You will notice that the drop down list of goal weights also shows what percentage weight loss this constitutes in brackets. The system doesn't allow you to select more than 20% weight loss in one go – hence why you can't go lower as this is the maximum. Once you start losing weight, the drop down will allow you reset your target to be a lower amount.

When entering your weight loss target, we recommend that you set smaller steps of either of 10% or half a stone rather than going for the full amount. This is far more motivating that just focusing on a final goal weight which can seem a distant and daunting challenge, particularly if you have a lot of weight to lose.

When you reach a weight loss milestone of 10%, we recommend that you go back and update your Profile. (It doesn't update automatically because many members prefer to be in control of when they change it). To reset your target:

In the app

Go to Progress > Edit > green RESET button.

On the website

Go to Profile > Personal details, then manually enter your new starting weight and click the green + Update button at the bottom the page.

You should be aiming to lose 1-2lbs per week. This is safe, sensible and importantly it is more likely you will keep the weight off. It is not unusual to lose at a rate of more than 2lbs a week in the first few weeks – especially if you have a fair amount to lose. But this will level off, and what you are looking for is an average of 2lbs per week over the duration that you are losing weight.

Our system sets sensible calorie targets that allow for a balanced diet and are sustainable. The lowest our system will automatically set as an ongoing target is 1,400 cals a day on the expert advice of our consultant Dr Campbell. In his experience, trying to stick to a lower target for any length of time results in a higher drop out rate – your diet becomes much more restrictive and therefore harder to sustain. The secret of success is to maintain a reduced calorie intake over a period of time. This approach is far more likely to result in weight loss success – and importantly long term maintenance.

Very low calorie regimes and crash diets may initially result in a big weight drop, but initial weight loss will be largely water (especially in low carb regimes), and you will also risk losing lean muscle mass, sometimes even from areas such as heart muscle which has a potentially hazardous effect on helath. Losing muscle also has the effect of increasing the proportion of fat in the body – which has a negative effect on metabolic rate (muscle being a more metabolically active tissue than fat).

Plus drastic food reduction causes the body to go into 'preserve' mode and become more efficient about calorie usage, your weight loss won't ever go into reverse if you lower your calorie intake drastically, but you will get into a situation of ever decreasing returns in which your weight loss becomes less efficient. In other words the extra pain involved in terms of hunger / risk of nutritional deficiency etc is not worth it matched against the only small benefit you get in terms of extra weight lost. And when you do return to eating normally, your body will want to grab hold of the extra food and store it in case of another lean period! So the overall effect is a slowing of metabolic rate, increase in overall percentage body fat and less efficiency at losing weight!

It sounds like stating the obvious, but weight loss should essentially be fat loss with minimal loss from other sources like water and muscle. Effective 'weight loss' is all about gradual reduction – this way it will be mainly body fat.

Go to Progress > tap the menu in the top left corner > Link Weight Data > tap Set Permissions and allow all permissions.

Please note it is only possible to link your weighing scales on an iPhone, as we pull the data from the Apple Health app (which isn't available on iPads).

We do not automatically reset your targets. As you lose weight, we recommend updating your weight in your Profile to ensure your calorie allowance is recalculated accordingly. We suggest making these changes after every 10-14lbs you lose.

To update your weight follow the steps below:

In the app

1. Tap on Progress followed by Edit in the top right corner of the screen.
2. Select the green Reset button.
3. Follow the steps to check your Profile settings and update your current weight to match your most recent weigh-in.

On the website

1. Go to your Profile > Personal details
2. Click the box to update your weight.
3. Scroll down and click the green + Update button.

Your calorie allowance will then be recalculated where necessary and all your weight loss history to date will remain visible.

First and foremost don't give up! It's really frustrating to feel that you're sticking to your targets and the scales aren't moving, but the weight WILL come off if you keep going.

