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.

@bigdecisionstomake that’s a fantastic scale victory! I understand your need for visual motivation. I have been debating whether to stick some women’s health models on my fridge door. DH seemed concerned that visitors might blame him and think him odd 🤣

You will keep the momentum up! I would prep what you can when you can and plan your week, even if that plan is a ready meal and a bag of apples in your draw.

The physio spent more time on my knee that I wanted but she has taped it up and told me to rest until Sunday 🤦‍♀️ my back is still quite sore as usual, oh and I fell over outside yesterday which made things worse. My exercise is probably going to stay at housework this week. I might try a 5 minute GFWR.

My morning weight was 10st 9.5lb so slowly coming down but probably mostly water weight unfortunately.

I hope everyone has a great day

Morning all

Ha ha, yes I can see why your DH might be concerned about that @Dashel Thanks for your confidence in me, it really does help having the support. The fact it's less than 12 weeks to the holiday is a great motivator. My heart hasn't really been in it for the last few months although I know I would have gained if I hadn't been accountable to this thread so even the small amount of weight I've lost this year is better than nothing.

Sorry to hear about the fall yesterday, you really are in the wars. If it was me I would have a restful week focusing on food and then hope that leaves you in a better place next week. That's a really good loss already though, especially given all the limiting factors, well done. Keep at it - you can do this!

I've had a STS this morning at 10st 5.8lb which is not unexpected at all given the last two days of losses. I expect I may plateau here for a while now, especially given it's the weekend coming up.

I've done Day 4 of HR 4.0 which was abs and hip mobility and a 30 minute Olivia Lawson Metabolic Walking for Weightloss workout as I knew the abs wouldn't burn loads of calories. Hoping to possibly get some time in the garden later as the weather has taken a turn for the better here but that will only happen if work doesn't run out of control again.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Morning all

Another drop for me today - can't quite believe it as I was expecting a plateau. I'm down to 10st 5.2lb. I did end up having a really active day however so I'm wondering if that was why.

If I can stay in the 5s over the weekend I'll be really happy.

I have woken this morning with pretty much every part of me aching but have powered on and done Day 5 of HR 4.0 which was Quads and Calves. The plan is well balanced though so the muscles we used today haven't been worked this week so far and it was manageable. Looking forward to a couple of rest days from the strength work now though.

Happy Friday everyone 🙂

Happy weekend everyone

Was hoping for some better weather so I could get in the garden but hey ho - rain it is.

Not sure what's going on but I've had another drop this morning to 10st 4.7lbs - incredibly happy with that and just goes to show how much bloat a couple of weeks of poor eating, drinking and lack of exercise can pile on to you.

I did have a fairly active day again yesterday though so that probably helped and although there was pizza and wine for dinner I did calorie count and measure everything to come in just 50 calories over my target deficit of 500.

It was a relief not to have a strength workout today as I'm fairly achy all over but I've done 60 mins of light cardio/walking workouts just to make sure I have enough calories to have a glass of wine with my meal tonight.

Have good days all.

Hi All
I'm back after holiday and hectic work.
Fab news @bigdecisionstomake

Not too much damage after holidays etc but only just in the 9s still at 9lb 12.5 so need to lose 2.5lb to get back down to target weight.
Bought myself smaller jeans so that it's more obvious when they are snug!

Morning all

Hope you had a great holiday @Scottishskifun and I can certainly sympathise with work being hectic! If I were you I would be really happy with such a small gain for some time off plan - I'm sure you'll get it sorted really quickly now you're back on it again. Good luck 🙂

I've had a small rebound this morning to 10st 5.1lbs - a bit disappointing but I guess I can't complain given the previous losses this week. I have an odd day today as it's my cousin's birthday so I'm likely to not be very active and there will be cake 🎂I'm hoping for damage limitation but without being a complete killjoy. Tomorrow is more of the same as I'm meeting a friend about two hours away for a day out so food will be out of my control to a degree but I'll just need to do the best I can and hopefully there will be some walking to balance it out.

Rest day for me today exercise wise but thankfully the doms are pretty much gone ready for next week's strength workouts.

Have good days all.

Have a lovely time today and tomorrow @bigdecisionstomake it's not always completely within our control but making the best choices you can is a positive mindset.

I haven't logged my food for ages, and my PT sessions have come to an end. I really enjoyed them and would be keen to carry on but work is so busy at the moment that I just can't fit it in as well.

