Four week blast - 6lbs/2.7kgs to lose. Anyone with me?

[SexyTimeNotGenderTime]

I started a six week blast a while ago got derailed by life. So I’m picking up where I left off – anyone with me?

I have 2.7kg/6lb to lose.

I’m giving myself 30 days to do it. I want to be 2.7kg/6lb lighter on Monday 15th August.

I weighed myself today and I’m 54.4kgs/8’8lb. I’m 5’1 and carrying excess around the belly and the hips. I know you can’t target weight loss in particular areas of the body but a good overall toning will help firm things up.

In terms of diet – I’ll be calorie counting (sticking to about 1,200-1,300 per day), not drinking alcohol, trying to eat as healthily as I can.

In terms of exercise – I’m hoping to do at least three exercise classes per week (depending on weather/heatwave). I usually do boxing on Mondays, circuits classes on Tuesday, and strength training on Thursdays. There is also the option for a Saturday military bootcamp class but the instructor is very uninspiring so it feels like a bit of a chore. I’m off swimming tomorrow morning so might add that to my regular exercise plans.

Anyone with me?

I'll join you again - I have a lot more to lose than you so will be on the journey for a lot longer but need the accountability and motivation so will add to the thread as I go!

I'm also sticking to 1200 calories and trying to do more exercise.

Good luck!

I would like to join you please.

I need to lose 4kg to get back into the healthy BMI range, though ideally I’d like to lose even more. However it’s proving hard to lose anything so I am going to start with this target. And try to lose 2kg over this 4 week period as that would be a great start.
I know what I need to do, I just need to do it.

Any tips on staying on track despite the heat? I find I crave very sweet/sugary things including ice cream, sweet treats and alcohol more than usual.

I’m also finishing it hard to exercise in the heat - before the summer I was regularly running but that has fallen by the wayside.

Yes me please! I'm 57kg and 5' 5", not bad at all on paper but I'm pear shaped with a skinny top half and 40" hips. They've expanded by 3" since covid! I'm totally out of proportion.

I used to run but am out of the habit and my sugar intake is off the chart. So the plan is to run again (I have a treadmill so no excuse) and aim for 1200 cals though that seems like a real challenge. I use the various machines at the gym but they're doing nothing for this problem.

I'm meant to be doing a 10k run in 6 weeks' time so any improvement would help. Might need to cancel. I'm also battling perimenopausal issues that are sadly not conducive to a flat tummy and resisting temptation.

My friend lost several kg recently and her top tip is diet fizzy drinks, not the healthiest thing but might be a short term solution and helpful in the heat with ice.

Good luck everyone.

I'd echo the diet fizzy drinks to combat sweet cravings in the heat - kept in the fridge. Also if you're at home, ice pops. Morrisons have some sour Mr Freeze ice pops for 16 calories each and I find the sourness even more refreshing than sweet. Asda used to do sour watermelon lollies for about 50 cals, not sure if they have them out this summer.

Really good idea about ice pops Bloballbovish.

How's everyone doing? I exercised yesterday evening (with a fan blasting at me) and stuck to 1,200, this is unheard of!

I did well during the day yesterday but then fell foul of my sweet cravings in the evenings. I had a beer with dinner which I think was the trigger, I don’t drink much but when I do it affects my eating in a very negative way. Normally I would go out for an hour long dog walk in the evening which helps to get me away from temptation but the heat is stopping all that. I’m going to lunch at friends today that I rarely see so it will be hard to stay healthy. I’m going to try and at least eat/drink mindfully! And I think I will start to track my intake as that discipline has helped before.

Thanks for the tips - I would never have though of diet drinks, I tend to avoid them because I hate the taste of artificial sweetener but maybe I can have something else on standby in the fridge/freezer. I do love sparkling water with ice lemon mint, that kind of thing. I think I need to distract myself. By the end of each day I am so wrecked and strung out from kids and work(and now the heat!) that I turn to sweet treats, it’s a really bad habit/association.

