50 Weight Loss Tips for Mums

Losing weight as a Mum is tough work. You are nearly always low on time and the kids are now undisputed top priority. Besides, there are so many theories about losing weight which ones do you trust? It can be really easy to get ‘decision paralysis’, where you get so many choices you end up doing none of them.
So, what is the best way to lose weight? Can you really see your ‘pre-kids’ body in the mirror again? The answer is a huge ‘yes’!
Below are the 50 top tips that any mom can follow to lose all the weight that she wants. Enjoy!

1) Focus on nutrient-dense food
It’s easy to throw a packaged meal in the microwave when you are low on time but it’s not the best thing for your health. Instead, spend more time in the ‘fresh’ and ‘raw’ sections of the supermarket, stocking up on all of the foods that are going to make losing weight easy and fill you with energy.

 

2) Don’t packaged food
Directly related to the tip above, packaged ‘ready-made’ foods are not good for your weight loss efforts. The processes that go into creating and preserving these foods render them useless nutrition-wise. They may also contain additives that can seriously harm your health over the long-term.

3) Eat more greens
Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale are as close to ‘miracle foods’ as you can get. Eat as many as you like. Throw them in a smoothie or make soup with them if you don’t like the taste or texture.

4) Don’t starve yourself
One of the main reasons that people never make consistent progress on a diet is because they cut their calories too drastically. When they start eating normally again the weight comes back almost immediately! Remember, ‘what’ you eat is far more important than ‘how much’ you eat. Good, clean food combined with consistent exercise will give you much better results over the long-term than any crash diets.

5) Track your food
Tracking the calories and food choices that you ingest on a regular basis will give you hard proof of the strengths and weaknesses of your diet. Knowing that you have to write down whatever you’ve eaten will also motivate you to keep away from the foods you know you shouldn’t eat.

6) Eat and chew slowly
Chewing your food properly will make it easier for your digestive system to process. As a result, more nutrients will be taken from the foods you’ve eaten, aiding your weight loss and providing you with more energy.

7) Cut up your food before you eat
Smaller chunks of food are easier for your digestive system to process, thus speeding up digestion and revving your metabolism (leading to greater weight loss).

8) Cut out sugary drinks
Sugar-laden drinks such as Cola are full of empty calories that will derail your diet. Over time, the extra calories ingested from these drinks add up, leading to significant weight gain and massive energy crashes.

9) Sleep well
Having a regular, predictable sleeping pattern can help you control your appetite and reduce stress. Studies show that a lack of sleep makes you much more likely to overeat during the day, and also lowers your resistance to eating junk foods.

 

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10) Prepare your meals in advance
It’s much easier to follow a set diet if your meals are made in advance. Schedule a few hours each week to prepare meals for the following days, freezing what you don’t need.

11) Drink green tea
Green tea is a great zero-calorie way to speed up your metabolism. It’s also full of antioxidants for optimal health. If you don’t like the taste immediately don’t worry – it grows on you!

Related: Drink Delicious Smoothies

12) Swap sugar for protein
Wherever you can eliminate sugar from your diet, do it. Swapping it with lean protein sources such as chicken, tuna and turkey will help you build muscle and burn fat much more rapidly.

13) Stay hydrated
Many people in the world go through their daily lives in a state of dehydration. Unknown to us it can make our energy unstable, cause our muscles to grow weak and hinder our mental clarity. Commit to drinking eight cups of water a day and see what a difference it makes.

14) Buy organic fruit and vegetables
Investing slightly more money in organic fruits and vegetable ensures you avoid potentially harmful pesticides and food additives. The better quality food will also make you feel better and help you lose weight faster.

15) Drink lemon water each morning
Lemons are very high in pectin fibre, which has been shown to help control distracting hunger pangs. Studies also show that people who follow a more alkaline-based diet lose weight at a faster rate.

16) Eat dinner before 8pm
Resisting the urge to pig out before bedtime will aid you fat loss in many ways. When you go to sleep your whole body, including your digestive system, slows down. Eating for the last time 2-3 hours before bed will ensure most of that food has already been processed.

17) Get in the habit of making healthy choices
There are tons of healthy substitutes for our favourite foods. Coconut milk used as a substitute for cooking oil, for instance, or almond flour instead of wheat flour. Use your imagination and you’ll find a solution for almost anything!

18) Use more vinegar
Many studies have strongly suggested that vinegar can help the body break down its fat stores. Get in the habit of using it more when prepping your meals and effortlessly reap the benefits.

19) Eat lean protein with every meal
Lean (low fat) protein sources such as chicken, turkey and tuna are low-calorie ways to satisfy your appetite. Load up whenever you can and watch the pounds drop off.

20) Less mayo, more mustard
As delicious as mayo is it is absolutely full of calories and fat – calories we can do without. Using mustard instead will add a kick to your meals, eliminate needless calories and increase your metabolism to boot.

21) Surround yourself with supportive friends and family
You can’t put a price on the support of your loved ones. They can help you when you are feeling down and keep you going when things are tough. Consistency is the key with weight loss so get your support team on-side and success in the long-term is guaranteed.

22) Investigate dangerous cravings
If you are in the habit of eating fast foods at lunch or dinner, think honestly about whether this is what you want. If you are committed to losing weight having healthy foods on hand at all times will minimise the chance of falling into old patterns.

23) Always eat breakfast
It’s almost a tired cliché but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. A good, healthy breakfast will kick-start your metabolism and digestive system, priming you for fat loss throughout the day.

24) Pack your lunchbox
Remember when you always had a packed lunch at school? You should be doing the same now, just with health-conscious foods that make you feel good and keep you performing. This way you won’t be tempted to hit the bakery with your colleagues come lunchtime.

