If you’ve started your weight loss journey or are thinking about it, here’s how to maximise your results using the tools available — and how our team can support you every step of the way.
Learn more about our Weight Management Service or get in touch today to book a consultation.
1. Understand That Weight Loss Is Personal
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to weight loss. Your body, lifestyle, and goals are unique — and that means your approach should be, too.
Our pharmacy-led weight loss service begins with a confidential consultation to understand your current health, eating patterns, and challenges. We then work with you to design a realistic and personalised plan that may include lifestyle coaching and, if clinically appropriate, access to prescription-only medical weight loss treatments.
These injectable medications are used in line with clinical guidelines and are available only after a professional assessment. They’re designed to help regulate appetite, improve blood sugar control, and support longer-term change — when combined with healthy living.
2. Focus on Nutrition, Not Restriction
Eating well doesn’t mean cutting out entire food groups or surviving on salad alone. A balanced diet is key to sustainable weight loss — one that fuels your body, keeps you satisfied, and prevents extreme hunger that can lead to over-eating.
Tips for healthier eating:
Prioritise protein: It helps maintain muscle and keeps you full.
Choose whole foods: Think fruit, vegetables, lean meats, legumes, and whole grains.
Watch portion sizes: Eating too much of anything — even healthy food — can slow progress.
Reduce refined sugar: Excess sugar is linked to weight gain and can disrupt your energy levels.
Target nutrient-rich foods: Foods packed full of vitamins and micronutrients support our bodies at a cellular level, helping us to feel better and more vitalised.
If you’re unsure where to start, we can guide you with simple, practical food advice tailored to your routine and preferences — no complicated meal plans required.
The NHS Eat Well Guide is a great place to explore the basics of balanced eating.
3. Keep Moving — in a Way That Works for You
You don’t have to become a gym enthusiast overnight. Movement matters, but what’s most important is finding physical activity you enjoy and can stick with.
Benefits of regular movement:
Helps burn calories and support fat loss
Improves mood, sleep, and energy
Supports heart and joint health
Boosts self-confidence
Aim to build up to 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, as recommended by the NHS physical activity guidelines. This could be walking, cycling, swimming, or dancing — whatever gets you moving.
At Riverview Pharmacy, we’ll help you set achievable activity goals that fit your schedule and ability, making exercise feel less like a chore and more like a part of your lifestyle that you look forward to.
4. Be Patient — and Track Your Progress Realistically
Weight loss isn’t always linear. Some weeks you might see great results, others might feel slower — and that’s perfectly normal.
Instead of obsessing over the scales, try tracking:
Waist measurements
Energy levels
Fitness progress
Clothing fit
Mood and confidence
These non-scale victories are often a better indication of true health improvement. During your regular check-ins with our team, we’ll review progress holistically and adjust your plan as needed.
5. Use Medical Tools When Appropriate
Sometimes, despite best efforts, weight loss stalls. For those with a BMI over 30, or over 27 with additional risk factors such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, prescription weight loss injections may be appropriate.
These injections are prescribed under supervision and are known to help regulate appetite and promote fullness. While we can’t advertise specific product names due to UK regulations, these medicines are clinically backed, and their use is growing in NHS and private weight management settings alike.
You can read more about how these treatments work on the NHS weight loss medicines page.
At Riverview Pharmacy, we ensure all treatments are:
Clinically appropriate and professionally prescribed
Delivered with full support and monitoring
Only provided after a face-to-face assessment
We’re committed to making your weight loss journey safe, effective, and supported.
6. Don’t Go It Alone
Losing weight is as much a mental journey as a physical one. Emotional eating, stress, poor sleep, and lack of motivation can all affect your results.
Having professional support in your corner can make a huge difference. At Riverview Pharmacy, we offer:
Regular face-to-face check-ins
Motivation and goal-setting advice
Practical strategies for overcoming setbacks
A compassionate, judgement-free environment
You’ll also benefit from continuity of care — you’ll see the same local team each time, not a revolving door of online providers. That trust matters when you’re making lasting changes.
7. Look After Your Whole Health
Weight loss is one part of the picture — but whole-body health is what really matters. As you start losing weight, you may also notice improvements in:
Blood sugar control
Cholesterol and blood pressure
Mobility and joint pain
Mental wellbeing and sleep
In fact, according to Diabetes UK, even 5% weight loss can significantly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improve management of the condition if you already have it.
At Riverview, we can support your broader health through services such as:
Blood pressure checks
Smoking cessation
Ready to Make a Lasting Change?
Whether you’re just starting your weight loss journey or looking to get more out of your current plan, Riverview Pharmacy is here to help. We combine clinical knowledge with real-world advice, so you get the support that fits your life — not someone else’s.
📍 Based in Sunderland
🕒 Flexible appointments
🧑⚕️ Professional, personalised care
🌐 Contact us now to book your consultation
Or visit our services page to explore how we can support your health more broadly.
Change doesn’t happen overnight — but with the right guidance, it does happen.
Let Riverview Pharmacy be part of your success story.
Whether you’re picking up prescriptions, exploring our wide range of over-the-counter products, or seeking guidance on specific conditions, our team is here to support you every step of the way.
Browse our services