6 mums reveal how to stay on track when you feel like giving up

When you start on a healthy eating plan such as the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, you can feel super motivated at the start.

Your kitchen is stocked with healthy food, you’ve got your delicious recipes and meal plan, and you’re excited to strap on your new trainers and get out for a walk.

But then, you might have a bad day. Sick kids, flat tyre, a stressful day at work, or maybe you’re tempted by that dessert at the café that you know you probably don’t really need.

From there it can feel like it’s all just too hard.

But wait! You’re NOT the first person to feel this way! And there IS a way out.

Here at the Healthy Mummy, we know that this feeling is very common. And that’s why we spoke to 6 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge members who have experienced just that.

But the great news is that they’ve revealed here exactly how they turned it around, in the hope that they can help you do the same if you feel like giving up.

Missy Harrison uses her ‘before’ photo as motivation

Missy has lost over 26 pounds using the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.

Missy’s three tips:

1. Meal prep! And snack prep too! It makes for a easy life. You’re much less likely to reach for a chocolate bar or a bag of crisps if you’ve got a healthy snack from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge already prepared. And take away loses its appeal when you’ve already got dinner in the fridge just waiting to be heated up.
2. Aim for 3 litres of water a day. Keep your bottle with you and sip sip sip. It’s amazing the difference it’s made for me.
3. Take before and after photos! Sure you may not feel good posing for them, but they are great inspiration. The scales don’t always move and this can be so disheartening. But when you can visibly see the difference in the photos it can give you the boost you need to just keep going.

Camilla Sharma says she goes back to basics

Camilla Sharma has lost an incredible 1.4st with the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.

Camilla’s three tips:

1. Look at your ‘why?’ When I feel like giving up I look at why I’m doing this. I evaluate my ‘why’ and ask myself does my why need to change? Most of the time I have lost sight of my why. For instance you might want to lose weight to be able to run around at the park with your kids, or to be a healthy role model for them. This is a powerful reason to keep going.
2. Go back to basics. Sometimes life gets hectic and it all gets overwhelming and that’s when I am most likely to go off track. In this instance I go back to basics. 3L of water, basic meals from the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, basic snacks (use the ‘5 ingredients or less‘ filter) and easy workouts.
3. Think outside the box. When I can’t fit in a workout I feel sluggish so I try and get creative with sneaking more movement into my day. Think lunges while you’re hanging washing, or squats while you wait for the kettle to boil.

Hellevi Walker uses the support of her husband to stay positive

Hellevi Walker has lost 22 pounds with the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.

Hellevi’s three tips:

1. Take a picture and compare it to the picture you took when you first started out. It works for me every time because I can see how far I’ve come and I know I don’t want to go back to how I was.
2. Ask your husband/friend/family to give you lots of compliments. I tell my husband when I’m having a bad day so he knows to compliment me throughout the day and it works! You want to keep that good feeling going, and it’s a powerful way to motivate yourself.
3. Think about what it is that makes you want to give up and the reasons you want to keep going. Write it down if that helps.

Natalie Cowie sets achievable goals with fun rewards

Natalie Cowie has lost 25 pounds with the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.

Natalie’s three tips:

1. Think of how far you’ve come already – whether you’ve dropped pounds, drunk lots of water or chosen something healthy to snack on, you’re taking steps in the right direction. You’re making changes now that will have a huge impact on your health. Every step is a positive move in the right direction.
2. Think of your next goal and how you’ll feel when you get there. Make sure it’s a small, achievable goal and plan a reward for when you reach it! Read more on SMART goal setting here.
3. Think of your children – I love that the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge has so many family friendly recipes. By encouraging the kids to join in with meal planning and cooking you’re teaching them healthy eating habits too.

Amy Bunce builds a freezer stash of healthy meals 

Amy has started her Healthy Mummy journey for a second time since having her second baby in April. She has lost an incredible 2.3st already!

Amy’s three tips:

1. Customise the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge to suit your budget, tastes and time. This way it doesn’t feel like a ‘diet’ just a normal, yummy, family friendly meal plan.
2. Meal prep your way. With a newborn and a toddler it is hard for me to do a big meal prep day. So I choose meals I can cook in bulk. We eat some and freeze some. It’s surprising how quickly the freezer stash builds that way. With snacks I choose ones that my toddler can help with, so snack prep becomes fun ‘mummy-daughter’ time.
3. When I’ve made poor food choices I remind myself that I haven’t failed. This is a journey and you can’t fail a journey, you just take a different route. You keep going until you reach your destination.

Victoria Hendy doesn’t let a bad meal turn into a bad week

Victoria has lost 18lbs so far with the help of the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge.

Victoria’s three tips:

1. Keep your progress pictures handy. I love seeing that I’m a different person now even though I’m not at my end goal (yet!).
2. Don’t wait until the next day to start again, one meal or snack off plan occasionally isn’t the end of the world. If I do fall off the wagon I try to get straight back on it and I do feel much better.
3. Exercise really helps, even just going for a quick walk, it helps to remind me that I’ve come so far already and I don’t want to give up.

Are you inspired to lose weight in a healthy way?

With more than 4,000 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!