August holiday princessing?

[Fatkins]

Anyone up for this please?

We are planning a holiday (though haven't actually booked anything yet) in August school holidays. I am in need of much princessing 😬.

My plan is:

• healthy eating; plenty of fruit, veg, wholefoods, lots of water. As my name would suggest, I am a bit of a fatkins at the mo , so losing a few lbs would be a good idea.
• minimum of four days a week with no or .
• lots of water.
• less caffeine.
• yoga every day, including two - three classes.
• less screen time, except kindle, which doesn't have the 'bad' light.
• exfoliate daily.
• file feet daily.
• paint toes weekly.
• buff and file finger nails a few times a week.
• use gradual tan lotion stuff.
• curly girl method for hair and also speak to wonderful hairdresser about growing hair without it going to pieces.
• wardrobe clear out and reorganise.
• ask about teeth whitening at dentist.

I'm sure there are more, but that's all I can think of for now!

Would love some company .

PS: apologies if there is one of these on the go already!

Welcome MikeHannigan .

Dinosaurs, you are doing fabulously! You are a credit to the entire princessing organisation .

@MikeHannigansStripyShirt well, I'm quite evangelical about fasting in general for it's numerous health benefits, but it a version of the 5:2 diet.
Instead of fasting two days per week, I do one normal day, then one fast day, normal, fast and so on.

On fast days I eat 500 calories or less, and I eat all of those calories in one meal at around 5pm. I built up to every other day fasting from three fast days per week. I love fasting, the weight falls off v fast, and especially fast at first, so it helps motivation, plus its easy (enough) to grit your teeth and endure the fast knowing the next day you can eat normally again.

After three fast days is suddenly very easy to fast, and you have so much more energy, especially on fast days. I also never get ill when I'm fasting, it seems to super charge my immune system.

Some people keep their calories below a certain amount on non fast days, personally I don't bother as I find the weight falls off fast enough without needing to. I do tend to eat fairly healthily, and follow a vaguely high protein low carb "dirty keto" diet.

I have been know to allocate all of my fast day calories to champagne and/or fudgesickles but that's not recommended! It has never slowed my weight loss though.

So, after that time share hard sell, basically the fast day is tough for the first three fast days, but if you can grit your teeth through those you'll be fine. Plus you notice results from the very first fast day, which is a great incentive

Sorry, forgot to say welcome Mike!

Thanks Fatkins its funny but I feel like its become a way of life now. I had a realisation last week that making the changes now is what's going to keep me in good health for the rest of my life.
Sounds obvious but its the first time it actually hit home for me.

Now if I could just cure the insomnia that would be great. A friend gave me some herbal tea to try to help, I tried it and it seems to have worked like Red Bull, so I'll be reserving that for the mornings!!!

I read that Gal Gadot used to do 3 mins of press ups followed immediately by a 3 min plank, four times per day (!!!!!! ) to shape up to play Wonder Woman, but her trainer recommends starting with 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds and working up. Challenge accepted!

Aaaaaand just realised how wanky my "become a way of life" post sounded. Ahem. Sorry folks

Wow thank you @EatenByDinosaurs that’s a very inspiring story! I’ve sort of fannyed around with fasting 5:2/16:8/fast800 but never managed any sort of consistency with it. You sell fasting very well!

Thanks also to whoever suggested Korean Italy cloths. I got some off amazon last week and oh my god those things are good!!!

Oh good to hear about the cloths Mike - I've just ordered some from
Amazon too. I have a new nail lamp
Coming tomorrow so going to do my own shellac.

Foot mask (footner type thing) on weds I think pre my new fake tan. We're getting there!

I'm back in ketosis now after indulgent weekend. Would def be tempted to try a few fast days after hols also.

How are we all doing? I've had a good run of it the last few days. Tried that Bondi Sands tan and very impressed with it. When it arrived it had leaked a little so they're sending me another bottle free as an apology too!

I did a foot mask yesterday (one of those peeling ones) so hoping that kicks in soon but not when on actual hols.

Was complemented on my skin today so reckon that's a combo of the tan and doing the night masks regularly.

Also tested out my new nail lamp and very impressed. Now sporting a glossy red mani pedi.

Really trying to up the water intake as want to shift 2lbs before my hols.

Hi snipples!

A bit of a mixed bag here tbh!

Positives:

• I've had a mini Mani and shellac nails, which I love
• I've now lost half a stone since we started this thread and {touches wood} I feel like I've got into my groove a bit with diet
• I think my curly girl regime is having an effect. My curls are more defined and I think it's looking pretty good. I haven't had any major issues with it, so I'm really pleased.

