Back from hols and seriously focused on that goal!

[noodles1609]

Hey everyone

Back from 2 weeks in Turkey, amazed to find I only gained 1lb, but I did gain a LOT of inches. I think this is most likely water retention bloating as I know I didn't get anywhere near enough water inside me each day. It's not comfortable at all, and being thinner, it doesn't half show! I didn't realise that I got so bloated up, it used to hide under my fat, but now there is no getting away from it. As usual I've suffered a huge amount of mosquito bites (34 and counting...) and many of these are swollen too, so all in all I'm like a tanned Marshmallow Man!

Today I'm refocusing and resetting my goals. I've learnt that I do better with a precise plan to follow, so I'll get it all down on a daily checklist (Beck style ) and get to work on it. I'm going to low carb from tomorrow for 3 days then official weigh in to start will be Thursday morning, back on 4 packs a day. I want to hit my final target by my birthday in the middle of September - a target I never imagined in a million years was going to be anywhere near doable. I'm going to head for it, but I may settle on something a little higher if I start to look a bit too skinny (haha, never imagined I could ever look too skinny either).

Just need to work on shrinking my skin back too, my friend took a picture of her bar on holiday and posted it on facebook, I happen to be in it from the back and it looks awful! My top looks so tight that rolls are hanging over the top, in truth I can't get any bigger as the next size won't stay up - it's just the excess skin but it looks hideous! The camera never lies! Wish I could stick myself on a hot wash and shrink a size like I've done with my jeans

 

[porshe04]

1lb on over a 2 week holiday is amazing! I'm panicking already about piling it on when I go (also Turkey) and its 59 days away - not that I'm counting!

 

[noodles1609]

I'm missing it already! No countdown to the next one as we're waiting on my other half finding out if he's working abroad, so can't get anything booked - I need a focus, hence the goals for weight loss instead, then when the next holiday comes round I'll be fit and ready at the drop of hat Where abouts are you going? I love Turkey, specifically Icmeler, would live there if I had the money to do nothing all day long

 

[porshe04]

I've never been before & not sure why really, we're going to Olu Deniz. I look at that beach every year but always book elsewhere. Anyway, it's booked and pretty much paid for and I can't wait. Sun on my skin, blue sky &.....food! It's the food that's worrying me. I love Greek food so I'm expecting it to be pretty similar & I'm not sure how to handle it. I remember you saying previously that you drink the beer. Wine is my downfall, and that lovely holiday bread you get. Not sure I'll stay on the straight and narrow!

 

[noodles1609]

It may be some comfort that the wine in Turkey isn't all that great, so you might not do too much damage there! I don't touch lager at all, but there is something about Efes on holiday... if you stick with the lavas bread they serve with mezes you'll be fine, there's hardly anything to it. Olu Deniz is entirely beautiful, you're going at a very hot time of year, it was late 30's last week, will likely be heading towards the 50's in August

 

[ticktock]

Wow Noodles you only gained 1lb in 2wks?! how on earth...??! I am going to Ibiza in 41 days, its for 2wks all inclusive and I am assuming I will gain at least a stone even without excessive eating! I usually gain 10lb-ish on holiday, I put it down to all the alcohol as I usually dont drink at all but indulge in lots of creamy cocktails on holiday...the icecreams and buffet meals obviously dont help though!

I'm doing sns sort of half heartedly because I cant get the thought of the impending massive holiday weight gain out of my mind, its making the pre-holiday diet seem a bit pointless! that is until I hear you only gained 1lb! I am very intrigued...would it be rude to ask roughly what you ate/drank while away? did you take packs with you?

Very well done on your progress btw, very inspiring x

 

[noodles1609]

Don't mind at all, and thank you for your kind comments. In a nutshell we walk all over on holiday, not miles and miles or anything but most days we head for the harbour to fish, a good 15-20 minute walk, then spend the afternoon walking from bar to bar (lol). I don't often drink at home but I love Turkish Efes lager, probably had 4 or 5 a day plus a couple of malibu's and coke. I did buy coke zero where possible but it's plain old diet coke in the bars. I do tend to avoid bread now as I suspect a gluten intolerance, but did have a little - would have a full English after fishing, late morning to early afternoon, depending when we got up. That kept me going til the evening when I would generally have a meat dish - chicken/steak, fajitas, with pepper sauce etc. I ate the vegetables that came with it, and the chips, but avoided mashed potato, rice and other carbs. I found that was enough, with an odd ice cream on a few days (I'm not a big ice cream fan), and a biscuit or 3 with morning coffee (rich tea, cause the OH insisted I took 4 packets and never looked at them!).

I am constantly surprised now at how little I want to eat compared to my previous intake, and long may it continue, but I had what I wanted when I wanted on holiday and didn't think at all about the calories or weight gain. I knew I was getting bigger as I couldn't get the shorts on I'd bought just before going, but clearly it was bloating from fluid retention - one thing I didn't do was get anywhere near enough water in.

Or perhaps Mosquitos suck body fat rather than blood, the amount of bites I've got could easily have drained a stone of fat out!!

 

[ticktock]

I'm really amazed at that! your holiday sounds fairly similar to my normal holiday.. I dont get much exercise normally and dont drink, on holiday I will exercise more-walking around markets, shops, beach etc, swimming in pool but I will have a few drinks each day and usually eat too much, but I've had 2 days off since I started sns and my stomach has shrunk already, I found I barely ate any of my meals on those days and didnt snack on anything in between, I wasnt hungry and didnt crave anything like I normally would.
Maybe there is a chance that I wont gain as much on holiday as I am expecting, maybe I wont even gain as much as I normally would! thanks for telling us all about this, its given me motivation to try harder knowing my assumption of a huge gain might not be inevitable!

Mosquitos love me too!, no matter what repellent I use they find me and they eat me so maybe that will help me too lol!