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.

Morning all

After a week of being really good I fell off the wagon fairly spectacularly last night - the red wine was to blame - whoops. Not doing so great this morning either - I started well with a 45 minute walk in the glorious early morning sunshine but have since munched half a large bar of green and blacks chocolate.

All week, every time I was tempted I focused on our September holiday and wanting to look and feel good in a bikini/shorts/strappy top etc... and it worked. I'm not sure why it doesn't work the same at the weekend though.

My head is saying "start again tomorrow" but I don't want to waste any more of my previous efforts so I'm writing this as my pledge to make better choices for the rest of the day. I'm hoping to get a few hours in the garden too so that might help to pull things back a little too.

Have great days all :)

Morning all

Sunday went a bit better than Saturday food wise but did culminate in a takeaway. Although it was more carby than I would regularly eat I did try to not over indulge too much but nevertheless the scales jumped up to 10st 5.2lb yesterday morning and have stayed there today too.

I'm hoping a few days back on clean eating should get rid of the extra though. It would be nice to be solidly back in the 4s by the end of the week.

Have good days all and hope you're all doing ok? :)

@bigdecisionstomake salt levels in takeaways also make you retain more water so it might be that your holding onto instead!

I feel like I'm eating well (I absolutely love lots of salads for dinner in warm weather) but cheese and wine consumption have increased so will see in a few days as nearly at end of cycle so earliest I will weigh is Thursday.

Hi everyone!

Agree with @Scottishskifun salt theory- I think that's why I bloat so much after eating rubbish! It usually settles down for me after a couple of days @bigdecisionstomake so hopefully it will for you too.

The weather has turned and I'm back to wanting comforting stodge instead of delicious salads. Mashed potato has featured quite a bit the last few days!

I've been thinking quite a lot about what I'm eating as I've started properly with the PT this week- really making an effort with protein and trying to get into a better routine of eating regularly. I've been guilty of not eating anything til early evening but I need to fuel my body properly and eat well for recovery if I'm going to get the best out of it! Shopped yesterday and stocked up on high protein stuff- aiming for whole foods rather than UPF and started making some tweaks.

I'm not sure where this leaves me with the scales. When I checked yesterday I'm maintaining but I'm trying to prepare myself for some gains- not necessarily through overeating, just muscles holding water and hopefully building in the next few weeks.. but I think mentally it will be hard to accept!

Afternoon all

Fingers crossed you're right @Scottishskifun and @NahThen and the salt/carbs will wash away over the next few days. Hope all goes well with your next weigh in @Scottishskifun .

The weather is pants here too @NahThen so I'm with you on moving back to the stodgy food. Annoyingly too, because we've got so many workmen coming and going, I have biscuits in the house (never normally do - too much temptation) so I've been sneaking a biscuit here and there which isn't going to help my efforts. I think it's a really good idea to fuel your body properly if you're going to get the most out of the PT sessions. It will be interesting to see how the scales react - I think it's perfectly normal to retain some water when starting to lift but as you say, a bit difficult to accept when you're trying to get healthier.

I am stubbornly STS at 10st 5.2lb today despite a very restrained dinner last night. Crossing everything for a bit of a drop tomorrow as I can feel my motivation waning again...

Hi all. I STS this week which I'm happy with. Only about 10 days till my holiday 🎉
Have a great weekend all!

Morning all

Well done on the STS @Gemzee and only 10 days to your holiday - exciting 🌴☀😎

I'm still STS at 10st 5.2lb - deserved as my food hasn't been on point but still really frustrating 😫 Trying to cut myself a bit of slack as there's a lot going on in my life at the moment but still would really like a bit more off before we go to Dorset in June. Must try harder!

Weekend is nearly here - yay!

Weigh in this morning is STS as 10 stone 1 I've definitely stagnated so will need to do a kick restart! No more alcohol for 2 weeks, reduce the cheese and aiming for 3 gentle dog walks next week (I realise this sounds very low but fatigue management is critical for me).