Here's a few things to check that may help:

1. Are you honestly entering everything you are eating and drinking? If yes, then check that you are being accurate with the portion sizes. It's very easy to eat more than you think of certain foods unless you weigh them. Examples are potatoes, pasta, rice, cereal, bread, cheese etc. The other source of 'hidden' calories is dressings and spreads, so make sure that you count these too (initially measure them out until you get a visual idea of how much a 'serving' is).
2. Don't be too impatient. Remember losing weight happens slowly over a period of time and so it's unrealistic to expect it to drop off overnight. If you are achieving a weight loss of half to one pound per week, that's good as you are far more likely to sustain it. Remember that for every pound lost you are one nearer to your goal.
3. Are you increasing your activity level? It is really important to try and 'up' your exercise level to achieve the calorie deficit required to lose weight. To lose 1lb a week you need to create a calorie deficit of between 500-600 calories a day. The best way to do this is through a combination of eating less and increasing your exercise level. The exercise part is not just important to burn extra calories while you are doing it, but it will also help to change your body's composition over time. As you start to lose the fat and build more muscle, it has a positive effect on your metabolism because muscle is an active tissue that will burn calories just by being there – as opposed to fat which doesn't.
4. Also remember that weight loss rarely follows an exact pattern. Rather than following a steady downwards curve, it is more often a series of stops and starts. So don't expect to lose exactly the same amount every week as it may be that one week you lose 3lbs and the next 1lb – it is down to your individual body. As long as you are consistently getting a green tick in your Week View, then your overall weight loss trend will be downwards, even if the odd week has a blip!
5. When it comes to your 'weigh-in', tempting as it is to jump on the scales every day(!), try to only weigh yourself once a week. And it is important that you follow the same 'weigh-in' routine to ensure that the weight you read is more easily compared to the previous week. So weigh yourself on the same scales, at the same time of day and after the same routine.
6. The hardest part of losing weight is getting started. It seems like a hard slog BUT when the weight does start to come off– and it WILL if you stick to your calorie targets and increase your activity level – it is motivation in itself to stick with the plan! You've made the commitment to try our service, so giving up would be a real shame as you've done the hard bit just by getting started.

Weight entries from Apple Health will sync from the date you set permissions, and update whenever you visit the Progress section in the Nutracheck app. Data does not currently sync in the background, you need to go into the Progress section for your latest weight to be pulled in.

Congratulations on hitting your goal weight! The good news is, you can now start to increase the number of calories you are eating – but it is advisable to do this gradually, and make sure you keep weighing in regularly.

The recommended daily number of calories recommended for an 'average' female is 1,950 per day and 2,500 for a male. Of course 'average' varies a lot – and your age, height, activity levels and lifestyle will all have a bearing. Nutracheck will set a guideline maintenance figure for you based on your personal details.

Go back to your Profile and select the option for 'Maintain Weight'. If it feels like a big jump up from your weight loss target, then increase your calorie allowance slowly – adding say 150 extra calories each week. Keep weighing in and recording your weight in your 'Progress' chart. Finding the right number of calories to not gain and not lose takes a little trial and error. It's quite normal that your weight will fluctuate from week to week, so we recommend setting yourself an upper limit of 3lbs – 5lbs above your goal weight that you will not allow yourself to exceed. If you hit this upper limit, immediately switch back to weight loss until you've lost the extra pounds. There's a saying – "watch the pounds, the stones will take care of themselves".

At this point it might be tempting to think you don't need the App or website any more, but we suggest you keep using it – especially during the initial stages of maintenance. It can be tough to go it alone straight away – many people find they miss the 'high' of losing weight and other people commenting on their loss, so getting support from the forum community can really help too. So we'd encourage you to keep using Nutracheck until you feel confident that you are comfortably maintaining.

Your previous weight history may have disappeared if you have recently reset your start weight in the Progress section. You just need to change the date of your start weight back to what it was originally.

To do this, tap on Progress in the bottom menu bar. Tap Edit in the top right corner followed by the orange Reset button – confirm your original start weight and start date, and your previous weight history will display again.

If you wish to update your Profile weight to recalculate your calorie allowance, follow these steps:

1. Tap on Progress followed by Edit in the top right corner of the screen.
2. Select the green Reset button.
3. Follow the steps to check your Profile settings and set your new weight.

Your calorie allowance will then be recalculated where necessary and all your weight loss history to date will remain visible.

Your weight entries are pulled from your Apple Health app so the entry you wish to delete needs to be removed from Apple Health. Synced weight entries cannot be updated or deleted in the Nutracheck app.

To remove an entry, open the Apple Health app and tap Browse (bottom right) > Body Measurements > Weight.

Your rosettes may have disappeared if you have recently reset your start weight in the Progress section. You just need to change the date of your start weight back to what it was originally.

To do this, tap on Progress in the bottom menu bar. Tap Edit in the top right corner then the orange Reset button at the top – confirm your original start weight and start date, and your rosettes will display again.

If you wish to update your Profile weight to recalculate your calorie allowance, follow these steps:

1. Tap on Progress followed by Edit in the top right corner of the screen.
2. Select the green Reset button.
3. Follow the steps to check your Profile settings and set your new weight.

