NHS Choice

I am lucky enough to live in the United Kingdom so have access to the National Health Service (NHS) which has developed a 12 week programme to help people lose weight. So I have decided I am going to take there week advice as well and follow that in the hope that it will educate me and have a positive affect on my weight loss journey. 

The link for week one is: NHS Week 1 Getting Started 

The theme for the first week is getting started so the the actions for week one are:

• Record your weight and waist size in the food and activity chart

• Stick this week’s chart on your fridge and update it at the end of each day

• Plan your meals 

• Learn about calorie-counting 

• Sign up to the weight loss forum for support and information

The weeks chart is a fantastic tool which will help me stay accountable as everyday I have to fill out my total calorie intake, whether I have eaten below or above it. If I eat above my allowance it gives me the option to write down what I ate which I shouldn't of. Again this can act as a learning tool meaning I can look back at the end of the week and see where my short falls are. By doing so allows me to develop and reassess my eating habits. It also gives me a tick box for my 5 a day which again acts as a visual tool throughout the day (and week) about how I am doing on that front.

The second part of the sheet is the activity monitor where I fill out how how many minutes of aerobic exercise and strength exercise I have done. Both of the subsections have a tick and cross box so again it keeps me accountable daily. 

The third section is the Weekly Summary again will keep me motivated as it is again a visual tool of what I have achieved that week even if my waist measurement has not changed. 

The other benefit of printing out the sheet and having a physical copy which means if you look back at the week 1 sheet is that it will allow me to reflect about where I was at the beginning of the process

NHS Food and Activity Chart (http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Documents/WEIGHT-LOSS-PACK/week-1.pdf, 2015)

The other section of week one is all about the benefits of filling up on healthy fibre and portion distortion. Portion distortion I think is something that effects countless people who are over weight as we just do not understand what a healthy portion of food is and the calories within the meal.

So overall, I am going to spend the week working on these week one goals set out by this programme as well as my own. So roll on Monday.