I Lost 50 Pounds and Transformed My Health at 35—These Are the Diet and Exercise Secrets I Now Swear By Daily

A mother of four has shared everything she did to lose 100 pounds and get a lean, healthy body.

Jemma Hahn, from Mandurah, Western Australia, tipped the scales at 105kg in 2021 when she knew she needed to make a drastic lifestyle change.

The now 37-year-old joined the Australian weight loss community The healthy mom after seeing it online. She adopted one complete diet through recipes on the app and discovered a newfound love for swimming and home workouts.

It was a new experience for the self-confessed yo-yo dieter, who had spent much of her life trying fad diets, hating what she saw in the mirror and obsessing over the numbers on the scale.

She then underwent two major preventive cancer surgeries in February 2022 after discovering she had the BRCA1 gene. Her long and painful recovery saw her gain 10kg, so she returned to a healthy lifestyle six months later and lost another 30kg.

Now at 55kg and petite, Jemma has shared everything she's learned over the past two years and how she stays in shape and takes care of her body while sticking to her hectic schedule.

Before Jemma decided to make a change with her health, she would often skip breakfast and lunch and rely on coffee to keep her going all day.

She was so hungry that she snacked all afternoon and had a large meal for dinner, usually with a lot of meat, followed by dessert.

'My metabolism wasn't really working – I was previously trying to lose weight and depriving myself of food or skipping meals,' Jemma told FEMAIL. 'That was just not sustainable and the weight would come back.

Now at 55kg and petite, Jemma shared everything she's learned over the past two years and how she stays in shape while sticking to her hectic schedule

“Now I eat food that I want to eat because it makes me and my body feel good.” What I consider a treat today, I would never have eaten before. Plus, my diet is 80 percent plant-based and I feel better than ever.”

Jemma eats whole grain products, protein-rich dishes, lots of whole grains and fiber-rich foods at every meal.

'My skin looks more youthful, I feel healthier, I am 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 drink coffee until late in the morning so I get my energy from good food instead of caffeine.'

And that's only because of her diet.

'I'm a full-time sole parent of four children, so I'm very busy and have a lot on my plate, but I've learned to prioritize being active – that's what keeps me mentally and physically healthy, which makes me a better parent could be. Jemma said.

Jemma swims two to three times a week for 30 minutes, completing an average of 60 laps (1.5 km).

When she first started swimming 12 months ago she could only complete 30 laps in one session, but she reached 50 in June and 60 in October.

“I also do calisthenics and calisthenics from home and I do self-taught workouts for core and lower body with my Roman rings and trapeze, and core and upper body with my funky jungle gym and ninja battle ladder,” Jemma said.

“My skin looks more youthful, I feel healthier, I am happier and have better gut and metabolic health,” said Jemma

“I also do calisthenics and calisthenics from home and I do self-taught workouts for core and lower body with my Roman rings and trapeze, and core and upper body with my funky jungle gym and ninja battle ladder,” Jemma said.

'I also do handstands all the time, even indoors, as well as cartwheels and headstands. I 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.”

For a more traditional approach, Jemma is a fan of doing workout sets from home while learning Pilates and core workouts via the Healthy Mummy app that she streams on her TV.

'I walk regularly, run when I feel like sweating (I can cover 2.6km in 15 minutes) and I also dance. I'm a former Zumba instructor, so I have tons of routines in my head. Just turn on the music and away I go!' she said.

The loving mother also makes sure to take the stairs instead of elevators or escalators and is always playing with her children instead of watching them from a distance.

“When I'm in parks or at home with them on the swings and trampoline,” she said.

'My kids love the new me, I am more involved, more fun and so happy that I have inspired and motivated them to be more active in themselves, eat healthier and make healthier choices.

'They have seen how the choices I have made have transformed me and given me a whole new lease on life. They are all involved and supportive.”

What's Jemma's Day on a Plate?

Breakfast:

1 cup Greek yogurt with blueberries, chia seeds, granola, muesli, flax seeds, rock melon, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, dates and a dash of sugar-free maple syrup

OR

Overnight Bircher Muesli – 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup Bircher Muesli, 1 apple, 2 tablespoons chia seeds, flax seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon honey and 6 diced dates to place in a jar in the refrigerator to soak

Snack:

Super greens protein smoothie – 1 cup almond milk, ice, 2 teaspoons HM* super greens, 2 teaspoons HM collagen powder, 1 scoop HM vanilla protein powder, 1 scoop HM vanilla belly smoothie, 2 teaspoons chia seeds, 8 dates, oatmeal, 1 whole avocado, 1/2 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 cookie balls/chocolate lucky balls/celery boats with light cream cheese and currants (HM recipes)

Dinner:

Cauliflower fried 'rice' with vegetables and scrambled eggs

OR

Homemade pizza: made on a whole wheat wrap or whole wheat pita bread with a tablespoon of pizza sauce and hot chili sauce mixed together, 1/2 cup spinach, 1/4 cup chickpeas, diced red and green peppers, diced tomatoes, a little vegetable' chicken' or vegetable 'meat', sliced ​​mushrooms, sliced ​​Spanish onion, chili flakes, cubes of avocado, chili flakes, Greek yogurt, parmesan cheese and light cheese

Dessert:

Panacotta: 1 cup jelly lite jelly mixed with 1 cup Greek yogurt (HM recipe)

OR

Fruit salad with watermelon, blueberries, chia seeds and rockmelon

* Recipe for a healthy mom