Last minute holiday booked... I'm fat

[JustPickleRick]

Decided to book a last minute holiday. I was so happy but now I'm panicking because I'm overweight. I'm short so it shows really bad.
I'm ashamed to say I've not eaten much at all today apart from fruit. I want to try and keep it going until the holiday. I know it's not healthy but it's just a month.... doubt I'll even manage it 2bh. It was hell before trying not to inhale the spag bol I'd made my partner and son for dinner 😩
I know if I can keep this up, I'll feel much better on the holiday. I know I won't be skinny but I'll have atleast lost something. Carbs make me massively bloated so going without will do me some good.
I will absolutely eat my weight in food once I'm on holiday 😅 then when I'm back I'll tackle this properly...
How much weight can I lose in a month?

To all the negative Nancy's in order for you to gain a single pound the OP would have to eat over 3500 calories plus around 2000+ a day on holiday! When you get back off holiday and step on the scales it is mostly water weight that you are seeing on the scales to say you have gained loads of weight!

OP I hope you manage to get some weight off and feel better in yourself. Iv just had a baby and my first holiday this year I felt disgusting 😔 I got another holiday in September and determined to get this weight off 😬

Low carb and two fast days a week at 800 cals.

Do body weight training! In 1 month it will really tone you up - sit ups, squats, lunges, planks. And some yoga to stretch you out and elogate your spine and improve posture. You can look 7lb slimmer just from being toned, even if the scales are showing same weight.

I don’t think you need to go crazy or deprive yourself. I think I lost a stone or nearly a stone on my first month on SW. Even if you lose half a stone, mentally you will feel better and may be more inclined to eat sensibly on holiday. Good luck!

When I was overweight I used to hate going on holiday and always said to myself that the diet starts when I get home. After starting SW last May and losing 2.5 stones, I enjoy holidays so much more especially when choosing which clothes to bring.

My top tip would be to minimise bread intake and no alcohol. Lots of veg to bulk out your meals.

I kind of get what the PP means, this is common diet culture to go all in restricting food in a panic before a holiday or from 1st Jan but it’s often not sustainable or good for your mental health.

I don’t think it’s really going to be worth a month of too much stress if you are intending to go all in at the all inclusive, this is a bit counterintuitive and it tends to feed into the cycle of diet culture that has tortured so many of us for so long. It’s easy to say you won’t beat yourself up but most of us do know that awful feeling of stepping on scales and seeing a number that makes us upset and then being too hard on ourselves about our choices, it kind of ruins the memory of a good holiday.

I just worry this cycle sets yourself up for being too hard on yourself in a couple of months time. Just take it easy and try enjoy other elements of the trip apart from food/drink I think this is a good mindset to start to practice if you want to make long term changes

Well actually 3500 cals a day + an extra 2000 cals on top is easily done on holiday with big meals out, ice creams, desserts, and if you are drinking alcohol every day... and no exercise.

I'm shocked to see just how many people have disordered eating patterns and are encouraging OP to crash diet for a holiday. Surely it should be about learning to eat properly for her health and the long term, and addressing the root cause for her being fat.

I agree, it’s so so easily done. Also yeah I do think things like holidays can trigger disordered thinking as people panic and feel stressed

One fruity cocktail could have 200 cals alone, you could only have 5 drinks in a day and be 1000 liquid calories up and that’s without any food.

its not that you need to eat 5,500 calories a day to gain weight it’s that 3,500 calories is 1lb in weight loss.

So if your maintenance calories are 2000 calories in real life when you are active, then you are inactive all day they could fall to 1500/1700 a day.

Maths wise:
Avg 2000 calorie daily allowance with normal activities/exercise
x 14 day holiday
28,000 calories for the 2 weeks

reduce due to lack of activity
1700 x 14 = 23,800

That’s 4,200 calories you already reduced just by being more sedentary, if you just carried on eating as normal you could possibly gain weight.

You would only need to eat an extra 200 cals a day on top of your normal consumption of 2000, with being sedentary, and you are up to over 30k calories being consumed creating an excess of 7,000 cals. I think that’s conservative in an all inclusive, most main restaurant meals are at least 1,000 calories

Thank you for the advice everyone. I'm still going strong! I'm going to join in with the aquarobics on holiday which will help. I also only drink water so alcohol will be in the evening and won't be in excess!
I tried on a dress today for a wedding that's coming up and it already felt better than it did a few weeks back. Whether it's actually looser or just in my head is another matter but it gave me a boost :)

1 week completed!
Allowed myself to eat the chocolate I was given today as a well done for making it a week 😅

@JustPickleRick well done!!

I am feeling much more like my normal self and can do up all my summer dresses.

