To crash diet 4 weeks before a holiday?

[Holidaypanic]

Ok, so normally i'd be the sort of poster who would scoff at this suggestion. But as my name change suggests, I've tried on some holiday clothes and I panicked!

Usually I'm in good shape, I do several sports, strength training, make the effort to eat well (nutritionally, eg lots of protein, veg and balanced with carbs, allow treats plus eating out in moderation).
Because of my level of activity I don't usually focus on my weight, and I try and celebrate my body for what it can do, not what scales say.

Until now. I've had a couple of months of stress at work, long hours meaning less exercise, more convenience food, more sugar. Trying on clothes and I've realised I've added inches to my belly and hips. I'm short/petite and I don't carry extra weight very well.

I'm planning to buy some new flattering holiday clothes, but I'm anxious for a couple of reasons -
It's a group trip. Sports related. I'm literally going to be surrounded by athletes!
Some people I won't have seen for a year and Im worried about looking noticeably out of shape.
Because of the sports aspect I'm not always going to be able to choose flattering clothes.

I've never crash dieted before. Is there any point? Can I make any noticeable difference in 4 weeks or would it just be water weight?

I'm not worried about long term. Work has settled, my activity levels are up, I'm coming again and I'm sure in 6 months I'd be back to where I feel comfortable. Its just poor timing with this holiday!

(Nb by crash diet I don't mean anything extreme like juicing. Just a calorie deficit by eating healthily cutting out booze and chocolate, and lots of activity eg running)

Would appreciate any advice!

Michael Mosleys fast 800. Carefully nutritionally balanced and you can easily lose a stone in a month just to kickstart your return to normality body wise. You’d also feel a lot better about the upcoming holiday!

sorry just seen bizarre autocorrect - cooking again!!

@LovedmyRaleighChopper I don't think I'd want to go as low as 800, but I will have a look for a starting point. A confidence boost is definitely what I need.

Won't you just end up feeling like shit and not enjoying the sport when you get there? I know if I lose weight rapidly my performance goes down the drain. Better to just drink lots of water, cut out the eating out and white carbs and hope that any bloating goes. You have my sympathy: I do swimming and mountaineering holidays involving saunas and lakes, and always feel like the soft tubby one. I couldn't get a six pack if I tried and my muscles have a comfortable rather than toned look

You cannot 'easily lose a stone in a month'.

That would require a 1600 calorie deficit every single day for 30 days straight

A friend of mine does it with the salad diet. Just eats HUGE salads for dinner and lunch, with small bit of bacon, egg, lots of green bits that take a lot of eating but hardly any calories, some toasted seeds, bits of cheese etc... then uses balsamic vinegar for a dressing.

They're still "big" meals due to all the green stuff so take ages to eat, hence she feels full. She swears by it and it's always worked for her.

She then goes for a long brisk walk in the evenings to make sure she isn't tempted to munch stuff!

I lost a couple of kg in a short time by:
Cutting out bread, potatoes, pasta
Cutting out booze
Eating breakfast as late as possible
Protein & veg for an early dinner

Had tea first thing, then my stomach adjusted quickly to not eating till 10.30/11.00. Typically for breakfast had Greek yoghurt with berries, nuts & seeds, and squeeze a passion fruit over it.

@StamppotAndGravy I'm certainly not aiming for a 6 pack, and I intend to keep up my exercise in the next few weeks to build my stamina so I certainly will be fuelling enough for that.
I think bloating is probably a factor - I've been eating beige meals and Buenos like they're going out of fashion - and on my frame, 2-3kg would make a noticeable difference.

If I sound clueless about what's possible, I've never really 'gone on a diet' before. Most of the time I can be pretty chilled about what I eat because I'm strength training, and I don't naturally have a big appetite.

I think focusing on filling up on veg and protein + moderate complex carbs is the way to go. I have quite a high TDEE so I think it should be quite easy to be in deficit without going too low.

I share your pain about the holiday types, this is an international group and includes beautiful tall people from Spain, Sweden and Iceland - I'm certainly the shorter and softer one of the group! If I was at my usual fitness level I probably wouldn't be anxious, I think its knowing I'm physically not at my best that's making me self conscious about the fluff. That and lycra giving me a muffin top.

