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.

After feeling so good yesterday about how my clothes were fitting, today I went to the hairdressers and looked in the mirror and it was really not good 😥 I guess I usually look in mirrors when I'm standing up - sitting down is clearly a very different view! But it did give me another kick up the butt to get this weight off.

@bigdecisionstomake that YouTube series sounds interesting. I want to start strength training at some point soon so I might check it out.

Hello all. I am 55 and at 48 got in incredible shape after losing 30lb and was very fit, weight training x3 week etc. Then was diagnosed with cancer and it took me years to recover. I put on weight and was at 180lb in early 2023 and lost 15lb over 2-3 months but then was extremely busy and couldn't focus on weight loss & exercise for the rest of the year.

I have now decided I want to get down to 10 stone (140lb) or lower by the middle.of April if possible (3 months). I started at 167lb on Saturday and was already 164lb today.

My first goal is to get to 150lb (10.10 stone) as then I will be a healthy BMI.
I am recovering from a back strain/injury after a car accident so I will be focusing on diet and mild exercise (walking/swimming) until my back feels better.

Hi 👋🏻 can I join too? Am currently low carbing since start of year. Going well. Can't quite get to keto levels of carbs but focusing on just being low carb as I can atm. Have about 2-3 stone to lose. Not managing exercise yet, but my headspace is starting to get there x

Morning all

I've always done a mix of cardio and resistance @flutterby1 but I do find now that strength training gives me the more noticeable results - I was actually quite proud of my shoulder definition when I went on holiday last year 😂The problem is it disappears really quickly if you're not consistent and that's my downfall unfortunately 😫

Glad you've not let the small gain derail you @LBB2020 just keep swimming, the scales will start moving in the right direction again soon.

@ElliesMum16 Keep strong and think positive, I find it really hard to stick to healthy eating when I'm down about things so try to take the positive out of yesterday and give yourself all the credit for doing something to change what you're unhappy about.

Welcome to the thread @Charliewasfired Congratulations on the 3lbs down so far, that's a great start and if you've lost the weight successfully previously you know what works for you. 80% of weightloss is diet based rather than exercise so hopefully it shouldn't hinder your progress too much while you're recovering from the back injury. Good luck and keep us posted with your progress 🙂

Good to have you join us @swimmingdory On previous threads we've chanted the mantra 'Just Keep Swimming' a la Dory in Finding Nemo to keep us motivated when getting on the scales and finding progress has been lacking 🐠so this is definitely the right thread for you! I've no experience of low carbing but it's possible some of the other posters may have some experience to share - have you done it before? Keep posting to let us know how you're getting on 🙂

Most of yesterday's gain has washed away this morning and I'm back down to 10st 7.2lb. This is despite a rather large bowl of creamy pasta last night cooked by DS so I'm quite surprised to be honest but taking it as a win. Back to cardio for me this morning but I still need to plan my food for the day so will do that next - no doubt the never-ending leftover Christmas cheese will feature somewhere!

Have good days all.

Hope the scale has gone back down again @bigdecisionstomake , still a good loss for week 1 especially for not religiously weighing food/counting calories.

I had a planned blow out on Saturday, lots of alcohol, multiple courses and cheese. According to the scales yesterday gained 2kg though assume that must be water because I don't think it's possible to gain that much in a 6 hour period of eating! Hopefully it will go down again this week. My big win was that instead of feeling munchy and eating rubbish on Sunday I went straight back to normal and had balanced lunch and dinner (I'm not eating before midday at the moment).

@IchGlaubMeinSchweinPfeift I'm doing a similar calorie target as you, and am a similar starting weight and also breastfeeding. I am also feeling like I want to get healthier for my children so am trying to use my calories on healthy food where I can and have been gradually reducing how much upf foods we have in the house over the past 6 months so also hoping to see some steady progress - and not get too disheartened when there's no instant gratification. It has been my downfall in the past but given I'm not starving or depriving myself I'll hopefully not feel like that this time.

Going to try to get my steps in today, despite the baltic temperatures. I've noticed that I'm also drinking more tea, I'm trying to have a tea or a cold drink when I want to eat something to give myself the chance to decide if I do actually want something and if so what it is I actually want to eat before I reach for a slice of toast or a biscuit.

