As a busy mum, it’s all too easy to get into a habit of leaning on junk food as way to keep your energy levels up through the day.
You may want to lose pregnancy weight, but you’re so tired all the time that your healthy eating plan goes out the window when you crave something sweet to keep you going.
And the hard thing is that once you have lots of junk food, you can start getting into a bad habit of craving it more as you look for the junk food sugar fix
Today we have some tips for how you can reduce the added sugar and junk food in your daily food and drinks (and remain sane at the same time) and lose pregnancy weight in the process.
First, cut out the obvious stuff
Try to cut out (or at least cut down) on all the junk food from your shopping lists and diet- all the usual suspects like chocolate biscuits, soft drinks, lollies, cakes, ice cream, and anything else that you know contains sugar in vast amounts.
It’s best not to keep them in the house if possible so that you aren’t tempted.
Then it’s time to check the labels
Added sugar is hidden away in so many grocery items so it is good to look at labels – you will often find that added sugar content is over 50% in lots of common processed foods
That’s why you’ll find that the 28 Day Challenge encourages you to use a lot more fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and proteins from the outside aisles of the supermarket rather than things that come in packets.
Take a look at some of the items in your fridge and pantry, and do your best to keep the added sugar levels under 10 -15g per 100g at the most.
Now add proteins and good fats
If you are cutting out junk foods, you may start to worry that you will be left feeling deprived. But far from it, now you can throw in some new types of food that will have you feeling energised (without the crash).
To do this, you need to get organised. Ensure that you have plenty of healthy eating food on hand to prepare nutritious meals and snacks.
For instance you might stock up on quality proteins and good fats in products such as lean meats, nuts, seeds, cottage cheese, fresh fish, avocado, chickpeas, eggs and feta.
By enjoying protein and good fats whenever you eat you will feel fuller for longer, and you will also have the feeling of having had enough to eat.
This is very different to when you are consuming junk food where you often don’t have the urge to stop.
Check out the 28 Day Challenge for a full outline of exactly what meals and snacks we recommend in order to lose pregnancy weight.
Introduce some of your own sweetness
Fruits and vegetables (which contain naturally occurring sugars) should form a big chunk of your daily food intake.
You can enjoy baking sweet treats and desserts that use fruits to sweeten rather than table sugar. For instance some great ones to try are:
Try making these changes and see if you notice the difference in your energy levels throughout the day.
Many of the mums on our 28 Day Challenge have found that they are less hungry and don’t think about food as much once they have broken the junk food habit
And once you make healthy eating a priority it will eventually lead to the results that you are seeking.
Need more support ? Jump onto our private Facebook group and connect with thousands of other mums who are trying to lose pregnancy weight just like you.
Need to stock up on Healthy Mummy Smoothies? Then see our shop here
And join our 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges here
