How to lose weight fast: South Australia mum loses 51kg with Healthy Mummy

A mum-of-three has revealed how she lost 51kg and changed her lifestyle after realising she needed to be a better role model for her children.

Hayley Duncan, 30, from South Australia, developed pre-eclampsia while pregnant with her first child and gestational diabetes with her second.

While the mum spent her youth being ‘heavier’ than her friends but says the majority of her weight gain was due to health complications from her pregnancies.

Hayley, who joined the Healthy Mummy weight loss community in 2016 at 105kg, has since completely transformed her diet and is the fittest she’s ever been.

The high school wellbeing officer swapped out all pantry essentials for healthy alternatives, cut fast food and ditched energy drinks as a starting point. 

Hayley Duncan, 30, from South Australia, developed pre-eclampsia while pregnant with her first child, and gestational diabetes with her second

She lost 51kg and changed her lifestyle after realising she wanted to be a better role model for her children

While she would previously turn to chain smoking or ordering takeout to deal with stress, the mum now focuses on working out or mindfulness activities to calm her nerves.

‘My weight really affected me growing up, and it changed the way I carried myself,’ she told FEMAIL. ‘I wore a lot of clothes that hid what I looked like and I never left the house without makeup on and being totally dressed up.’

Hayley said the deep insecurity stemmed from knowing she should be doing better for health but not having the tools to fix her routine.

‘I had a cigarette in my hands every 15 minutes before, but I don’t smoke or order any takeout at all anymore,’ she said.

Hayley joined the program after giving birth to her second son and realising that her weight was holding her back 

While the mum spent a lot of her youth being ‘heavier’, a lot of her weight gain was due to health complications from her pregnancies 

Hayley made a change after giving birth to her second son and realising that her weight was holding her back.

‘I was experiencing a lot of shortness of breath, but I was worried about committing to losing weight,’ she said.

‘Before realising that I needed to be better for my children, I went through a lot of phases where I tried and failed to be healthier. I’d always hit walls, but I think the biggest problem was that I didn’t know any better.

‘I wasn’t living a healthy lifestyle, I was always ordering out. But I started to cook from scratch and learn staples I need in my pantry.

When Hayley started out, she did so slowly.

‘I’d tell myself that slow and steady wins the race because there was no way I was going to lose all my weight overnight. I had to get rid of all my bad habits and it was extremely daunting, I was really aware of not wanting to set myself up for failure,’ she said.

When Hayley started her weight loss journey, she chose to dip her toe into the water instead of diving in right away

Now, Hayley only orders takeout occasionally and prefers to make all her meals herself

The mum’s diet consists of protein smoothies, oats, and Weetbix.

Hayley also enjoys snacking on hummus and carrots, crackers with tuna, and boiled eggs.

She has most of her carbs at lunch where she usually eats a wrap with hummus, Greek yoghurt, ham, spinach, cheese, and carrot – and then stops eating at 7pm.

‘I’ve put that boundary in place because I’m worried about binge eating like before.’

In terms of exercise, Hayley alternates doing cardio and weights everyday and follows Nathalia Melo’s ’28 Day Stronger’ fitness program which focused on burning calories and increasing muscle definition.

She’s also helped her parents and siblings learn about the joys of healthy recipes, and pushed them onto exercising and being better about their lifestyle.

When it came to being healthy on a budget, Hayley revealed that the best tip was to shop the bargains and plan meals around what was on special.

‘I always shop for bargains and markdowns,’ she said. ‘My boys are getting older and they’re starting to eat more – so I focus our meals around discount prices.’

The mum also revealed that her sons originally struggled with her new diet and wouldn’t want to eat ‘healthy’ food.

Hayley’s favourite dairy free chocolate oats

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup rolled oats (33 grams)
• 1/2 cup boiling water (125 mls)
• 1 tsp chia seeds (4 grams)
• 2 tbsp coconut yoghurt (40 grams)
• 2 tsp maple syrup (10 mls)
• 2 tsp cacao/cocoa powder (4 grams)
• 1 tbsp blueberries, fresh or frozen (15 grams)
• 1 strawberries, sliced (15 grams)
• 1 tbsp fresh or frozen raspberries (20 grams)

Method:

• Place oats in a bowl. Top with boiling water, stir and set aside to soak for a minute or two.
• Add chia seeds, coconut yoghurt, maple syrup and cacao/cocoa powder. Stir to combine well.
• Top with blueberries, strawberries and raspberries to serve.

Hayley’s favourite dairy free chocolate oats 

‘My boys didn’t like eating a lot of it at first, and they struggled with the introduction of new foods,’ she said. ‘But I couldn’t blame them – I didn’t like it either.’

‘As a family, we never really snacked on baby spinach or Greek yoghurt with carrots – but that has all changed now.’

Hayley’s children have also turned the corner and now prefer her cooking over junk food.

‘My sons love the smoothies I make, and they’ve had one every morning this week,’ she said.

‘My eldest also loves taking wraps and salads to school, and I always see him snacking on chopped carrots and hummus.

‘I really don’t deprive them of anything – they’re still normal kids who enjoy chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and chocolate. But I also don’t keep soft drinks and juices in the house because I think they’re quite unhealthy.’