Newbie here

[Nikib12]

Hi all, I'm new to this group, but not new to dieting. I've tried and failed countless times! But I'm going to really give the 12 week plan a go. I almost have no choice. I'm also going to start the couch to 5k too. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated as I've got roughly 7 stone that needs to go! Thankyou

[HubbysMissMouse]

Hi there Nikib12 one thing I would like to recommend to you as it is a mistake I made for years and many others do as well is not eating enough calories to be able to lose weight. I only ate around 1000cals a day as I thought eating less would make me lose more weight faster but this is not actually the case. If you don't eat enough calories to be able to lose weight properly your body thinks you are starving it and turns what you do 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. Check how many calories you should be eating daily on the NHS bmi calculator as this gives you the two amounts you should eat between to lose weight safely. A member of the administrators will be along shortly to give you advice on how to use the forum that is great to use. The people here are very friendly so you have made a great choice joining here, I love it. Good luck with your journey.

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello Nikib12 and welcome to the Weight Loss Forum

The best advice I can give you is EAT ENOUGH CALORIES. You can find your own personal calorie target on the NHS BMI checker. Eating too little in the mistaken view you will lose fat faster is the single biggest cause of weight loss failure 😊

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

[Nikib12 7lbs]

Hi hubbysmissmouse and anna61, I've already checked my calories according to BMI and was really surprised! I can have between 1844 and 2370! This seems very high? What would you recommend I set my target too?

[VickyDLM 2 stone in reply to Nikib12]

Hi Nikib12,

I would say eat as much as you can because as you lose weight the allowance will go down. If you've started off too low you won't have anywhere to go! I usually aim for within 100 cals or so of my lower limit. But my body will lose about 2lbs a week around there without feeling hungry, other people will be slower or aim for nearer the middle or top. It's really what works best for you and keeps you feeling satisfied as it's not going to work if you're really hungry all the time!

Good luck!

[Hidden]

Good luck and welcome to the community!

[blackbeauty99]

Hi Nikib12 and welcome

WIshing you all the best with your weight loss journey