Your calorie allowance will then be recalculated where necessary.

Open the Apple Health app and tap your Profile icon (top right corner) > Apps under Privacy > Calorie Counter + app. Scroll down and turn the toggle off for Weight.

Each week we suggest you log your current weight to keep a track of your progress. To do this, please follow the steps below:

In the app

1. Go to Progress from the menu at the bottom of the screen and tap the orange Weigh-in button.
2. Enter your weight into the box(es) provided and select the date you would like this to be added to.

On the website

1. Hover over Progress at the top of the page and click Weigh in now!
2. Enter your weight into the Add new weight box(es), select the date you would like this to be added to and click the blue + Private Weigh In for this to be recorded in your weight tracker.
3. You can also use the green + Club Weigh in to record your weight and see other members progress to encourage each other. It's like a class weigh-in, only virtual!

If you have more than one weight entry in your Progress, your weight lost/gained will be automatically calculated.

Yes, you can track 13 measurements alongside weight: BMI, waist, chest, hips, thigh, calf, upper arm, clothes size, neck, % body fat, % muscle mass and % body water.

In the app

Go to Progress and scroll across the carousel at the top of page to select a different weight measurement and make an entry. Or tap the menu icon in the top left corner to switch between the different measurements.

On the website

Go to Progress and select a measurement from the panel on the left to record a new entry.

In the app

1. Tap More > My Profile & Account. Now tap Edit at the top right and follow each screen to change your Start Weight. Or you can also do this by going to Progress > Edit > green RESET button.
2. Go to Progress and tap Edit at the top right. Now tap the orange RESET start weight button and update your start weight and date.

On the website

1. Go to your profile and select the Personal Details tab. Enter your correct start weight and then reset your goal weight further down the page. (Remember we advise that you set your targets in steps that are no more than a 10% loss). Then press + Update to correct your Profile. This will update your daily calorie target and also reset your goal weight date automatically.
2. Now click on the Weigh-in tab and click on the My Weight Tracker link, then click on Show Barchart and select Show Data from the drop down. This will display weight entries as text rather than a bar chart view. To delete previous weight records, click on the grey dustbin next to each one. (You will need to remove each entry one at a time)
3. Enter your correct start weight in the Add new weight section below your charts. Press the + Update Chart to enter your new start weight for today's date.

Tip!

If you want to enter your new start weight on a date before today, you need to use the calendar. This is the small icon with what looks like a number '7' on it (to the left of the 'update chart' button). Click on the calendar icon to open it, select the date you want, then close the window by clicking the small x in the top right corner. Press the 'update chart' button.

Your start weight entry must be the earliest entry by date for your overall weight loss to be calculated correctly.

In the app

1. Go to Progress on the menu bar at the bottom of your screen.
2. Tap Edit at the top right.
3. Select the rows you wish to delete and tap Delete selected at the bottom right.

On the website

1. Click on Show Barchart and select Show Data from the drop down.
2. To delete a weight entry click on the grey X icon.

In the app

1. Go to Progress on the menu bar at the bottom of your screen
2. Tap Edit at the top right.
3. Select the rows you wish to delete and tap Delete selected at the bottom right or to delete everything tap 'Delete all' at the bottom left of your screen.

On the website

To delete everything, follow the steps below:

1. Click on Show Barchart and select Show Data from the drop down. This will show your old weight entries as numbers.
2. To delete your start weight click on the grey icon. If you wish to remove all your previous weigh-ins use the link below the table and 'Click to delete all the above measurements.
3. Enter your new start weight into the Add new weight section below your charts. Press the + Private Weigh-in to enter it for today. If you want to enter a weight for a previous date, use the calendar.

Tempting as it is to jump on the scales every day(!), we recommend that you only weigh yourself once a week. It is important that you follow the same 'weigh-in' routine to ensure that the weight you read is more easily compared to the previous week. So weigh yourself on the same scales, at the same time of day and after the same routine.

Fluctuations in body water mass can vary by several pounds within a few hours, so the timing of your 'weigh-in' is important as having gone without something to eat or drink for a few hours (or just having been to the loo) could make several pounds of a difference and give a low reading, whereas the opposite scenario could imply a higher than actual weight – and the difference between the two results could be as much as half a stone!

It's also important to remember that weight loss rarely follows a smooth downwards curve. It is more often a series of stops and starts! So don't expect to lose exactly the same amount every week as it may be that one week you lose 3lbs and the next 1lb – it is down to your individual body. As long as you are consistently getting a green tick in your Week View, then your overall weight loss trend will be downwards, even if the odd week has a blip!

