Three weeks to get some shape?

[GoGoSuperBug]

I have lost weight which I thought would make me happy but it hasn’t. I now weigh seven stone seven pounds, have a 25 inch waist and I thought I would be over the moon.

instead my bum looks flat from the sides, my boobs are empty flaps and my belly sags between my hips.

I have a bikini holiday coming up in three weeks. Can I realistically make any improvements? What do I focus on? I exercise already but with little focus and have fallen by the wayside a lot as I have been super busy at work.

I have much the same problem after losing 5 stone. Its tankini time for me.
I think you need to be realistic. Choose swimming gear that will hide the worst bits.
Im busy at the gym but its going to take months.

That’s soooo not the answer I wanted 😭 any links to decent swimwear?

7 stone 7 pounds? How tall are you? Is it possible you would look better with a little more weight on… ?

Exercise wise you won’t build much muscle in 3 weeks - but doing Pilates may change your posture which always helps your shape look better. And it’s a good foundation if you want do weights without injuring yourself.

A good one piece with decent bum coverage and boob support will be your best bet. Lands End, Boden, John Lewis have decent coverage without being too frumpy IMO. Seafolly is a good brand too.

I’m short, 5ft 2 - I might look better a little heavier but it’s guaranteed to go straight into my stomach and not where I want to fill out.

I definitely need some bust support for this empty tennis socks.

Longer term sounds like you need to build muscle. This will help your boobs to some extent - mine have perked up since I started weights and got some pec muscles. Same with bum - squats, lunges and kettlebell swings will definitely help build a rounder bum (do build core strength first though to protect your back).

You should expect to get a bit heavier when you build muscle of course - I’m 5’3 and I weigh 9 stone, I weigh more than I used to (and ideally I’d lose 4/5 lb) but I’m much fitter and look more toned.

Not achievable in 3 weeks though! More like 3 months plus to see results. For now I’d start with Pilates/core as I said before and good supportive swimwear.

I started Caroline Girvan's Epic programme and I could see muscle definition starting to show after 3/4 weeks. I"d lost weight but hadn't been able to exercise during the weight loss so was very untoned.
It was hard work, 5 workouts a week using progressively heavy weights, but I was amazed at how quickly I saw muscle on my arms and abs, and more shape to my bum/tops of legs.

Good clothes and excellent posture. You can’t develop visible muscle in 3 weeks.

And a flat bottom etc is genetic. I’ve been doing heavy weight training for 8 years eating a good diet at maintenance calories and lots protein plus creatine but my bottom is still flat. I have very strong glutes but genetically a flat bottom.

Ditch a bikini and wear a flattering one piece or a tankini two piece - boy legs shorts can look really good and help flabby unconditioned bodies into a good shape.

I was a regular gym goer, last years holiday I looked pretty good but work has been super stressful and I have had a lot of professional exams and I have ended up taking weight loss a bit to far. Just seeing myself clearly last night for the first time and panicking about how I have ruined my shape.

I just look empty, that’s the only way I can describe it. I still have defined thigh muscles and my arms are ok but the front and side views are terrible. My back is fine though bizarrely!

Has anyone seen decent one pieces with bra sizing and underwire?

Focus on glute workouts (squats, hip thrusts) and core exercises to improve shape and tone. Also eat enough protein, stay hydrated, and maintain good posture to look better for your holiday.

The next three weeks are going to pass anyway so you might as well use them to start working out again and improving your muscle tone. Will you be all the way there in 3 weeks? No of course not. Will you be in better shape than you are now? Yes almost certainly. I can’t think of any good reason why you would do nothing though and rely just on posture and clothes!

In my experience the two things which work very quickly to show visible results are 30 Day Shred done daily or Reformer Pilates done every other day. Joseph Pilates is famously quoted as saying after 8 Pilates class you will feel better, after 16 you will see the physical changes and after 24 everyone else will see them. They are expensive however.

Honestly, I think you'll be happier f you stop worrying about how you look. Those who love you don't care, and everyone else's opinions are completely irrelevant.

Exercise & work out because it makes you FEEL good. Getting strong is amazing. Being able to run up a flight of stairs or walk all day adds to your joy in life.

And anyone judging your body can fuck off.

You sound like you need a lovely relaxing holiday. Have it in your body, not some idea of a "perfect" or "beach body." Have a great time

This would signifiy you’ve lost a lot of muscle instead of fat and I’m afraid that will take quite some time to rebuild.

when I hit goal I went straight into body recomp, although I’d eaten my protein throughout snd did my workouts religiously, i had some loose skin under my backside, some crepyness on my arms and tummy if I twisted, depending on posture my backside could look flat.

id say I saw the difference in about six months, I dropped two more points in body fat but upped my muscle mass as I maintained my weight. Now I’m toned throughout and I’m a year into maintenance

for me, it was 1.5 g of protein per kg of body weight and working out six days a week.