I have been keeping an eye on the scales and I'm still maintaining despite making some really poor choices lately! Fresh start today and I've just had a wholemeal pitta with a big bowl of salad. It's 3 weeks until the wedding I was originally slimming for so just trying to maintain and eat less junk- hopefully brighten my skin up a bit. i should probably cut back on the booze too

I've been really sluggish this last week from all the processed food so I'm actually looking forward to getting back on track!

Morning all

I had a really lovely couple of days thanks @NahThen - back to the grind now though! And the dentist today too just to add to the joy 😖I absolutely know how you feel about looking forward to getting back on track. I was like this by the time I got back from Dorset, ready for some healthier habits again. Perhaps we all just need a break every now and again. Lots of water will help brighten your skin in my experience. Maybe treat yourself to a lovely hydrating or brightening face mask too...? You deserve it 🙂

I had a lovely cream cake on Sunday for my cousin's birthday but apart from that was good with my food. Similarly yesterday, I managed to avoid snacking on the train and had a slightly larger lunch that usual but apart from that was very good 😇

I weighed in at 10st 5.1lb yesterday and 10st 5.2lb this morning. I didn't manage any formal exercise yesterday as my train was early but we did do around 12k steps so hopefully that will have balanced things out a bit. Back on it today with HR4.0 Day 6 Back and Triceps plus 15mins of gentle cardio with Ingrid Kick.

Hoping to be in the 4s by the end of this week.

Have good days all.

Evening all

A bit despondent today as despite being well within calories yesterday my weight has crept up again to 10st 5.5lb. I'm wondering if the lack of tracking over the weekend is catching up with me now.

I've given myself a good shake however and am powering on today. I've had a fairly active day and as long as I don't eat anything else that's not already accounted for I'm coming in with calories pretty much spot on for a 500 deficit.

I've done HR 4.0 Day 7 this morning which was glutes and thighs and I'm expecting to be sore tomorrow. There was a little cardio too as a warm up - it's a hard habit to break 😅

Hope everyone's had a good day and here's to some downward movement tomorrow!

Morning all

Hurrah for some downward movement on the scale, to 10st 5.0lb again. I would still dearly love to be somewhere in the 4s by the end of this week so going to keep at it.

Today was Day 8 of HR 4.0 which was chest and shoulders, usually a workout I really enjoy but there were a couple of exercises that were aggravating my lower back so I gave them a swerve in the end as I don't want to take any chances. Also did 20 mins of cardio with Olivia Lawson.

I've got a completely home based office day today so the challenge is going to be avoiding snacking and keeping my food in order.

Have good days all.

The work from home issue and snacking can be a major one for me! I find if I force myself to have a full lunch break then it helps and then I can make and eat a proper lunch.

It's a stay the same for me latest weigh in but I'm thankful as it's very cold wet and horrible up here and my fatigue has been really bad so trying to readjust my baseline again.

DS2 was weighed last week and weighs 5kg less then what I lost since Nov which is insane and a bit of my visual motivation to keep on track!

Hi everyone! Haven't posted in a while, partly because I've been trying(!) to reduce my screen time a bit and partly because I haven't got anything positive to say about weight loss/maintenance.. I'm so glad this thread is still going though!

I haven't weighed for a while now but I'm really annoyed that it's got so close to the wedding (just over two weeks to go) and I've completely sabotaged myself! I don't even really have an excuse beyond disorganisation and greed 😅 I had to work away for a bit then had my period and a cold and everything went wrong,

However, I'm back. Let's see how much damage I can undo in the next fortnight?!

Does anyone feel like sharing any meal ideas/snacks/tips? Especially for reducing bloat- the post-period bloat is hanging around. I've switched my morning tea for a mint one (hopefully will help as well as giving me a 16hr fast) and upped water, I'm not too good at reducing carbs but I'll try to pick healthier ones. I can and will cut chocolate, just for a little while. No booze planned and I'll try get out for some walks when the rain at least slows down!

@NahThen I always find salt is a big factor in retaining water so reduce if I am trying to avoid bloating. It can be hidden in lots of processed foods (breads being one) so switching to low salt stock and avoiding ready made sauces etc for a few days can help. Also takeaways.

Thanks @Scottishskifun I always forget about salt. Conveniently, probably, because I am a bit of a salt addict at the best of times. I have had an embarrassing amount of takeaways recently as well. I'll make a conscious effort for a while and see if it helps!

Hope you're managing your fatigue well? It's kicking my arse at the moment!

