Cheree Sheldon, Nutritionist for the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges has shared some tips on ways to tweak the Challenge meal plans to suit your personal needs:
Whether you are a brand new mum, have a whole tribe of kids, or are preparing for motherhood, you have all signed up for the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenges with a common goal – to reduce your weight.
The Challenges are designed so they are NOT a one-size fits all plan, and can be fully customised to suit your needs… So, let’s discuss the simplest way to tweak the challenge to meet YOUR needs:
- Work out your BMR. BMR stands for Basal Metabolic Rate and this is the very base level of calories you need to survive. Based on this, you can work out how many calories you need to eat to maintain your current weight (important to know once you have reached your goal weight!) and how many calories are recommended for you to lose weight. The website has a very easy to use calculator to work this out. All you do is plug in your details like age, weight, activtiy level, and whether or not you are breastfeeding, and it will let you know what is recommended for you.
- The plans are based on 1400-1500 calories per day, with each meal broken down for you. If you are requiring a little bit less then what the day says, then you can use the customise feature to find recipes that are slightly smaller in calories to fit your goals, however, if you need more calories, due to breastfeeding or high activity levels, then there are tips at the bottom of every recipe on how you can increase that.
- You could also increase portion sizes (e.g. eat 1 & 1/2 serves for one or two meals, if this will get you to your goal).
- Add in a Smoothie! The Healthy Mummy Smoothies are a fantastic way to add in that extra nutrition and energy (aka calories) for your day. With a Smoothie adding approximately 300 calories to your day, this is a simple way to get what you need.
- Always make sure you reassess your BMR as things change throughout the Challenge. If you add in more exercise, it is likely your food needs will increase, and if you don’t change your calorie intake, your weight loss may slow down. With every 5kgs you lose, recheck your BMR, as this will alter your needs. If you stop breastfeeding, or have gone from full time feeding to only one feed a day, then recheck your BMR.
- Learn how to read labels, to see which other foods can fit into your day to achieve your goals.
- Use the Facebook support group for help if you need it.
Cheree Sheldon, Nutritionist
