An inspirational mum-of-four who lost a staggering amount of weight has shared her diet and exercise routine to achieve her now strong and lean physique.
Jemma Hahn, from Mandurah in Western Australia, knew she needed to make a change back in 2021 when she tipped the scales at 16 stone and seven pounds, or 105kg.
She was spurred on to join an Australian weight loss community called The Healthy Mummy, which also has a UK branch, after finding it online.
This guided her to try a diet rich in wholefoods using recipes provided on an app, as well as taking up regular exercise such as swimming and home workouts.
Jemma, now 37, said this was revolutionary, having spent years as a yo-yo dieter and trying fad diets, which were ultimately unsuccessful.
Almost three years on Jemma is now a slim eight stone and nine pounds, or 55kg.
But her weight loss journey was not without its setbacks. In February 2022 she underwent two major preventative cancer surgeries after discovering she had the BRCA1 gene, which puts you at risk of breast cancer.
During the long recovery period she gained an additional 22lbs, or 10kg.
Once back on her feet six months later she returned to her fitness and diet plan, losing just under five stone (30kg).
Speaking to Femail for the Daily Mail, she revealed her top tips for her weight loss.
Prior to joining The Healthy Mummy she would often skip breakfast and lunch and rely on coffees to keep her going all day.
This would result in her snacking through the afternoon and eating a large dinner followed by dessert.
“My metabolism wasn’t really working – I’d try to lose weight previously and would deprive myself of foods or go without and skip meals,” she explained.
“That was just unsustainable and the weight would come back.
“Now I eat foods I want to eat because they make me and my body feel good. What I consider a treat these days I would never have eaten before. My diet is also 80 percent plant based and I feel better than ever.”
Wholefoods are on the menu for every meal, which includes high protein dishes, lots of whole grains and high fibre foods.
She continued: “My skin looks more youthful, I feel healthier, I’m happier and have better gut and metabolic health.
“I have more energy, my metabolism is always going so I get up and eat straight away and I try not to have coffee until late morning so that I’m getting my energy off good food instead of caffeine.”
It is this discipline, coupled with regular exercise that has seen Jemma shed the pounds.
Despite her busy schedule she makes sure she finds the time to swim two or three times a week.
“I am a fulltime sole parent of four children so I am very busy and have a lot on my plate, but I have learned to prioritise being active – that is what makes me mentally and physically healthy which enables me to be a better parent,” Jemma said.
“I also do gymnastics and callisthenics from home and I do self-taught core and lower body workouts with my Roman rings and trapeze and core and upper body with my funky monkey bars and ninja combat ladder.
“I also do handstands all the time, even inside my home, as well as cartwheels and headstands. I have learned how to do dips on dip bars, pull ups and chin ups on bars outside and I also have a pull up bar on my bedroom door so I can do them inside too.”
She also takes part in workouts at home using The Healthy Mummy app, goes running and dancing.
“My children love the new me, I’m more engaged, more fun and so happy I have inspired and motivated them to be more active within themselves, to eat healthier and make healthier choices,” she added.
“They have watched how the choices I made transformed me and have given me a whole new lease on life. They are all onboard and very supportive.”
A typical day of food for Jemma
Breakfast
1 cup Greek yoghurt with blueberries, chia seeds, granola, muesli, flaxseeds, rockmelon, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, dates and dash of sugar free maple syrup
OR
Overnight Bircher muesli – 1 cup Greek yoghurt, 1/2 cup Bircher muesli, 1 gated apple, 2 tbsp chia seeds, flaxseeds, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp honey and 6 diced dates left to soak in jar in fridge
Snack
Super greens protein smoothie – 1 cup almond milk, ice, 2 tsp Healthy Mummy (HM) super greens, 2 tsp HM collagen powder, 1 scoop HM vanilla protein powder, 1 scoop HM vanilla tummy smoothie, 2 tsp chia seeds, 8 dates, rolled oats, 1 whole avocado, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp honey & 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice
Lunch
Avocado and quinoa sushi, rainbow Buddha bowl or rainbow rice paper rolls (HM recipes)
Snack
Caramel Bikkie biscoff balls/chocolate bliss balls/celery boats with light cream cheese and currants (HM recipes)
Dinner
Cauliflower fried ‘rice’ with veggies and scrambled egg
OR
Homemade pizza: made on a wholemeal wrap or wholemeal pita bread with a tbsp of pizza sauce and hot chilli sauce mixed together, 1/2 cup spinach, 1/4 cup chickpeas, diced red and green capsicum, diced tomato, some plant based ‘chicken’ or plant based ‘meat’, sliced mushrooms, sliced Spanish onion, chilli flakes, diced avocado, chilli flakes, Greek yoghurt, parmesan and light cheese
Dessert
Panacotta: 1 cup jelly lite jelly mixed with 1 cup Greek yoghurt (HM recipe)
OR
Fruit salad with watermelon, blueberries, chia seeds and rockmelon
