About your appointment
You will have a number of appointments with us. Everyone in the service will be offered a screening assessment, metric clinics, nutrition and activity groups and dietetic appointments. Depending on your care needs, you may have other appointments.
Most appointments in the service will be virtual. This includes both video call appointments, using MS Teams, and telephone calls.
We ask you to come into our clinics to monitor your health measurements. You may also be asked to come in for a medical appointment for further assessment if needed.
Patient information
Screening assessment
Screening assessment
During your appointment
We will ask about your current situation, medical treatment, diet, exercise, and mental health. We will discuss your goals, the treatment options we have and your care plan with the service.
Why you have this appointment
Weight management is influenced by many factors. Our screening assessment helps us to find out more about you and understand what factors may be creating barriers to your weight loss. If we can identify what is impacting, we can support with this.
What to expect
This appointment can take 30 minutes to 1 hour to complete. We recommend you leave at least 45 minutes free for this assessment.
What to bring to your appointment
Please bring a list of your current medication and complete the sleep questionnaire emailed to you. We may need this information to refer you on to the sleep clinic. If you do not have this, please contact our admin team.
Metric clinic and clinical monitoring
Metric clinic and clinical monitoring
During your appointment
The weight management facilitator will check some key health measurements, including your weight, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure.
Why you have this appointment
This appointment is important for your treatment. Without the health measurements, we won’t be able to move forward with your care in our service.
This appointment is an opportunity to monitor your progress and ensure the best support for your treatment plan.
What to expect
During your time with us, you may need 2 to 3 appointments for these measurements. If you feel you need more, we can try to arrange this. If you start taking one of our weight management medications, we may ask you to attend more.
What to bring to your appointment
You don’t need to bring anything to this appointment. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Our weight management facilitator may answer them or check with one of our clinicians if needed.
Nutrition and activity groups
Nutrition and activity groups
During your sessions
These sessions are designed to help you make long-lasting changes for better health. You will learn about different treatment options. You will also have the chance to talk to a dietitian. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to ask during or after the session.
Why You have this appointment
Making small changes to your habits will help you lose weight and keep it off in the long run. Our group sessions provide the tools and support to help you get started. You can talk to the dietitian and connect with other people who are going through similar challenges. This will help you feel supported as you work towards your goals.
What to expect
You will have tasks to do at home. These tasks are important because they will help with your weight loss and help you learn about different treatment options. The work you do at home will improve your chances of success on your weight loss path.
How to access
If this is your first session, we will send you a link before the session. Please save it for the future sessions. For your 2nd to 7th session, use the same link you received for your first session.
Dietetic
Dietetic
During your appointment
The dietitian will talk with you about your goals and progress. They will help you create a plan that works for you and address any barriers you feel are affecting your weight loss. During our sessions we encourage small changes to support with sustainable weight loss, better health and improved wellbeing.
Why you have this appointment
For all our pathways, diet and lifestyle are very important. Weight loss medications and surgery are different from other treatments. If barriers to weight loss aren’t identified and supported, these treatments may not work in the long term.
What to expect
There is no judgement during our sessions. If you have struggled, we want to know so we can support you.
What to bring to your appointment
If this is your first session, please think about how the dietitian can help you and what barriers you feel are stopping you from losing weight. Keeping a food diary before your session may be helpful. If you’ve seen our dietitian before, be ready to discuss the progress you’ve made with your previous plan.
Medical
Medical
During your appointment
The doctor may talk to you about your medical history, weight history, weight goals, challenges, eating habits and triggers. The doctor wants to understand your situation fully to help you on your weight loss journey.
Why you have this appointment
It is your opportunity to speak about what treatment may be suitable for you. You will have time to discuss any health conditions with our doctor.
What to expect
The appointment will last about 30 minutes. The doctor will ask you questions in a kind and understanding way.
What to bring to your appointment
If you have already joined your first group session, consider what treatment you would like and why you feel this would suit you. Write down any questions you may have.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy
During your appointment
The physiotherapist may talk to you about your physical health goals, activity levels and any challenges you are facing. They may speak to you about your past injuries and any pain or discomfort you may have.
Why you have this appointment
Why you have this appointment
This appointment may have been suggested after your screening assessment by your clinician, or by our team. Or you may find you need further support following the physical activity session as part of the nutrition and activity groups.
What to expect
Your first appointment will last about 45 minutes. Review appointments may last up to 30 minutes.
What to bring to your appointment
Before your appointment, try to think about your goals. These can be small or big goals. If you have any problems stopping you from reaching these, your physiotherapist can help you.
Mental health assessment
Mental health assessment
During your appointment
The practitioner will have an open conversation with you. This is to help them understand your goals, challenges, and psychological background. They may ask about your eating habits, emotional triggers for eating and your past experiences. The goal is to get a complete understanding of your situation and how it connects to your weight loss journey.
