Diet for Summer Challenge 2024

[bigdecisionstomake]

This is a continuation of the previous Diet for Christmas and Diet for Summer Challenges started by myself, @OhFatty and @Dashel

It is open to everyone, whether you have a lot to lose, just a small amount to go or you're at target but facing the enormous challenge of maintaining your loss ongoing.

Your target doesn't need to be summer - you can set if for as soon or as late as you like. There are no rules other than being supportive and cheering each other on. Occasional kicks up the bum are available as and when requested.

Hopefully previous members of these threads will join us again and new members are always welcome.

I will update shortly with my start point for this challenge.

Thank you @Scottishskifun

Hello all, apologies I've been a bit AWOL, I've been reading/cheering you all on!

For the first weekend in a good while I've actually managed to stick to my tracking and cals, and kept moving despite injury. I think it's starting to ease off a bit but there's still a few moves I can't do in my pilates.

The weather has brightened up a bit here and looks set to stay dry at least for the next few days so I'm garden planning! Possibly left it too late for some of my veggie seeds so will need to buy established plants but just cutting the grass and getting on top of the weeds will be a good start.

I've had a bit of a drop this morning to 9st8, a "new low" for me! I hope it sticks. I'm going to try my outfit on for the wedding I'm attending in July and see how it's looking. I've found a gym I can use on a PAYG basis including advice from a PT so I might give that a go for 6wks or so when work calms down a little.

Hope you're all doing well!

Hi everyone,

Congratulations on the unexpected loss @bigdecisionstomake , its always nice to get a step change. Makes up for the disappointing days when there's no change on the scales after being on plan.

Excellent news too @NahThen , really good going. Nice to feel better in a particular outfit, especially when it's for an event. I slightly wish I was better at taking pictures in the same outfit as I lose weight. It's great motivation.

I've been rubbish for posting recently but have been sticking to mfp and largely sticking to my calories (went over today due to a couple of unanticipated glasses of wine and nibbles at a children's birthday party!)

Am slowly chipping away at the weight, I'm now 90.3kg, so 5.7kg lost since January. I'm away for the bank holiday but hoping to be under 90kg before a sun holiday in a couple of weeks. I'll likely go over calories each day this weekend but planning to be reasonable with choices, no bingeing, and then back on track from Tuesday.

Sticking to about 1500 calories a day at the moment, with an extra 500 or so one day of the week and finding it doable if I plan well. If I don't plan I can easily eat 1500 calories in one meal!

Next plan is to sort my exercise, still on minimal movement - just pilates and walking, would really like to get back into weights. It's just finding the time.

Hope you've all had a good start to the week!

Just checking in with another sts this week.
Have a great BH weekend all 😊

Weigh in yesterday for me another 1lb down so 10 stone 1lb slowly getting closer to tw of 9 stone 10! Aim is to get under 10 by end of May!

Hi, I put on a pound this week 😔 which I'm not happy about however I did overindulge for the bank holiday so have to accept it and hope it disappears next week.
Have a good weekend all.

Hi everyone,

I've been really bad with updating. But just wanted to quickly check in and say hope you're all doing ok!
I've not been calorie counting, for some reason I start the days and don't finish so I need to get on that.
I've been weighing on Wednesdays and my last two weigh ins were 209.2lbs. Glad I'm still in the 14st bracket and maintaining for a few weeks isn't necessarily a bad thing as my body adjusts to the stone down. But I'm off on holiday on Monday for ten nights and would really like to enjoy myself but not put on weight so I'm going to use this weekend to get back into tracking so I can stay within my limit and not put weight on. It's a camping site holiday in the Alps so there will be lots of outdoor activities! So I'm not worried about steps / movement. Nor am I going ti begrudge myself pizza, biscuits and chocolate. I just don't want to overeat and go over calories and put the weight on that I've been working to lose these last 4 months.

Next two weeks, the goal is to maintain then when I'm back, it's time to tackle the next stone!

