A quick Hello!

[Shellington]

Hi everyone, I have just signed up so thought i'd just leave here a little bit about me. I am Michelle, 30, from Devon. I'm married with 2 young children. I have been suffering hugely with my mental health for the last few years and although I was massively overweight before, I put on 6 stone since the birth of my son almost 3 years ago. In November last year I decided enough was enough and I started to lose weight slowly and steadily, so far I have lost just over 4 stone but, now i'm stuck here and have been for some time. My doctor recommended this site to me this morning and so I've come in the hope that I will receive some motivation, support and maybe even make a few friends living a similar journey. I look forward to reading some posts and getting to know you Thanks for reading <3

[James40Cheshire]

Hi Michelle and welcome. One of the fantastic admins will be along soon with the proper welcome shortly. What a fantastic result with your loss to date, you should be very proud of yourself. Take a look at the information in the official welcome message and see what you think will work for you. If you need any advice at any time just ask away. There is a great mix of people with varied experiences on here. I am sure that you will get past 4 stone very soon. Good luck. James

[Shellington in reply to James40Cheshire]

Thankyou James (great name BTW..my son is called James haha). I actually struggle to be happy with my weightloss to date when I am still huge and the doctors keep telling me I need to do more, but the encouragement I undoubtedly will receive on here i'm sure will boost my self esteem and confidence

[James40Cheshire in reply to Shellington]

I know exactly what you mean. I am 5 stone down with 5 to go. Sometimes it feels impossible but then I look at all the positives get my head back in gear, set the next target and crack on. Breaking it into small chunks really helps. I aim at 7 pound steps and reward myself with a non food item each time. Give that a try if you think it will work for you.

[Janecad in reply to Shellington]

Hi Michelle.

You'll get lots of support on here, nothing judgemental, just all the advice and help you need from people of all ages in the same or similar boat to you. IF you have a quiet time ( with those beautiful children) read through the site come back on and ask anything at all someone always has an answer. It's working for me though I have a long way to go, this time I know I'll get there. 🌷

[Shellington in reply to Janecad]

Love this! Thank you and well done on your weight loss too x

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Shellington]

It's impossible to lose FAT any faster than 1-2 lbs a week Shellington

Unfortunately most GPs are out of touch with current Dietiticans advice, which is to have a calories deficit of sufficient amount to lose a little fat each week, but not too big a deficit or your body clings to fat as if it's a famine. 😊

[Shellington in reply to IndigoBlue61]

That is really good advice, thank you. If I lose 1 or 2 pounds I always feel disheartened, so this will be good to remember x

[Salcheq 1kg]

Hi Michelle, welcome, it is a great place here, my advice, stick with it, read and post on the forum regularly, there are truly lovely, supportive and helpful people here. What a lovely picture of your family - beautiful!

[Shellington in reply to Salcheq]

Aw thank you so much. I look forward to seeing what this forum will bring for me. It seems like a great place to keep the motivation going x

[Ruby86]

Hello, I think u have done an amazing job on losing the four stone so don't be too hard on yourself, this only will make you feel depressed and therefore bad habits will start creeping in...let's not do that. Also sometimes your body adapts to the change and is use to what you have been doing. Maybe try some different excersise routines or toning excersises as this builds muscle which helps you burn more calories. Always drink plenty of water. Just keep thinking positive and with the support from here I'm sure you will succeed.

[Shellington in reply to Ruby86]

Thank you Ruby, very encouraging <3 x

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello Shellington and welcome to the Weight Loss Forum

What a lovely photo and very well done on your weight loss ss far!

Here are a few suggestions on how to get the most out of the forum. Please note if you are using the new HU App 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 specific topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news

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 was a major turning point for me, realising I could eat anything I wanted 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

The forum also have group weigh-ins every day, as well as a new Daily Diary, if you wish to take part. The posts can always be found in the Events section on the 'home' page. And if you just want to chat, to say hello or share any news or struggles then look out for What's Happening Today thread.

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

Best wishes

Anna

[Shellington in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thank you Anna, thats great info. Will take a look around a bit more later on when the kids are in bed. I enjoy a challenge x

[Hidden]

Welcome! Good luck to you.