Going attempt to make some healthy snacks today - need them to be nice enough to want to eat them instead of rubbish and to satisfy my sweet tooth but not so nice that I eat them all at once. If anyone has anything they swear by let me know. I made some snack ball things yesterday which are nice but only really for when I've done a workout because they're not low calorie. Still trying to find something that actually tastes nice that isn't made with refined sugar or sweetener.

@Jigglemonster do you weigh at the same time every day? That could explain some of the difference.

I am just awaiting an Amazon delivery any minute now with bodyfat scales.
I was going to weigh myself at the gym once a week but the queue was horrendous last Saturday , plus the fact everyone behind you in the queue gets to see what you weigh. Awwks !

Sorry, not read all the updates as still recovering from this blasted cold. I'm just basically dropping in to brag 😂
I've lost 2kg from being so ill. It's been a brutal virus, but a banging weightloss result.

Just 1 more kg and I will technically be overweight and not obese on the bmi chart. Yeah, for being overweight. Here I come.

Hi lovelies,
Can I join too Please?
@Charliewasfired I am a very similar weight to you. I started on Jan 2nd 170lbs and at present 164lbs. Can we really get down to 10st 10 or less by April - that would be amazing if I could.
I am currently seeing Personal Trainer twice a week (mon &wed) and doing 2 x HIIT classes and walking as much as I can.
I will weigh in again probably on Thursday.
I have a girls weekend away in Liverpool this weekend but have bought some gin instead of wine which is less calorific. I’m going to also let myself have a cheat meal on Saturday.
I will check in with my weight on Thursday but until then I wish you all the best of luck in your weight loss journey xx

Every cloud has a silver lining @Yocal! Well done and hope you’re feeling better soon

I'd like to join please. I'm not weighing as yet as it makes me a bit obsessed and then lose motivation if I have a few days with no loss. Might weigh in a week or two when I'm feeling better but I'm around 13 and a half stone with an ultimate goal of 10st (I'm tall) but would be delighted by 11st by August when I have a big family event and trip.

That makes a very convenient 1pound per week on average which seems very doable.

I'm doing a combination of keto and intermittent fasting by simply skipping breakfast as I never got on with it.

I have been winding down with eating in the last week. Healthy but probably too much quantity so from tomorrow it's no chocolate or sweets at all and 3l water a day.

Another decent day here. Food was ok, no snacks after dinner and I probably managed just under 2ltrs of water. Also did a spin class which was pretty tough (different instructor to normal)

@Susienoz well if we lose 1-2lb a week we have a good chance of losing it in 12 weeks! I am always kind to myself so I won't be considering it any kind of failure if I don't, but having a goal motivates me. First I want to get under 160lb. You're already doing great losing 6lbs! Yes, we should check in with each other as we have similar goals. How tall are you? I am 5'5". I am in the USA and my size is 10 here which is a 14 in the UK.
I generally go down a size for each 10lb I lose.
Weight training is the special sauce as far as I'm concerned, it's always given me great results in the shortest time. No idea when I will be able to get back to it unfortunately.
Thanks @bigdecisionstomake for being so friendly x it's great to start the year together ❤️

I really like Melissa Neill, she talks about mistakes we can make when getting in shape in our 40s & 50s.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=J7No6IpAPJU

@Luckydog7 we sound like we're on a similar journey ! I also started at 13.5 on New Years day and doing Keto. Ditto am also going to a swanky wedding abroad in August so don't want to look like a dumpling in the photos.

I am weighing in properly on Saturday but am delighted as appear to have finally had my whoosh so hoping for a good result

Good luck and have have a great day all

@BigBessie

Oh that's great! Weight loss buddies/rivals.

Yeah mine is an extended family holiday in the UK for a 70th Birthday but there will be beach days. I'm tired of being the biggest in the family and this might be my only chance as two of my family members have just had babies and might be fatter then me haha, everyone else is so petite compared to me, I got the broad and tall genes.

