Newbie

[Toyga25]

Hi all!

I'm lace and I have joined the forum as I need to lose 5.5 stone. I have tried many times on my own but have failed. Recently I have been diagnosed with really high blood pressure, and the doctors believe that my weight is the main reason. I really need to try and get both weight and blood pressure down on my own as I don't really want to be put on blood pressure tablets if I can help it.

I have always been a more curvy women but recently I have noticed that my weight is becoming uncomfortable; silly things like crossing my legs and bending down have now become a mammoth task.

I'm looking forward to starting my weight loss journey today! Does anybody have any advice for newbies?

L x

[Hidden]

There are some pinned posts for newbies on here.

You could download the NHS 12 week plan and get MyFitnessPal on your phone and start tracking the calories of what you eat.

I use a smaller plate to eat from, it really helps portion control.

Read all the posts on here for ideas and support. You are in the right place!😊

[WeightWarrior]

Hi and welcome! There are a lot of great people here. Some dip in and out at intervals, like myself, and some are here pretty much daily. I have been a member for over a year and I find the support here is incredible. Tubbyteacher couldn't have put it better, there are some pinned posts on the right which have a ton of useful information for "newbies". Welcome and good luck on your journey!

[FATBAR]

hello and good luck, you've made the first step, just take it easy early on

[Pineapple27]

Hi there and welcome Lace. I'm Simone and a newbie too - to this community but not to losing weight...! I have lost 4.5 stone, but regained and then lost again - currently about a stone/1.5 stone more than I want to weigh.

My advice would be to recognise that this isn't going to be something you can achieve in a few months.... it took me 2.5 years to lose my weight, but that worked out at around half a pound a week on average. Many weeks I lost more and many weeks I gained! Life goes on, and you can't be totally 100% on track every single week, especially if you're on holiday, etc.

I'd recommend starting to look at food labelling - especially what constitutes a portion size. I greatly reduced my portion sizes - for example, I now eat 50g (dry weight) of pasta or rice, but pretty certain I'd once have eaten 2.5 times this amount! Although to start off with, the portion size seems measly, you have to remind yourself that is the portion size for an average person who is moderately active. If you don't move about much, if you are short, and if you are more mature (over 35 years), you'll need to eat less to lose.

The other thing I found helpful was to start logging everything that I ate - from a slice of bread, to the butter on it, sauces, snacks, fruit, drinks. This was a real eye opener and I soon realised just why I had gained weight in the first place!

Anyhow, well done for climbing aboard - there'll be lots of support here for you, but you're the only one who can make it happen!