Negatives:

• my bloody, bastard, rosacea is starting to rear it's ugly head. I think it's the heat tbh.
• my feet are still a disgrace. Need to work on those, but at least they can be kept covered up fairly easily. I do file them and moisturise, so they aren't cracked or dry, but they are very hard in places! I've never not had hard bits on my feet though. Maybe it's just my feet!

Hi everyone! Can I join in? I'm not going on a glam summer holiday, but I am in desperate need of some pampering self-care as I'm currently 10 weeks pregnant and feeling a bit frumpy.

I put on about a stone while TTC and in the last few months have completely neglected my skincare / hair etc. and as a result I'm feeling pretty rubbish in my skin. Probably not helped by the pregnancy hormones! It really hit me yesterday, that I basically do nothing to take care of myself in this way. I thought about why and I think I'd convinced myself it was frivolous and self-indulgent. It made me quite sad when I realised. Anyway, enough waffling, this is my plan:

• Have ordered and will start applying a silicone scar gel to a raised scar on my jaw. I'm so self conscious of it even though it's pretty small, so finally doing something about it.

• Moisturise body daily. I never do this and consequently have the skin of a lizard.

• AM + PM skincare routine (including daily SPF).

• Use electric toothpaste + floss daily

• Potentially purchase a Niacinamide + Vitamin C for fading PIE. My skin is pretty clear at the moment, but I've got PIE marks from old spots and plenty of pigmentation damage.

• Stick to curly girl method for hair care

• Drink 8 glasses of water a day (I feel so much better when I do this)

• Paint my toenails - they look so much nicer in a bright zingy colour!

• As soon as 1st trimester food aversions subside, start eating at least 5 a day again and go back to a smoothie for breakfast. Oh, and tone down the potato addiction .

• Start doing yoga - even if it's just 10 minutes a day. I used to exercise a lot, but I've got zero energy at the moment. I'm hoping this picks up in the second trimester, as I'd quite like to go swimming too.

I'm just going to pop into town and pick up a few supplies. Someone on this thread recommended the NIVEA Body Lotion for Dry Skin, so I'm going to get that. I also desperately need new razor blades as that's my current excuse for not shaving my legs. My skincare routine is so basic at the moment I'm just using a micellar water to cleanse, so I'm going to try the Cerave hydrating cleanser instead. I don't know why, but I have such a hard time finding a cleanser that doesn't aggravate.

Then once the baby is here, and I've taken enough time to adjust and settle into the new way of things, I'd like to introduce a retinoid, start at a new gym and somehow, without encouraging disordered eating, shift the extra weight. Should be a doddle, right?!

Congratulations purple ! How exciting! And yes, some pampering is definitely called for .

Food aversions are dreadful. I hope you are over the worst of it soon.

Welcome to you as well.

@Fatkins thanks - I sound so dreary and unexcited in my previous post, but I promise IRL I really over the moon and so, sooo excited! I'm just keen to start a better habit of taking of myself now, as I can imagine it would be easy to spiral even more after giving birth. The food aversions are pretty grim...I miss vegetables so much, but I'm just counting my lucky stars I'm not having to deal with actually throwing up. Anyway, I'm lowering the tone of this thread!

Well done on your weight loss btw, that's really impressive. How are you finding the curly girl method? I like it, but I've got waist length hair and I'm tempted to get a load chopped off, because I feel like the weight pulls it down and makes it look a bit stringy.

@Snipples have you tried fake tan before? I'm super pale and have never tried it. I could with some colour on my milky white almost blue ish legs though.

@MikeHannigansStripyShirt @EatenByDinosaurs I've experimented with the 5:2 diet after watching the interesting BBC documentary on it. I did quite like it, as like @EatenByDinosaurs says it's not too bad as you can theoretically have whatever you like the next day. It never did actually make me want to eat more the next day though.

Another essay! Right, I'll stop spamming this thread now.

Ugh I've been pregnant with two very much wanted babies and still had a good moan on occasion while generally being elated! It isn't easy! X

(And I NEVER do kisses on here 😂)

@Fatkins haha thanks!! Much appreciated. So many wretch inducing smells in town. Gosh I'm really not adding to the princessing vibe of this thread 😂

Welcome purple and congratulations - is this your first? Food aversions are grim. I had HG all through my pregnancy and it was horrible (although I was super skinny so every cloud).

We are going to TTC again pretty soon I think as want a 2 year age gap. Sort of psyching myself up for it Incase the sickness comes back again.

Re fake tan - I have tried a few tans before but this was my first time with this one. I'm not a regular fake tanner tbh but fancied a treat pre holiday.

