Cake no cure for the summertime blues. Help yourself to a slimmer summer with the Slenderistas and lose 7lbs in July

[BitOutOfPractice]

Well here we are again. Otters. Lindas. Babes. Buggers. We're all here to lose 7lbs this month.

Everyone welcome to the best thread on MN *

TM

link to the old thread here if you need it

Have just caught up with everyone's updates, feeling a bit guilty for my holiday after all those lovely pats on the back for my now non existent losses!

I will be doing eggfest again when I come back from Dorset on the 13th hoping to undo holiday damage as quickly as I can!

Go for it TV, it's doable. You have done so well keeping going, it can be so hard sometimes but you have persevered and look where it got you.

Glad you had a lovely break Hairspray! That is what's important. 😊

I had nae luck with the egg fast, although I am wondering if eggs' well-known binding qualities are a factor - 18 eggs in 3 days, and very little toilet action this week. (Sorry, tmi... ) I am now trying a fast day today. Can you sense the desperation? Less than 3 weeks till I am back at work and I am currently a couple of lindas heavier than when we finished up. This was not the plan, people. Not the plan at all!!!

Thanks pony so nice of you..... Three weeks is a long time (sounds like fab holidays) and you are bound to lose those extra Lindas without too many fast days or eggs...

Im down to 10.2 but have a feeling it wont stay there.

Saw hot pt today too. 😍

TV I work in a school so I am off the whole summer holidays. I was supposed to be using the break to get sorted weight-wise. We've been off a month already (Scotland). So far not much sorting has happened!

pony I'm in Scotland too, go on holiday next Saturday and then its back to school for DS two days later, these summer holidays have flown by....Hopefully some term time good habits will have you sorted by the October holidays.

I think by the time I come back from holiday it will be October at least before I get back down to current weight never mind any nearer to the 12st mark. I think a weight that started with 11st would be fab but I'm maybe pushing things too far there....

Morning, 10.7 so back at last Fridays weight, so another STS week for me, thrilled tbh as I was sure I would be stuck on a gain from Wales.

Golden weekend planned as would like to be on a loss for the month overall, plus a little more pre-holiday loss if I am not being too greedy!
+2 for the month currently and three days to go, I may be being ambitious! If I am 10.4 or lower before we leave on Thursday morning I will be happy!

Don't know if it is worth trying to make good choices on holiday or not, we aren't really big drinkers so only really likely to be drinking on three or four evenings. We are selfcatering so I am either going to have very light breakfasts or not bother and I think that should enable me to factor in at least one treat a day probably more

Won't be gorging my self daily though, there is no need and I want to get out of the habit of overeating on weekends and holidays just because I can!

I am looking forwards to fish and chips on the harbour wall and my favorite ice cream in the world :) this time next week I will be walking to the beach!

Sorry! Meant to add in

TV have you tried a fast day at any point? They sound scary but they really do knock on the head any gains from nights out and holidays pretty quickly. I tend to do two in a row after a big weekend and almost always get the weight off immediately. I think anything between 600-800 calories counts as a fast for a man, pretty simple to do as well:

Example fast day menu

B 2 egg omelette with spinach for breakfast - 150 cals
L Tin of tuna with 1/2 a cucumber chopped and 1 tbsp of full fat mayo - 225 cals
D boneless skinless grilled chicken breast with broccoli/cabbage/other leafy green veg tossed in 1 tbsp of olive oil with chilli/lime etc to spice it up - 350 - 400 cals depending on the veg you have.

That would come in at about 725-775 and it is a decent amount of food that shouldn't leave you starving, you could always fit in some of those 10 cal jellies if you need something sweet and that wouldn't push you over!

Plus weigh in after a fast day is always really motivating!

The holidays certainly have flown by TV - I always feel that even after 7 weeks I could do with a few extra days (ie just me and no kids!).

Hairspray 2lbs for the month when you have had a mini break and have already lost so much sounds pretty good to me! I think you sound like you have a good handle on coping on holiday - don't go mad but don't deny yourself either. 😊

Fast day yesterday - not done one for ages and it was fine. Did forget I was fasting twice though and made milky tea - 100cals right there. So I was in the 600s rather than the 500s but not a biggie I don't think. I didn't sleep well at all though so feeling groggy today. Still not much scale movement but also have TOTM so hoping praying for a whoosh in a few days.

Wooohoooo Hairspray welcome back! I lived in Cardiff for a while and loved it, I still miss it sometimes - tell me what you did to take me back? Although it's such a fast-moving place, it's probably all changed since I was there. Whereabouts in the city were you staying?

I'm so envious of your upcoming beach holiday, it sounds glorious.

