Holiday Princessing Thread - who’s in?

[tigerbear]

Anyone up for a summer holiday princess thread? (Apologies if there’s already one, I did have a look and couldn’t see any)

I’m on countdown to holiday in the South of France at the end of July, and have never been so out of shape and lacking in style in my life, so desperately need to get on it. Really don’t want to be the one hiding under a towel at the pool/beach AGAIN!

I’m 45, have 1.5 stone to lose, and want to cut down the alcohol, sugar and coffee, as also want my skin to look better (suffer from regular spots, as well as peri menopausal dryness and redness - yay!)
Other stuff to do: take vitamins/cod liver oil every day / apply lash serum every day.

I began exercise yesterday, with 30 Day Shred session (always worked for me in the past) and dog walk. Today have done a 1 hour PT session.

Anyone else want to begin now, and have a bit of support?

I'm having quite the breakout at the moment, I think it may be my sunscreen so any recommendations for a facial sunscreen that is more gentle greatly appreciated.

Not biting my nails is going quite well so far, hopefully this and the collagen will result in them getting a bit thicker as they are so thin and brittle at the moment.

I have this Nivea sunscreen @LivingDeadGirlUK - it's quite light and handily also quite cheap!

My local Boots is rubbish too @OrangeSpicedBun and I find their website shockingly bad - I'll do a big order and it will crash constantly - I couldn't even place the last one as it wouldn't accept my password and wouldn't check me out as a guest. Very annoying!

Thanks I am doing a little Superdrug shop for a few birthday treats so I'll give that a whirl :)

Morning all, hope everyone had a good weekend.
Feeling so angry with myself - I’ve put on the 3-4lb I lost 2 weeks ago 😔
have steadily been drinking and eating more over the last week - takeaways, alcohol, ‘party’ food on Saturday etc
Only 12 weeks to go til holiday now too 😬

Don't be too hard on yourself, this is a 'party' weekend we have all been bombarded with adverts selling us fancy food and drink for the long weekend. Remember a lot of that gain is water from the delicious salty food and alcohol and not permeant.

I'm in the same boat but back on it now :)

The garnier SPF50 face is excellent and a good £ too

Thanks @LivingDeadGirlUK will get back on it today, seeing my PT later, but feeling exhausted as DD felt unwell last night, couldn’t get to sleep, and ended up sleeping in her bed.
feel totally spaced out, and would love to cancel PT, but that’s a slippery slope to just giving up the exercise too, so will try my best.

I failed dismally, off to Manchester tomorrow and I've done nothing.

Is the Aldi toner good @OrangeSpicedBun ? Nip + Fab have offers on most of their range at Superdrug, in case anyone's interested such as @LivingDeadGirlUK with the Superdrug order (triple points today!). I really like their products but Aldi is more my budget!

@tigerbear DTS1 and his (lack of) sleep is the bane of my life he's 7, suspected ASD, absolutely full of energy all the time. Fights sleep in the evening, boings up in the morning... DTS2 loves sleep, if I only had him then I'd have waaaay more energy to exercise, I'd be a size 6 by now! that's my story and I'm sticking to it

@MissSusanPevensie you poor thing, lack of sleep is just the worst! 😬
@GettingStuffed sorry to hear that, hope you have a nice time anyway.

@MissSusanPevensie I think it is helping. Has a slight strange hydrogen peroxide smell though. I've only ever used a small sample of Pixi glow tonic so can't compare but I seem to remember the Pixi version feeling quite slippery on my skin (too much Glycerin?) this doesn't. Nice big bottle too.

I'm really pleased with how my skin is looking and feeling at the moment and I tried on some holiday clothes from Jan that now fit better. I've loads to lose but I do feel a definite change in mindset. Especially seeing as Husband on board. Nails are still rubbish.

Ordered some 'nature's way' stuff. DH is using the (TikTok famous) Rosemary Oil for hair growth. I have Vit C / Collagen shower gelly (help with preventing stretch marks?) some Argan Oil and some sparkly gold shimmer dry body oil to help disguise Saudi stretch marks. Will report back.

@GettingStuffed concentrate on having a nice time. Perhaps a September/New school year goal is in order ?

Any thoughts of breaking the cycle of hormonal breakouts? I'm due to be on my period just before we go away start of June, do I just have to accept I will have bad skin?!

I'm sorry @LivingDeadGirlUK it's not something I know about. On one of these threads a couple of years back someone had success with Tretonin (sp?).

Why don't you tell us what you have tried ? Have you used acids before? Will a Sacylic acid product work /mitigate for you ?

Actually @LivingDeadGirlUK I did have a thought about Agnus Castus for balancing hormones, it was recommended years ago to help with PMS/getting pregnant . I'm determined to try more herbal supplements (had some success with DManoose lately).

https://www.avogel.co.uk/health/periods/4-herbs-for-premenstrual-acne/#:~:text=Agnus%20castus%20is%20particularly%20great,before%20or%20during%20your%20period.

@LivingDeadGirlUK
I’m 45 and still get spots, however mine are significant less frequent and smaller in size since I started on all of the following:
HRI Clear Complexion Tablets - natural remedy
Paulas Choice BHA Liquid Exfoliant (Aldi has a good dupe - v cheap)
Mario Badescu spot treatment (tiny bottle but not even half way through the one I bought a year ago)
Boots Skin Clear Overnight Blemish Balm

After using so many other things over the years, these are now my HG products.

