Getting Started

[rose268]

Hi guys, I am about to start my weight loss journey (again!) and as a food lover I am absolutely dreading it....the hunger and deprivation! Any tips? I am lactose intolerant and very badly menopausal at the moment.....thanks

[Ceals]

Welcome rose268 This is an amazing forum to be part of. Lots of people on here have different areas of concern but we are all trying to get to, or maintain, a desired weight. As you get to know us, and share experiences with us, you will find what a super supportive bunch we are and that we don't pass judgements.

Here are a few suggestions about how to get the most out of the forum. If you are using the new HU App (helpful when you are out and about), many of these features are not available so I suggest you use the full website version.

The first place to look is at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), read the Welcome Newbie thread first and move through to the challenges, where we hope you'll find at least one that will appeal to you.

Move down to the Topics, to find a variety of threads, collated into topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news, and you will have important news to share.

Have a look at the NHS 12 week plan, as many people have had success with it. Also use the BMI checker to find your target calories, it's important to eat enough. This can be a major turning point, realising you can eat anything as long as the calories are accounted for. Don't forget to take your starting measurements and a 'before' picture, as they can be very motivating on days that the scales refuse to co-operate, that happens to me regularly!

The forum also has group weigh-ins every day, as well as a Daily Diary, if you wish to take part. The posts can always be found in the Events section on the 'home' page.

If you just want to chat, to say hello or share any news or struggles then look out for What's Happening Today thread. There are many other challenges to get involved with, just choose what you are comfortable with.

You'll notice a grey box next to people's names, these are achievement badges, and as a new member you have a 'Newbie' badge. We've found that to get the best out of this community, we need to be active on the forum, as it's where we exchange information, get motivation and inspiration and make friends. We hope that you'll join us here, regularly, too.

If you have any questions please just ask.

The more you join in and connect with people the more you get out of the forum.

I wish you well as you get started with a new lifestyle.

Ceals

[Hidden]

Hi and welcome

Wishing you all the best on your journey

[Water_baby]

Hello, I am also a person that is on and off diets. The one thing I have learnt that you should never let yourself go hungry as you choose the wrong foods. Go for fruit in between meals and drink lots of water it is 0 calories and it can increase your metabolism. Getting active for 30 mins or more each day is good and it takes your mind off food.

Good luck with your journey, I am sure you will do very well.

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello rose268 😊

You sound like me, menopausal and always hungry!! Lol 😂

The good news is that current dietary advice suggests that cutting calories too low is detrimental to fat loss, instead a small calorie deficit is advised, so please check your own personal calorie target using the NHS BMI checker.

And read all the suggestions made by Ceals 😊

Best wishes

Anna

[Tiggerr]

Hi rose268 and welcome.

Well done for starting your journey and good luck to you.

Your next steps shouldn't be about 'deprivation'. You can still eat and drink the same things you currently do by applying portion control within a calorie limit.

By following the NHS 12 week plan that Ceals has already mentioned, you will find lots of tips and techniques for mitigating the feelings of 'hunger' (drinking plenty of water, keeping the mind and body busy, having low cal healthy snacks to hand).

Wishing you all the best!

[13Valerie]

Welcome rose268 and good for you starting again. Share what you've overcome and take support from the forum. Best wishes and looking forward to seeing your name popping up and following your progress

[Girlyghosthunter]

Hi rose268

Well done for starting again and I agree with some other comments, don't think of it a deprivation. I am on school holidays and get the bored at home munchies because 6 weeks out of routine is not good. I am making no changes to what i eat, I am sticking to what I normally have for breakfast, lunch if I was at work and evening meal. I have bought no "special foods" I am sticking to my normal shop and cooking my normal meals. However I am weighing everything and eating smaller portions instead of "guesstimating" Counting calories is so easy with the checker and labels. I think at my age of 46 I have to admit too that my metabolism is changing and I am thinking three stone now is better than try to lose six stone later on.....

you made the first step and you will succeed!

[Sun_seeker]

Hi rose268

I, like you, love my food and not only that but I love cooking too - not a good combination - but I can honestly say that since joining this forum I never felt deprived and if I feel hungry between meals I have a drink (water, squash, tea or coffee) and if that still doesn't work then there is always fruit in the house (it is surprising how an apple 🍎 can really take the edge off).

I still eat what I like (but try to make lower fat versions) and as long as I weigh everything and stay within my daily allowance range I am happy with my modest weight loss (3.7kilos in 5 weeks, I think that is about 8lbs).

The only thing I really had a problem with (and still struggle a bit with) is actually eating enough calories - so my only real advice is check your calorie range on the NHS website BMI calculator and try not to under eat. My range is from about 1650 to 2075 (30kilos to lose) and for last month my average worked out at 1640 a day. The week I was well under I lost the least weight.

Wishing you a wonderful, tasty and hunger free journey towards your weight loss target 🙂🙂🙂

[rose268 in reply to Sun_seeker]

Thankyou and I agree about the apples!

[RG07 Maintainer]

I am like rose268 love food and cooking and follow the NHS weight loss plan and have only occasionally felt hungry. I was always reluctant to go on adiet since I felt I was depriving myself, but with the calorie counting I find I am eating what I used to but having a more balanced diet so not eating 2 heavy in calorie meals in a day and then on other days I am not having 2 low calorie meals so feel hungry and get tempted to eat crisps- my food nemesis! Good luck- if you do feel hungry try drinking a couple of glasses of water- since sometimes we think we are hungry but we are actually thirsty!

[HubbysMissMouse]

Hi there, welcome to the forum, you don't need to dread this, I believe you have done a wonderful thing by letting yourself start and also you will get lots of support on here and more than you know. You have had brilliant advice so far and I am really pleased for you. Do make sure you eat somewhere in between your calorie allowance that is best found on the NHS bmi calculator as this is personal to you and many of the other sites tend to give us average amounts instead. This is because I never used to eat enough calories and tended to always put weight on instead and never got anywhere because my body thought I was starving it and turned what I did eat into body fat and this weighs more than eating the extra calories does so it stops you from losing weight and sometimes puts weight on instead. As soon as I ate enough calories for me to lose weight my weight dropped and I have now lost 2 1/2st.

I use MyFitnessPal to add up my calories and this is something that gets easier the more you use it and you can also use it to scan the barcode which will then give you the information and you just have to work out the weight of what you are using then put this in instead. Good luck with your journey and all the best.

[rose268 in reply to HubbysMissMouse]

Thankyou so much and yes I remember my fitness pal tgat is very good!

[HubbysMissMouse]

The site is good but I found the target of MyFitnessPal was very low. Best to use the target of NHS bmi calculator but put it into mfp to add it up, this is what I was trying to suffers but looks like I made a mistake so sorry for this. When I tried to use mfp target I was getting nowhere because of the starving etc.

[rose268 in reply to HubbysMissMouse]

Do you mean low in that the calories target was low?

[HubbysMissMouse]

Yes the calorie amounts it advises is low and many have trouble with losing weight when following this sites amounts, including myself, but as soon as I followed NHS bmi calculator things changed and I lost weight.