Your first meeting with a Counsellor will establish a number of important factors: whether the time is right - and the programme you should follow.

Timing
Although you may want to manage your weight, this may not be the time: your background – employment, family circumstances; weight history – will all have an impact. You will need the full support of friends and family.

Getting Ready
Use the preparation phase to reduce food intake gradually, especially if you will use ‘Sole Source’ to lose weight. Reduce the levels of carbohydrate, fats and sugar before you start.

Begin 1 or 2 steps above your weight loss programme. For example, if Step 2 (790 kcal) was going to be used for weight loss, start on Step 4 (1200 kcal) for three days, then move down to Step3 (1000 kcal) for four days before starting the weight loss proper.

Gradually increase the amount of water you drink - especially important for those who have a history of constipation.

This kind of structured preparation is far better that the common scenario of starting a diet at 7am on a Monday morning – after one last massive fling over the weekend! This is just about the worse thing anyone could do, because decreasing carbohydrate intake so sharply could lead to withdrawal symptoms, including headaches and can increase tiredness and hunger. It is also very unhelpful because it will load glycogen stores and delay real weight loss.

Get Serious
Making a serious attempt to manage your weight is a big undertaking and represents a huge change in lifestyle. Use this stage to pinpoint the causes of your overweight: record typical daily intake; levels of activity; type of lifestyle – whether your job keeps you confined to a desk, or a car etc.
Your Counsellor will help to identify those factors which can be changed, and will offer the support and motivation to help you decide that now is the time to change.