An incredible mum-of-five has revealed how she lost 25 kilos in just six months – all while taking care of a newborn.
Angela Martin, 39, noticed that while each of her pregnancies brought a beautiful child, they also added a couple more kilos on her waistline.
By the time she had baby number five, Angela was tipping the scales at 90 kilos.
Mum-of-five Angela Martin (pictured), who at her heaviest tipped the scale at 90 kilos, has lost an incredible 25 kilos in just six months after starting her weight loss journey
The busy Hobart mum ate sporadically as her own diet went to the bottom of the priority list.
‘I would go a long time without eating, and then be starving and reach for the quickest and most filling food I could find,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘A lot of white bread, cheese, and plenty of treat food. I would eat chocolate daily and was doing no exercise at all except for running after toddlers.’
Angela was left constantly feeling tired and lethargic. When Olive, her youngest, turned six weeks old in May 2017, she knew she needed to make a change.
‘I realised I couldn’t look after five children with how tired I felt,’ she said. ‘I was waking up feeling like I hadn’t been to bed. I didn’t want to live like that.’
Angela’s first step on her new weight loss journey was exercising three days a week with a fellow mum-of-five she had befriended after meeting in a bakery.
Angela, from Hobart, said that she began to pack on a little more weight with each pregnancy. The mum now weighs 65 kilos
The turning point came when Angela’s newborn Olive (pictured) turned six weeks old. She was constantly tired and lethargic and knew she needed more energy to take care of her children
‘Committing to exercising with a good friend was the best idea,’ she said. ‘I looked forward to the catch-ups and the feeling of getting active.’
Angela went from not exercising at all to doing half an hour of training a day after a while, six days a week.
Three days of the week were dedicated to Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide workouts, and the other three were spent on walks that eventually turned into runs.
But the biggest change Angela made was to her diet, which she completely cut of processed food and sugar.
She began focusing on whole foods, filling up her plates with the likes of oats, bananas, almonds, tuna, spinach, eggs, sweet potatoes, greens, and lean proteins.
It wasn’t easy at first, especially as Angela had to push past the tiredness of life with a newborn to get up and exercise.
At the time Angela wasn’t doing any exercise at all and was eating the ‘quickest and most filling’ food she could find to give her energy
So Angela’s first step on her weight loss journey was exercising three days a week with a fellow mum-of-five she had befriended after meeting in a bakery (pictured together)
But the biggest change Angela made was to her diet, which she completely cut of processed food and sugar
But in just two weeks she was already seeing a huge difference in how she felt, both physically and mentally.
‘I was able to think clearly for what felt like the first time,’ she said. ‘Cutting sugar had a dramatic effect on my mind and energy levels.’
‘I started to feel like I had much more energy once the weight started to come off, and every workout, walk, or run gradually got more enjoyable.’
Angela no longer felt out of breath doing the smallest of tasks, and found that the pain in her lower back was disappearing as she built up her core strength.
‘I went from not being able to do sit-ups or any core exercises to having a very strong core five months in,’ she said.
‘At first I could only manage 300m, but after 10 weeks I could run 5km in my fastest time ever.’
Angela noted a huge difference in just two weeks both mentally and physically. Her mind felt clearer and she had more energy than ever before
That improvement was the best motivator to push through those early tiring days, and after 10 weeks Angela had lost 15 kilos.
Angela, who went on to lose another 10 kilos, now weighs 65kg and has more energy now than she did before having children.
She continues to work out six days a week, swapping between Kayla’s BBG workouts and walks with her friend as well as a 5km run once a week.
Angela has been able to make her routine work with five children by joining forces with her workout buddy, and letting their kids run around while they train.
‘There are plenty of pauses and some workouts are better than others, but we’ve made it a priority and we’re committed to getting it done,’ she said.
‘I made sure it was a routine that was sustainable long-term and was easily accessible. Being able to workout from home was a must and I don’t go to the gym at all.’
‘I go for walks when I can, mostly after dinner, and run on the weekends when my husband is home.’
Angela (pictured with her husband) continues to work out six days a week, swapping between BBG workouts and walks with her friends as well as a 5km run once a week
Angela has one big tip for mums who are trying to get fit while juggling taking care of their kids.
‘Don’t wait for the right time,’ she said. ‘Don’t wait for the baby to be asleep, don’t wait until the washing basket is empty, and definitely don’t wait for when you feel less tired because it won’t happen.’
‘Make a plan but make it flexible, and include the kids and family if you want to.’
‘Find 10 minutes, three times a day, if that’s easier, find a friend to share it with and, most importantly, find something that feels like it fits long-term.’
‘I realise now how easy it is to incorporate exercise into a busy day, it just needs to be a priority.’