A mother of three revealed how she lost 51kg and changed her lifestyle after realizing 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 mother spent her youth being ‘heavier’ than her friends, she says most of her weight gain was due to health complications from her pregnancies.
Hayley, who joined the healthy mummy weight loss community in 2016 at 105 kg, since then he has completely transformed his diet and is fitter than ever.
The high school’s wellness officer swapped out all the pantry essentials for healthy alternatives, cutting out fast food and ditching 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 realizing she wanted to be a better role model for her children.
Whereas before she would chain smoke or order takeout to deal with stress, the mother now focuses on exercising or mindfulness activities to calm her nerves.
“My weight really affected me growing up and changed the way I behaved,” she told FEMAIL. “I wore a lot of clothes that hid my appearance and never left the house without putting on my makeup and being totally done up.”
Hayley said the deep insecurity stemmed from knowing she should improve her 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 takeout anymore,” he said.
Hayley joined the show after giving birth to her second child and realizing her weight was holding her back.
While the mother spent much of her youth being “heavier,” much of her weight gain was due to health complications from her pregnancies.
Hayley made a change after giving birth to her second child and realizing her weight was holding her back.
“I was having a lot of shortness of breath, but I was worried about committing to losing weight,” she said.
‘Before I realized that I needed to be better for my children, I went through many phases where I tried and failed to become healthier. I was always running into 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 tidying up. But I started cooking from scratch and learning the staples I need in my pantry.
When Hayley started, she did it slowly.
‘I kept telling myself 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 discouraging, I was very aware that I didn’t want to set myself up for failure,” he said.
When Hayley began her weight loss journey, she chose to dip her toe in the water instead of taking the plunge right away.
Now, Hayley only orders takeout from time to time and prefers to cook all her meals herself.
The mother’s diet consists of protein shakes, oatmeal and Weetbix.
Hayley also likes to snack on hummus and carrots, tuna crackers, and boiled eggs.
He has most of his carbs at lunch, where he usually eats a wrap with hummus, Greek yogurt, ham, spinach, cheese, and carrots, then stops eating at 7:00 p.m.
“I’ve put that limit in place because I’m worried about binge eating like before.”
In terms of exercise, Hayley alternates cardio and weights every day and follows Nathalia Melo’s ’28 Day Stronger’ fitness program, which focuses on burning calories and increasing muscle definition.
She also helped her parents and siblings learn about the deliciousness of healthy recipes and encouraged them to exercise and improve their lifestyle.
When it came to staying healthy on a tight budget, Hayley revealed that the best advice was to shop for the deals and plan meals around the specials.
“I always shop for sales and sales,” he said. “My kids are getting older and starting to eat more, so I focus our meals on discount prices.”
The mother also revealed that her children originally struggled with her new diet and would not want to eat “healthy” foods.
Hayley’s Favorite Dairy Free Chocolate Oatmeal
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup rolled oats (33 grams)
- 1/2 cup of boiling water (125 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of chia seeds (4 grams)
- 2 tablespoons of coconut yogurt (40 grams)
- 2 teaspoons of maple syrup (10 ml)
- 2 teaspoons of cocoa/cocoa powder (4 grams)
- 1 tablespoon blueberries, fresh or frozen (15 grams)
- 1 strawberries, sliced (15 grams)
- 1 tablespoon of fresh or frozen raspberries (20 grams)
Method:
- Place the oats in a bowl. Cover with boiling water, stir, and let soak for a minute or two.
- Add chia seeds, coconut yogurt, maple syrup, and cocoa/cocoa powder. Stir to combine well.
- Top with blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries to serve.
Hayley’s Favorite Dairy Free Chocolate Oatmeal
“My children didn’t like to eat a lot at first, and they struggled with introducing new foods,” she said. “But I couldn’t blame them, I didn’t like it either.”
“As a family, we never had baby spinach or Greek yogurt with carrots, but all that has changed now.”
Hayley’s children have also turned the corner and now prefer her to cook over junk food.
“My kids love the shakes I make and have had one every morning this week,” she said.
‘My oldest son also loves to bring wraps and salads to school, and I always see him eating chopped carrots and hummus.
“I don’t really deprive them of anything, they are still normal children who enjoy chicken nuggets, hot dogs and chocolate. But I also don’t keep sodas and juices in the house because I think they are unhealthy.
