Hi chocolategirl, Well done on your weight loss so far. Dr James has given you some good advice, but just to add a little to this. In terms of calories, I would suggest that for your age, current weight (12st) and activity level a daily calorie aim of around 1600 - 1800 would be more realistic for y...

Hi Mrs Smith, I completely agree with Dr James that you need to aim to lose weight slowly - this is much healthier and more sustainable. It is about re-educating yourself for the longer term rather than being "on a diet" per se. And to do this you will have to cut the calories - but you ca...

Hi ellie - thanks for your question. Body fat percentage or hip to waist ratio are not measures that I use on a regular basis in NHS clinical practice, but there are guidelines on these measures. In general for a woman healthy body fat percentage is thought to be around 25 - 31%, but it does go up w...

Hi numberonesuperguy, This is a really big question and not one that is easily answered. I am also unclear about your starting point and what level of knowledge you currently have about nutrition and food, as this will influence where you should go to. In terms of weight loss it remains a fact that ...

Hi Miranda, Well done for getting in touch - you have made the first step on your weight loss journey. I don't know exactly what weight you are at present so I have made a few assumptions. You say you want to lose 9 stone. At 5'5" a weight of 68kg (or 10st 10lbs) would give you a healthy Body M...

Hi Jenny1 - WOW - how well have you done!! What you have acheived is fantastic and you should be incredibly proud of yourself. From your post I don't know what weight you are now, or what you BMI is. Often people who have been quite overweight find it really hard to achieve or maintain a BMI in what...

Hi Cheryl, Further to the advice already given by you asked about how many calories to aim for. I would suggest that if you aim for 1500 - 1700 this should result in slow steady weight loss, without making you feel too hungry. Try to set yourself some goals to work towards. I would especially sugges...

Thank you for your thoughts - most interesting. Denise

Many thanks for your response - I know these things are never simple. Can I just make a further comment - in that there are often comments (including on this forum) saying that there is no such thing as 'safe exposure to the sun'. This appears to directly contradict the advice on vitamin D and sun e...

Hi Moonshine, I think Maradie has given you some really fantastic advice. Yes diabetes is a bit of a pain, but the side effects of uncontrolled diabetes are even more of a pain. Your boyfriend is so young, and he still has his whole life ahread of him. I remember someone once saying to me that they ...