You’ve worked hard to lose weight and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But that light weighs about 5kg and just won’t budge.
For so many mums, losing the last 5kg to get to their goal weight (whether that’s pre-baby weight or another goal they have chosen) is tough. Really tough.

For some reason our bodies seem to want to hold onto that last 5kg as a bit of a security blanket.
But today we have some tips that might just help. A lot of them may be common sense, but others you might see as being quite strict.
But that’s OK because it may only be a few weeks that you need to be so tough on yourself before you see results and hit maintenance mode.

• Get strict – while you may not be into counting calories, you might just find that when you work out your BMI and the corresponding daily calorie recommendation that you are over consuming each day. Every little bit helps, so why not spend just a few weeks counting calories until you are confident that you are eating the right amount. And get our Calorie Bible here
• Start swapping – so eggs and spinach instead of toast or cereal; try using 50:50 water and milk in your Healthy Mummy Smoothies; fill your plate with veggies and salad instead of rice or pasta; use lettuce or cabbage as ‘wraps’ instead of sandwiches.
• Up the protein – ensure that you are eating enough protein in your meals and snacks. This helps you to feel fuller for longer and gets your metabolism firing. Think nuts, LSA, boiled eggs, poached chicken, natural peanut butter, tofu.
• Cut back on the treats – if you are really trying everything then why not go for it and try really cutting back your treats for a few weeks. It might mean all the difference so it is worth a go if you think you can manage it. And if you want a healthy version of a treat, try our Guilt Free Chocolate Treats & Baking Book
• Say no to alcohol for a while – even the odd glass of wine adds up in terms of calories. And with no nutritional value it could be a quick and easy way to see results.
• Mix up your repertoire – our bodies get used to the same old same old. Why not challenge your taste buds with some recipes from our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge with over 800 recipes in
• Stay focused – one day at a time is all we can do. Don’t let a bad day turn into a bad week. So if you have a slip up, dust yourself off and remember that tomorrow is another day closer to your goal.
• Get support – try chatting to a friend or other mum who has lost weight. Pick their brain and see if they have any insight for you about anything you are missing or not doing. Jump onto the Lose Baby Weight Facebook group and be inspired by the mums, advice and stories on the page
• Boost your metabolism – get your insides to do all the work. Fire up your metabolism and the calories will burn themselves. Read our top picks for weight loss boosting foods here.
• Move move move  – for some people, a daily walk and some weekly strength training is enough to see great results. For others, you might need to get more of a sweat on to see the benefit. Try alternating your walks with jogging or a light run. Increase your strength training as this helps to build muscle which means you will burn more calories even from your daily movements. Need a bit more structure? Try our NEW Healthy Mummy Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD.  The DVD is perfect for brand new mums or mums with older kids too. We know how hard it can be to squeeze in time to exercise with kids. That’s why the six workouts are broken down into 10 and 15 minute sections that you can do when it suits you. Or if you have the time and energy you can do the DVD as one 70 minute continuous workout. Plus the DVD burns 450-550 calories per hour.

And one extra one – Watch your portion control – see some tips here and you can purchase one of our portion control plates here

Plus get back to basics

And here are some really useful links and resources to help you refocus and get back to basics

1. Work out your BMR so you know how many calories your own individual body needs. As you lose weight your calorie needs decrease so it is important to re-calculate and adjust accordingly. Use our BMR calculator here
   
2. If you haven’t yet joined up to our FREE members area, register here so you have your own private dashboard to log your weight, measurements, exercise and BMI so you can visually see your progress. Join up here
   
3. Snacking is essential for energy levels and for boosting your metabolism – see our healthy snacking category here
   
4. Are the scales not giving you the results you want – see what could be happening here
   
5. Read here about why you shouldn’t always trust the scales
6. Get some tips on staying motivated here
7. See more common weight loss issues here and how to over come them

And for the ULTIMATE SAFE, EFFECTIVE & TRUSTED Post Pregnancy Workout – see our EXPERT Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD below – you can purchase and see more information on it here
The DVD can be followed by all mums (for example new mums or mums with older children) and can be followed by someone with a basic or a more advanced level of fitness.
Lisa Westlake is our incredible fitness instructor and postnatal exercise specialist throughout the DVD. With her extensive physiotherapy experience and qualifications (Lisa is one of the most awarded fitness professionals in Australia), Lisa is the perfect fitness instructor to bring The Healthy Mummy Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD to life – you will love working out with her. (You can see our Q&A with Lisa with commonly asked questions on the DVD here)
The exercises in The Healthy Mummy Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD are effective and safe and Lisa will guide you through each of the workouts. As well as assisting in the improvement of your overall fitness levels, the workouts in the DVD will also help in the burning of calories, the improvement of your core strength and the strengthening of your pelvic floor.
The six workouts are broken down into 10 and 15 minute sections that you can do when it suits you – or if you have the time and energy you can do the DVD as one 70 minute continuous workout. The Healthy Mummy Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD also covers special considerations post-birth, such as caesarean sections, back strains, muscle separation, incontinence and pelvic floor issues.
[pb_vidembed title=”The Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD” caption=”” url=”http://vimeo.com/73423922″ type=”vem” w=”600″ h=”450″]
The 28 Day Diet and Exercise Challenge hub has over 800 exclusive recipes in (all created by nutritionists and chefs and you can get access to all the Challenge tools, recipes, meal plans and exercises here – and the bonus news is that mums lose an average of 4-6 kg over 28 days).

Every month on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, we run a BRAND NEW 28 Day Menu with a different theme so you NEVER get bored!Next months theme is the WINTER! – Perfect for the chilly weather, SUPER easy to whip up and still just as healthy.
If you are curious about the 28 Day Challenge recipes then we have a 28 Day Challenge recipe pack for you to try HERE.  

Find a delicious range of healthy recipes, packed full of energy boosting ingredients and nutrients together with easy to achieve exercise.

About the 28 Day Challenge

A few key things to note are:

• The Challenge menu is FULLY customisable
• You have access to over 1700 exclusive recipes
• You have access to over 300 exercise routines
• Meals are family friendly and are made in under 10-20 minutes

For a limited time, we are offering you a HUGE DISCOUNT on the lifetime membership discount on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge – you can see this awesome offer here.

Here are some INCREDIBLE results from mums on the 28 Day Challenge.

Maree’s results after just 28 days on our weight loss challenge. 

Maree says: “My results from the May Challenge. Threw my scales out the beginning of May but guessing I’ve dropped a couple kilo’s.. Feeling great, bring on June.”
You won’t regret it!
Join the challenge here