Trying my best and have readjusted my baseline to help. I'm making a conscious effort to not reach for the sugar to try to push me through (I know it gives me a bit of time) and just accept I need to rest even for 20 mins instead.

Forgot to check in last week, I lost a pound. This week I gained a pound so all in all I've STS since I was last here ☺️. Been a bit off track this week (wine & pizza) but hoping to make better choices next week. Still working out daily.

Have a good weekend all!

Morning all and thank goodness for Friday!

I was mostly successful at avoiding the snacking yesterday @Scottishskifun I'm usually fine as long as I don't actually have anything on my desk. Unfortunately I had 3 small squares of dark chocolate after my lunch and left the bar on my desk rather than putting it back in the fridge which then led to another 3 squares mid afternoon - I never learn 😂What an amazing motivation it must be to look at your son and be able to think you've lost all that weight and some - that's an awesome achievement 💪🙌

Glad to see you're back on it @NahThen bloat is awful, and it always seems to come at the wrong times. You've got a couple of weeks to sort it though so you can make a difference. Sugar and salt are my two nemesis for bloat - as well as hormones obviously. I try to eat clean and drink lots of water. Minimising my carbs works for me too. In terms of snacks I try to stick to high protein where I can so things like nuts and cheese. I always have babybel lights in the fridge which are 42 calories each and these are my go to snacks to tide me over late afternoon until teatime. Good luck with it all - keep picturing yourself in your outfit at the wedding looking amazing to keep yourself motivated!

@Gemzee that sounds familiar - I often find myself losing and then finding the same pound or two over and over. Ultimately though you're maintaining which is a fantastic achievement 🙂Just keep swimming.

I've had a little happy dance this morning as I've dropped into the 4s at 10st 4.8lbs. Got to try to hang onto it over the weekend now. I haven't got anything on socially so am debating having an alcohol free one just to keep the momentum up but I suspect I might change my mind this evening...

This morning was a 30 min walking workout with Eleni Fit plus Day 9 of HR 4.0 which was Abs and Shoulder mobility. Got to do another strength workout tomorrow as I missed Monday so am a day behind. Hoping just one rest day on Sunday will be ok before we start week 3.

Have great days all.

Morning all and hello weekend.

My happy dance from yesterday was short lived as I've bounced back into the 5s this morning 😡10st 5.1lb

So annoying as I stuck to my guns and didn't have wine last night to try to increase the chance of no bounce back. My food was all on point too. Just got to keep swimming though. Hopefully if I can have an active day today I can keep on track.

I've done a 30 min Olivia Lawson walking for weightloss workout this morning followed by Day 10 of HR 4.0 which was quads and hamstrings. I currently have jelly legs 😄Hoping for some time in the garden later too but the weather is still pants here so not sure how that will go.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Only just into the 5s @bigdecisionstomake I'm sure you'll be back down again in no time at all! That could just be a bit of salt or a toilet trip 🤭 if you'll excuse the tmi!

My bloat is finally and thankfully reducing. I had an epsom salt bath which was either coincidence or made the biggest difference. I measured my waist and had an extra 2 inches on there! Which would make a big difference to the look of my dress 🫣 so just need to keep a handle on it for the next couple of weeks. I have a picture on my phone of me wearing it on a "good day"- I will refer back in moments of weakness..

I'd forgotten all about babybels - I'm not a massive fan of them but do love the little light cheddar sticks you can buy so I'll be sure to add those to the shopping list.

Morning all

Glad to hear the bloat is reducing @NahThen I had forgotten about epsom salts but if I remember correctly @Dashel used to use these - I think possibly more for dealing with post exercise muscle fatigue rather than bloat but I might be wrong. I love the idea of the picture of you wearing your dress on your phone - just like my hotel screenshot on my computer 😎

I was really good yesterday during the day but fell off the wagon spectacularly last night 😳A glass of cider (remnants brought back from Dorset) followed by two glasses of wine and a chilli covered with cheese and sour cream followed by some chocolate.

I have woken up with a banging head and haven't even done my usual rest day walk as I feel so rubbish - entirely self inflicted.

The irony is that the scales have dropped to 10st 4.3lbs this morning but that's probably dehydration.

Today's challenge is to try to avoid hangover carb munching 😖

Have good days all.

Morning everyone.

Apologies for disappearing, we had two lots of very bad news and i spectacularly went off the wagon and the football has been a huge excuse to over indulge.

