Picnics, barbecues and holiday hotel buffets – summer can be a truly tempting time for those trying to stay slim.

Before I lost just under 4st on Mounjaro, I was always guaranteed to end the summer a good half a stone heavier than I started it.

I’ve been off the jabs for over a year and have since lost an extra 16lb – half a stone of that since January, meaning I’ve now shed more than a third of my body weight.

Consequently I’ve enjoyed my first ever ‘hot (old) girl summer’ as a slinky size 8. I even returned home from my summer holiday a pound lighter.

Here are ten tips that helped me stay trim...

1. Chub rub reminiscing

Whenever I’m tempted to face plant into a tub of ice cream, I remind myself of the summer of ’24 and how miserable I was. I was 13 and a half stone, a size 18 and hot days were hideous.

Claudia Connell has lost 16lbs since quitting Mounjaro. She says reflecting on how unhappy and self-conscious she used to be helps motivate her to keep the weight off now

Upper thigh chub rub meant I couldn’t wear dresses unless I also wore anti-chafing shorts. I wore long sleeves to hide bingo wings and felt too self-conscious to ever don a swimming costume.

Why would I ever return to that?

2. Awesome Oura

They’re not cheap but I’ve fallen in love with my Oura smart ring, which tracks everything from my sleep quality to step count and body temperature and tells me exactly how many calories (based on my weight) that I’m burning in a day.

As long as I don’t consume more than I’m burning, I know I won’t gain weight.

A recent active day where I clocked up 15,000 steps saw me burn 2,100 calories – meaning I enjoyed a guilt-free margherita pizza (720 calories) and chocolate brownie (320 calories) that evening.

The Oura smart ring tracks everything from sleep quality to step count and body temperature

3. Easy al fresco eating

With so many sunny days, eating outside has been a big deal this summer.

I’ve learnt to eat way more protein since jabbing (to preserve muscle mass and keep me feeling fuller) and barbecues are a protein paradise – chicken, steak, sausages. I forego the bread and buns and stick with salads.

Protein is very hard to overeat. In the past I could easily eat several hunks of French bread in one go, but I’ve never yet managed to polish off more than one steak in a single sitting.

4. Never size up

I’m convinced that always sizing down (not up) when I was between a size 10 and 8 helped me shift a few more pounds. A size 10 would have been ‘roomy’, making it far too easy to have extra portions or over-eat.

I don’t want to be uncomfortable in my clothes but – for me – room to manoeuvre is a bad move. My once tight size eights are now a perfect fit and I’ve even bought a couple of size sixes from more generous labels like Me+Em.

5. Supersized sippy cup

An Oura Ring hasn’t been my only investment. I splashed out £40 on a trendy Stanley Cup (Amazon sells dupes for as little as £12).

Stanley Cups, which can hold almost two litres of water, are an easy way to help you stay hydrated

Mine holds just under two litres of water and I carry it around with me like a geriatric influencer – not to look cool, but to make sure I drink a lot. Being hydrated has helped me keep hunger at bay and eat less at mealtimes.

6. Watered down wine

I love a chilled glass of rosé on a summer’s evening. Previously I could polish off a bottle over two nights – today one lasts me all week.

Wine snobs will be appalled but adding crushed ice and a little soda is a great trick to water down the calories (around 80), making one glass go a long way.

My previous summer tipple of choice was a pina colada at around 500 calories – the equivalent to a Big Mac.

7. Holiday overhaul

When I was overweight a typical day on a summer break would start with me filling my face at the hotel buffet (being sure to snaffle a few pastries in my bag for later). There would be ice creams and churros between meals and a big, heavy dinner late at night.

This year I did things differently. On a break in Poland with a friend I started each day with a made-to-order omelette loaded with vegetables. Without fail, it filled me up until early evening. Instead of eating late I had my dinner around 6pm and stuck to two courses – usually a starter and main.

Claudia says that eating two meals a day has been a game changer. After breakfast she gets by on a couple of protein shakes, allowing her to have a more indulgent dinner

Each day I walked an average of 16,000 steps and limited myself to one ‘walking around’ treat per day – an ice cream, pancake or savoury dumplings. Astonishingly, despite drinking wine every night, I returned home a pound lighter.

8. I bought beachwear

Prior to this summer I hadn’t been in a bikini or swimming costume for about six years.

Last month I bought a gorgeous £70 purple cossie from Boden (my bikini days really are behind me). To date I’ve only worn it in my back garden, but it feels good to wear something I’d shunned for so long.

I’ve taken selfies and keep them on my phone to remind myself what I’ll be giving up if I ever regain weight.

9. Moveable meals

Going down to two meals a day has been a game changer for me and I’ve stuck to it all summer (even on holiday).

On days where I’m working from home and not out in the evening, I have a midday late breakfast and a 5pm early supper.

Lots of my friends have turned 60 this year, so if I’m going ‘out out’ and want to indulge, I get by on a couple of protein shakes until the evening. A starter, main course, birthday cake and champagne are perfectly doable when you haven’t had a morning fry-up and BLT at lunchtime.

10. Tasty treats

Picky bits are everywhere this summer with most supermarkets offering deals such as 3-for-2.

I’ve lost count of how many tubs of marinated anchovies, chargrilled peppers and garlic stuffed olives I’ve munched my way through. Delicious and non-fattening.

Frozen grapes are another big favourite of mine and just as satisfying as a bag of boiled sweets.