😂 should have waited for 2 days after cycle still clearly had some water retention weigh in this morning 9 stone 13.7lb so just below the 10 stone mark but I will take it!

It's given me the kick I need for this weekend and next few weeks before my holiday!

Morning all

Whoop whoop @Scottishskifun for being in the 9s - that's amazing work - huge congratulations 😃👏How long have you got before your holiday and what target are you aiming for?

I've had a couple of days off weighing just due to life in general and also we're now dog sitting my parents dog so usual routines have gone out of the window. Need to get back on it as it's only 3 weeks until our Dorset holiday. May also be meeting DS1's new girlfriend for the 1st time which is exciting.

Will try and weigh tomorrow and in the meantime have good days all.

Morning everyone,
I've just been catching up, congrats for the losses. Sorry for those going through a tougher phase!
I got back from my holiday at the weekend. It was so lovely to switch off from life. The mountain air and slow days did the world of good. My son went through his 6th ear infection just before we went so the antibiotics covered him while we were away and he luckily could enjoy his holiday too. He has his op end of next week. Bit nervous but feel ready to get this sorted now.

I've not hopped on the scales yet. I will tomorrow. I did eat more than I planned, especially Lindt chocolate and drank loads of coffee. But it was needed and I've conceded any pounds that have gone on were worth it for the relaxing, enjoyable time we had.

Will check in tomorrow with my weight. I've been spending the last few days just getting into the swing of tracking again. Hoping to make a start on the second stone now and have that off by Christmas.

Hope everyone is having good days!

My target (or interim to see if I'm happy there or can maintain it) is 9 stone 10lb. I'm 5ft 6 so that's in the middle BMI for me. I'm also a bit of a strange body shape - long legs shorter torso so weigh more then it looks like I do when I'm around the 10 stone mark.

I started around the 13 stone mark in the beginning of Nov (I had weighed 13 stone in Oct then couldn't face standing on the scales again until towards the end when I had already started and had dropped to 12 stone 6lb by the time I started weekly weighs.

Holiday is in 2 weeks so we will see if I can maintain being under the 10 stone mark I will be happy 😊
3.7lb isn't too much in a 2 week time period but I've definitely found the last stone to be very slow going with several weeks of stagnation points.

That's such a brilliant loss, well done @Scottishskifun

211.2lbs for me this morning. So I've put on 2lbs! My goal is to now track track track, get these 2lbs off then tackle the next stone.

Morning all

Glad you enjoyed your holiday @IchGlaubMeinSchweinPfeift it's just good to get away from usual routines isn't it (although I know when the children are little there's still a bit of routine needed!) I hope your son's ear op goes well next week - however straightforward an op it still must be really anxiety inducing for you. 2lbs is not bad at all for a holiday gain and it sounds like you've got your head firmly back in the game now 😃

You've done amazingly well @Scottishskifun it takes some determination to still be going after 3 stone of loss. I think you're right, the last stone is the hardest but you can do it - you've proved that already. Your target is broadly similar to mine. I'm slightly taller at 5'7" and my GP says my ideal weight is 9st 11lb however I got down to that last year and was still struggling to get into some of my clothes so I'm aiming for somewhere between 9st 7lb and 9st 10lb this time. To be fair, I think post menopause I carry my fat far more on my belly so I'm not sure that it's actually the weight that's the problem with clothes not fitting but more where it is for me.

I've weighed this morning and am down to 10st 4lb. Very happy with this although not sure it is fully deserved in terms of eating but I have been very active and running around a lot so perhaps that has been my saving grace.

Have good days all.

@IchGlaubMeinSchweinPfeift hope the surgery goes well and be kind to yourself it's stressful enough even though you know it will help them (DS1 had surgery as a baby).

@bigdecisionstomake well done on the loss you will be burning more then consuming which is the main premise anyway!

