ok - school reunion in 7 weeks - how can i look FAB?

[eltompo]

Right, have known it was coming for about 16 months but have not lost the 2 stone

any tips on what I can do/avoid/not eat etc?

I have started runniing again recently, training for a 10k in September so plan to be doing that about 5 times a week, 30 mins or so a time

but the running makes me STARVING and I end up just eating all afternoon - tips on how to abstain please!

I would like to shift 10lbs/1 stone before the start of May if possible, and really want to tone my legs up

(I am also shredding 3 times a week)

What else could I do to make my skin glow, hair look glossy etc

I am very excited about this reunion and really want to feel great....

Come and join Project Princess!

yes, have skimmed through....off to check it out properly! thanks

It depends how far you want to go but first of all I'd say:

No Smoking
No Drinking

For my Reunion I ate only Fruit, Vegetables, Fish and Soya Yogurts as well as the occasional chocolate snack a jack for 8 weeks.

I cook sweet potatoes (they are v nutritious and small amount really fills me up) or eat something like Sainsburys Carrot and Swede Mash after a run because I'm always starving also fill up on hot drinks. I find that as long as I have something hot I feel full. Or have a bag of grapes/cherry tomatoes to hand.

What about getting a couple of facial treatments leading up to it and try different hair masks. Maybe Hairdresser could suggest what would best benefit your hair.

Rather pathetically I also had my teeth whitened then a manicure/pedicure and blowdry the day of the event.

Also if you haven't got your outfit sorted I'd start shopping now even if you do want to lose weight because you know it'll feel as though every shop has been shit-bombed when your looking for something a week before.

You need to do some interval training a few times a week, along with/as part of your running training. You should also include weight training - this will have the double benefit of making you more toned and with more muscle mass which burns more calories, even in a resting state. The interval training is tough but will burn many more calories (because it boosts your metabolism for some time after you finish exercising) and fat than steady state cardio does.

Suggest one day doing steady, longer run to get you ready for your 10k, then alternate day of 20-25 minutes weight training and 15-20 minute interval training. Take 1-2 rest days a week.

Food - no great tips, just try and pack in the veggies and protein rich snacks rather than fruit/sweet/fatty stuff. Drink loads of water. Avoid carbs after 4pm but make sure you get some at breakfast/lunch so that you have the energy for the exercise. Log everything on something like the livestrong app. Focuses your mind on what is going in your mouth!

If you stick to this I reckon you could lose at least 10lbs before the reunion and you will be feeling fantastic and therefore look it! Book your hair appointment for a few days before now!

christ -much easier not to go at all

eeek - I have a school reunion I could go to in a couple of months (haven't replied yet as VERY undecided about the whole affair).

I was planning a haircut at the most...

This thread is

lol at ggirl

honestly though, I'm pretty willing to work hard at it - Ive been needing to lose the baby weight for ages now and this has given me the motivation to start

shred dvd incorporates weights, with some serious toning and cardio, will that be enough?

already have vastly reduced carbs and upped protein

need to resist my red wine at night - dont want to never have any though!

I don't smoke anyway

just want to feel comfortable, not hitching up my too-tight spanx and adjusting my outfit all evening

am already shopping for a dress and shoes....

lose weight lose weight loser weight
is the key

when you htink of chomping - THINK of feeling great

it's you isn't it

Shredding and running sounds like a great plan. Dukan diet definitely works. Universal contour wrap the day before ( and possibly a light spray tan depending on what you are wearing.) Blow dry on the day.

Not done shred but have read lots about it on here and it sounds great - could you add on 20 mins interval training after the 20 min shred?

I have lost a stone in 2 months doing more or less what I describe above, but have not managed to give up wine! That and my daily skinny latte are my treats although my aim at the beginning was only to drink on weekend nights or when in company (DH wasn't supposed to count ). TBH I haven't been so successful on that front though, I still have a small glass most nights and most weeks I have gone out for a meal/had a takeaway and not really worried about what I've eaten/drunk, although often I have made "healthier" choices, like rogan josh curry rather than masala, or fish rather than lamb/duck, also I'm not much of a dessert fan, prefer to indulge in bread and butter or chips! You can't spend all your time feeling deprived, it is bound to end in disastrous bingeing!

The livestrong app has really made me conscious of how many calories exercise works off and how that relates to your food intake. Ten extra minutes on a treadmill is worthwhile for me to have my glass of wine, but you may feel differently! I also haven't been working to such a hard deadline as you - have been aiming for approx 5-6lbs weight loss per month but the fitness aspect is as important, if not more, than the weight for me. I am really enjoying seeing the changes in my body (esp muscles!) that are happening more quickly than I expected, I am nearly back to the shape I was in before DC2, which took me about a year first time round (although I wasn't very careful on diet front during that time, just trained hard).

I'd second the spray tan too, always knocks another 5lbs off! I wouldn't buy a dress yet though, wait til at least 2-3 weeks before because if you do stick at it what you get now probably won't fit! Visualise yourself buying that smaller size dress every time you are tempted to eat the stuff you shouldn't!