I weighed in at 10st 11 which must be dehydration due to wine or a miracle.

My knee is still painful and I might have to cancel my holiday so 😭

@bigdecisionstomake i did/do use Epsom salts in a bath, not fancy ones and admittedly I shower 99 % of the time. I don’t think there is a huge amount if science behind them but I think they are generally believed to be a good thing in terms of health. I think some celebrities also claim to use them just before red carpet events but I don’t think they work long term.

@NahThen 2 inches is loads! If I have a special event then I cut the carbs and booze and have a few magic baths before hand.

@bigdecisionstomake sounds like you had a good Saturday evening.

Time To get back on it 🤓

Morning all

Sorry to hear about the bad news @Dashel nothing worse to throw you off course. Hope all is ok. Really bad news about the knee and the holiday too - is there anything you can do to avoid cancelling?

I did indeed have a banging Saturday night but paid the price yesterday. On the whole I was moderately restrained food wise but didn't calorie count and will definitely have been over maintenance - in part due to finishing the bottle of wine while watching the football.

I've weighed in at 10st 4.5lb this morning so managed to come in in the 4s after all. I'm not sure it's deserved and think it's likely I may bounce up again in the next day or two as the weekend catches up with me but I'm not going to let that derail me. Like you @Dashel definitely back on it properly today.

This morning was Day 11 of HR4.0 which was Biceps, Triceps and Shoulders plus a 20 minute walking workout with Improved Health.

Have good days all.

Afternoon everyone,

I have been very absent again! We had eldest ds's birthday, family visiting from the UK, then mil came. It's been a busy few weeks and I still hadn't properly got my head back in it since coming back from my holiday in May so I just enjoyed the few weeks.

I'm feeling such a shift in mood today though for the first time in a long time. No visitors until October, no travelling anywhere so I feel like I've got a nice uninterrupted run now where I can start to work on losing the second stone.

Goals this week - track everything everyday, average 7000 steps a day and do two Zumba sessions, no matter how short! I will face the scales on Wednesday 😬

Hope you're all enjoying the summer so far☀️🧡

Good morning,

@bigdecisionstomake no final decision about the holiday as yet, hopefully we will know more on one of the issues today and DH has a scan towards the end of the month so hopefully the results will be quick and best case it could be nothing to worry about.

I am glad you are back on track and congratulations on still being in the 4s!

@IchGlaubMeinSchweinPfeift that sounds very impressive loosing the second stone. Having too much going on is a massive test for dieting particularly when they visit. It’s hard to serve up suitable dinners for sticking on track but also for being a good host and feeling like you should be offering pudding and alcohol.

I got back on the scales this morning and actually checked my Fitbit app, yesterday was 10st 11.9lb and today 10st 10.4lb so that explains the multiple bathroom trips last night. I managed to get to 14.5k steps which was good but sore knee today.

I was good with food yesterday and didn’t finish the wine off. I think I need to give that up for a bit. I also moved my processed snacks upstairs out of sight rather than leave them in the kitchen. I finished work on time (which is very good for me recently) and also did some relaxing yoga before bed.

I definitely need to sort out my head as well as my body or I just end up comfort eating.

I hope everyone has a great day. I’m going to try doing a short GFWR now and see how it goes

Evening everyone

@IchGlaubMeinSchweinPfeift it sounds like you've had a busy time and it's always hard to get back on it when you've been away. Great that you've felt motivated to start again - I know exactly what you mean about the feeling settling on you and being ready to clean things up a bit health wise. When you feel that positive push it's so much easier to make the changes you need. Your plan sounds great, really balanced and not too much too soon. I hope the scales are kind to you tomorrow 🙂

Fingers crossed for good news today and from the scan later in the month @Dashel that must be really worrying for you both. Kudos to you for just keeping swimming though - sometimes there's no viable alternative. You're doing a great job keeping up your steps and well done on the loss - even if it did all go down the toilet 😂Hope the GFWR went ok and the knee isn't too bad today.

I've had a STS at 10st 4.5lb again this morning which I'm happy with and is better than a bounce back up again. For the first time this morning I really didn't feel like doing a strength workout. My back was twinging a little and I am generally a bit achy all over. I think I should probably have missed a day rather than just have one rest day at the weekend in hindsight. In the end I pushed on and did it though, it was a glute activation and strengthening workout which is really good for my hip so hopefully it will have been worth it. Tomorrow is chest and back so whether or not I do that will depend on how my back is feeling I think.

Enjoy the evening.