I’ve got a month to lose a stone

[Cotsworlds]

Going on holiday in one month and need to be able to fit into my bathers! Don’t have time to mess about any more so need to be properly committed to diet and exercise just for one month. Anyone want to join me?

I’m going to try to stick to chicken and fish with green vegetables or salad. Trying to tell myself it’ll be unadventurous but it’s only a month.

We await the results in a months time but how will we know the truth?

5.7 and 11 stone is not unhealthy. Or if it is it's very borderline.

I meant to say it's not over weight. Eating a ridiculous diet to lose an unnecessary stone in a month is unhealthy though.

No comment about the healthiness/unhealthiness of this idea, the OP is a big girl and can make her own choices. Given your goals, 1 stone in 1 month I would say low carb or zero carb would help you, because zero carb sheds a lot of water weight and losing water is the easiest way to lose weight quickly.

If I were in your position I would

• Get up early, drink a glass of water and go out for a brisk walk on an empty stomach immediately, you want to start burning that sugar your liver pumps out every morning before it has chance to bump your insulin. Walk as much as you have time for, ideally an hour. Fast, but not running.
• Black coffee when you feel hungry, delay eating until after noon or later.
• Prioritise protein, you want to be eating at least 100g a day. 120g better.
• Hit the weight room 3-4 times a week, lift heavy to failure, decrease weights, keep going.
• One or two meals a day, you'll work out what feels best, no snacks
• Eat just meat, eggs and green leafy veg. Red meat is my preference, everything seems to work better for me on red meat instead of white meat. But there is more fat. Calculate how much meat/eggs you need to hit protein goals, then bulk your plate up with veg until it's full.
• You'll be hungry, so you're going to have to put up with it.
• Sleep, go to bed early. You can't eat when you're sleeping.
• No alcohol. Not a single drop.
• Consider cutting dairy - seems to help reduce bloat in a lot of people who otherwise don't have a problem with dairy. May help you look slimmer.

Best of luck.

You will just have to take me at my word.

I’m not bothered about health for the purposes of this particular diet. I am bothered about looking slimmer.

Thank you. I’ve got a couple of parties this month so won’t be stopping drinking but definitely cutting down dramatically. Definitely limited dairy - only a small bit in a Caesar dressing and kefir yoghurt.

I prefer chicken and fish so happy with white meat. I’m very much a night owl so my exercise will be later on in the day. Lots of ideas here. Thank you!

Forgot to say, I'm a (former?) PT - stopped during pregnancy and probably not going to start back any time soon. But still in touch with some former clients. That walk as soon as you wake was game-changing for some of my clients. Its as much about the timing of the walk as the distance covered & calories burned. A lazy start to the day will mean elevated blood sugar on waking, insulin response, slowing fat burn, then you get hungry. I would rank it higher than doing cardio, you'll notice I didn't even mention cardio in my first reply. I don't think cardio is necessary, it can help but usually just makes you hungrier and eventually we all give in to hunger. I used to be a gymnast & fell runner before I switched to lifting, I'm not anti cardio but I think its benefits is cardiovascular, not weight loss. Walking & lifting is better for fat loss, if you just cut food but don't increase activity your body will slow down metabolism and try to hang onto body fat, burn muscle that isn't getting used. You might drop on the scale but the visual effect will not be what you want. If you get your activity up, weights in particular, you're telling your body that the muscle is required and it needs to burn fat only, not muscle. Hopefully you will lose the fat from your belly but you'll certainly lose it from visceral fat around your organs which will make you look slimmer, less round in the middle.

If you absolutely must drink, go for spirits & zero calorie mixers.

Chicken and fish will be fine if that is what you prefer. Just the micronutrients in chicken aren't particularly great, which can mean you get deficient in something or other, your body responds by signalling hunger. But its only a month so you should be able to push through.

Thank you! Very informative. I’d never be able to go for a walk before work but on the days I can that’s definitely what I will do.

Hello! I'm happy to see this thread and would love to join you. I would be thrilled to lose a stone. Good luck to us both

I’m not bothered about health for the purposes of this particular diet.

Just what the NHS and doctors want to hear...

Hi, can I ask a question? Is it ok to do other forms of exercise, ie, treadmill at the gym, cross trainer, rowing machine, to maintain muscle, or has to be weight lifting?

I should imagine they don’t give a shit about a woman trying to lose weight quickly for a month. Must be quite low on their list of health crises facing the nation.

Ah marvellous! Good luck to you too. Hopefully we can keep each other motivated.

Today I’ve had king prawns and a chicken Caesar salad. I haven’t felt particularly hungry and have just finished the prawns now and just about to have the salad.

I'm 5"7 and just under 11 stone!
I just started sober October. If I stick to that I'll shed 6-7 pounds in a month easily.
Are you planning to cut out alcohol?

No. It’s DP’s 40th next week and so I’ll be having a drink to celebrate that, and I’ve got a Halloween party planned and one other do. I’d like to think that would be it for the month which would be a dramatic reduction to normal, but I imagine I’ll end up with another couple of the nights. Definitely seriously reduced though and not enough to be hungover the next day and lose will power. Maybe spirits instead of wine too.

But do join us! We will encourage you through sober October along with the weight loss.

Thanks - I might just do that!

@Cotsworlds are you going to post an update?

Or regular update

I really need to cut back on carbs. I never thought of lose a stone in a month though. I didn’t think it was even possible maybe we can check in with each other

@Cotsworlds I'm rooting for you!
Also following because I'm going to try to do the same, a quick weight loss (whether it's water, bloat or fat) is a great mind boost.
@JT1999 your posts are really informative, thanks.

Yes, I’m going to post what I’ve had every day. I did update last night - king prawns and a chicken Caesar salad. No exercise though, so need to do better there. I want to do the 30 day shred.

Good luck!

My supportive advice
Go for a walk every day - at least half an hour, doesn't matter where
Up your water intake - you pee a lot but its worth it
Low carb will really help
Dairy ok but in measured quantities eg weigh your cheese (its awful to do but is good long term training!)
Skip the alcohol if you can - otherwise, weekend only. G&T with lighter tonic ...
You're allowed a "treat" but pick what treat carefully and plan it in. If you work its fairly easy to to B-L-D no snacks but weekends and evenings are terrible. Fruit or a handful of nuts. A quarter of a bar of dark chocolate (25g) is about 150 cals, or get a Freddo if you like milk (95 cals!).
Most of your plate should be veggies ...

You might not lose a stone, but you will lose a LOT and you will feel magic and holiday ready. Also start with the exfoliating gloves and moisturise ...!

PS I lost heaps by doing a 90 day 800 cal thing (diabetesT2 reversal) it was so fucking miserable. Min 1200 and "earn" some by exercise is how I have to do it now. Still miserable but from a 22 to a 14.

That’s amazing though, well done.