5 ways to customise the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge meal plans (and still lose weight)
The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge meal plans are so delicious, and can be customised to suit all different dietary requirements.
Whether you are vegetarian, require a high-calorie diet, looking to save money and time or simply want to mix and match your favourite recipes from the 4000+ delicious recipes from our recipe hub – we have got you covered!
The 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge program is designed to work for you and your family. Read below to see the AMAZING RESULTS mums are having with their customised approach to our meal plans.
The five ways to customise your meal plan
No matter what your tastes or calorie goals, there is a 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge meal plan that will suit you.
Siobhan uses the high calorie meal plan
Target calories: 1800-2000 (then customise to suit your calorie needs)
If your target calories (work yours via your BMI HERE) are 1,800 or more the high calorie plan is for you. The plan seeks to offer a meal plan between 1800-2000 calories. From there, you can tweak it with more snacks or extra sides if you need to add more calories. You can also reduce portion size for a meal if you need to get just below 1800.
How Siobhan makes the high calorie meal plan work for her
Siobhan says, “I love that there is a higher calorie plan as I’m on 2,100 calories a day (including 500 of those calories as I am breastfeeding) and it’s so good to have a plan done for me.
I can then just add in an extra snack or two to take me up to my correct calories for the day.”
Siobhan loves that the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge offers a selection of meals and snacks that the whole family can eat.
“My hubby follows it with me too,” says Siobhan, “so the higher calorie plan is perfect for him also. I love that the work is done for me and I don’t have to worry about working out calories for meals and adding them all up myself!”
She does still sometimes customise her meal plan though, if there’s something that they want to try out or don’t particularly feel like that week. “I love being able to swap meals about so it suits my whole family!”
Siobhan’s weight loss results on the high calorie meal plan
Siobhan has lost just over two stone since following her high calorie meal plan and has now maintained her weight loss for the last two months!
Siobhan says ‘It’s amazing as I have never been this low in weight and never managed to maintain it before!’
Siobhan’s top 3 Challenge meals:
- Mexican Lasagne
- Peanut Butter Chicken Curry
- High Fibre Curry
Siobhan adds, ‘I love that I have been able to lose weight and not have to starve myself on a 1200kcal plan!
I absolutely love all the meals and actually haven’t had one yet that I don’t like!’
Isabelle uses the budget/timesaver meal plan
Target calories: 1500 (then customise to suit your calorie needs)
If your target calories are around 1500 per day, you want to save money on your groceries and cook less often – this is the plan for you. Many of the meals are repeated on this plan (for instance you might have the same breakfast a few time per week; or have leftover dinner for lunch sometimes).
How Isabelle makes the budget/timesaver meal plan work for her
Motivating Mum Isabelle Rodriguez uses the budget/timesaver meal plan from The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.
“When the meal plans come out, I look at all of them first as my BMR is around 1900,’ says Isabelle. ‘I check what I know my family will eat and what will be a big no-no.
I pick at least 1 new meal every week to avoid boredom and then there are the must have meals – steak (husband’s request), and meatballs for the kids.’
This is a key part of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge – customising! You don’thave to go hungry and you NEVER have to make meals or snacks that you don’t particularly like.
Just use the customising tool to swap it for something you do like. There are literally thousands of recipes to choose from, and you can save your favourites for easy access too.
‘I also adapt the meals when serving them for the family as they don’t need to lose weight: for example, I make steak for everybody and I’ll have a side Greek salad but I add chips on my husband and kids’ plates.’
You can also prepare just a few snacks per week and freeze some to use throughout the week – there’s no need to be making new snacks every day!
‘I pick 3 or 4 snacks and rotate them between AM, PM and evening,’ says Isabelle. ‘I think that planning is key – and using the app.”
Isabelle says, ‘Using the budget/time-saving meal plan as a busy full-time working mum has been a game changer in terms of lifestyle change. I have tried other weight loss plans which provided meal plans and they were neither family-friendly nor purse-friendly so I always fell of the wagon.”
Isabelle loves this meal plan because it’s easy to adapt and gives you lots of ideas to stay on track while not wasting a lot of time and money.
Isabelle’s weight loss results on the budget/timesaver meal plan
Isabelle has lost 11lbs in 3 months and 3 inches off her waist! Isabelle adds ‘I have gained energy. I don’t feel constrained by a diet, it truly is a lifestyle change.’