Clean eat and weight lift, you can make a difference in a month. Work out your TDEE
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=tdeecalculator.net/&ved=2ahUKEwjgi8LPy__-AhWDglwKHXZhAusQFnoECA0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw33Nxms49nRJ50s3fpxmhC1

You'll at least feel better.

X post. It sounds like careful eating will be enough.

Wow! Perhaps as a qualified doctor and science journalist you should enlighten the world by debunking Dr Mosley? Some people with large amounts to lose will lose much more than a stone in a month following his plan. As somebody who followed it myself two years ago I can tell you I comfortably lost 16 lbs in a month, over a stone. I then slowed down and lost the other 14 lb I needed to lose in a more paced way over ten weeks. That first month took willpower as my body adjusted to not being fed as soon as it felt hunger. The way we live and snack now, being hungry is not normal to us. But 4 weeks is not an overly long period of time, most people can take a certain amount of delayed gratification to meet a clearly defined goal.

4 week Les Mills plan alongside your current activities, I’m 2.5 weeks into a plan and my clothes are looser, stored fat is melting and family- who I see every day -are shrieking: “oh my god you’ve lost weight!”
In the past I have lost a stone or similar through diets and they haven’t even noticed…

How much would you like to lose? Because this will help in the advice your getting

Yes I’d do it. You can make a fair dent in a month especially if you add in some weight training.
And treat yourself to a decent spray tan which will make you feel better too!

You’ve got 4 weeks - so for the next three cut out booze/treats. No processed food and exercise as much as possible.
For the last week cut out wheat, meat and dairy.
absolutely not sustainable and healthy long term but for me it’s a good pre holiday reset (and I find that as I’ve removed sugar etc for a month that I’m less likely to over indulge in holiday).

I lost about 7lb in a month last year doing cereal, soup with crackers/Ryvita thins for lunch, and a normal evening meal. Reckon it was about 1100 calories. No booze! Boring but effective.

I would. Even if you lost the standard 2lbs a week you'll be 8lbs down in a month and that can make a real difference on a petite frame! Sounds like you know how to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the long term and the weight gain was a blip, so I don't think it will spark off a yo yo dieting cycle! Good luck!

I always crash diet before a holiday & have never regretted it. I’m not overweight, but I like to be ‘bikini slim’ which is about 1 stone under my usual weight. Then I can eat and drink on hols and not worry about it.

I'm not claiming Mosley is wrong, although it is convenient for someone who is in the business of diet books to exaggerate the numbers, I am claiming you are

Perhaps you were clicnally obese before hand and sensible eating enabled your body to lose that amount, but the OP isn't judging by the description - so we can assume the obese exception case doesn't apply. Losing a pound is well documented to require a calorie deficit of 3500 calories, a stone loss is 1600 calories per day for a month - so for a normal woman would mean consuming around 0 calories a day, excluding those needed to replace those invested in exercise.

Figures cited by mosely himself state 14kg maximum loss over an 8 week period, which is what you are claiming was 'easy' for the 4 weeks

I'm not claiming that it is impossible, nor if one is extremely overweight then it isn't faster, but i am calling you out on it because it is frankly unhelpful to make false claims as all it does is set unrealistic expectations for most which end up with people giving up early feeling like they have failed

I've lost half a stone in 3 weeks. V easy. I am very active already though, first week I kept to 1300 and I'm now at 1500/1600. Everything fits again.

I mainly eat salad, eggs and humungous amounts of Greek yoghurt. And then some dark chocolate and milk in my tea and coffee.

I love 800 fast even if you can do a week then intermittent fast

But did you keep it off?

I don’t think cutting out chocolate and booze would really qualify se ‘crash dieting.’ That’s just cutting down.

I don’t see how it would hurt. But I would try not to bank on losing a crazy amount in that time.

@tinysaltlick
I agree. Losing a stone in a month when you are not obese is very nearly impossible. I did this when I had anorexia, and became unwell enough to end up in hospital. Its unhealthy and not something that should be the goal.

Just to be clear I'm not wanting to lose a stone!

I'm around 60kg and I usually sit at around 55-58kg. Although the weight itself doesn't mean that much, as I suspect I've lost a bit of muscle as well as putting on a bit of fat.

And trust me, cutting out chocolate and other junk would be a drastic diet compared to the last few weeks. Due to being active I normally put away quite a lot of calories for my height, even when I'm eating sensibly!