I don’t think you will do anything in 3 weeks, but muscle mass is critical so I’d really would start now to build back up. On holiday wear swimsuits rather than a bikini.

lots of really helpful and very varied advice thanks all.

So I am going to concentrate on Protein as that has fallen by the wayside and find my love of the gym again, not necessarily just for this holiday but because I enjoy it. Hopefully gain half a stone back slowly (months not weeks)

I have ordered some different types of swim suits and board shorts and cup sized tops to try and make the best of what I have left 😭This is a special birthday trip so I am not going to let body confidence (or lack of) ruin it.

Going to try Pilates too, I have been meaning to do that anyway!

Yes look at it you’ve now moved into phase 2, body recomp, if you focus on this and do it right, this time next year your body will be unrecognisable, strong and toned, enjoy your vacation, wear swimwear thay flatters, and disguises fhe worst of it,

you’re not alone in doing this, I see numerous posts from people who focus on the number on the scale then dislike their bodies when they get there, protecting muscle is a key and critical part of the Journey. We all lose muscle, but it’s so important go lose as little as possible.

building it back up takes longer, than protecting it in the first place, obviously, because you’ve then got a lower start point, but focusing on hydration, protein and strength work will see visible results and health benefits.

id also strongly advice you to consider your calcium intake, as you may be developing osteoporosis, strength work also strengthens our bones.

muscle and bone is so important, I’d now switch focus to this.

Thanks, that’s such sound grounded advice. Bring on stage 2!

All of my lifts have halved, I feel so weak and it takes all of the fun out of the gym. I feel like such an idiot, I was chasing the number on the scale and I don’t feel any better at all. Back to focus on Strong not Skinny!

firstly I bet you look so much better than you think.

Boden swimwear. Get a tankini or one piece. Focus on muscle building for next summer.

buy yourself a fabulous sun hat to go with your new swimwear. Remember the only person judging you on the beach is yourself.

All of my lifts have halved, I feel so weak and it takes all of the fun out of the gym.

Oh nooo! Do get back on the strength gains train. As you say, it is sooo much fun!

I laughed at your post @FancyBiscuitsLevel as I literally bought myself a glam hat this morning thinking at least my head looks the right shape 🤣

Strong is the way to be! I was really pleased with my strength last year and then work got chaotic and I dropped off the gym going maybe once or twice a month instead of several times a week.

I was gutted last night seeing myself properly, I knew I had lost weight but wasn’t paying attention properly and I thought I would be pleased to be slimmer and smaller but just never happy!

Honestly only you will care what you look like on the beach and that is entirely something you can tell yourself not to care about! Buy some fab swimwear (that is one piece!) add your new hat and strut like you own the whole god damn beach.

Few people are happy if they lose muscle and visibly so. If your lifts have halved you’ve lost a lot, so do focus on bone health as well,

it really is something everyone needs to focus on. Because if you don’t like what you see when you hit goal then the number on the scale is irrelevant. And often people only focus on it when they realise they need to appear in swimwear or someone will see them naked, in clothes it can be hidden. And usually swimwear is in harsh daylight where there is no hiding it.

it’s a difficult thing to get your head round, accepting that you won’t look good just because the number on the scale is at a certain goal. Looking like you’ve lost weight, looking thin, that shrunken empty look is not what anyone wants.

dveryone should make a point of actually looking at themselves naked in a mirror in harsh lighting, as they lose weight, because it’s the only thing thay will make us stop and think.

i had similar as said, but some lose or crepy skin, and I thought god I can’t wear a bikini, everyone will look at me and think that woman has lost a lot of weight. But I spotted it about 5 months before I went away which gave me time to fix it, but I still had a twinge of it about me. Now it’s fine. But it has taken work.

dven though I’m the same weight as a year ago, I just don’t have thay thin look anymore, and now everything looks fuller due to muscle.

its the hard work part of this.

I think I need to throw the scales out and focus on training again. Bone health is such a good point too, I don’t want to end up frail and fragile.

I am glad you have managed to address the issues, that gives me hope. Not just for vanity but for health.

I haven’t actually lost that much weight, two and a half stone, I initially thought I would carry on lifting throughout but then life got in the way.

You’ve lost a third of what you currently weigh. I’d say that sounds like a lot!

30 day shred by Jillian Michaels. I think she has another one which is short term but you work out twice a day, I can't remember what that one's called.

Op, you weren’t eligible for the drugs if you have only lost 2 and a half stone and now are 7 and a half with a height of 5ft 2, you had a bmi of 25 when you started,

did you lie to get them and then take it too far? You can get them with that bmi now from a couple of suppliers, but you couldn’t until recently.