Happy Friday all

Morning all

Quick update from me as we're pup sitting and he's desperate for a walk 🐶

We had a lovely week away. I did over indulge with food but also was very active so hope that counteracted it a bit.

Since we got back work started on the lounge again plus we have had the in-laws puppy for the week and there hasn't really been time for thinking about dieting and calories.

I haven't weighed but it is 6 weeks today until me and both DSs go to Dorset for a week so I am back on it with a vengeance on Monday and will weigh in then.

Also, DP and I booked our main sunny abroad holiday in September this week so I do need to take myself in hand both diet and exercise wise as I want to be able to wear and bikini and feel good in it. I haven't counted it up but I think it's around 19/20 weeks away so plenty of time to get there even allowing for a week of over indulgence in Dorset and our busy summer weeks at work.

Great to see lots of positive updates while I've been away and looking forward to being back on it on Monday.

Have a good weekend all 😀

Hello everyone, hope you've all enjoyed some lovely sunshine this weekend! I have, and unfortunately it included falling off the wagon in quite spectacular fashion.

It sounds like you've had (& git!) plenty going on @bigdecisionstomake but your goals are sensible - fingers crossed for our willpower to return tomorrow and we can both get back to it. I won't be joining you for a weigh in as I'm so incredibly bloated it wouldn't do me any favours! But will certainly be with you in renewed efforts.

@IchGlaubMeinSchweinPfeift sounds like a fantastic holiday, no doubt you won't need to worry about the exercise part. Hopefully you can factor in some treats but keep your loss, it's quite nice to give the body time to adjust to a "new weight"- I'm not sure how scientific it is but maintaining for a bit seems to make my losses stick.

Can't believe it's Monday again tomorrow!

Morning all

@NahThen I can't believe it's Monday either, the weekend seems to have flown by. Sorry to hear you had a bad weekend but get back on it for a few days before you weigh and hopefully things will have settled down.

So....I have weighed in this morning and am 10st 6.8lb. Not quite as bad as I feared but also not great. I go to Dorset 5 weeks on Saturday so am going to aim for 5lbs off in that time. I think that might be a stretch as we are still upside down at home meaning exercising is difficult and I have a lot on with work and other commitments so am a bit time poor for preparing healthy food.

I'm going to aim high though and see if I can do it - I think I will feel a lot better about wearing shorts (weather permitting) if I can get down to just over 10 stone.

Have good days all :)

Morning all. Sorry I've been on mute for a while. Missed you all, but life was manic. Both kids having issues at school that are bleeding into homelife, a couple of lovely lurgies, I had a very important job interview to get through and then a bunch of job and home stuff all coming up at once...

I've mostly held steady. Weight going up and down by about a kilo, but roughly 68.5kg (down from OG weight of 85kg in 2018/75kg when I started this particular weight loss attempt back in September 2023).

Goal is still 65kg, but have been struggling a bit with the sugar/carb cravings during all the stress and tiredness so haven't been as low calorie as I want or need to be. I have still been running though and am really seeing fitness gains, even if no weight loss 😄

I feel faster and stronger and have run my first ever 10k! (all the way to mcdonalds for a saus and egg mcmuffin and coke!!!) Plus I'm doing pilates regularly and have seen benefits to various niggly injuries and - I think - a bit of a change in my shape, which is nice. I think my waist is a bit more defined and my new smart watch reckons I've gained skeletal muscle which is positive.

So yeah, there's my terribly boring update. Still got 3.5kg to lose (approve 7lb?) to get down to 65kg/10 3lbs which is a BMI of 24.5 (which is good) from 25.6 which is bad.

Morning all

Good to hear from you @Backinthedress and your life sounds very similar to mine for the last few months - pretty full on! Huge congratulations on the fitness improvement and the changes in your body shape and composition. Those are things to be really proud of - probably more than a number on the scales to be honest. 3.5kg still to lose isn't too big a target - is there a future event (holiday, party, birthday etc...) that you'd like to have lost if for?

