Mums who have transformed their bodies share how to lose five kilos in a month

A group of Australian mothers have shared their best weight loss tips after transforming their bodies, so you can lose five kilos by the end of October.

The women all believe that significant loss of fat comes down to controlling your portions, avoiding added sugar and trying to incorporate movement into your everyday life.

Mother-of-five Hannah Pech lost 34 kilos and went down four dress sizes in 18 months when she started on The Healthy Mummy challenge, which incorporates simple – but effective – strategies to help individuals eat smarter and train harder.

‘I often do three HIIT workouts at home a week and sometimes include some boxing. I do a run or walk 2-3 times a week too and sometimes a bike ride,’ she said.

She tries not to overthink the food she’s eating and keeps snacks simple, like an apple, popcorn or some ham and cheese for afternoon tea.

For her kids, Hannah often creates ‘platter dinners’ where she puts a host of fruits, vegetables and treats in a segmented container.  

‘The only rule is my five kids have to choose at least one thing from each of the sections,’ she said.

Typical snacks she puts in the sections include broccoli, corn on the cob, strawberries, cheese slices, blueberries, crackers and popcorn. 

‘I find that this encourages them to try new foods, be independent and get to recognise how much they need to eat (instead of me always filling their plates up),’ Hannah said. 

‘It also helps with the mid-week craziness and making sure they get fed healthily in the middle of the week.’  

Mum-of-three Kylie, another Healthy Mummy devotee, has lost 37 kilos on the weight program and stresses the importance of meal prepping. 

She uses the company’s app to brainstorm meals each week for her family, like teriyaki chicken with rice and greens and strawberry and dark chocolate parfaits as a sweet snack.  

For a savoury snack, Kylie tends to grab a snack plate with veggie sticks and dip.

Then she pre-chops vegetables and protein needed for specific meals and makes a few lunches and dinners at a time. Overnight oats can also be prepared and put in the fridge ahead of time for breakfast.

Avoiding excess sugar in granolas, sweet drinks, supermarket sauces and pre-packaged snacks is also one of the easiest ways to lose fat and prevent excess bloating around the stomach.        

‘Ensure that you are eating enough protein in your meals and snacks. This helps you to feel fuller for longer and gets your metabolism firing. Think nuts, LSA, boiled eggs, poached chicken, natural peanut butter and tofu,’ Kylie said.

Mother-of-four Kim White, who lost 37 kilos in 13 months, said it’s important to see how much weight you’ve lost – even if it’s only 500g – in a physical object, to motivate you to keep going.

‘Sometimes seeing the weight you have lost in an actual object you can see or lift makes you appreciate all the hard work you have done,’ she said.

‘Try finding something equal to what you have lost and lift it. My daughter weighs 30 kilos. I have lost more than my daughter! I have lost a whole little person off my body. I struggled to lift her. She thought it was awesome.

‘I don’t know how my body carried that much extra weight for so long. I actually feel sad for my body enduring such weight.’

She also swears by meal prepping to lose weight but says that the added side effect is saving money. 

‘Add vegetables or legumes to a meal to bulk out. If you can, try and make the meal into two meals. I’ll make Mexican chicken and we will have it in wraps with salad and then nachos the next night. 

‘Use a slow cooker too as meat shrinks less and you’re not having to use oil to cook.’