An Australian mother-of-two who lost 25 kilograms over two years says it was starting slow with walks and small workouts that helped kickstart her weight loss.
Brooke Boulden told news.com.au she was inspired to make a change after seeing a photograph of herself a few months after giving birth to her second child, which left her "gobsmacked".
"When my friend sent the photo to me that day, while all you could see was my face, it was enough for me," she said.
"I knew I needed to make a change for a while, but it was finally time."
She says she felt "heavy, exhausted and lethargic".
She signed up with local weight loss program 'The Healthy Mummy' (THM) and "started small".
"I made sure I gave myself time to do some form of exercise and began with taking the kids for a walk in the pram. It was very simple but that's all I could manage," she said.
"I did what was achievable for me to give me a sense of accomplishment and motivation.
"As I would master one new habit or goal, I would introduce a new one. Step by step my body and mind transformed."
Boulden says she's learnt that "being organised, healthy eating, exercise and mental health all go hand in hand."
She now does workouts from THM app and has curbed her snacking habit, instead eating balanced meals and whole foods.
"If I only have time for a quick work out, I do just one. If I need more intensity, I can do multiple," she explained.
She's "fitter, stronger and healthier," and has gone from an Australian size 16/18 down to a size 8/10.
But it didn't all happen overnight.
"It has been a process. I have fallen off the wagon and got back on," Boulden said. "I still have flat days, I'm human. But, I have learned that all I can truly control is my thoughts and actions."
She also shared an example of what a day's menu might look like now:
Breakfast
"Eggs, either pan-fried with feta and cracked pepper, or scrambled with cheese.
On weekends we have THM egg and bacon cups, pancakes, waffles or French toast. There are so many options to choose from. The kids eat the basic base, while I enjoy the yummy toppings."
Lunch
"Either leftovers from the previous night, some form of quiche from my freezer stash or a smoothie. I don't have time or energy to make fancy things at lunchtime, so I like the basics."
Dinner
"I mostly cook dinner on the spot, so prefer meals that can be prepped, cooked and served within an hour. Our current favourites are Cajun chicken and roast vegetables or cashew and broccoli stirfry. These are delicious, but what I love most is I can deconstruct and add rice for the kids. A family go-to includes steamed vegetables and some form of meat (steak or homemade chicken schnitzel)."
