A mum-of-two and self-described ‘couch potato’ has revealed how she lost an impressive 15kg in seven months by altering her diet and taking up running.
Julie Durbhakula, from Griffith in New South Wales, said she had always been reasonably active as an adult, but ended up tipping the scales at 75kg after the birth of her daughter – which is when she knew something had to change.
‘I decided that I needed to improve my overall health in order to be a good role model for my daughter,’ Julie, who is in her 30s, told The Healthy Mummy.
She has since lost an impressive 15kg and now weighs just 60kg.
A mum and self-described ‘couch potato’ who used to skip breakfast every day has revealed how she lost an impressive 15 kilograms inside seven months (pictured before and after)
Julie Durbhakula (pictured), from Griffith in NSW, said she had always been reasonably active as an adult, but ended up tipping the scales at 75 kilos before she decided to change
So how did Julie do it?
First of all, she said she signed up to the leading Australian weight loss program, The Healthy Mummy.
Julie said under the plan, she ditched the pre-packaged, processed foods she so often previously relied on for health-giving smoothies and delicious salads.
She also took up home cooking and tried to make sure she was making every single meal for herself at home, from scratch.
‘Now, having never eaten breakfast before, I always start my day with a Healthy Mummy smoothie, as I just love the convenience of them,’ Julie said.
Typical ingredients include spinach, frozen berries, peanut butter and yoghurt.
She then cooks up meals including healthy lasagnes, tray bakes and veg-laden stews.
Within seven months, Julie (pictured throughout the journey) said she had lost an impressive 15 kilograms
Julie (pictured before and after) said she has developed a love of running, as well as home workouts and boxing
When it comes to exercise, while Julie said she used to shy away from anything too intense, she has since developed a love of running and has completed several 10km races, as well as a half marathon.
She also completes many workouts from home, meaning she can mix motherhood with her exercise, as well as attending boxing classes.
‘Motivation is just like a muscle, you need to work on it in order to build it,’ Julie said.
‘I live a healthy and well-balanced, active lifestyle now.’
‘Motivation is just like a muscle, you need to work on it in order to build it,’ Julie said (pictured before and after)
Julie recommends you set yourself goals and write them down if you want to lose weight, as you’re more likely to stick to them (pictured before and after)
These days, the mum is proud of her figure and the work that has gone into it.
Julie said she is so happy, she has even worn a bikini for the first time in years:
‘I was once that girl who thought that I could never really be happy with what I saw in the mirror and never in my wildest dreams did I think that would be possible after having kids, but here I am!’ she said.
Julie recommends you set yourself goals and write them down if you want to lose weight, as you’re more likely to stick to them.
‘Set smaller goals, if you break them down they don’t seem as daunting,’ she said.
She added that motivation is something that takes time, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon one day.
Instead, you just need to make sure your next meal is healthy, and in the meantime drink plenty of water.
‘Have fun with your weight loss journey and don’t overthink it,’ she added.
‘There is no time limit on getting healthy and losing weight, I think putting time restrictions adds to the pressure and makes it all seem much tougher.’
To find out more about The Healthy Mummy, please visit the website here. You can also follow Julie on Instagram here.