Waves!

Morning!

I'd tentatively like to join in, please?

I've got a lovely holiday to Spain booked for the middle of August, and I'd like to feel a bit more confident (and healthy).

I was 10kg lighter the last time I went, which put me at overweight, not obese.

So, this is my plan;

16:8 on weekdays. Been on this for almost a week already. Also cutting back on alcohol, and am eating more plant protein.

Couch 2 5k. Am on Week 2 now, it's hard but I love how structured it is. Haven't run since school, but ran 10.5 mins in 90 second chunks today!

Vitamin D, iron and calcium supplements. Finally found ones that don't disagree with me, just have to remember to take them!

Toiletries. Have far too many, from advent calendars. Aiming to use up these, whilst also sorting out what might be useful for holiday.

Moisturise legs and put on eye cream.

Phew! That's quite a list 😅

Can I join? Have about 3 stone to lose - junk food and perimenopause have made me slam on the weight and I am just generally feeling sloth like!

Biggest aims for me are massive sugar reduction and staring IF. 11 - 7 seems like the best eating times.
I have bought 'The Glucose Goddess Method' book snd the Michael Mosely Fast 800 for guidance and recipe ideas.

I'm pretty good about vitamins and moisturiser and shaving my legs do will continue those. Will also buy the St Tropez in shower tan and that sounds great.

Hope it's going well for you all

Just back from my first ever gel pedicure! I amused myself by spamming my teen daughter with a blow by blow account. She will wake up to a load of messages on whatsapp and me thanking her for coming to my 'Ped Talk'. I need to remember to moisturise my toes when doing my legs !
I feel so pleased with my feet, much better than my Rimmel 60 second bodge job.

Off to Gatwick hotel tonight and flying 1.45 tomorrow to Turkey, so fingers crossed will start off nice and relaxed. I will change my goal when I get back for prepping for a festival going to at end of August.

Hi @ImAvingOops and @Vebrithien ! I really like 16:8 feels sustainable and easy to jump on and off.

It will be interesting to see how many of us report actual beauty benefits from it. I think my skin is nicer and glows more when I'm on it. That might be me chugging down water though? You'll definitely feel a difference when you naturally cut back sugar. I couldn't concentrate at all yesterday and felt all tired after having chocolate fir the first time in ages.

Well, this morning I've started well - glucose goddess book says you should have a savoury breakfast even if you eat sweet food later in the day as it helps flatten the glucose spikes. Have also done low carb bootcamp before but fallen off because I'm such a sugar craver. So this is something I really need to do. Dh found out recently that his blood sugar is quite high and he eats much better than me, so I dread yo think what mine would be if tested! So this is our kick up the bum and I hope it will be easier to do if we both do it.

Have also exfoliated everywhere, moisturised and removed all the old nail varnish from toes and buffed/used nail oil.

Plan for whole dh watches football is to tinker a bit in the garden (am gradually de weeding and clearing out junk from the shed for the tip) and to make a proper meal plan and shopping list so I don't cheat.
House still has cake and biscuits which I will leave for dd and not replace.

I want to dye my hair again but can't decide whether to do all over medium brown (which is cheap snd easy to do with box dye and looks decent) or caramel highlights (expensive snd need a hairdresser appointment). While I'd prefer the latter, I'm put off from having trashed my hair in the past by going too blonde and letting it all go dry!

Welcome @ImAvingOops and @Vebrithien !

@OrangeSpicedBun totally agree regarding having clearer and glowy skin when doing intermittent fasting!

Been pretty good so far this weekend - for the most time in ages, I didn’t have takeaway/snacks and alcohol last night, and eaten healthily so far today.
just done 30 Day Shred. 👍

*first time in ages!

@LivingDeadGirlUK I used to have terrible skin, tried everything, the GP said it wasn't anything I was or wasn't doing and put me on antibiotics, which cleared it up! If yours is only bad occasionally, would drinking extra water and maybe taking evening primrose oil help?

@ImAvingOops I haven't tried IF yet as frankly I'm always starving by 9am but then I've usually been up 3 hours and done 5K steps by then! I dye my hair myself, have done it for years as I just couldn't/ can't afford hairdresser prices, I'm not even sure what my natural colour is any more...

@OrangeSpicedBun the face wash has a slightly strange smell too, I'm on day 2 of using mine! Ooooh I love a pedicure, although I only usually get to have one once a year or so as a birthday treat. Hope you enjoy Turkey and have some fab sunshine!

May I join? Holiday at beginning of August. Could stand to lose a couple of stone although aiming for one by holiday. Also need to improve my self care and not feel so guilty about pampering myself a bit. So this evening, I've cleansed and moisturised, exfoliated. Also organised some supplements to try and boost my energy.
Tomorrow, I'll tackle my feet 😱

Welcome @dazzlingdeborahrose
I’ve been trying to lose weight since March, and the scales didn’t move at all until I started intermittent fasting, as recommended by others on this thread.
I’ve lost almost half a stone in the last 3 weeks by doing it (and could have been a lot stricter, as still had a few takeaways and alcohol).
Would def recommend it as a kick start to losing weight!