8 ways this mum who lost 20kg feeds her family on a tight budget
This mum proves that weight loss is achievable on a tight budget!
Annette Palma lost an incredible 20kg by following the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge and drinking The Healthy Mummy Smoothies.
Find out how she managed to lose weight on a budget below…
Annette has been a 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge member since July 2014, and her third child was born in February this year.
Because her family are currently living off one wage, the mum-of-three has tried to be as thrifty as she can be.
“I have been on maternity leave since January this year and we have been down to one wage for quite a few months now, but I still manage to make the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge work for me,” she says.
“That’s the beauty of it. It can absolutely work for anyone, no matter what your budget is.”
Annette’s top tips for losing weight on a budget:
1. Select a budget plan
You can select the Budget/Timesaver meal plan on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge. This meal plan has repeated recipes and meals you can make in bulk to save you money and time.
“This way you can save some serious money,” says Annette. “It doesn’t get much easier than that.”
2. Double serves
Annette reveals she doubles the serves of what she’s making at dinner so that her family can have leftovers for lunch the next day – this also helps stop her overeating.
“I love to double the serves at dinner time so that we either have the leftovers for lunch the next day or they go straight into the freezer for a night when I don’t feel like cooking or I’m short of time,” she says.
“It’s also a money saver as ingredients are usually cheaper when you buy them in bulk.”
You can find this delicious Sausage and Veggie Pasta Bake recipe here.
3. Repeat snacks
Annette also makes her snacks in bulk too!
“I choose two or three snacks that I rotate between for the entire week,” she reveals.
“It means I’m not prepping snacks every day and I require less ingredients which saves on time and money.”
Click here for this yummy Sugar Free Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookie recipe.
4. Check your cupboard for ingredients
Annette says she also checks to see what ingredients she has in her fridge and pantry, and selects meals and snacks with that in mind.
“I choose meals and snacks that I already have most of the ingredients which saves on time and money,” she says.
5. Shop online
Annette finds shopping online stops her from throwing extra things into her trolley.
“I shop online and make sure I stick to my shopping list. Usually it’s the little extras that you do’t really need that make your grocery bill price creep up,” she says.
6. Buy home brands
Annette sticks to home brands, as she finds they are cheaper.
“For most of the essentials and basics, there really is no difference between the home brand and the more expensive name brand options, I find,” she says.
7. Make more vegetarian meals or bulk buy meat
Meat can be expensive to buy, so Annette either opts for vegetarian meals or bulk buys meat.
She says: “Meat is usually one of the most expensive items, so I try to add in some vegetarian meals throughout the week to help reduce the cost of my grocery bill or buy it in bulk and freeze what I don’t need for a future meal.”
You can find this Simple Veggie Stir Fry – which is only 270 calories per serve – on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge recipe hub.
With over 3,500 recipes on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge recipe hub, there are HEAPS of recipes you can select. You can select the Vegetarian option to access these recipes on the App like this:
8. Drink the Smoothies
Multiple times a week, Annette will opt for a Healthy Mummy Smoothie as a meal or snack replacement. Loaded with fibre, Healthy Mummy Smoothies are great at helping you stay fuller for longer PLUS they are filled with other essential vitamins and minerals.
“Adding in The Healthy Mummy Smoothies has also helped me keep within my budget, as they are a great alternative for meals and snacks,” she says.
To learn MORE about our Healthy Mummy Smoothies, click here.
More on Annette’s incredible 20kg* weight loss story
Prior to giving birth to baby number three, Annette lost an incredible 20kgs on her Healthy Mummy journey.
She says: “I loved the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge and how everything was set out for me to succeed.
“The Healthy Mummy Smoothies saved me from skipping breakfast every morning.
“Over the next 18 months I lost 20kgs*, ran a 10km fun run and became the fittest and healthiest I had been since I was a teenager. I was back to my fun-loving self, with energy to spare and a new found love of exercise.”
Join Annette on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge!
With more than 3,500 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!
To learn more about our challenge OR to join – click here.
To support your weight loss, The Healthy Mummy also has a range of delicious and good-for-you smoothies!
Our smoothie range offers an excellent source of essential vitamins, minerals, nutrients & important antioxidants. It does not contain any weight loss accelerants, caffeine, gluten and is dairy free. It is also a non Genetically Modified product!
To learn more about our smoothies – click here.
To purchase one of our smoothies – click here.