Finding Real Body Confidence with The Healthy Mummy

#ad this is a collaborative post

What is body confidence?

In recent months there has been a growing trend of influencers, media types and the press showcasing women of all shapes and sizes in their content, which is, for the main, extremely positive. As a Mum to two daughters, I want the girls to grow up appreciating that their worth won’t be measured solely by the number on the scales or the dress size they fit into. I want them to learn that women come in all shapes and sizes, and that whats on the inside is just as important as what people see on the surface. That said, there is also a tendency for people to say “I’m over weight and that’s OK, because I am a Mum”, which is where for me the lines start to get a bit blurred. Whilst body confidence is important, and something I am personally yet to find, I also think as parents we have a duty to set a good example to our children about how to lead a healthy and active lifestyle – which can be easier said than done. This is where The Healthy Mummy steps in.

I will use myself as an example. I have two children who are 6 and 2, and as is the case with many women, I put on a lot of weight during my pregnancies. When the girls were born I quite quickly lost the weight again. I was careful about what I ate and running around after a toddler kept me busy and active. I lost the weight gain, and potentially thanks to breastfeeding, ended up actually being slimmer than I was before I got pregnant.

But then the reality of parenthood set in. Life went back to “normal” except my priorities had completely changed. Where as before I was able to put myself first, I now had two little human beings in my home to look after. I went back to work and before I knew it, life got hectic. I was extremely sleep deprived (still am!) and constantly on the go and as a result, rest and self care went out the window. I opted for the easy choices, the quick meals and takeaways – the options that on paper provided the least stress without fully appreciating that these choices were in fact having the opposite effect.

I am now at least 2 stone heavier than I should be, and whilst I would never refer to myself as fat or comment on my weight in front of my daughters, I do want them to know and understand that Mummy is trying to eat more healthily because its important for us to be fit and look after our bodies. I feel like I’ve been making excuses, and that has got to change.

Last week I headed down to London to meet Rhian, the founder of The Healthy Mummy. Rhian set up the Healthy Mummy programme in 2010 after the birth of her first child, when she realised there was no one holistic support system to help Mums shape up and get healthy after having a baby. Her aim was to empower Mums to live a healthier lifestyle and regain their body confidence in a supportive, breastfeeding and budget friendly environment. 9 years on, The Healthy Mummy has helped millions of Mums across the globe achieve their weight loss goals.

I met 6 women today who have all completed a series of The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Challenges and looked amazing, each sharing their own personal weight loss journey and demonstrating not only their physical changes but also the huge positive effects they had seen on their overall health and wellbeing too.

What is The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Challenge??

The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Challenge is an interactive online customisable meal and exercise plan with over 4000 recipes, 350 exercise videos, printable shopping lists and daily support from other real Mums. With a new challenge and theme each month, the content is kept fresh and varied, so that you stay motivated and empowered, without feeling like you are repeating the same content over and over again.

During The Healthy Mummy photoshoot I got to try some of the recipes from the Healthy Mummy programme first hand and I can hand on heart say they were delicious – full of colour and bursting with taste, with lots of healthier swaps for a treat or snack which tasted as good if not better than their naughty alternatives!

Perfect for busy Mums, many of the nutritionist designed recipes in The Healthy Mummy programme take less than 15 minutes to prepare from scratch, or can be batch cooked and frozen to help speed up the mealtime madness. Even better, these are meals that can be enjoyed by the whole family, with hidden vegetables and healthy versions of classic family dinners, meaning you don’t have to prepare 3 different meals just because you are watching what you eat. And for me, if it gets the girls to eat more healthily too, surely that’s a win-win!

When it comes to doing your weekly food shop, you can print of the shopping lists from The Healthy Mummy programme which lists all the ingredients you need to hand. The meal plans are also fully customisable, meaning if you don’t like some ingredients or have specific food allergies you can tailor them to suit you. The crucial bit is that they cut out processed foods, reduce your white sugar, (even with dessert!) and increase the amount of protein and fibre you consume.

The Healthy Mummy also appreciates that post baby budgets can be tight! The shopping lists ensure you only buy what you need (reducing unnecessary impulse purchases!) and by meal planning you can plan ahead and reduce waste, with most meals in the programme averaging at a cost of under £1.25 a serving!

As an extended breastfeeder, I was also really pleased to learn that The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Challenge is completely breastfeeding friendly. So many online ‘diets’ or fitness programmes aren’t healthy for breastfeeding Mums, cutting huge amounts of calories which are actually hugely important in order to maintain breastfeeding and milk supply. The Healthy Mummy 28 day challenge Programme gives Mums additional calories when breastfeeding – consuming 1800-2000 calories and still losing weight, safely for them AND their baby.

Exercise in The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Challenge

As a Mum, finding time to fit exercise into your day around breastfeeding, nappy changes, nursery and school runs can be really difficult. That said, how many times have you sat scrolling through your phone in the evenings and before you know it half an hour has gone by? Did it actually make you feel good? No – I sincerely doubt it.

On my visit down to The Healthy Mummy photoshoot, I chatted with the team about the exercise features of the app to learn more about how they support Mum’s weight loss loss journey. The personal trainer designed exercise progammes within The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Challenge are an easy way to incorporate some exercise into your day, starting off slowly but helping shed weight fast. With 30 minute fully instructed programmes, it is easy to add one into even the busiest of days, and no need to worry about travelling to the gym, what clothes you need to wear or whether people are going to judge the quality of your downward dog.

There are over 350 fitness videos within the Healthy Mummy app, ranging from postnatal to advanced depending on how recently you had your children. The exercises help target all areas of the body including strength, cardio, tabata, pilates and more and can all be done safely from the comfort in your own home, with no equipment and minimal space requirements.

The Healthy Mummy 28 Day Challenge helps provide motivation for you to achieve your goals, encouraging you to track your progress, educate you about improvements to your lifestyle and making you accountable for your actions, in a friendly and supportive environment.

When chatting to the Mums at the photoshoot, the support and community feeling was something that had really kept spurring them on and focused on achieving their goals. It was so lovely to hear about Mums supporting Mums, when so often these days we are very quick to do just the opposite. With a free Facebook group where Mums can chat, meet likeminded people and share ideas and inspiration, The Healthy Mummy programme also seems to help combat one of the other main challenges of being a new Mum – loneliness. I can imagine that having those connections to help you through the harder days can be really invaluable.

Overall I had a great day at The Healthy Mummy photoshoot and found it really eye opening. It’s made me realise that the excuses I make (regularly) for my lack of willpower and unhealthy choices really aren’t justifiable anymore, and that I should instead be opting for a proactive approach to managing how I eat and exercise. For me, THATS what body confidence is all about – positive role models for our children, looking after our bodies and ensuring both of physical and mental wellbeing.