I don't see it as determined around March I realised that I naturally was making better choices and feel like I have hopefully changed my outlook on eating.
I also think being gluten free makes it more straightforward for me so it doesn't feel difficult. I can't have a lot of the foods many people struggle with so it doesn't matter if there is bread, biscuits or cakes in the house I simply can't eat it as it makes me ill.

Weigh in for me tomorrow so will see if still below the 10 stone mark!

Hi everyone, I fell off the wagon but I'm back again and will make more of an effort- both to post and to eat better!

@Scottishskifun very well done to you and best of luck for a 9 tomorrow!

@bigdecisionstomake how's the decorating going on? Hopefully back to normal for you soon.

@IchGlaubMeinSchweinPfeift sounds like a wonderful break away from all of it, and a 2lb gain is nothing you can't shift soon. Hope the surgery goes well, it's a worrying time.

My PT sessions have been going well I think. I'm aching a lot! I almost wrote that I'm undoing my efforts with the rubbish I'm eating and drinking, but I'm trying to see these sessions completely separately to dieting- I specifically said to my PT that I didn't want to lose weight and instead focus on health and strength. So I shan't berate myself in that respect!

Half term throwing things out of kilter yet again but I have booked a holiday for August so I have a goal to work towards.

Weigh in this morning still in the 9s! 9lb 11.5lb so down just over 2lb which I'm quite surprised at especially after being sts for so long.

Hi everyone, I'm back from holidays now. Well, I'm almost a week back. I thoroughly enjoyed eating and drinking anything I felt like - it was AI and included childcare so had to make the most of it. Was pleasantly surprised when I weighed in yesterday that I was at 90.4kg so just over 1kg up on where I was.

Having said that, I had a bit of a blip last night. I was in with the kids alone which rarely happens and bought a large bar of caramilk and jumbo wotsits to eat while I caught up on my shows. I painstakingly weighed both out and put little portions in a bowl. Then proceeded to go back into the kitchen several times, weighing each portion out and adding to mfp until both were gone! 600 calories over target but today is a new day.

I have 7 weeks until my summer holiday so really want to be under 85kg by then. Have just started a 1 month trial fir small group PT sessions so hopefully it gives me some energy and improves the willpower!

Hope everyone's day is going well.

I put on a pound this week but with the bank holiday and a meal out last night I'm not too worried.
I might pop in for an early weigh in next Tuesday before I go on holiday, otherwise I'll be back in a couple weeks with AL holiday weight to lose 😳😁

STS today. On holiday now so will be back to sort out the damage in a couple weeks 😁

I'm a pound up too @Gemzee but seem to have got back in the zone.
Have a fantastic holiday!

Hi everyone,

Thank you @bigdecisionstomake @Scottishskifun @NahThen for the well wishes. Unfortunately my son's op was cancelled last week 🙈 Germany are struggling with ENT ops at the moment and the govt have introduced a new "recommendation" that children are now operated on in big hospitals rather than also private ones (ent's with their own practice usually do their own ops at private or big hospitals here). The private hospital decided to take on this recommendation and immediately stopped operating on children. So my ent had to cancel as he doesn't have anywhere else. My son now has to wait another 3-6 months. But the ear infections are becoming a normal part of life (unfortunately) and it's been nearly 3 weeks since his last one which is the longest since February he's gone so I'm really hoping summer will give him a break. Absolutely gutted to have waited so long and now back at square one. I didn't cope well with that news last week and I emotionally ate for the first time in quite a while (within 24 hrs I ate a 175g bag of malteasers, a couple of kinder Buenos, a large cheese takeaway pizza and downed so many coffees 😅).
But by the Friday I was giving myself a stern telling off... Put it behind me and stopped emotionally eating as it's not going to help my son, though it made me feel better at the time 😅(sometimes comfort food is ok in my book).

Such great news seeing that 4lb mark @bigdecisionstomake hope it has stuck around.