I'm really struggling atm. I have had a flare up of a medical condition, or at least I hope it's just a flare up and nothing new. I am really really struggling (and failing) to get it under control and/or identify the cause for the flare up. It's affecting my every day life and I am miserable, so very miserable and down and when I am down I emotionally eat, a lot. Then I wont lose weight and I will be also be down about my weight/size and so the cycle continues.

Well done to everyone who has made a good start so far.

and know if I don't start NOW I am going to totally regret it come summer. My first holiday is in early May this year and I need 1-2 stone gone by then.

I feel like I'm in a battle with my health condition/mental mindset/depression (if I can call if that ?)

@foxfoxohmyfox I'm sorry to read that , Fox. I don't have any valuable advise but sending you a supportive hug 💐

Afternoon all

Well done on your win of eating in a balanced way on Sunday following your blowout on Saturday @Jigglemonster . I think that's really an achievement as I very often find myself saying 'oh well I've blown it now so I may as well enjoy myself for the rest of the weekend and start again on Monday' so all credit to you for resisting that temptation. I'm sure the gain will be gone as quick as it arrived as it definitely can't be actual fat gain in only 6 hours!

Sounds like your scales arrived safely @BigBessie I definitely don't think I'd want to weigh myself in front of everyone in the gym! Congratulations on the whoosh - crossing everything for you that it's a good solid result on Saturday.

@Yocal That's a fairly drastic weightloss technique but who's arguing with such a great loss 😂 Glad you're on the mend now and amazing to be so close to moving into the next BMI bracket - that's incredible motivation to get the next 1kg off!

Welcome to the thread @Susienoz awesome loss so far, well done. It sounds like you've got a good plan exercise wise and are making some good choices for calories too. Keep us posted on your progress and enjoy your weekend away.

Good to have you join us @Luckydog7 1lb a week loss is a really good target and very attainable if you're consistent. I tend to lose a little less but some of the posters on the previous thread were consistently hitting that target every week. Cutting out chocolate and sweets to begin with is a great way to start as I think if you go too hard you lose motivation. Hope you get some good results and keep posting so we can cheer you on.

Well done on the spin class @LBB2020 I find spin really hardcore! Good calorie burn though and very little impact on the joints which is a positive.

Thanks for the recommendation for Melissa Neill @Charliewasfired I've just subscribed to her channel. I don't think I'll ever be able to give up the cardio but I do agree with her that the mainstay of workouts at the age I am needs to be strength training.

@foxfoxohmyfox try not to be so hard on yourself - I know that when I'm emotionally or physically hurting I often turn to food and it's really hard to get yourself out of the mindset. I don't think we're alone in that either. Try to focus on your holiday in May instead and set yourself some mini targets to reach. 2 stone is really daunting so I often set myself a target of around 5-7lbs at a time and then have a small reward when I reach each one. Posting on the thread is good for accountability so if you're feeling up to it you could post your starting weight and first target and hopefully that should give you some motivation to make a start. Do you have a plan in mind and are there any strategies you've used before to distract yourself from the comfort eating?

My weight has stuck at 10st 7.2lb today so I'm quite happy with that. It was a strength training day so I've done HR 4.0 day 2 which was glutes and hamstrings. It wasn't quite as high a calorie burn as I'd hoped as there was a lot of mat work so I may try and get a walk later if possible. I've got a relatively light evening meal planned as DS is out tonight so that will hopefully balance out the lower calorie burn.

Have good days all.

@bigdecisionstomake cardio is always important! It's just if our goal is weight-loss and regaining shape and firmness to the body, strength/weight training is the way to go as the more muscle you have the more fat you burn even while resting.

As older women weight training is particularly important for us to retain muscle and BONE which we will be losing at a faster rate after menopause.

I am on HRT since I had chemo and absolutely love it.

@foxfoxohmyfox sorry to hear you are having a hard time at the moment and dealing with health issues. Maybe rather than focus on weight-loss at such a stressful time you could focus on not gaining.

So focus on eating a balanced diet as much as you can and treat yourself to your favorite fruit and veg and other healthy foods. If you know you are going to binge eat when down don't have junk food in the house and avoid alcohol (as it can be high in calories and sugar and is bad for our bodies all around).