TV I'm feeling like a broken record here but remember you saying 12 7 was too optimistic for you? You can totally get into the 11s, we'll cheer you on the whole way! Agree with Hairspray on fast days - obviously you'll get there eventually with the "slow and steady" approach (as evidenced by you almost a stone down already) but I find my attention drifts if I'm only trimming a small number of calories per day, which can all be blown on a night out in the pub and leave you back at square one. Obviously it's totally personal. I found getting into fasting, it helped to start with one day designated as the Healthy Day (Monday, natch), where I always skipped breakfast and had a light, carb-free lunch and dinner, usually fish and veg. Didn't count the calories but it became a habit to expect it on a Monday, and then it was easy to sub it into another day as well. To begin with I just did the same dinner two nights running, although I'm a bit more inventive now and have some more options in my arsenal so it doesn't get too repetitive.

pony 600-ish is completely fine! That's still going to be a whacking great calorie deficit. I have soya milk in my tea which is much lower in calories and to be honest I don't count it. I think having 2 days a week with a 1000-odd deficit is always going to have an effect, without getting bogged down in the particulars.

I'm going to weigh in today after 4 golden days - first time in ages, very keen to see how much of the damage I've undone!

Also, for any of you not on the FitBit challenge, I'd like to brag that I am in second place Last night I almost smidged into first but damn leesmum was just unbeatable, but it's definitely spurring me on not to be languishing at the back like I have done every other challenge! I've been stepping like a beast this week. Please God of Scales, let it show to give me a boost?

Hello hello my lovely slender friends. I'm back from Spain. Not read back yet so I hope you are all ok

By some miracle I have managed to only put 1lb on after 8 days of fabulous food, regular tapas top ups and breakfast beer. No idea how

FX for a loss for you Quimmy

Cardiff was lush I will give you a day by day breakdown of what we did, we stopped at the Premier Inn, right in the center of Cardiff, lovely rooms, nice view and really handy for the train too.

Feel free to not read this if you don't care about my holiday WARNING it will be long!

Sunday
Arrived at oneish and went for lunch in one of the Cafes in the Royal arcade, they had a huge selection of tea, and naice milk shakes.
I had a goats cheese greek salad and some lady grey, DP had smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on a seeded bagel, and a salted caramel milkshake.
Quick tour of some of the shops, MIL bought a Vivienne Westwood handbag, I bought a new pair of Kurt Geiger's - in my defence they were in the sale!
Back to the hotel for showers and getting ready, when out for tapas with BIL and DP. Went to Wahaca, and we all picked three dishes and split them plus a few cocktails before heading to a speakeasy called "The Dead Canary". Table service amazing cocktails designed around the myths and legends of Wales, headed off to another cocktail bar called Bootlegger where the cocktails were £10 for 2... stumbled back to the hotel for about 1am.

Monday
Woke up with a slightly sore head, not too bad all things considered though, headed out for a late breakfast (10ish) at a crepe shop, I had summer berries, fresh mint, greek yogurt and honey in mine. DP had bacon, scrambled eggs, and cheese in his!
Caught the train into Cardiff bay, took lots of photos, went on a boat, road the big wheel and walked the whole length of the barrage, it was a long way but fortunately there was a pub at the other end called the customs house that had G&T's practically waiting for us at the other end!
Headed back to Mermaid Quay to a bar called "The Dock" for an early dinner with BIL and PIL. I had a avocado and grilled halloumi salad, DP had fish and chips, I stole some of his chips! Headed back into Cardiff for about 7ish and, after getting changed went out for dessert and prosecco with DP, all romantic like, got back to the hotel for half 10ish and crashed out.

Tuesday
Up and out for 9, went for brekky with PILs at the Cosy Club, I had poached eggs, spinach and avocado, DP had a chocolate milkshake and poached eggs on a muffin with chorizo and hollandaise sauce .
Open top bus tour of Cardiff, super touristy but very good fun and super interesting! We then went to the national museum of wales, DP is a huge fan of dinosaurs and they had an exhibit on dinosaur eggs and baby dinosaurs, he was thrilled!
Headed back into town for lunch at 1ish, walked through all the Arcades and chose a french style bistro called "Maddame Fromage" We split a cheese board, with chutneys and pickles and salad as well as cheese, crackers bread and charcuterie. DP had another milk shake - ferrero rocher flavour this time.
Bit more shopping, popped into lots of little independent places off the arcades, bought souvenirs for my parents, a thank you gift for PIL and some treats for work - plus some christmas pressies.
Stumbled upon the ice cream place that makes it in front of you with liquid nitrogen - called "Science Cream" Very instagrammable! I had salted caramel with white chocolate pretzel pieces. DP had Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut praline sprinkle.
Went for a walk around Bute Park and lazed in the sunshine till it was time to head back to the hotel and get changed for dinner.
Went out for dinner with PIL's and BIL again an old pub called the "Owain Glyndŵr" I had a baked goats cheese and beetroot salad, DP had mac and cheese and we spilt some onion rings. Ate on the terrace as the weather was so nice, and had a few G&T's to help dinner go down!