@Scottishskifun that's great the 9s are sticking around! It such a great feeling seeing the scales move down.

@NahThen I think it's really positive to separate the PT sessions and eating. I always used to link them too but I now see it as separate. Even if I eat a lot, I can still go for a walk etc.

Despite my blip last week, I'm half a pound down this week. Hoping to shift the rest of the holiday weight a bit faster as I'd like to get started on that second stone this month. Have lowered my calories a tad as well and hoping that'll make a difference!

Hope everyone is having a good week so far.

Morning all

Gosh, it feels like ages since I've posted - more of that later 🙄

@Gemzee Hope you're having a fabulous holiday and you look amazing in your bikini 😎👙

Sorry to hear about your son's operation being cancelled @IchGlaubMeinSchweinPfeift I can't imagine how frustrating that must be and I can absolutely sympathise with turning to food for comfort. Well done on getting back on track though - that's the main thing.

I've had a difficult couple of weeks. I had my parents' dog staying with us while they went away and on the first day she was here DP managed to injure his back really badly so was bedridden for several days. We live and work together so the repurcussions of that were quite massive. Then my dad had a fall while away so all in all it's been a fairly rubbish couple of weeks.

Dog has now gone home, DP is back on his feet and it feels like normality has been restored a little, although I have a busy week at work and some more work happening in the lounge to contend with.

My food has been rubbish for the last two weeks and I've drunk wine pretty much every evening - but on the plus side I did get two good walks in most days with the dog.

I haven't weighed as I know it will be demotivating but it's only 10 days now until we go to Dorset so I'm back on it now until we go away. When we get back from Dorset it's 12 weeks until our main summer holiday abroad so I will need to really focus at that point.

Have kicked off with a 30 minute walk and tone workout with Olivia Lawson and a 20 minute Joe Wicks menopause strength workout. Let's hope I can keep it up!

Have good days all.

I've had a terrible food weekend but drew a line and started again today, managed to complete my PT session and have had good food, all tracked on MFP. I am absolutely RAVENOUS. I'm not sure if it's sugar withdrawal or I need to tweak how I split my calories (tend to go fairly light during the day and have a good dinner) but my stomach feels like it's turning inside out!

Sounds like a stressful week for you @bigdecisionstomake glad DP is on the mend and you've got a plan for the week, mine is awfully busy too but we're here & trying! I've put some notes in my calendar about when things are ie 6 weeks until X to help me stay on track-.12 weeks until summer holiday sounds like a good aim!

@IchGlaubMeinSchweinPfeift how frustrating for you that it was cancelled after psyching yourselves up for it! Good that you halted the comfort eating and the damage wasn't so bad.

I've got to admit I'm getting pretty fed up of thinking about food. I need to do a big shop and can't think of a single thing that I want to eat that's also not inferior to the full fat/sugar/carb equivalent 😬

Morning all

@NahThen It may be the sugar withdrawal that's making you so hungry. I always end up ravenous when I get back on it after a period of eating too much of the wrong things. Mostly I just try and grin and bear it and it usually passes in a couple of days but the other option is to fill up on lots of bulky but low calorie things like salad, certain fruits and certain veg aka all the boring stuff! Hope it passes soon for you and well done for getting back on it so promptly.

Yesterday went well for my first day back on plan. DS2 cooked a high calorie creamy pasta for dinner last night but I was very restrained and only had a small portion and topped up my plate with salad and green veg. It feels good to have made some healthy choices after a couple of weeks of caving in so often.

I've avoided the scales again this morning as I know it usually takes 2-3 days for my weight to stabilise after some time off plan, I'll see how I feel tomorrow... I'm a bit sore from the weights workout yesterday (inevitable really as I haven't lifted for several weeks now) so I've just done cardio this morning which was a 45 min walking for weightloss with Olivia Lawson. I'm keen to get back on the weights though with a sunny holiday coming up in September as I find lifting has the most impact on my body shape.

Have good days all.