suggestions, weight management information and strategies to increase activity. Importantly it gives participants the opportunity to have any outstanding questions answered, whilst meeting others who have also recently been diagnosed.
Second Nature
Second Nature is commissioned by the NHS and is a digital programme that helps people with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes or who are overweight or have obesity to make positive long term dietary, behavioural and lifestyle changes to promote weight loss.
The programme allows patients who are over 18 to:
- Track their weight using daily steps using the digital scales and activity tracker
- 1-1 support from a dietitian or nutritionist and a support group of similar peers
- Learn through interaction content on nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress and mental wellbeing
Suitable patients will be referred via their LWMS health professional.
Useful Links
South Lanarkshire
- Active Health is a programme for residents of South Lanarkshire living with long term conditions. Residents are referred via Acute, Physio & specialist nurses to a 10-week programme.
- South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, Sport and Physical Development Services Programme.
North Lanarkshire
- North Lanarkshire Leisure’s Active Health Programme in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire provides a range of supported programmes to help individuals realise the benefits of becoming more physically active whilst also assisting those who are recovering from minor or even more serious illness.