@Snipples yes it's my first. Oh god, poor you I've read about that and it sounds utterly horrendous. Aversions and nausea are grim, but I constantly remind myself I'm lucky not to be throwing up. Exciting you might start TTC2 soon! A 2 year age gap seems really nice.

I've thought about fake tanning pre hols before, but in the end I always decide it's too much faff / I'll f it up! Hope this one looks lovely and sunkissed.

Well ladies, I told you I'd neglected everything! I've just had a proper soak and shaved my 'luscious' leg hair by exfoliating first, then using proper shaving cream and a fancy pants new razor. Wow - it's so much smoother than normal! Also really recommend the Nivea body cream if anyone is feeling dry.

I also spent a couple of minutes researching ways to wear my hair up without looking like Vicky Pollard. Quite impressed with my attempt at a stylish messy bun tbh - not a hint of Ms Trunchbull, which is the usual effect. Just off to sort my toenails off now. I feel so much better already ❤️

Hello all!

Welcome and congratulations purple exciting times!! Never feel like you're spamming the thread, you're not, and also never worry about moaning, I had HG all through (including during labour. Fun times.) and being pregnant is truly crap at times.

I am in awe at Snipples at braving it again after HG, I was sterilised straight after as I was never doing that again!

Right, off to catch up and back in a few minutes

Ah, caught up now, I think.

Snipples which brand is your lamp please, and is it easy to do? I keep toying with the idea of getting a lamp.

Fatkins that's an amazing loss!!! Well done!!

purple have you tried sniffing lemon slices to ward off gagging? It helped me unlike all that ginger and peppermint stuff . Also, I found the "Gibson Tuck" to be a very easy and useful pregnancy style. Its extremely quick and looks really smart too, also good when you're time strapped with a newborn .

So, I've been much as before, have managed to tint my eyebrows today and I'm now painting my fingers and toes again, this time a cerise shade with a sheer blue sheeny/fine glitter top coat.

I'm still doing every other day fasting, and very pleased with that progress, and I've been body brushing all this week which is already making my legs and arms look smoother and glowy.

I'm going to get some ground flaxseeds and start taking two tablespoons per day, I was reading it on another thread and did some research and it seems they're very good at boosting collagen production. I'm also going to be ading cranberry juice to my glasses of water, 1/8th juice, 7/8ths water for the same reason. I'm hoping they'll fit in nicely with my retin-A regime

Also purple I am absolutely in awe of you too, huge respect for even thinking about princes sing, I didn't even manage to think about brushing my teeth for a long time!! Many years on teeth brushing still makes me gag every time

Princessing, not princess sing.

Checking in after a while away from the thread. My husband got a new job, so we spent a full week celebrating! The diet and work out went out the window and my skincare went down to just removing make up before bed. Oh dear!

Back on it today.
Holiday has been brought forward to the end of September, we were aiming for mid November previously.

@EatenByDinosaurs thanks for the warm welcome! Your HG sounds unbearable - through labour?!!? Aghhrr. I don't blame you at all for not having any more. Also, I'm only able to do this because I'm not throwing up and seem to be through the worst of the nausea. It wouldn't have crossed my mind a few weeks ago and I'm well aware it may well fall by the wayside in a few months.

Ooo have just googled Gibson Tuck and I really like the look of that, I'll have a look at a tutorial later. I've currently got it in a messy bun - I'm 28 and have just realised that bobby pins, and not hairbands, make updos far easier/less painful/chic. Better later than never right?!

Your nail colours sound so interesting! I went for the standard dark red on my toes. Keep making me smile when I see them. I tried to find a body brush yesterday but to no avail, so I'm going to order one along with a new cleanser.

Flaxseeds are a wonder food imho. I can't wait to get back to smoothies so I can get my daily hit again. I had no idea they were good at boosting collagen production though - that's a nifty bonus.

@ScaryBunnyPainting that's a fab reason for having a week off! Congratulations to your husband and it sounds like you had a fab time. Where are you off to in Sept?

My nail lamp is SunNail 54w - I got it off amazon.

Another pound down today 🎉 so just one more to lose before I hit the 12lbs mark. Aiming to do that this week before we fly next Friday.

In other news I think I may have caught with DC2 😬 as have weird stabby womb pains. Will know by end of the week 🙈

@Snipples oooo that's exciting! You can join me in the pregnancy edition if you have!

Loving this thread. I've made lots of notes on product recommendations!

The part of my princessing I'm a bit lost on is tanning. If I start using fake tan....will is come off when I apply sunscreen over it?

I've ordered a bikini (at my age I need proper upholstery ) I still have two swimsuits from last year.

Planning a holiday in October so I have loooaaads of time