25) Separate thirst from hunger
The feeling that indicates hunger is very similar to that of dehydration. Next time, when you are feeling peckish, drink a tall glass of water. It might save you some unnecessary calories.

26) Start meals with salad
Home-made salads using fresh, organic ingredients are a great way to cleanse your palate pre-meal. They can also help you to cut the calories you would usually consume in your main meal. Maybe you won’t need that dessert after all?

27) Take a mid-meal break
Pausing for a few minutes in the middle of your lunch or dinner can help you eat less. Many people eat too much purely because they don’t pause to think until their plate is empty. Simply taking a step back for a moment gives you ample time to hear what your body is telling you.

28) Face your feelings
Many of us are guilty of emotional eating. Our first reaction when we feel down or something doesn’t go our way is to open the fridge. This can sabotage weight loss plans like lightning so, if this sounds like you, it’s something you need to address immediately. Learn to face your feelings and realise they are not the boss of you.

29) Eat seasonal fruits and vegetables
Eating fruit and veg should never be boring! With different types available at different times of the year you should take full advantage of what is on offer, enjoying as much variety as possible.

30) Instead of peanut butter…
…use almond butter. With so many of us allergic to peanuts, almond butter is the perfect substitute. It’s much healthier for you too, boasting more protein and less fat than its better known sibling.

31) Eat more eggs
Remember when we all thought eggs were bad for us? Turns out they are a natural superfood! Fairly low in calories and a complete source of protein, eggs are a no-brainer for anyone trying to lose weight. They aren’t just for breakfast, either. Eat them anytime for a very nutritious snack!

32) Only visit the fresh food aisle in the grocery store
Visiting the cereal and bakery sections will only make you more likely to cheat on your diet. Stick to the areas where the healthy, natural wholefoods live.

33) Add fruit to your water
Don’t like the taste of water? Some fruits, such as lemons and grapefruits, can help boost your metabolism and provide you with essential nutrients. Add them to some ice cold water for a refreshing energiser with a kick.

34) Use more spices
Certain spices, such as capsicum and cayenne, have been shown to increase our core body temperature, which causes our metabolism to speed up. Eating more health-conscious spicy dishes can only help when trying to lose weight.

35) Don’t drink your calories
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to consume high-calorie drinks. They make it very easy to gain weight as you still have to eat the same amount of food to satisfy your appetite. Next time you are in Starbucks ask for a black coffee or herbal tea instead.

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36) Eat more fibre
Unknown to most, fibre is one of the key ingredients to consistent weight loss. Consuming 30 to 50 grams a day will keep your digestive system healthy and aid your metabolism when absorbing nutrients.

37) Remove leftovers from the table
After you are full remove all temptations to snack from your eye line. Remember that it takes at least ten minutes for your body to realise that it is full so give it at least that much time before you start grazing again.

38) Swap bread for lettuce
Bread is a high-calorie, high carb food that can turn a simple sandwich into a diet killer! The next time you go to make a quick sandwich swap the break for lettuce. Instead of needless calories you’ll get a satisfying (and refreshing) crunch.

39) Turn off the TV and social media
All of these screens can cause us to stress more than we need to. Take at least half an hour a day, preferably before bed, where you unplug completely and allow yourself to relax. Practicing meditation is a good habit to start.

40) Don’t overcook your meals
Overcooking vegetables and burning meats is a sure-fire way to destroy all of the nutrition they promised originally. Plus, they just don’t taste as good!

41) Eat at home when possible
Eating the majority of your meals at home will keep you in control of your diet. You’ll know exactly what calories and macronutrients are going in. All of this for a fraction of a restaurant bill.

42) Don’t worry if your plate is empty
If your stomach gets full before your plate is empty, don’t worry! Simply store whatever is left for a snack or meal tomorrow. Don’t feel that you need to clean the plate like you did as a child.

43) Use Epsom salts to help you relax
There’s nothing more relaxing than a warm bath. Using Epsom salts can significantly enhance the benefits, including increasing your heart health, improving circulation and relieving stress.

44) Don’t leave the house without having a snack first
If you know you are going to be leaving the house for a prolonged period of time you should grab a snack before you go. This will keep you from feeling hungry later and driving to the nearest fast food joint. Something simple will do the trick, like a banana or apple.

45) If you don’t have time, pack snacks for when you are out
If you don’t have the time for tip #44 make sure you have snacks prepared in advance, ready to take with you when you go out. With a little bit of forward planning you’ll never feel hungry on the road again.

46) Add red pepper flakes to your meals
Using red pepper flakes has been shown to increase the process of thermogenesis in the body (the rate that the body burns fat). They also add a lot of taste for close to zero calories.

47) Eliminate processed sweets
Anything processed and high in sugar is very difficult for the body to digest. Eating sweets on a regular basis will also spike your insulin levels and shut down your natural fat burning processes.

48) Instead of white potatoes…
…eat sweet potatoes. We all need some carbohydrates occasionally, especially if we are exercising hard. Choosing sweet potatoes over regular potatoes will ensure you get more vitamins and nutrients for your money.

49) Navigate tricky social occasions
Holiday get-togethers and parties are usually diet disasters. Instead of avoiding them, however, just try to keep things basic. A good rule of thumb is to only eat lean protein and vegetables and to limit your intake of alcohol to a drink or two.

50) Believe you’ll succeed
Remember that all of this starts in your mind. If you believe you can do it – that you will do whatever it takes to reach your goal – you will. Keep going and you are 100% guaranteed to see results!

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