Karen Montgomery has a busy life – she’s mum to two-and-a-half-year-old Kyle, twin daughters Charlet and Imogen (who are just 6 months old) and wife to Darren. While juggling the needs of three very young children, husband and home, she has shed over 17kg and is still gunning for a return to her pre-pregnancy weight of 65kg.
Karen’s earlier post-pregnancy experiences with Kyle meant that she knew that if she was to drop the excess weight, it had to be done pretty fast. And, she would need some help, too!
High on the wish-list was a weight-loss plan that was right for a breastfeeding, busy mum. It needed to be convenient and a little strict, yet flexible and easy to use. After investigating Lite n’ Easy, a ready-made foods-delivered-to-your-door option, she found that it wasn’t right for her as a breastfeeding mother. Surfing the net, Karen found The Biggest Loser Club and after taking the online tour, she made her decision – The Club was it!
The ‘Baby Bonus’
Karen says, “One of the biggest pluses for me was that The Biggest Loser Club took into account the fact that I was (and still am) breastfeeding when calculating my daily calorie count and menu plan. And, the extra foods that make up the daily ‘Baby Bonus’ were designed to give me the energy and nutrients I needed to keep on breastfeeding. They were exactly what I needed. I didn’t eat the Baby Bonus snacks in one go, though – actually, I ended up dividing them into 10 mini munches throughout the day and even throughout the night. In fact, each time I fed the girls and was hungry, I ate a small snack and stayed within my calorie count for the day.”
Karen also loved the practicality of the time-saving printable shopping list. The family could do the shopping once a week and know in advance what they would be eating at each meal; by doubling the quantities, Karen found it easy to buy and organise everything to keep the entire family well fed and happy.
The food search was another big hit for Karen. She explains, “If I needed to deviate from my menu because of time or other reasons, I could do this easily – I would quickly look up the calorie content of the replacement meal to make sure I stayed on track. It was great!”
Busy life is tasty
Being on a weight-loss program has been a tasty experience for Karen. She says, “The Club recipes have all been absolutely delicious, which was really important to help keep me motivated – I looked forward to my yummy dinner recipes! It was great because I was able to use the same recipes for my husband and son, Kyle (who can be fussy), so they were family friendly as well. Kyle loved the chicken nachos recipe and I loved it because it was easy enough for my husband to make! The recipes with a bit of spice, a bit of flavour, were my favourites, like the fish curry, the ocean trout with sweet potato, the chilli beef, the lamb korma and the chicken parmesan. Most diets are so bland you get bored with them within about a week; this one has lots of variety and lots of flavour.”
Top tips for Club members
Having been there, her best tip for Club members is to make use of the plan-ahead features. She says “This really is a must, especially when you know you have a busy day ahead (which is just about every day!). Look at the menu the night before, think about what you will be eating the next day and prepare anything in advance that you can. Have some low-fat snacks around in case you get hungry and if you need something in a hurry, too. Oh, and don’t forget to drink water. I tended to eat from boredom rather than from being hungry. So, I made it a rule that if I wanted to eat something between meals, I would drink a full glass of water first. Then, if I was still hungry, I would eat something, but nine times out of 10, I no longer wanted anything to eat anyway.
“Exercise is really important too; I try to fit in 10 minutes on the treadmill here and there between running after my toddler and breastfeeding my twin girls. I also work out with a personal trainer for an hour a week while my mum minds the children; I think it is important to have an hour to myself for the week for both my health and sanity!”
Karen has taken a years’ leave from her job in a major national bank in Victoria and plans to maintain her weight for the future and even lose a bit more. She says, “Just before I gave birth to the girls, I tipped the scales at nearly 100kg. When I joined The Biggest Loser Club three weeks later, I weighed 86.5kg and after eight weeks on the program, I had lost 13.8kg and was down to 72.7kg. Since then, I have maintained this weight and even lost another 3.3kg (I’m now 69.4kg) because I am still following the healthy eating principles I learned using The Club.”
The secrets of her success
When asked about the secret to her success, Karen mentions her support circle. “I have had lots of support from family and friends and I think this was crucial to my personal success. Hiring a personal trainer has helped loads, too – I need the extra motivation!
“Even if you don’t have support, keep on trying; keep visualizing yourself at a realistic weight and go for it! If you have a bad day, remember we all have them, you are only human! Just start again the next day but don’t let it ruin all your good work. For me, the best things about my recent weight loss is feeling lighter, feeling fitter and being able to enjoy wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes!”
Still working towards getting back to her ‘happy’ weight of 65kg (she knows the last few kilos are the most difficult to drop), Karen’s plan is to, “Step up to the challenge but definitely get there.” With that kind of organised determination, we know she will!