Renee Judd is a 41-year-old mum of two from Melbourne, Victoria, who hadn’t bought new clothes for 2 years and when she went to get new pair of jeans, she cried.
This triggered her to go all in on transforming her health, so she pledged to lose 10kg in The Healthy Mummy 12 Week Challenge.
She wasn’t even confident she’d lose 5kg and would be happy with 6kg so when Renee lost 14.2 kg in the 12 weeks she was over the moon!
The best part, Renee WON the prize in a 12 Week Challenge and now has an additional $1,000 to help her go on a new shopping spree and fill her closet if she wants with clothes that shape her new body!
Read more about her journey below…
12 week challenge winner: 14.2kgs lost, beating her pledge by 4.2 kgs!
Renee and her family have been through a lot in the last couple of years. Two years of being in and out of lockdown in Melbourne has meant she hasn’t cared much about her weight.
She’s also not bought any new clothes, so when she went to get a new pair of jeans for her husband’s birthday dinner, she was shocked to discover she wouldn’t fit the size 18 and would need a size 20.
“My defining moment of joining Healthy Mummy and beginning the journey to a new me was when I went to buy a new pair of Jeans.
“Due to Melbourne lockdowns, I hadn’t bought any new clothes in over 2 years, let’s face it, we had nowhere to go, and all my clothes were tight, and I refused to buy the next size up.”
“Then, we were going out for my husband’s birthday, Anzac Day weekend, so I decided it was time for a new pair of jeans. I went into the change rooms with a pair of size 18. They were the same size I was currently wearing, the same style I was wearing, and I couldn’t do them up.”
Renee broke down. She knew she’d put on weight but was so deflated by the fact the size 18 didn’t fit.
“I sat in the change rooms and cried…..I was not buying size 20, honestly, I didn’t even want to try them on…..what if they were also too small.”
She knew she had to make a change, and what better way to ensure you fulfil this than to get a friend on board with you! So she called up a friend, and they both decided to change their lives.
“So I left, went home and rang my GF and asked her if she would join me.”
Beyond the jeans not fitting, Renee knew she was also suffering in other parts of her life, unhappy, unmotivated and just overall, not herself. But she was ready to change!
“I wanted to change, I hated who I had become, I was so depressed, so unmotivated, my body hurt everywhere, I couldn’t sleep, I was irritable with the kids, I didn’t want to do anything, I literally went to work and took my kids to there sports, convinced I had no time for myself, and I needed new jeans!”
The first stop was Priceline to get a Healthy Mummy Tummy Smoothie to start the Healthy Mummy journey, then she decided to sign up for the 12 week challenge.
“On my very first day, I went to Priceline and bought my first jar of smoothie powder Healthy Mummy Tummy Vanilla. I figured I’m all in. I signed up for a 12 week challenge I’m going to give it my all for 12 weeks, I know they’re not weight loss shakes, but they must help.”
12 week challenge pledge
I pledged to lose 5kg in 12 weeks, and then after I wrote it, I thought I can do better than that, so I deleted it and wrote 10kg. I honestly thought there was no way and would have been happy with 6kg.
With her newfound pledge to change her life, Renee also found a love for Healthy Mummy Smoothies of all flavours and sooooo many recipes.
“So began my love for smoothies. I knew my problem meals were lunch and snacks, and at work, I’m just so busy trying to cram 10hrs into 6hrs so I can get home to take my kids everywhere.
“So I knew Lunch Smoothies were going to be a great addition, they would hopefully fill me up and not make me binge all arvo because I was hungry or stop at the corner shop as I left work to grab an iced coffee and chocolate bar.”
How Renee found the smoothies
Not normally an adventurous person with food, Renee found comfort in how delicious the Smoothies were and how many different flavours and recipes were available.
“I am not a very adventurous person when it comes to food. We eat very plain, with no spice. So the Healthy Mummy Smoothies were a fabulous start. I started adding just frozen berries, then looked on the app and made the Cellulite Reducing Berry smoothie because I loved the name, plus it literally only added spinach extra.”
She started to use the Smoothie recipes in the app and try and make as many different colours as possible using the ingredients she had at home.
“Then it became a game, what different one can I make today, what colour, what ingredient do I have.. is it an app smoothie? The kids jumped on board and wanted to make them for me. I was having Caramel Shakes, Peach shakes, Kiwi shakes, Banana Choc Shakes, Anzac shakes, Coffee shakes, Blueberry shakes, Pineapple Shakes.”
She not only changed her life, but her hubby also wanted in!
“I think I have tried nearly half the app recipes, and a few weeks into my journey, hubby even asked if I could make him a lunch shake. So I bought some Healthy Man Meal Replacement and now make x2 every work day.”
What does she like to eat, besides her love of smoothies
So with her love of Healthy Mummy Smoothies well and truly in full force, she also looked at the meals that she could make for her family.
“There were the snacks, and I was so lucky I convinced my friend to join. We only live a few streets away, and we usually bake two lots of snacks a week, then split them, so really, we have four types to get us through; it’s amazing.”
“Some days, usually when it’s been really busy, she shows up..out of the blue… at the door with her selection, and I’m good for a few more days.”