Being hard on yourself is a self-defeating strategy, so rather than want to lose weight while battling food bingeing and depression, I would focus on just choosing healthy well balanced meals, drinking lots of water and being kind to yourself.

Mindset has to come first, without a healthy mindset we aren't going to have a good relationship with food.

Wishing you all the best, be gentle with yourself 🩷

Hi everyone.

I've got a double whammy. I want to look good for summer, but also need to get my bmi down.

I am going to be starting Fertility treatment end of summer (male factor reasons). To my absolute shock yesterday it turns out my bmi is too high for treatment and I'm obese !(31).

I need 8 pounds off to be 'just' overweight. And 3.5 stone off to enter into healthy category.

The 3 stone off seems unachievable, but I'd love a stone to stone and a half off by June / july time. I think that would take me to a comfortable size 12 bottoms and a 10 on top.

I'm 30, 5'8, I don't actually know my weight I just took a mental note of bmi (31) but didn't log weight. Currently a size 12 mostly though sometimes creeping into size 14 with less ego stroking brands.

I don't want to just diet I also want to get healthier. I've become quite lazy with meals.

I might be brave at weekend and take a body picture as I've always thought of myself as average build so need to face up to my delusions (and stop googling whether or not its possible I'm just freakishly muscley with heavy bones and organs that are skewing my numbers)

@wateringcanface if you are still fertile (unlike myself!) you should respond well to eating healthy and exercise. Just something simple like walking every day for 30 minutes and building up to an hour at a good pace would give you great results in your time frame if you eat healthier too. Weight training is amazing for getting your shape back.

It's definitely doable if you take 1 day at a time 1 pound at a time. Slow and steady will get us all there in the end.

Hi @wateringcanface

I'm 5.8 and bmi is just about to hit 29. I'm a size 14 sometimes 16, so you do seem small by comparison. Maybe it's because you're 30 and have better muscle mass. 🤔

Anyway good luck with the journey and welcome to the thread.

Thanks for the welcome @bigdecisionstomake It's taken me a long time to realise there is no quick fix and this'll take at least two years to shift. But it has been quite freeing to have finally accepted that! I like the sound of the strength training videos too, I might have to go check them out.

@Jigglemonster I have been similar in past when I haven't seen good enough progress. Especially breastfeeding as lots of people I know talked about how the weight 'fell off' them. This wasn't the case for me at all lol, if anything it has been harder for me. I also feel quite sick if I don't eat which I only ever have when breastfeeding, so eating a good amount of calories is definitely important for me. That's a great first step with the upfs.

@Charliewasfired that's great motivation knowing every 10lbs equals a size down. When you break it down like that, it seems a bit less daunting.

@wateringcanface lots of luck starting your journey (I've been there with male factor infertility too so I know some of the pressure that gets put on you). My goal was to aim for healthier as well. I ended up buying a slow cooker a few months ago, it's been brilliant. On my lazy days, I fill it up with some kind of meat, veggies and potatoes in a broth and it's done for the evening. If vegetarian, I put in butter beans.

I've had a good week so far. Two restaurant lunches, one with a friend who I haven't seen in ages, and one with my baby group. With my friend I had prepped myself first, looked at the menu and had to keep repeating to myself in my head to get the chicken salad😆it was a lovely pizza restaurant but the pizzas really are giant and I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. I changed my mind as I got in and saw 6 giant pizzas on the tables next to me but I managed to blurt out chicken caesar salad as the waiter came! It was actually lovely and I felt mentally (and physically) better after. I'm not cutting any foods per se, but I want to find a better balance of picking the healthier option when at restaurants sometimes. Especially as it's my birthday next week so I'll be picking the pizza then😁With my baby group, I picked the vegetable salad with chicken which I also enjoyed.
I've done lots of steps so far. Zumba planned for this morning and Sunday. I have been behind on my water after two days of running around though so today, I am aiming to get my 3L drunk.

I weighed in yesterday...
SW Jan 1: 15st 10
CW: 15st 7

Happy with that, sticking to slow and steady!

Hope everyone has a good day!