My scales seem to be playing up at the moment (they are very old so maybe time for new!) They gave me three weights this morning in quick succession so I'm going to take the middle one to be on the safe side - this is 10st 6.6lb - happy to see a movement downwards, no matter how small 😂

I had a good day yesterday, was very active and managed to stay within calories. Hopefully I can do the same today.

Have good days all.

That's a great achievement @Backinthedress , not much left to go. The fitness goals definitely have their place. When I went off track recently I stuck at my pilates classes and seeing the improvement in my core after some postnatal ab separation sort of pushed me back on the wagon.

@bigdecisionstomake you're a better woman than me, I'd totally take the lowest of the three scale options and worry about it next weigh in 😅

I weighed in again this morning and am another half pound down and hoping for that again before I go on holiday at the weekend. I then plan to eat and drink whatever I want for the week and get back on it as soon as I'm back. I'm even going to batch cook a bolognese to have with salad the evening we're home otherwise the wild eating will continue for days after I'm back!

OK. Having a shitty day. Eating all the sugar. Don't even care.

Morning all

Sorry to hear you had such a rubbish day @Backinthedress but I hope the sugar made it a little more bearable. Fingers crossed it was just one bad day and not something that is going to carry on affecting you. Embrace it - life can be shit sometimes and when it is you just need to do what you need to do to get through it.

Interesting to read that the Pilates has helped your core @Jigglemonster my stomach is the place I would most like to see some improvement. Well done on the half a pound off, you're doing a fab job and I really admire you for taking action to stop the wild eating in it's tracks when you're home - that's a great idea and one I should really make a note of 😊

I weighed three times this morning and my scales gave me the same weight each time so I'm hoping it's accurate today 😌I've had a bit of a whoosh to take me down to 10st 5.2lb which I'm super happy with. I suspect that's the water from the alcohol/carbs/sugar washing away from the last couple of over indulgent weeks so not fat but it's amazing how much of a difference it has made to how bloated my stomach looks.

I've nowhere to workout at home currently so have been for a 45 minute walk this morning. Not as many calories earned as my usual workouts but hopefully it will help a bit.

Have good days all.

Thanks big decision - got turned down for a job I really wanted (and needed) so was gutted. Well done for your whoosh. It's quite motivating when it happens. I really need to start calorie counting again as I know I've slipped.
Had two coffees and a banana today, so seem to have at least quashed the bingeing after the one reactive day!

I second how good pilates is - I've definitely noticed improvements in tone, shape and reduction in headaches and injuries since starting.

Hi all weighed last Friday was a sts for me. Now massively bloated and start of cycle due this week so won't weigh again til after as I know it doesn't do me any good!

Food wise pretty good had a few creep ins (especially with a wine....) so need to get another bottle of gin and slimline instead! 5lb to go to target 38lb lost since November so I'm very close now!

Hello all

Ah sorry to hear about the job @Backinthedress that's rubbish and I can see why sugar was required. Good to hear you quashed it the next day though 🙂

38lbs lost since November is a huge achievement @Scottishskifun you've done an amazing job. Hopefully the last 5lbs will come off for you without too much effort although I do usually find the last bit the most difficult. You are very determined though so that should see you through - good luck!

I've had another small drop today to 10st 4.8lb - really happy with that but yesterday ended up being a super busy day so that might explain it. Crossing everything I'm able to hang onto being in the 4s at the weekend rather than jumping back into the 5s again (or worse!)

Enjoy the rest of the day :)

@bigdecisionstomake well done on the loss 🙂

Thank you I think I've just found the combo which works for me as I can't really exercise. My fitbit is really helpful as I can see what my average calorie burn is per day and I am a long way off needing 2000 calories a day!

For me as well it's not weighing when I know my cycle has a big effect on water retention and bloating so ovulation and beginning. It's made a huge difference to not getting disheartened etc.

Hi, lost 2lbs this week, very happy. Now a weight on the scale I've not seen for over 10 years!! 😁
I ramped up my workouts this week due to last week's gain so I'm glad it's shown results!
Have a great week all.