It really does work, it is so frustrating waiting for the end of the process but one day you'll wake up and think that you feel so much better.

Keep going!

Thank you :) well done to you too, sounds like your journey is going very well!
I feel sp much better than when I've tried slim fast diets in the past. I always felt awful the first week on them whereas this week I've been fine. I know my calorie intake has been low but my body is coping fine which is good :)
23 more days left until we fly!

this is probably (hopefully) flippant, but as someone who has experienced an eating disorder, really enjoying that feeling was one of the signs I was on a slippery slope. Please be careful and take care of yourself. Lots of disordered thinking around food on this thread.

@FloatyBoaty thank you and I appreciate your comment as it is intended. I see where you are coming from.

I should have been more specific. Feeling my hip bones is how I know that I'm at my healthy weight. (currently BMI 23, hoping to be 22.5 later this week) also being able to see my ribs in the mirror, not having a massive hang down of fat when I'm doing a side plank etc.

I'm fit, muscular and eat very well. I'm about to have surgery neccesitating 6 weeks on the sofa and didn't want to have to go into that period feeling uncomfortable especially in the summer when more fat on the abdomen makes me feel sweaty. I also wanted to stop snacking before the forced boredom so that I'm out of the habit and so I don't get actually fat during my recovery as I can't exercise for many months.

I can now fit back into my size 10 dresses that I've been wearing for many years.

Definitely no chance of developing an eating disorder. 😊

Just to be clear, I absolutely know this isn't a healthy approach and there's no way I would do this normally. My holiday was a last minute booking and if I'd had the foresight of a good year or so to work towards it, I'd have done it the sensible way. I have 23 days to go and I'll be sticking to it for my own personal self-esteem. It's not for every body and that's fine :)

@JustPickleRick I think we've all been there..a holiday, or a wedding that's crept up 😂

I would use something like my fitness pal or nutracheck, log calories to help stay in calorie deficit and if possible add some sort of exercise (just to give you that leeway).

In a month, assuming you lose 2lbs per week, you'll have lost 8lbs.

I've been using nutracheck which has been really helpful so far! Interesting seeing where the carbs were coming from 😅
I last entered my weight onto the app back in February so I was probably a little bit more than that before I started this diet. I'll weigh myself soon and see if it's working 🤞 I feel slimmer 😂 maybe empty is the correct word 😅🤔

I’ve just had a really successful stint!

protein, Greek yogurt, frozen raspberries, tuna, spicy lentil and vege soup

im down a size and feel amazing! WHY oh why didn’t I do this 20 years ago. Wasn’t overly overweight, but man I suit being 10kgs lighter!

good luck, it’s so worth it!!!

If you’re going AI it can be a really good way of continuing to eat well when you’re away. There’s usually a big choice of fruit, protein and veg on offer, so you can eat a lot and still eat well. Eg fruit and an omelette for breakfast, chicken and salad for lunch, fish and veg in the evening. I find it easier than being at home as I don’t have to prep everything. Lots of walking and swimming and you could maintain while you’re away and not feel like you’re missing out.

That's amazing! Well done 🥳 I like the sounds of what you've been eating. I need to mix up my choices so will give some of that a go :) Fast forward the next 22 days and I hope I feel the same way as you do. I feel better already, happy that I'm actually doing something! Impressed with myself too because usually I manage it for a little while then give up 😅 I think because this goal is so close time scale wise, it's easy to work towards it!

Very good point! The variety will definitely help. Lots of lovely meat and fresh fruit 🤩 I'm looking forward to doing a few lengths of the pool each day too. It's going to be boiling so I'll be in the pool most of the day 😅🫠

I can promise you that you won't stick to it.

Stop drinking alcohol and give up sugar and carbs. Drink 3l of water a day. No reason to be particularly hungry.

I'm doing that atm, but about 1100 caloroes a day, and it wasn't until I started fast walking for 45 mins a day and started drinking loads of water that the pounds started to come off. I'm 57.

This sounds like a fab diet. I'm going to try this as I'm in the same position as you op. Except I have 3 weeks to go!

Collexifon

"ohthejoys21
I think that depends on your age.. I'm in my 50's and that wouldn't lose me a stone"

"I'm doing that atm, but about 1100 caloroes a day, and it wasn't until I started fast walking for 45 mins a day and started drinking loads of water that the pounds started to come off. I'm 57."

I'm exactly your age, 1100 calories a day is manageable for me short term but not long term. I mix running/rowing with strength training and intermittent fasting.

And I can promise you that comments like this just spare me on even more 😅
I will do it. It's been a walk in the park so far and I feel much for after 8 days already :)
22 left to go 🥳
Oh and I don't drink anything other than water anyway so I'm already doing both of the things you've commented.