KindEating

Your referral to the weight management service will be received by and triaged by the Level 2 Adult Weight Management team as this is the entry point for all patients who wish to engage with the adult weight management service. The KindEating programme is the first step, patients cannot be referred directly to the Level 3 Service.

The KindEating programme is a 12-week group programme led by a specialist weight management dietitian and a Dietetic Assistant. The programme consists of twelve 1-hour sessions delivered weekly on the same day and time each week, depending on the group you join. The groups usually have around 10-14 participants who also share the goal of wanting to lose weight. After completing the course, you’ll be offered continued group support for up to one year in the form of three follow-up group sessions.

You can take part in a KindEating programme either in person at venues across North Wales, or online through Microsoft Teams. Sessions are available at various times during the day, and online groups are also offered in the early evening.

The KindEating programme is designed to provide you with the tools, support, and strategies to help you work towards sustainable weight loss, with a strong focus on your health and wellbeing.

We understand that losing weight isn’t just about knowing what to do – it’s also about knowing how to put it into practice. Each session aims to cover something different, ranging from diet and lifestyle changes, to your mindset and mental wellbeing. These sessions are designed to help you with understanding your behaviours and habits around food to support you in building long-lasting, healthy habits.

We routinely offer group programmes as this provides the most effective support and gives participants the chance to build healthier habits over time. Group programmes work best when people contribute to discussions and share ideas to support each other. However, if you prefer just to listen and apply the ideas in your own life until you feel comfortable, then this is also acceptable.

There is no “right way” when it comes to losing weight - what works for one person may not work for someone else. That’s why it’s important to make changes that work for you. It’s not just about what you know, but also how you use that knowledge to help you make changes that suit you and your lifestyle.

Weight loss isn’t something that happens by accident. It is not enough to just attend the sessions you also need to make changes in your daily life.

We expect that you will:

• Understand that only you can make changes. We’re here to support you by providing evidence-based information and strategies, but it is up to you to take what you’ve learned and apply it to your own life.
• Ask your dietitian for help if you are struggling – we are here to help you - with absolutely no judgement. You can either ask your question in the group, or if you would rather have some privacy, you can speak with your dietitian to arrange a time to talk with them, or you can email us.
• Understand that this is a long-term process – Our 12-week programme is just the beginning. You will need to maintain the changes you make if you wish to continue losing weight or wish to maintain your progress.    
• Prioritise some time to establish new habits – We understand that your life is busy, but weight loss isn’t something that happens without any effort from your side. It must be something you actively spend some time working on if you want to make progress.

Losing weight doesn’t happen overnight. Our programme is designed to help support you on your way towards long-term, sustainable weight loss.

We recommend aiming to reduce your weight by around 1-2lbs (0.5-1kg) per week, but this can vary from person to person. How much weight you lose depends on many factors, such as how ready you are to make changes, how engaged you are with the programme, the changes you make along the way, and asking for help if you need it.

It is certainly possible. While there are great benefits to being physically active, we understand that many people do struggle with being physically active. If physical activity is difficult for you, focusing on making changes to your diet becomes even more important.

Although weight loss can be more challenging without physical activity, it is still very possible if you are able to pay very close attention to your dietary choices.

We understand that being weighed can be uncomfortable for some people. Monitoring your weight is a helpful way to check whether the changes you’re making are working, or whether we need to adjust things. We ask you to keep a weekly record of your weight and share it with us. During our face-to-face groups, your dietitian will bring scales and can help you to measure your weight. This is done confidentially away from the group and your weight is not discussed with anybody else. In our online groups, we ask that you weigh yourself at home and email your weight to us each week.

We don’t provide meal plans. Instead, the KindEating programme gives you the knowledge and tools to make flexible changes to your diet and to create your own meal plans that suit your preferences and lifestyle. Meal plans can sometimes feel restrictive and are often difficult to maintain long term. Your energy (calorie) needs also change as you lose weight, so a fixed meal plan would not be suitable for you over time.

To get the most from the programme, we strongly recommend that you attend all sessions. Those who attend more sessions and are more engaged get the most benefit from the programme, often leading to more progress overall. Of course, we understand that sometimes other things in life can get in the way, and if you must miss a session, we just ask that you let us know.

Following the completion of the KindEating programme, we hope that you will be able to continue with the positive changes you have made throughout your time with us so that you continue moving towards your goals.

If you complete the KindEating programme, you will be invited to opt-in to up to three catch-up sessions after three, six and nine months from when the programme ended. The aim of these sessions is to give you further, ongoing support and provide an opportunity to check in with a dietitian and other group members. It allows us to see how things are going with you, to help keep you on track with changes you’ve made, or to help you with further changes you would like to make if things aren’t quite going to plan.

If appropriate, you may also be offered the opportunity to book an individual review appointment with a Dietitian to consider the next steps.

As your dietitians and facilitators, you can expect that:

• We will do our best to help support and guide you through our programme in a completely non-judgemental way.
• We will provide you with the tools you need to make long-lasting change.
• We will focus on small, sustainable changes rather than drastic quick fixes.
• We will respect your choices around what changes you are able to/willing to make at that time.
• We will maintain confidentiality.
• The information we share is easy to understand and delivered in a way that helps you make changes to your own life.
• The information we share is evidence-based and that your dietitians regularly update their knowledge with recent developments in research.
• You will be given the opportunity, if you wish, to share things with the group such as tips or experiences.

The Level 2 Adult Weight Management Service is not able to provide any weight loss medications.

People buying weight loss medications privately can still benefit from the KindEating programme.  It is important that people are aware that weight regain is common when medication is stopped and that establishing new healthy habits is essential. 

Weight loss medications (GLP-1 agonists) are only available on NHS prescription from the Level 3 Specialist Weight Management Service (SWMS) in very limited circumstances for those with the most serious clinical need due to limited capacity within the team.

Patients will only be considered for referral on to the Level 3 SWMS to be considered for weight loss medication after successfully completing a core KindEating programme if they have a BMI over 45kg/m², alongside having two metabolic comorbidities and/or a need to lose weight prior to an essential operation.  This can be discussed at an individual review appointment if appropriate.

Please discuss with your dietitian if you have any questions.

The Level 3 Specialist Weight Management Service (SWMS) supports and guides patients who wish to be referred for weight loss surgery.

Weight loss surgery is a big step and the journey on this pathway is very long.

Patients will only be considered for referral on to the Level 3 SWMS after successful completion of the KindEating programme for potential consideration of weight loss surgery if they have a BMI over 45kg/m²

Please speak with your dietitian if you require further information.

The KindEating programme addresses many of the behavioural change aspects of weight management, and direct access to psychology is not available at level 2.  If you are concerned about disordered eating, please let your Dietitian know.

There is limited access to a clinical psychologist in the level 3 service. Psychology support might be via a group. This work would focus on:

• Addressing psychological barriers to weight loss – such as trauma, depression, anxiety
• Guiding you to use better psychological tools, where food is used as a coping mechanism or emotional regulation strategy.
• Coping after bariatric surgery.
• Addressing problematic eating patterns related to excess weight, such as binge eating.

If you require mental health support for other aspects of your health and wellbeing please speak to your GP.

Patients will only be considered for referral on to the level 3 SWMS following successful completion of KindEating to access support from a psychologist if they have a BMI over 45kg/m².

Please feel free to get in touch either by calling 03000 846 995 or emailing us at BCU.DieteticsAdultWeightMgt@wales.nhs.uk