This is me...

[LucyMay1998]

Hey! New here!

I'm a traveller and in the 6 months I've been away I've gone from 12 stone to approx 15&1/2. lots of my clothes don't fit anymore, when I came here I had no stretch marks and now they cover my stomach and even my upper arms; this makes me feel really self conscious! so this is me trying to change my life around! I have another 5/6 months before I go home and I want to lose at least all the weight I have gained.

My biggest weakness by far is my lack of cooking skills and my love for junk.

[Minniewinny 5 stone Maintainer]

Hi LucyMay1998 and welcome

Take a look at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), or in the drop down on the 'Posts' page (it says 'arrange by'). Read the Welcome Newbie thread, then 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 (can be found in the pinned Newbie post) 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 😊

To the right of the HOME page (bottom on a mobile), you'll find Events. In there, you'll find links to our daily Weigh-in's (you will choose just one day per week), our Daily Diary, where we post our menu and exercise plans, for accountability, advice and support - which is great to get ideas of what other people are eating and I have to confess to nicking some of their menu's and our “What's happening today” thread, where we pop in for a chat.

Be aware, that the HU app doesn't give you access to all of our important features, so we advise that you use the full website page

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 😊

Cheering you to success to reach your goals 🎉🎉🎉

[Hidden]

Wishing you all the best on your weight loss journey Minniewinny has given you some great advice

Have a look at the NHS 12 week plan, as many people have had success with it. Also use the BMI checker (a link to this can be found in the Welcome Newbies thread ) 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 😊

[James40Cheshire]

So the good news is that the time you have left here is enough for you to get rid of the weight. However, for you to do it you need to ditch the junk. There are loads of ideas on here for what you can eat, so get involved and give it a go. Good luck with it. James

[Hidden]

Hi and welcome. You are so lucky to have the opportunity to learn to cook. I wish I was in your position. You have no 'bad' cooking methods to unlearn. You can start from scratch. Healthy choices, healthy methods all the way. Take a stickybeak at the BBC good food website, the recipes are simple to follow, the calories counted for you and the ingredients can be as healthy and cheap as you'd like. If you get a mo, check out Rachel Khoo and her smallest restaurant in Paris. With minimal tools, pots, pans etc and in the tiniest of spaces, with one gas ring and a mini oven, she has managed to top the 'must eat at ' list.

Best of luck.