Morning all

Thanks @Scottishskifun am a bit surprised at the big drop this week but very happy all the same. Like you I need significantly less than 2000 calories a day. Fitbit tells me I burn on average around 1800 a day but that includes around 250-300 calories of exercise daily so if I wasn't doing that I would only need about 1500-1550 to maintain. I find that a bit scary considering the government still tells us the average woman needs around 2000 calories per day. At 5 foot 7 inches I'm probably also a bit taller than the average woman in the UK I would have thought.

Whoop whoop @Gemzee that's amazing, huge congratulations you must feel really good 😃

I've had a STS this morning at 10s 4.8lbs. Can't complain as I'm 2lbs down on the start of the week so it was only to be expected. Still having to walk rather than workout due to the condition of the house but new flooring going down today so feels like we're starting to turn the corner.

Hang in there everyone, the weekend's nearly here!

Hi everyone, glad to see some losses and maintains on here, well done for sticking with it! Yay for the end in sight @bigdecisionstomake and great news @Gemzee always good to hit a new weight. @Scottishskifun your loss despite exercise limits is really inspiring - congratulations 👏

I'm also in the maintaining-but-happy camp, at 9st8. I was thinking about when I first joined this thread with the goal of toning up a little really and just feeling a bit more confident. With this in mind, I've found a PT and signed up for a month's trial. I'm not sure how I'll fit it in with ft work and single parenting but for a month, I'm going to give it my best go!

I did specify that I didn't really want to lose weight because I've learned that's not the key to feeling better for me. So I'm aiming to build some muscle/strength and focus instead on just eating well at maintenance cals rather than aiming for a big deficit.

I had my first session on Wednesday and despite aching a bit, it felt good!

Have a good weekend all 💐

@bigdecisionstomake yes it was an eye opener for ages I was very disheartened and still putting on weight wondering why when I wasn't eating rubbish, was at or below 2000 calories a day etc.
It wasn't until I started looking at my fitbit that I realised I was burning on average 1600 calories a day at 5ft 6! So understanding that's my level to maintain and I need to be an average 4-500 deficit a day to lose weight has been the change. Its generally been pretty straight forward after that so far. No radical changes or banning of foods etc just sticking within my envelope and making good choices.

@NahThen a PT sounds amazing I really miss what I consider proper exercise but long covid and POTS unfortunately means I can't. So I enjoy what I can of a gentle walk, a 30 min ebike once a week or a gentle yoga class. I've accepted and embraced the new me at 38 though still a part of me misses my paddleboarding 3 times a week or just doing something like a hill walk with ease but that's life!

@Scottishskifun it's straightforward in terms of calorie deficit when you look at it like that but your continued motivation to actually stick to it week on week is impressive! I know all the theory about weight loss but it's taken a long time to put it into practise long enough to see a proper change.

I (kind of) know what you mean. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago and I think I'm still in quite a bit of denial about it- until I overdo things, it flares and I have to remind myself I have a chronic condition where fatigue plays such a huge part! Along with my spinal injury it makes exercise a bit frightening at times with the worry of what damage I might do. I'm glad to have a bit of a handhold with the specialist PT to see what I can safely get my body to do. Time will tell- it might well be a disaster!- but I'm optimistic.

Morning all

Thanks @NahThen All the trades we've had in so far have been great but I will be really glad to have the house back to ourselves again. Just the decorators next week then second fit on the fireplace and the sofa delivery plus a few bits of snagging. Actually doesn't sound so good when I put it like that...😆I'm very envious of your PT, I've always really fancied having one but time/money hasn't really allowed. It's on my bucket list for when I retire! Hope it works well for you.

@Scottishskifun my fitbit has just died and I feel a bit bereft without it. Thankfully a new one should be arriving tomorrow. It almost feels like steps don't count if you don't have a tracker to record them...😂

Another STS for me at 10s 4.8lb this morning and a lovely walk out into the countryside before breakfast. I love this time of year when it's not too hot but warm enough that you can be outside lots without needing a coat.

Happy weekend everyone :)