The working mum’s guide to choosing a weight loss meal plan

Being a busy mum is hard enough to get out the door in the mornings but throw work into the mix and it’s often us mums that get the short straw.

We’re so busy making sure that everyone else in the family has healthy snacks packed that we forget to do our own and this is not ideal when trying to follow a weight loss meal plan.

This is where The Healthy Mummy and the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge comes in. Designed specifically for busy mums, you can rest assured being a working mum is taken into account in all of our meal plans, exercises and tips and tricks.

• 61% of mums work
• How to prioritise your health, even when you’re busy
• Determine your eating schedule
• How to choose the right meal for you
• How to navigate the workplace temptations
• Reward yourself for your discipline and perseverance

61% of mums work

There has been a corresponding decrease in the percentage of stay-at-home mums. The percentage of parent couples with children under 18 years where both partners work was 61% in 2016.

Working mums are busier than ever and of course, want to be there for their kids as much as possible. Finding a balance that works for you and your family is key to juggling our busy lives and being healthy makes that all the more enjoyable. Not only will you have more energy to run around, but you will also feel better within yourself, leaving those around you happier too.

The Healthy Mummy proves it is possible for working mums to succeed on a weight loss meal plan. See how these busy mums make their health a priority and how you can too.

But they still manage to care for their children, how?

Busy mums wear many hats! Finding a balance between being a carer, worker and partner is hard for any mum, but even more of a juggling act when trying a weight loss meal plan.

Mums are so giving that sometimes they can put their needs on hold or in the background to care for their children, leaving themselves not their best selves. Allowing yourself to care for yourself will not only benefit you but your kids and family also! A better you is better for everyone too.

How to prioritise your health, even when you’re busy

The ways in which you can prioritise your health being a busy mum are to plan, plan, plan. Just like how you plan your children’s days, their after-school activities, and even what time they go to bed, the same can go for your health. Making it a priority and putting in the time can make the world of difference.

Meal prepping, waking up before everyone else wakes up to get 20 minutes of 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge exercises in, and joining our Private Support Groups means your prioritising your health even when you’re busy. The Healthy Mummy is designed exactly for busy mums, giving you all the more chance to succeed in your weight loss goals.

Determine your eating schedule

This will depend on your weight loss goals and your break times at work. If you are someone that regularly skips breakfast because you are time poor, you may want to adopt a Healthy Mummy smoothie which you can have on the go before work. Small changes can lead to big results! Something as simple as planning out your time and slotting in where you can have your meals can make a huge difference in your weight loss.

A meal planner could also work for a busy mum so she can keep track of her meals, times and see exactly what she’s eating.

How to choose the right meal for you

Depending on your work schedule, you can choose to meal prep or prepare on the day.

The benefits of meal prepping are great! You’ll no longer come home from work and wonder what to make, what’s in the fridge only to find there’s nothing and having to resort to ordering takeaway. Meal prepping, although can seem overwhelming to a working mum, doesn’t have to be hard. Check out these meal prepping tips for working mums here and find the right meal for you.

Prepare your meals at home

By preparing your meals at home you can not only save money, but you can also know exactly what is in your meals, and you can customise your meals to suit your weight loss goals. The Healthy Mummy has over 4,000 recipes on hand to help you on your way. If you feel like takeaway, if you have a BBQ to go to or it’s your kids birthday party, we have everything covered to make these special days healthy and still enjoyable!

Take fresh ingredients and prepare your meal at work

If you don’t have time to make your healthy meals at home, why not think about packing the ingredients and making it at work!?

Most offices are equipped with a small kitchen where you can either heat something up or keep it cool in the fridge. Here are 7 work lunches ideas if your work doesn’t have a microwave or fridge. Don’t forget snacks, when 3.30-itis hits, instead of buying something that is not so good for you, check out these snacks this mum who lost 25kg took to the office.

Have a healthy smoothie

Having a smoothie when you’re busy, is great to ensure you’re getting essential nutrients and vitamins. Skipping meals, slows down your metabolism, by having consistent meals and snacks you are giving your body everything it needs to function and give you energy. This energy will keep you healthy, on top of your weight loss goals and able to exercise with motivation.

How to navigate the workplace temptations

If your workplace provides catered lunches or snacks around the office such as biscuits, lollies or other treats, this can create temptation. How to navigate around this is to decide beforehand that you won’t give in to this. By bringing your own snacks and meals from home can cut that temptation in half.

Have your goal always in mind

Having your goals laid out clearly in front of you can make achieving them all the more successful. You may want to consider a mood board where you stick photos of things that inspire you, a before photo and a healthy role model you look up to.

Another way to have your goals at the forefront is journaling, you can write down your goals and check in daily with how you’re feeling, what you’re grateful for and/or what you’ve been eating. By keeping a food diary you can see more clearly where you’re going wrong, what you need to add more of or take out and visually keep yourself accountable.

Decide beforehand that you will not give in

Temptations are much easier to overcome if you decide not to give in before the event happens. By doing this in your head, you are holding yourself accountable and if you do give in to temptation make sure it is because you really want that biscuit or slice of cake, and fully enjoy it and then get back to your healthy eating.

When you eat something out of restriction, it can turn into a binge which is an unhealthy cycle, by deciding before and practising this type of thinking, you will be less likely to want to give in to temptation, and may not even feel tempted.

Ask your close friends at work for reminders and support

Telling people about your weight loss journey will help you keep accountable. As you spend more time at work than at home, the people you work with can become very close to you and help you on your journey. By filling them in, you’re less likely to give into temptation, go and get unhealthy lunches outside the office and you may even inspire them to join your healthy journey.

Why not try asking your friends at work if they want to go for a walk at lunch, or do a group boot camp? Having a buddy is always more fun and you can motivate each other!

Join a support group for mums just like you

Having support from your family and friends is great and a real help when trying to lose weight. However, finding people that are like minded and are on the same journey as you, can be even more beneficial. Joining a support group with mums in it is really helpful since you’ll all have similar lifestyles, you can relate to each other, uplift each other and exchange concerns, wins, recipes, hacks and so much more.

With over 1.5 million like-minded mums The Healthy Mummy community is somewhere you can find support from other mums.

Get your partner to support you

The ones closest to you have the most influence when it comes to sticking to plans and goals, so getting them on board is a great benefit. For working mums, having the support of your partner can make such a difference. If you want to go and do a workout in some peace and quiet, your partner can take the kids out for an hour or entertain them elsewhere. If you communicate clearly to your partner what you want and your expectations, they will be sure to want to support you.

Reward yourself for your discipline and perseverance

Rewarding yourself is a great habit to get into. By doing this you are allowing yourself to feel worthy and special. And it doesn’t have to be a food-related reward, it can be anything. Be proud of your achievements by rewarding yourself with a relaxing massage, a few hours of ‘me time’, a catch up with your close friends, seeing a movie, a spa day, a new piece of clothing. Check out these 5 food-free ways to reward yourself for your weight loss wins.

The 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge can make busy mums lives a lot easier when trying to lose weight. Ongoing support, healthy recipes for all occasions and needs and quick and easy to do at home workouts. Losing weight on the challenge when you’re a working mum is achievable here.