Isabelle’s top 3 Challenge meals:
- One Pot Spaghetti Bolognese
- Mexican Lasagne
- Healthy Chicken Nuggets
Katie uses the standard meal plan
Target calories: 1500 (then customise to suit your calorie needs)
If you love variety, want to try new recipes every week and want to eat seasonally, the standard plan is for you. Every day there are different breakfasts, lunches and dinners for you to try. Of course you can still customise if you want to – flexibility is a big part of making the challenge work for you!
How Katie makes the standard meal plan work for her
Katie uses the standard plan because her target is 1711 calories a day. She says, ‘I know I won’t go over my calorie goal, and I simply add another snack to my evening so I know I will still be within my calorie limit.
Katie likes to customise her standard plan to ensure the food will be happily consumed by the whole family.
Katie says, ‘I choose recipes I know all my family will eat and enjoy, I use the hub search to search for our family favourites and I try keep it really simple so I’m not cooking more than one meal.’
Katie likes to meal prep in advance so that she doesn’t have to spend too long in the kitchen each day.
Katie adds ‘I love the meal plan because I can customise it to mine and my family’s needs. I repeat snacks and batch cook so we always have snacks and lunches in the freezer so I can spend more time with my children.’
Katie’s weight loss results on the standard meal plan
Katie has had fantastic results using the standard meal plan. She says, ‘I have lost 50 pounds and 4 dress sizes. I have never gone hungry or felt like I’m on a diet.’ We think that sounds like success right there!
Katie’s top 3 Challenge recipes:
Seana uses the vegetarian meal plan
Target calories: 1500 (then customise to suit your calorie needs)
If you or your family are vegetarian, or you just want to start from a meal plan without meat (and add some in later using the customisation tool), this is the option for you.
Seana Doherty uses the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge vegetarian meal plan.
How Seana makes the vegetarian plan work for her
Seana says ‘I love the meal plan because it has made me try so many new recipes.’ Frittatas, pasta, salad, pies, noodles and more – there are loads of vegetarian options.
Seana’s family can be fussy eaters, but they are loving the Healthy Mummy snacks that Seana is now baking.
Seana’s weight loss results on the vegetarian meal plan
Seana says, ‘I am feeling better and really enjoying my food with no guilt. I am also changing shape and the scales are slowly moving! My food now constantly resembles an upmarket wholefood restaurant.’
It seems that people are noticing a difference in Seana too, as she adds ‘My skin is apparently glowing too.’
Seana’s top 3 Challenge recipes:
- Weetabix Slice
- Loaded Mexican Fries
- Sweet Potato Egg Cups
Steph uses the blank meal plan
Target calories: flexible, you can customise to suit your calorie needs.
If you have favourite recipes that you prefer to make again and again, you have ingredients you want to use up (for instance you might cook lots of chicken meals if you have lots of chicken breast in the freezer!), or you just want total control over the meals you eat – the blank plan is for you.
You can search for recipes you want to try, or use your favourites, and just drop them into your plan. From there, your shopping list will come out telling you exactly what you need to buy. It’s also a great plan to use if you like to add more calories to certain days (for instance if you are doing weight training on a specific day).
How Steph makes the blank meal plan work for her
Steph Marriot loves it as she can fill it with all of her favourite foods which helps keep her on track.
She says ‘I love this meal plan because I can tailor it so my calories are exactly on track with my goals at the time. Whether it be weight loss or maintenance.’
And you can make this plan work for you if you have different schedules through the week. So on the nights your kids have football training until late, you can be sure to schedule a meal that takes only 20 minutes to pull together (or opt for a slow cooker meal that you set earlier in the day).
This is exactly what Steph does. ‘I can choose meals that suit us and our schedules.
On nights that my husband works late or is out for sport, we have freezer meals.’
Steph’s weight loss results on the blank meal plan
Steph lost 2.13st in 6 months and has been maintaining that weight for the past 14 months, following the blank meal plan option. She has also lost inches from her measurements.
Steph’s top 3 Challenge meals:
- Spicy Sesame Pork with Rice & Greens
- Spinach & Butternut Squash Curry
- Warm Thai Beef Salad
Join thousands of other mums on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge
If you want to take charge of your own health and weight – then join our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge TODAY.
With THOUSANDS of delicious (and healthy) recipes, 350 exercises & 24/7 support – the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is designed (and proven) to help busy mums like you lose weight!