“We share Oat Caramel Slice, Weetbix slice, Asian PorkBalls, Egg Bacon Muffins, Nutty Carrot Muffins, and Pizza scrolls, just to name a few.”
Renee now loves that she is able to get dinner on the table every night rather than relying on takeaway or drive-through.
“Then there are dinners. I love the meal plan as I think one of the hardest parts of a mum’s day is deciding what’s for dinner, so now I check it out the week before, get the ingredients, and dinner is on the table every night. No need for the drive-through anymore.”
“The other great thing that there is literally a Healthy Mummy recipe for everything. We haven’t missed out on anything. We have had Pizzas, lasagna, Bangers and Mash, nachos, Pork buy, past carbonara, risotto, fish and chips, schnitzels, and nuggets, so the whole house has been happy.”
Her friends were especially impressed when she turned up for their regular pizza night with ingredients to make her own rather than buy, so impressed all the husbands went to buy more ingredients, so they all made their own!
“Even our friends are impressed! We have pizza night once a month, and after starting. I took my own ingredients to a friend’s place and made my own. Everyone was so impressed that instead of going to pick up bought pizzas, the husbands went to pick up more ingredients for everyone.”
She also got another friend to join the Healthy Mummy too!
“Now, my friend has both joined as well.”
Renee has also seen her bank account benefit from how she’s eating with The Healthy Mummy.
“I have saved so much money on Healthy Mummy just by eating cleaner, I’m not missing out, but just with the two chocolate bars, two chocolate blocks, two iced coffees and two Red Bulls a week, I’m saving, let alone my life and my families.”
Some of Renee’s favourite recipes – Day on a plate
- Breakfast: Grilled Peach French Toast
- Morning Snack: Hummus & Cucumber Crackers
- Lunch: Avocado, Pineapple Cheese Melt
- Afternoon Snack: Pizza Scroll
- Dinner: Miso Salmon
- Supper: Dark Chocolate and Strawberry Parfait
Find all these delicious recipes and all of Renee’s favourite Smoothie recipes in The Healthy Mummy app.
The Healthy Mummy has changed her whole life!
Before she discovered The Healthy Mummy, she didn’t believe she had time in her life to look after herself. Between looking after her family and other life commitments, she had no energy to cook or organise meals. This has all changed.
“Before The Healthy Mummy, I was convinced there was no time for me, so there was no time to make lunch. We were now having takeaway at least 2 times a week as I was just too tired and lazy to cook.”
“Then after dinner, we would have a treat on the couch, but the treat was becoming every night and a whole block of something or packet of something….and not a good something…..then I thought, what sort of an example is this setting for my kids, things have to change.”
“I am now happier than I have been in a really long time. I’m making time for myself to walk, catch up with friends, and even go shopping. I’m now sleeping through the night, even eating lunch, and I don’t need to buy new jeans yet. I fit into my old size 14 jeans now.”
Renee’s 12 week challenge goals:
- To do 2 fitness activities a week. Prior to starting, I was doing zero
- Increase my water intake from 0 to 8 glasses
- Cut down on my Tea drinking with 2 sugars from 10 a day, to now No Sugar, x1 with milk and rest herbal tea
- Loose 10kg
- Make healthy meals for myself and my family
- Feel happier in myself
“So far, I have hit every goal so, I have just now extended my membership and signed up for the 6month challenge!”
6-month challenge goals are:
- To buy new bathers for Summer in a size 12-14
- Buy new Summer clothes I feel happy and comfortable in
- Maintain my 2lt a day water intake
- Exercise every week 3 times
- Go bodyboarding with my kids, in bathers, at a crowded beach for everyone to see me at Christmas
- Loose another 10kg
My 3 tips I would give to mums starting out:
- Make short-term goals. Even though I wanted to lose 10kg in 12 weeks, my first goal was to lose 2kg. Making smaller achievable goals spurred me on and kept me focused.
- Buy a new water bottle. In the past, I have not been a big water drinker, would go without for hours and end up binge eating. I am now realising that I wasn’t hungry at all I was thirsty and dehydrated. So what better way to make water exciting than in a nice new water bottle. I know my beautiful 600ml white bottle needs to be refilled 3 times minimum a day, plus my glass at dinner to reach 2lt.
- You’re not alone. I started my journey with my BFF. We would send pictures of the food we made/recommend, we drop each other off snacks we bake so we get variety. We share our Scale and Non-Scale victories and disappointments. And while this is not an option for everyone to be on the Healthy Mummy journey with these BFFs, all Healthy Mummy’s have access to our online support groups, and there are so many wonderful women on there to ask for help and to congratulate you.
What other advice would Renee give other mums who maybe don’t feel like themselves and are looking to make a massive change?
“My best advice to people starting out…is just to try….try your best each day.”
“Try to drink your water….not something I did before.”
“Try to eat 6 meals a day. Even if it’s not a great choice, try eating a little less of it than last time.”
“Stop saying you have no time….we can always find time if we want. I began committing to at least two 30min walks a week between my current commitments.”
“Some weeks, this means walking around the sports stadium while kids train. Other times it means a 10min app workout while dinner is cooking….only 10min, and tea is in the oven.”
Are you ready to become a Healthy Mummy?