Wednesday
Last day so decided to cash in on the Premier Inn's all you can eat brekky! I had grapefruit and yogurt with some medjool dates, eggs veggie sausage and grilled tomato, and a crumpet!
DP had a full english, a bowl of cereal, a plate of pancakes and syrup, a croissant and some mini muffins.
Final whisk round the market to pick up some fresh welsh cakes, got a mixed box, traditional, chocolate chip, lemon curd, plain, cherry and caramel.
Headed back to Birmingham, got back about half 1ish, took just under 3 hours!

Oh my goodness Hairspray that sounds like a lovely time ahd the good sounds AMAZING

The food was next level, really reminded me of York, I feel like I could have eaten in a different place for three meals a day for weeks on end. I want to go just for the food! Never mind that we didnt do the science museum or the castle, so much to see and do! Would 100% recommend.

DP has just given me our step counts for the time we were away
Sunday was 10190
Monday was 16871
Tuesday was 20282
and Wednesday was 8066

So I feel like all the walking helped offset the food?

How was Spain Boop Impressive only +1lb! Don't feel like you have to go into as much detail as I did didn't really realise how long that was! Sorry all!

Oh if anyone wants to see photos from my trip you can see them

here

It is just my insta, really not bothered about "anonymity" as I never post about really personal stuff the whole world and his dog know I have been dieting for forever! I can always Name Change

here even

no idea why that linked to a single photo

Oh Hairspray you absolute gem, that was a proper holiday diary I love all the detail of the food too, it really does sound lush (as they'd say in Caerdydd). You missed a trick not having a brownie in Madame Fromage, they are TO DIE FOR - next time though

The photos are fabulous too, you look wonderful. I scrolled back through you feed and it's really noticeable how the shape of your face has changed. You've lost something bonkers like 50 lbs haven't you?

BOOP HOW is that possible?! I do envy you so, I would have gained a minimum of 5! How long were you there for, again?

When I look back I'm pretty sure the real culprit of my weight loss was a single week in France. We were self-catered for the most part, so we went to a local supermarket and bought all the bread, cheese, wine and Charcuterie in the world, and every lunch time I'd just sit there and eat and eat and eat and eat, all washed down with gorgeous crisp (and ludicrously cheap) vin blanc. That was when we weren't in restaurants gorging on pasta. Then we did the same in the evenings, playing cards on the lovely warm terrace. At the end we'd amassed the most shameful amount of bottles, and since it was an Air BnB we had to leave them in the recycling bin to be emptied whenever collection day rolled around. With the (lovely) family whose guest house it was being those Vair Français types who share a single bottle of wine between 6 for an evening meal (as we discovered when they invited us to dine with them) I still sometimes wonder what on earth they thought of us when they found our remains

That was before I started dieting (and therefore weighing) so I've no idea how much I actually gained that week, but I bet it was a HUGE amount.

I have no idea quim. But don't forget that I was already 7lbs up from my lowest following a couple of birthday weekends away.

I am on it like a car bonnet again today. But it's very dispiriting to be losing the same bloody half stone again

The girls on the step challenge are reporting great results doing an ab challenge. Shall we start one here?

And Quim that holiday sounds like my idea of a perfect break

BOOP I am in the exact same position. What's so fucking annoying is that after America I was about 2 kilos up, and that was after 2 solid weeks of eating, and I thought "well, most of it'll be bloat and all that, I'll kick it into touch no problem." Then instead I packed on another 1.5 kilos somehow, and now it's a half-fucking-stone. I'm so cross with myself.

That French holiday was glorious. I still think about it sometimes: there was a hammock and a pool and I just sat with my kindle in one hand and either a hunk of bread or a glass in the other for long after DH had gone to lie in the hammock. I'd totally do it again

Ooh thanks quim yep I was a bit of a moon face!
Almost 70lbs now just need to push on for the last 1/2st 10lbs 😊

10.6 could have been better yesterday, ate a whole punnet of cherry tomatos while cookinf dinner that I hadn't accounted for... low cal obvs but tomatos are pretty carby. Just had eggs and avocado for breakky not having anything else till this evening, low carb stirfry is on the menu

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Oh I didn't mean that at all, you looked lovely! Just that it must give you a boost to look in the mirror and think "woah, who are you?" I am so in awe of that - SEVENTY lindas!!! The most I've ever lost (highest - lowest) is somewhere between 20 and 25, and although I don't see a difference facially in the mirror, I can REALLY see it in pictures, makes me feel very proud. And it's so odd to me to think I was carrying all that extra weight - everyone to a man has insisted they never noticed the gain, although several have noticed the loss

The most surreal thing was still when all my rings started falling off and had to be resized - that was when I realised I really must be smaller, if my bloody fingers had changed size.