Sorry to whinge but it helps to write it down here and I am hoping i can I nail it.

Hereforaccountability I think 6 weeks is enough time to train, if you can commit to 3 runs a week.
I did a 10K in March and I used a 5 to 10K app which really helped build up the distance.

Thanks Patience, I think I can fit in 3 runs a week, it's all down to motivation.

Diet drinks seem to taste better than they used to I've noticed, perhaps they're using different sweeteners now. Though sparkling water is way healthier.

I really hear you about being strung out in the evening after work and kids. I'm on my own (sadly) and I turn to sweet food as it feels like the only enjoyment available. I even thought recently that I have no hope of giving that up until I'm in a relationship, but that's defeatist, I know it's technically possible to get on top of this alone. There are other nice things, like funny tv, good books, etc.

Yesterday I had a shocking wake-up call in an M&S changing room mirror (rear view!) and I thought "no one's going to help me with this except myself". However we are in the same boat so I feel less alone now.

Best of luck at lunch. Agree that tracking intake is helpful, I've recently got a fitbit and would recommend it.

I’ve found my people!!
I’m 45, 5ft 2, and 8 stone 10
Like @SexyTimeNotGenderTime , it all goes on my stomach and hips.
At my lowest weight, I was 8 stone, and would love to get back to that eventually, but within 4 weeks, hopefully 6lb is achievable.
Its my honeymoon from 18 August, and I’m at the ‘panic mode’ stage.
Bought new bikinis and swimsuits last week, and could have cried after trying them on. Size 10 bikini bottoms looked hideous!

i eat relatively healthily at home, but my downfalls are eating out and alcohol.
Going to try low carb, as that’s worked for me in the past.

Exercise plan is to do the 30 Day Shred every day, a few sessions with a PT each week, plus walking and swimming.

First thing tigerbear is don't panic, you can definitely lose 4lbs at least by then I reckon. And get a significantly flatter tum. I agree completely with low carb.

There's always tummy sucking in swimsuits, those cute little sarong things, and fake tan!

Sounds like you've got a solid plan in place.

Thank you @Hereforaccountability
I hope the plan will work 🙏
I have also bought a swim skirt type of thing, but it’s very far from the gorgeous Victorias Secret bikini I was hoping to wear!

You'll get there one day, 10lbs is not the largest mountain to climb. However, I do feel your pain because the last few lbs are the hardest, our bodies understandably want to hang on to it.

I bought some diet vanilla coke and am currently having an ice pop Later will have lots of protein as that's the best way for me to feel full.

How are you doing today @SexyTimeNotGenderTime ?

Thank you @Hereforaccountability
How have you got on today?

I’ve begun calorie counting, and have only had approx 800 calories! Feeling happy, as had some lovely food: avocado with tikka vegan chicken fillets / chocolate biscuit / coffee / roast chicken leg done in the air fryer, with cannellini beans, spinach, asparagus, parsnip crisps and crème fraiche.

Did 30 Day Shred, stark naked in front of a fan 😄

Think I’ll try to get up at about 6.30am in order to exercise before the heat gets crazy tomorrow.

That's amazing! And the food you had sounds delicious and healthy too. Great work on the Shred, I remember it being very tough.

I also exercised in front of a fan, though clothed as it was at the gym Did 4k on the treadmill and could've kept going but one knee started twinging/twingeing (?) so I took it as a sign to stop. Will build up slowly.

Ate well calorie-wise though with a heavy reliance on ice lollies and diet fizzy drinks. Going to do a few floor exercises before bed - I'm more of an evening exerciser.

