Hi!
I'm very new to all of this as you can probably tell ! I've put on 7 (count them!) stone in the last 2 years since I fell pregnant with my DD going from a size 8 to a size 20. Anyway, new year, new start and I've finally decided to do something about it because frankly it's gone too far now.
I used to be a bit off a fitness freak but that's been seriously neglected, so the aim is to get back onto the fitness bandwagon - anyone else in a similar situation?!

Welcome to the forum! So glad you joined us.
If you are not sure what food plan you are going to follow, there is a ton of information about many different food plans on this site. Pick a plan that fits in your lifestyle and you can follow long term. I chose calorie counting because it is free and flexible. It allows me to eat almost anything I wanted as long as it fits within my calorie range for the day and there are ton of free apps out there to help you track your food.
Give up the sugary drinks and drink lots and lots of water.
Incorporate some exercise into your weekly routine. You do not have to join an expensive gym try to walk more, use the stairs more, download videos off of YouTube or Hulu.com to work out to. There are a lot of things you can to do with spending a ton of money.
Lastly, if you have a bad meal, a bad day, heck, a bad food week. Do NOT let this be a reason to throw in the towel. Get back on track at the next meal. You can do this!!!
Best of luck to you!

Welcome weightyKatie! Love youre username, that's cute.
This is a great site for support & lots of helpful information. There is a thread for almost every kind of plan you could want to try.

I think NEMom's advice to stick with it is the best.

Persistence, not perfection, is the key to long term weight loss success!

KATIE ~ you will love it here; wonderful place with great people & support. There is a UK forum here that you might want to check out; otherwise, just jump right in wherever you like ...

Thankyou everyone! NEMom I think I have the same view as you - calorie counting sounds like the one for me! Thankfully my job means I'm on my feet most of the day and I go to the gym 3 times a week, I'm just not very good at pushing myself, I tend to opt for an easy workout! Thanks again for making me feel so welcome!