10 ways to lose 9 pounds in April

We’ve been helping busy mums shift weight and blast the belly fat for many years, and we are CONFIDENT that we can help you too.

One of the BIGGEST components to a successful weight loss journey with the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is having a specific, weight loss goal.

So, that’s why we are helping you be super-specific and give you a tight timeframe of how you can lose 9 pounds in just 4 weeks.

10 ways to lose 9 pounds in 4 weeks

1. Say goodbye to the white stuff – SUGAR!

Reducing your added sugar intake is one of the FASTEST ways to blast tummy fat, reduce your calorie intake, boost energy levels, improve your skin and drop excess weight.

The tricky thing is, sugar is just about everywhere these days and many of us can be addicted to the stuff. Not to mention the thought of going cold turkey and giving up all sweet-treats can be too much for many of us to handle.

The GOOD NEWS IS there are plenty of treats, recipes and meals out there just as delicious as your fave sugar-laden creations that are BETTER for you. For example check out our Vanilla Slice from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge. It’s just 22p per serve!

2. Up the protein…and FIBRE!

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, meat, boiled eggs, poached chicken, natural peanut butter, and tofu.

3. Cut out processed foods

Cut out processed food and things like white bread, rice and pasta and have wholegrain and wholemeal versions instead which are high in fibre and vitamins.

4. Get organised and MEAL PLAN!

If you are looking for a more structured plan to follow then try our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge. Whether you are breastfeeding, vegetarian, vegan and or looking for a gluten free meal plan – our Challenge can work for you.

Each week the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge Meal Plan updates. The Challenge informs you what is a great, HEALTHY idea for breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner AND DESSERT!

The Meal Plan clearly highlights the calories per serve, how LONG it takes to prepare and cook as well as other helpful nutritional information.

Nonetheless, our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge has made it super easy to SWAP specific meals for another one of your Challenge favourites. Read more success stories from real mums like Cicily (pictured above) who has lost more than 8 stone.

5. Get support

Try chatting to a friend or other mum who has lost weight. Pick their brain and see if they have any insight for you about anything you are missing or not doing.

You can even hop onto the Healthy Mummy Facebook group and be inspired by the mums, advice and stories on the page.

6. SQUAT, SQUAT, SQUAT!

Never underestimate the power of squats…and glute focused exercises.

Besides looking great in bikinis and skirts, it’s important to have a strong and healthy butt and thighs as they are the foundations to help us with all our movements every day.

When the butt and thighs are strengthened, the glutes are able to balance and stabilise the hips, allowing the hip flexors to move with ease, reducing the risk of back pain and reducing chance of injury.

Not only that, but a strong butt and thighs means a stronger pelvis and better supported knees and ankles. PLUS glute exercises are a great way to burn MAJOR calories.

See some inspiring stories of mums who have totally transformed their butts HERE.

7. Get sweaty

Want results? Get sweaty. While a nice stroll in the park is enough to get some people sweaty and seeing amazing weight loss results, others may need to mix up their workout.

For example, try alternating your walks with jogging or a light run. Check out the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge app for hundreds of free exercises to try at home.

8. Stay focused 

One day at a time is all we can do. Don’t let a bad day turn into a bad week. So if you have a slip up, dust yourself off and remember that tomorrow is another day closer to your goal. Try making healthy sweet treats like these fudge bites so that you’re not tempted by the junk food at the supermarket (or petrol station, or DVD shop, or everywhere else it’s for sale!).

9. Keep an eye on your portions 

Government guidelines recommend that you eat a number of portions of foods from different food groups each and every day to get a range of vitamins and nutrients to support your health.

Our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge has done all the hard work for you on portion control, see below for the guidelines you should be aiming for.

• Fruits and vegetables

Guidelines recommend that you eat at least 5 or more portions of fruits and vegetables every day, but the optimum is at least 2 portions of fruit and 4 portions of vegetables. A portion of fruits and veggies is generally considered to be a large handful of the raw fruit or vegetable.

• Whole grains/carbohydrates

Each meal should include a portion of carbohydrates, ideally wholegrain carbohydrates to keep you fuller for longer and to improve digestive health. 4 portions of wholegrain carbohydrates are recommended per day – but if you eat a potato, this should be taken as a carbohydrate portion rather than a vegetable portion.

A standard portion of potato should be the size of a computer mouse (225g), a portion of spaghetti pasta should be less than 1.5cm in diameter, a portion of shaped pasta should be a small heaped handful (40g dry) and a portion (150g) of cooked rice should be, when packed together, around the size of a small tin of tuna.

• Protein/dairy

Protein and dairy are a key part of any diet – they improve general health and they can boost weight loss. Portions of protein (1-2 a day) should always be around the size of your palm. Protein in the form of meat, like chicken, beef, game or pork should be trimmed of all visible fat. A portion of tofu should be the size of your palm, and a portion of beans should be a small heaped handful.

Dairy portions should be kept fairly small, as they tend to contain more fat – a portion of milk should be a small glass of 250ml, a portion of yoghurt should be a small 50g-100g pot and a portion of cheese should be matchbox-sized (28g). Cheese should be eaten less frequently than milk and yoghurt as it contains more fat.

• Fat

It might surprise you, but guidelines recommend that you eat three portions of heart healthy fats each day – maximum serving should be 1 tbsp. of heart healthy fat, such as extra-virgin olive oil. These fats improve the health of your skin, hair and nails, and they also boost the health of your internal systems and your eyes.

10.Workout with weights

Working out with weights helps you to build lean muscle mass which burns calories even while you are resting. Training with weights assists in shaping, toning and creating a leaner body. Weights training in conjunction with cardio workouts will help you to reach your fitness and weight loss goals faster.

These weight based exercises are made up of individual or unilateral movements which help with creating even muscle toning and shaping your body on both sides. These types of exercises improve your postural alignment and stronger muscles help you stand up straight to assist in preventing back pain.

The benefits of weight training are:

• Tones your body
• Builds lean muscle mass which in turn burns body fat
• You only need to perform short workouts to achieve results
• Builds strength to improve bone density
• Strength training releases endorphins to increase your mood and happiness
• Improves sleep and in turn gives you more energy during the day

11. Our bonus tip – Join the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge

Did you know the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge is designed to help mums lose weight in a healthy way, WITHOUT avoiding whole food groups, going hungry and rigorous gym workouts?

Are you ready to kick-start your weight loss?

Want to shift your baby weight but feel like you have NO TIME in your day to exercise and eat healthily? That’s where the Healthy Mummy’s 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge can help.

Our Challenge entails: 

• 28 days of at home exercise routines (no gym needed) – with video instruction
• Customisable and breastfeeding friendly meal plans
• Time-efficient exercises for busy mums – under 30 mins
• Challenge combines Pilates exercises with interval and circuit training (HIIT)
• Suitable for basic to advanced fitness levels.
• Home to thousands of EASY-TO-MAKE recipes.

To find out more about joining the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge here.

PLUS – connect with THOUSANDS of other mums on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge by joining our free support community here.