Someone linked to a fab sounding facial on the facial thread?

by interval training, do you mean like circuit training? I used to go to a class where you started with aerobic warm-up, then ran round the hall for a few minutes, then did a series of exercises like step, crunches, weights, skipping etc, then finished with some sprints...it was tough but actually i might try and start going again...that or military bootcamp...

even dropping 7 pounds would help - i'm currently about 11st but only 5'3''.Ultimately want to get back to 9st eventially) but realistically think that might make me look gaunt...but at least my arse would be significantly reduced (or flat)

Interval training is working at almost maximum effort for a short period then having a recovery period - and repeating. So instead of running at an effort level (for you) of what feels like 6-7 out of 10 for maybe 40+ minutes ("traditional" advice for exercise to lose weight), you run at effort level around 9 for one minute then slow to a walk/gentle jog (say effort 4) for a minute or two. You can use it for any type of cardio - running/cycling/swimming/rowing and have a much shorter session - at least 10 but ideally 20 minutes.

One of my preferred sessions is 20 minutes on a treadmill with it set on an incline of 9. I walk for one minute (5.5 to 6kph) then jog for one minute (around 9kph). Its a killer and I can't wait for the hard minute to end so I can get my breath, but at least you know it is for a limited time! Alternatively keep incline at about 2 and switch between 1 minute sprinting at what feels like almost as fast as you can possibly go, then slowing to a jog for 1-2 mins. I apply the same in the pool, crawl as fast as possible for one or two lengths then slowish breast stroke for a length to recover - repeat for at least 10 minutes.

The actual session won't burn more calories than if you were working at a steady pace for the same time but training this way seems to kick you body into burning more fat and keeping your metabolism working harder for a sustained period after the time you exercise.

Ok...when i jog i do tend to pickit up every now and then and think, right, move it! and bomb it along for about a minute - no more! - before slowing right back down to my usual plod; i'll make an effort to makeit more interval focussed from now on though. Thanks for the advice.

If I'm going on the treadmill at the gym, should i just set it to interval training? I hate having to hold onto the handle things for it to record my heartrate all the time...

try and fit some body wraps in as well. You can usually get a deal if you buy three.

I haven't used the interval setting, I usually shift the settings manually (takes my mind off the pain !) I assume it should work though, but I wouldn't keep holding rail, just go by how you feel - ie desperate in the last 20 secs of a sprint section to end!

The heartrate thing is probably good at the end of a session to see how long your heart takes to return to normal, the faster your recovery the fitter you are - would be an interesting experiment to note how long it takes now and how long after a few weeks of interval training...

By the way, there's a poster on here called lostgirl and she usually has some great tips on fitness training. She is also keen on intervals and posted this link to an article about it recently - v interesting...

here

interesting link, thanks for that. think I'll dg my stopwatch out and use it next time I'm running...

kittya - are body wraps effective?

I've got one this year too. In addition to worrying about how I look, I'm also nervous about feeling inadequate when everyone else is high powered and I am at home with the kids. Has anyone any tips for confidence-boosting projects so I have something vaguely interesting to talk about?

steala - sod feeling inadequate! you won't be the only sahm....i hadnt even considered that element of my reunion...i went to a really good private school which produces many high-powered types. I am, and have never been a high powered type.

Don't worry about it - i doubt anyone will be bothered, coz really everyone basically only cares about themselves and checking out the boy/girl they used to fancy to see how they've aged...

I was just reading about the lunch box diet

What you do is fill a big tupperware with about 65% raw or steamed or roasted veg, have about 30% protein, some fish, chick peas, or ham, or lean chicken, turkey, or whatever. Final 5% is dressing, not too oily.

The idea is have a normal breakfast (best obviously if healthy like good muesli, porridge or poached eggs) from about 10am till 5pm you just graze from your lunch box, not having too much, never letting yourself get hungry.

Then in the evening have normal dinner.

Apparently it keeps your blood sugar levels in check so when you get home you don't pig out on nuts and wine and cheese etc before having a huge dinner. Soon you feel so much more energised then you start feeling like exercising more. Once you are exercising then you can add some carbs into your lunch box, like couscous and pearl barley etc.

I have had the stomach bug fromm hell this week so haven't started it yet but am going to give it a go next week. Also start doing the shred and more, faster walking. Maybe even running.

Will return to project princess thread after this evil bug has gone

How is it going OP? Any early 'wins' so far??

'For my Reunion I ate only Fruit, Vegetables, Fish and Soya Yogurts as well as the occasional chocolate snack a jack for 8 weeks.

I cook sweet potatoes (they are v nutritious and small amount really fills me up) or eat something like Sainsburys Carrot and Swede Mash after a run because I'm always starving also fill up on hot drinks. I find that as long as I have something hot I feel full. Or have a bag of grapes/cherry tomatoes to hand.

What about getting a couple of facial treatments leading up to it and try different hair masks. Maybe Hairdresser could suggest what would best benefit your hair.

Rather pathetically I also had my teeth whitened then a manicure/pedicure and blowdry the day of the event.'

Wow! Do people really go to so much trouble for a school reunion?!

OP- hope all the exercising is going well! Where do you find the time for all that training? I have recently started shredding but only manage it 3-4 times per week and thought I was v virtuous :)