A mother-of-two has revealed how she shed fat from her body and toned up in just eight months by changing up her diet and fitness routine – and how you can too.
Julia Meadows, 36, from Melbourne, was battling depression and a lack of self-confidence when she decided to take charge of her growing body and change it by tackling her sweet tooth.
After her five-year marriage broke down, Julia found her weight creeping up due to comfort eating and ‘lazy days on the couch’.
Just eight months later, Julia shed a staggering 11 kilograms to take her from 66.6 kilos to 55 kilos – and even better, she has managed to keep the weight off ever since.
And she’s not become a slave to the gym, incorporating into her daily regime – for instance, doing 100 squats a day while hanging up washing or waiting for a smoothie to blend.
‘I’m in the best shape of my life,’ Julia told The Healthy Mummy. ‘So much weight has been lost and I’ve gained so much happiness and self-confidence.’
A mother-of-two has revealed how she shed fat from her body and toned up in just eight months by changing up her diet and fitness routine – and how you can too (Julia Meadows pictured before and after)
Julia Meadows, from Melbourne, was battling depression and a lack of self-confidence when she decided to take charge of her growing body and change it (pictured before and after)
Now, the mum-of-two (pictured before and after) swears a by a mixture of bootcamps, incidental exercise and little to no sugar for her svelte frame
When it came to losing the weight, Julia landed on Australia’s leading weight loss program The Healthy Mummy after browsing their thousands of body transformations.
‘I had seen some great transformations on there so I signed up to a local running group and a bootcamp and started following the meal plans on the Healthy Mummy website,’ Julia told FEMAIL.
‘It was intimidating signing up to the bootcamp because I was already in a negative mindset and because I hadn’t done exercise I was worried that I was too unfit and would hold people back.’
But Julia pushed past her fears and began noticing a change in her body within three weeks of doing bootcamp and eating differently.
‘I saw results really quickly. About three months in I started shopping for clothes and I could see and feel the difference,’ she said.
Julia (pictured working out) said some of her favourite exercises include compound movements like squats and lunges
‘I embraced meal prep and repeated several meals so I was never without a healthy meal on hand and got tempted to eat unhealthily,’ Julia (pictured before and after) said
The mum-of-two said one of the biggest things that influenced a change in her body was cutting down on sugar.
‘I also embraced meal prep and repeated several meals so I was never without a healthy meal on hand and got tempted to eat unhealthily,’ she said.
A typical day on the mum’s plate sees Julia enjoy a smoothie with berries, bananas and oats for breakfast, before she snacks on a cup of tea and some Greek yoghurt with fruit mid-morning.
‘Lunch is leftovers from the night before – so something like chicken and a salad,’ Julia said.
Then mid-afternoon, she enjoys either some boiled eggs, nuts or rice crackers with peanut butter, before having a Mexican lasagne or one pot bolognese for dinner – some of her favourite foods.
‘I also drink around three litres of water a day and it has made my skin appear much healthier and smoother,’ she said.
Unhealthy desserts and ice cream have been replaced with fruit and natural yoghurt as a way to let her still enjoy something sweet.
The mum said you don’t always need to be ‘working out’ to get exercise in (pictured working out); she squats and lunges around the house and jumps on the trampoline with her kids
She also swears by taking progress pictures (pictured), because she said sometimes the scales will de-motivate you but pictures will help
Speaking about her tips for others who want to start a weight loss journey, Julia told The Healthy Mummy that one of the things that helped her most was taking progress pictures as she lost weight.
‘I’m glad I took before and after photos, because even if the scales aren’t moving I can still see process and know that I’m moving in the right direction,’ she told the publication.
‘I had to learn that scales don’t always tell the truth and now I’d rather go by my progress pictures to reflect on my achievements.’
Julia also said you should have a motivation board up somewhere in your house, so that you know what your goals are and just how far you’ve come.
‘A big one for me is changing up my workout routine regularly so I stay motivated,’ the 36-year-old said.
‘It doesn’t always have to be a walk, run or a gym. Jumping on the trampoline, having a dance off with your kids or running around the play centre with your kids is a great way of staying active – plus, it’s also lots of fun.’
Julia aims for a mixture of strength and cardio with her workouts, alternating walks and runs with compound movements like step-ups, squats and lunges.
She also keeps moving throughout the day, by squatting and lunging around the house while doing chores and looking after her kids.
Now, Julia urges women to stop comparing themselves and focus on their own journeys as ‘any progress is amazing’ (pictured before and after)
Now, Julia urges women to stop comparing themselves and focus on their own journeys.
‘Any progress is amazing and never get discouraged if your scales aren’t moving because it doesn’t mean you are not achieving,’ she told FEMAIL.
‘Us mums are so much more capable than we think and if I can do it I promise you that you can do it too.
‘Go for it, it will change your life.’