You don't need to change a particular setting for this in your account, as you can add a new weigh-in any day you like.

You can however change the day your Week View runs from, so that it coincides with when you like to weigh yourself. For example if you weigh yourself on a Saturday morning, you might want your Week View to run Saturday – Friday.

To find this setting in the app, tap the blue menu button in your Diary (next to the search bar at the top) > Diary Preferences > Start Of Week. On the website, click the Settings link above your diary > Set a start day for week view.

Your Progress chart compares your most recent weigh-in with the very first weight recorded on your Progress chart to calculate your weight loss to date.

If the first recorded weigh-in was a while ago when you were a member before and it has now changed, you will need to change this and enter your new start weight.

To remove your start weight (and any other old weigh-ins so you can have a fresh start):

In the app

1. Go to Progress and tap Edit top right.
2. Tap the orange RESET button and enter your new start weight and date.

On the website:

1. Click on Show Barchart and select Show Data from the drop down. This will show your weight entries as numbers.
2. To delete your start weight click on the grey dustbin icon. If you wish to remove all your previous weigh-ins use the link below the table and 'Click to delete all the above measurements'.
3. Now enter your correct start weight in the Add new weight section below your charts. Press the + Private Weigh-in to enter it for today. If you want to enter a weight for a previous date, use the calendar which is the small icon with what looks like a number '7' on it.

When setting your weight loss target, we recommend that you set smaller steps of either of 10% or half a stone rather than going for the full amount. Then when you reach this, go back and set the next step. This is far more motivating than just focusing on a final goal weight which can seem a distant and daunting challenge, particularly if you have a lot of weight to lose. (The drop down list of goal weights shows the % weight loss in brackets so you can see what 10% is).

When you reach a weight loss milestone of 10%, we suggest that you reset your personal details. This won't happen automatically as the system allows members flexibility over the decision to reset targets.

To reset your target:

In the app

Tap More from the menu bar at the bottom of your screen followed by My Profile & Account > Edit (top right). Follow each screen and enter your new My Start Weight to update the weight in your Profile.

This might change your goal weight date unless your weight loss has followed the rate you chose exactly. For example if you chose 1lb per week but in fact your weight loss has averaged at more than this, then your goal date will move forward. However if your weight loss averages out at the rate you set, then your goal weight date will remain the same.

On the website

Click on Profile, then click on the Personal Details tab and enter your new starting weight.

For each 1lb you lose, you get a green rosette which updates for each lb lost until you reach a 7lb milestone – then it turns silver. Once you hit the next mile of 1st/14lbs it turns to gold.

Please note! It can take a couple of hours for the weigh-in data from your Progress chart to feed through into your forum profile and update your rosettes.

Weight loss achieved	Award
7lbs - 13.5 lbs	Silver 7lb rosette
1st - 1st 6.5 lbs14lbs - 20.5lbs	Gold 1st14lbs rosette
1st 7lbs - 1st 13.5 lbs21lbs - 27.5lbs	Gold 1st14lbs PLUS Silver 7lbs rosette
2st - 2st 6.5 lbs28lbs - 34.5lbs	2 x Gold 1st14lbs rosettes

Displaying rosettes on your forum profile

To show your rosettes to other members, you need to ensure you have ticked the setting to 'show'.

In the app

Go to Forums and tap the menu button (top left). Tap the orange Edit My Profile button and tap the toggle on next to Lost so far. Now tap Save top right.

On the website

Go to Forums, click on My Profile at the top and click the toggle on next to Lost so far and click the green Save my profile button.

If you have ticked the setting on your forum profile to show your rosettes, these will appear below your forum photo or avatar when you post in the forums.

They will also be displayed on your forum profile when someone clicks on your photo or avatar to find out more about you.

You need to ensure you have selected the option to display your rosettes.

In the app

Go to Forums and tap the menu button (top left). Tap the orange Edit My Profile button and tap the toggle on next to Lost so far. Now tap Save top right.

On the website

Go to Forums, click on My Profile at the top and click the toggle on next to Lost so far and click the green Save my profile button.

It can take a couple of hours for your rosette to show after you have updated your Weight Tracker. If it still doesn't show, please send an email to customercare@nutracheck.co.uk and we'll look into it for you.

Go to Progress and tap the menu button (top left). Toggle the switch off in the weigh-in pop up section.