Managing your weight
Being overweight can lead to health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. Being underweight could also affect your health.
As well as staying active, eating well will also help keep your weight in check. For example:
- Eat a balanced diet based on the eatwell plate.
- Drink plenty of water. Aim for six to eight glasses of water (or other fluids) a day to prevent dehydration. When the weather is warm or when we get active, we may need more. But avoid soft and fizzy drinks that are high in added sugars.
- Drink less alcohol. It is high in calories, and if you are pregnant it can be harmful to your baby. Learn more about safe drinking.
- Don’t skip breakfast – it doesn’t help you lose weight. In fact, eating breakfast can help people control their weight. A healthy breakfast is an important part of a balanced diet, and provides some of the vitamins and minerals we need for good health. Wholegrain cereal with semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk with fruit sliced over the top is a tasty and nutritious breakfast.
Follow our advice on healthy eating and healthy eating in pregnancy.
For more information:
NHS Choices (England)
Change4Life(Wales)
Birth to five (Northern Ireland)