Why you have this appointment
This appointment may have been suggested after your screening assessment, by your clinician or by our team. We may think extra support for your mental wellbeing could help with your weight loss progress. We aim to help you build self-kindness and improve your long-term health.
What to expect
Your first appointment will last around 30 minutes. Our mental health practitioner will make sure the space feels safe, supportive, and non-judgemental. The practitioner may book you in for another appointment or refer you on for further support if needed.
What to bring to your appointment
Consider what mental health support you have found helpful in the past. Think about what support you feel would help you now.
Stress course
Stress course
This course will help you understand how stress impacts on our bodies and behaviours. We will help you to transform your thoughts and feelings around stress and support you to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
When and where?
The course will run on a Wednesday between 09:30am to 3pm.
You will be sent a date for the course. Please contact admin if you cannot make this date otherwise it will go down as a missed appointment.
You will be sent a link for Microsoft Teams so you can join the group from home.
On the day, you will need a pen and paper so that you can join in with the written exercises. There will be small groups of no more than 10 people. It will be a safe space to talk openly with people who are in a similar situation.
How does this course improve stress?
This course is based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). ACT therapy works by accepting life experiences without trying to change, and uses mindful behaviour to do this.
We will help you accept feelings of stress. They should not prevent you from moving forward in your life. It will then be easier to make changes in your behaviour, regardless of what is going on in your life and how you feel.
How does a stress course support weight management?
This course will teach you practical ways to deal with stress. You will use your values to set new actions to help stop the cycle of short-term dieting and motivation. We will show you activities that encourage wellbeing and create a sense of fulfilment so that at the end of our course, you should be able to choose a sustainable, healthier lifestyle.
What do we learn?
We will study five different tools to help manage stress. In turn, these will support your weight management journey.
We will also create action plans for a new, more sustainable way of living.
Remember: You have the power to shape your thoughts and reactions, even in times of stress. We look forward to seeing you!
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Why You Have This Appointment
This appointment might have been suggested by our team if your mental health is a barrier to your weight management.
What to expect
For your first session the CBT therapist will assess which treatment approach might work best for you. This could involve one-to-one sessions or group work. If you’ve already spoken to our CBT therapist, the session will focus on your treatment plan.
How can CBT help?
CBT can help you recognise, question and manage the unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that prevent you meeting your goals.
Within our service, CBT focuses on addressing challenges that may act as barriers to weight loss or maintaining a balanced lifestyle. These challenges may include emotional eating, binge eating, anxiety around exercise, some body image issues, low mood or depression.
What to bring to your appointment
For your first session, think about what you feel the therapist can help you with, and any thoughts or behaviours that might be affecting your weight loss. For follow-up sessions, please bring any completed work or exercises you have agreed to do.
Binge eating disorder (BED) groups
Binge eating disorder (BED) groups
During your appointment
In these group sessions, we will think about the challenges you face with binge eating. You will learn to identify some of the factors that keep you feeling stuck or out of control with food. You will gain tools to help reduce or overcome binge eating.
Why you have this appointment
This appointment has been suggested by your mental health practitioner, or your CBT therapist.
What to expect
The group lasts for 15 weeks, with sessions usually happening once a week. Your CBT therapist will give you the exact dates.
It can be helpful to understand the sorts of things that will be covered in the group, so we have provided a basic guide for you below.
- What is binge eating disorder and programme overview.
- Cues and consequences.
- Thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
- How to challenge and re-structure your thoughts.
- Cues and chains of events.
- Impulsivity, self-control and mood enhancement.
- Body Image.
- Self-esteem.
- Stress management and problem solving.
- Assertiveness.
- Weight management.
- Relapse prevention including exposure to high-risk foods and situations, and long-term planning.
You will have tasks to do at home. These tasks are important. The work you do outside of the sessions will help you be more successful.
How can CBT help?
CBT is an active therapy focused on setting and reaching goals. It helps you recognise, question, and manage the thoughts and behaviours that stop you from reaching your goals. Our group will give you a chance to be in a supportive environment with others who are going through similar challenges.
Psychiatry
Psychiatry
During your appointment
Our clinical psychiatrist is a doctor who helps people with mental health conditions. They may talk to you about your goals, the challenges you face, your weight history, eating habits and triggers. They will also speak to you about your mental health, medical history, and past experiences.
The psychiatrist wants to understand your situation to help you with your weight loss journey.
Why you have this appointment
Our team may have suggested this appointment to give you extra support with your weight loss. We may also need this assessment to make sure you are getting the right treatment for your needs.
What To expect
If you have had psychiatric treatment before or you are having treatment now, these details will be included in the assessment. You may be asked to fill in questionnaires such as an adult eating behaviour questionnaire. This will help us to understand your appetite and eating patterns.
What to bring to your appointment
Be prepared to discuss topics you may find difficult. Please complete any questionnaires sent to you.
