Join me on a month to holiday project

[BoffinMum]

So I have a month to go before I have to lie by the swimming pool in Italy and I look about as chubby and pasty as I have ever looked. Does anyone want to come with me on a journey towards full gorgeousness? Grooming n weight loss n that?

I'm in. I'd like to not avoid seeing myself in mirrors and photos 😣 not much of a challenge then! Need half a stone off primarily. Anyone got any tips? I'm not huge but I've plateaued very badly at just under 9 stone (very short) with a big saggy belly. And i can't shift the weight or the belly and when i don't get a result i lose motivation and eat chocolate. All encouragement welcomed and much offered.

Liz38, don't deny yourself small treats (like choc) and just cut down carbs and portion sizes?

The plank is good for saggy bellies

I eat well in the week and eat what I like on the weekend. This keeps me focused!

Pass I'm having gel on my toes to make sure they stay looking fresh. Having a classic bright red.

Too late for me - I am already on a beach in Italy looking chubby and pasty . Oh well, there's always next year!

Less than three weeks to go for me too. I did footner at the weekend feet are now very dry looking. Hair appointment has been booked weeks ago. Nails, brows and wax being booked tomorrow. Diet is fine bikinis fit so I just want to get on a plane now.

Two weeks to go for me! Does anyone apply a tan at home or get a salon tan so as not to be snow-white those first few days on the beach?

Just trying to get some last minute clothes and applying lots of Flexitol to my feet!

Ate rubbish today so feeling the target is moving away from me, but I did put Dove moisturiser fake tan stuff on after my shower.

jolly I always have a St Tropez tan before holidays. But I don't have the spray tan. I have the old fashioned version where the therapist exfoliates you all over, then smooths the St Tropez cream on and sort of buffs it into your skin. Then you shower it off the next day.

I think it gives a much more polished finish and a more authentic colour. Seems to last longer too.

I'm going to go back on Slimming World and also try to sort out my skin/body hair.

I'll have a bath today to defuzz, then charge up my epilator and try to keep on top of it that way. I recently bought some of those Korean cloths so hopefully they'll improve the chicken skin.

Might also try a gradual tanner (I'm v. scared of tanning products them as they've always left me stained and patchy in the past). Question... How do you ensure even coverage... And how do you reach your back...??

Stuff I've already done this week: mandelic peel, brow tidy and tint, defuzz of facial and arm hair, hair masque, daily leave in conditioner and hair oil.

ME!!! Please let this thread keep me focused! I have 3 weeks until we go on holiday and have already been making an attempt to get more "holiday ready" but the diet has not been going so well so I've decided I need to keep off the booze for the next couple of weekends to give myself a fighting chance of loosing some ib's before holiday - I'd really like to get half a stone off.

I've already been exfoliating my stubborn cellulite each morning with these gloves and then applying this which was recommended on here Can't say I've seen much idfference as yet.....

I'll have a eyelash tint and perm before holiday and also get my nails done in a nice bright coral colour.

I've already got a bit of a base tan which I'm trying to keep up but also using the garnier summer body gradual tanner and I love the Clarins Radience drops which I brought after my holiday last year.

I'm also starting a new face regime to try and look less saggy around the jaw line.

Actually I've been putting in quite a bit of effort (more than usual) already - need to start seeing a difference!

I'm trying to fit in 9 classes a week too. A range of cardio / circuit training and weights. I always find weights tone me up more so if I can't shift any weight hopefully at least I can be a bit more toned!

Girly, I love the spay Garnier ambre solaire - the can sprays at all angles so you can get your back.

Pass thankyou! You're absolutely right. I've been telling dh he should plank more and glossing over my own need. I'll do it right now.

16 days for me 😮 Is there any hope???

Can I just chime in and plead with you not to do planks if you've got diastasis recti, it can make it worse!

There are plenty of exercises that are fine, but traditional ab crunches and planks will make your belly more distended, not flatter!

I'm in. I have two stone to lose and need to get started NOW. I also need to get a proper defuzzing and moisturising plan in place, sort out my nails and hair and holiday wardrobe.

I recommend Shred, HIIT and kettlebells HIT workouts for speedy results. Would love some recommendations on diets that give rapid weight loss, especially ones with loads and loads of veg and fruit. I'm better with those than the high fat & protein ones.

Best ab work for distended belly that I know is to lie flat on the floor and pull your muscles in towards your spine, as tightly as you can, clenching and reclenching for a count of 100. Then do the same focusing on lower abs, then lateral abs. After a few days you really get the hang of it and can isolate the individual muscle groups. But there's no straining and no danger of getting that solid pot-belly that sit ups can give if they aren't done correctly.

Oh also meant to say I've recently been investing in a few new bits hoping to get a summer capsule wardrobe which is going quite well. I drew inspiration from a website called vacay which sell capsule holiday wardrobes - unfortunately it's an american site though. I'm going with blue everything with beige / white / brown as neutrals and coral and burgandy as an accent colours - just realised that doesn't sound very capsule

Was just thinking I really need to do something before my holiday in 4.5 weeks time.

Am thinking - diet, cut bread, cakes and biscuits and just stick to natural food as much as poss and no alcohol (unless out socialising).

Get skin nice a smooth and get a bit of a fake tan so first exposure is not too bad!

Book appointment for lash and brow tint and nails.

Book highlight appointment so I don't have roots for hols

Buy a few more summer clothes and a bikini!

Exercise - so at least 3 times a week (seem to have dropped recently!)

It's all going so... normally I invested in a gel nail varnish set to see if i can't smarten my hands up a bit. I checked how you get it off afterwards (unusually organised) and the kit contained cleanser. Got it home, read the enclosed instructions. The cleanser is a. To put it on not take it off and b. Empty. So i now need to also invest in the kit to take it off and get hold of some cleanser to put it on. Feeling a tad cheated right now!

Liz, in extremis it is possible to scuff up your gel polish with an emery board, then put a cotton wool pad soaked in normal nail polish remover on each nail, wrap in tin foil, leave for 10 minutes and then gently ease off the varnish with a wooden hoofing stick or similar. That gets the stuff off quite well.

Boffin thank you! Feeling like a naked-nail Muppet right now

Today I bought a bikini in the Accesorize sale (half price bargain). I've tried it on and although the rest of me is passable (sort of) my stomach is terrible. Six shades whiter than my shoulders, stretch marked and as much tone as dough. I've tried planks but I don't seem to have the strength to make them worth while, sit ups?

No amount of sit up's will fix a stomach. You need to do full body exercises to trip up a core. Also look at your diet, that has the biggest impact on my stomach area.

A month till my hols so I'm watching with interest. Has anyone got tips for the best sort of diet to lose half a stone in this time? Anything but 5:2!