Our Health and Wellbeing Coaches are here to help you get more active and lead a healthier lifestyle. They encourage you to take control of your health and support you in making long term lifestyle changes. They are available through each of our practice reception teams or you can contact them online using the self-referral form.

This is what people say about our Health and Wellbeing Coaches:

"The service has really helped me get motivated and stick to program to help my overall health and mental well-being. Jac has been an amazing support and helped me feel so much more positive I can achieve".

If you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight, help is at hand, you don't have to do it alone. 

Here are some more ideas with help to manage a healthy weight:

• Talk to you GP practice Health and Wellbeing Coach
• Look up calories on the NHS calorie checker 
• Watch the NHS weight management webinars
• Join the NHS digital weight management programme
• Check how many calories are in alcohol
• Sign up for the weight loss email support
• Understand and control portion sizes
• Download the weight loss guide from the App Store or Google Play
• Get active with Somerset activity and sport partnership
• Get inspired with new recipes from the eatwell guide
• MyWay diabetes to help manage your diabetes

You can help yourself to lose or maintain a healthy weight:

• Eating breakfast provides you with essential nutrients and reduces hunger snacking. Avoiding sugar reduces mid morning hunger
• Eating regular meals during the day helps burn calories at a faster rate
• Eating plenty of fruit and veg reduces your fat intake and provides vitamins and minerals
• Getting more active can help burn off the excess calories you cannot lose through diet alone
• Drink plenty of water as people sometimes confuse thirst with hunger
• Eating high fibre foods can help keep you feeling full, which is perfect for losing weight
• Read food labels to work out how particular foods fit into your daily calorie allowance 
• Use a smaller plate to gradually get used to eating smaller portions without going hungry
• Do not ban foods as this will only make you crave them more. Include them in your calorie allowance
• Do not stock junk food to tempt you, instead, opt for healthy snacks
• Cut down on alcohol as drinking too much can easily contribute to weight gain
• Plan your meals and snacks to help you stick to your calorie allowance

Maintaining a healthy weight improves your health. Being obese can increase or lead to potential life-changing health conditions.

You can easily check your BMI by using this BMI healthy weight calculator. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy.

You can also use the BMI calculator to check if your child is a healthy weight.

Sudden, noticeable weight loss can happen after a stressful event, although it can also be a sign of a serious illness.

It's normal to lose a noticeable amount of weight after the stress of changing jobs, divorce, redundancy or bereavement.

Weight often returns to normal when you start to feel happier, after you've had time to grieve or get used to the change. Counselling and support may be needed to help you get to this stage.

Significant weight loss can also be the result of an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia. If you think you have an eating disorder, talk to someone you trust and consider speaking to your GP. There are also several organisations that can provide you with information and advice, such as the eating disorders charity Beat.

If your weight loss wasn't due to one of the causes mentioned, and you didn't lose weight through dieting or exercising, see your GP, as you may have an illness that needs treating.

Good nutrition helps us stay healthy and aids recovery from illness and improves your health. We work with the dietician services to support and improve nurition for adults and children with medical conditions.