This is a great start

Happy Monday everyone!
Hope everyone is feeling ok so far in the heat!
Thanks @Hereforaccountability , sounds like you did brilliantly too. 4K is fantastic!
how is your knee today?
Managed to do the Shred at 7am 👍

Hi everyone!
So pleased to have so many people joining

I'd definitely echo ice lollies in this weather. Morrisons do some really nice bubble gum ones for 56cal which I'm addicted to. Also, if you don't like the sweetener taste of fizzy diet drinks, squeeze a bit of lemon or lime in them. I love a diet coke in the afternoon with a squeeze of lime juice

In terms of exercise - what about swimming? It'd be lovely and refreshing on a day like today. I went open water swimming on Saturday but it was a bit too cold. Today would be glorious for it though.
I usually do boxing on Monday nights and a circuits class on Tuesdays, but they've been cancelled this week for obvious reasons. I might try doing a half hour DIY circuits class in the kitchen later but I'm not putting too much pressure on myself for exercise in this weather!

How are you all coping in the heat? Hoping I can sweat out come calories the next few days.

I should've said that I haven't weighed myself yet. I might do it tomorrow. I'll be sure to keep y'all updated

Hi @SexyTimeNotGenderTime
I’m booked in for a swim at the lido near me this afternoon. It’ll be 36 by then though, so not sure how long I’ll last!

I’ll join you too. 😊 I’m 49, 5ft 7 currently 70kg. I’ve been dieting since early may and have lost 6kg so far, which was mostly the first 6 weeks though I have continued to lose very slowly over the last month even though I feel like I haven’t been trying. I’m back on the proper diet today and started couch to 5k last week. I would love to lose another 3kg by the time I go on holiday on 17 August.

The weight has really crept on over the last 2 years, the heaviest I have ever been, always been between 9 and a half and 10 and half stone, so the fact I was creeping towards 12 stone was shocking! Already feeling so much better but I know another half a stone before my holiday will boost my confidence in skimpy holiday wear!

Im calorie counting, generally have skyr and berries for breakfast, salad and chicken for lunch, eat with family for dinner but careful about portion size. I’ve cut out alcohol, if I’m craving something sweet, I have a Diet Coke, or snack on piece of fruit. If I have any calories left I have a dark kikat in the evening. Trying to stick to 1300 a day which seems to work for me. I was weighing myself daily but think I might try and stick to once a week.

I'd like to join to keep myself accountable. I have put on weight over Covid (both lockdown and iso, and general WFH,) etc. Haven't weighed myself but think I've probably got at least 4kg to lose to get back to my comfortable weight. So am probably around 62kg at 5,4 at present. Goal weight is 58kg. I've lost confidence with keeping weight off recently - usually I manage to self-regulate pretty easily, but I keep on fluctuating at present and seem to be going steadily up. Too many 'cheat days' and not enough exercise. But my brain is also trips me up and tells me 'oh, you hardly eat anything, it's NOT FAIR.' Puts me in a very resentful mode and makes it harder to try to change things. Going to weigh myself tomorrow, and might kick-start the conscious commitment by logging food with My Fitness Pal. And start doing some regular exercise.

This is great, sounds like a lot of us are in the same boat, aiming to lose only a few kg with a not very high starting weight. But I do think these are the toughest kgs and require a fairly low daily calorie allowance

Is anyone else up against the dreaded menopausal weight gain too? Mine started early, at 40, and for each period that I missed I ended up about half a kg heavier. Not going to give up though.

I've had a great 2 days since I started, my knee was totally fine as soon as I got off the treadmill, thanks for asking tigerbear. Will do a bit more running later if it's manageable with a fan. Also hoping to sweat off a few cals!

I agree about feeling resentful fiddletree, I have friends who can eat much more than me and stay slim or at least in proportion, but I've just got to face it, I'm a narrow boned pear shape and any weight over a low-healthy BMI heads down to my thighs and sets up home as cellulite.

Welcome to newbies!

Yep, I agree @Hereforaccountability It's great that we're all in the same kind of boat, good for mutual support.

I personally don't have the menopause to contend with yet. But that's partly why I want to lose the weight now so that I can get to a weight I can just try to stick at before menopause kicks in