Mum-of-two, 36, reveals the four simple ways she toned her bum and got rid of her cellulite

An Australian mother-of-two has revealed the four key factors that helped her banished cellulite and tone her bum in only eight months.

Julia Meadows, 36, from Melbourne, was battling depression and a lack of self-confidence when she decided to take control of her growing body and change it by tackling her sweet tooth.

After her five-year marriage broke down, Julia found her weight creeping up due to comfort eating and ‘lazy days on the couch’.

Just eight months later, Julia shed a staggering 11 kilograms to take her from 66.6 kilos to 55 kilos – and even better, she has managed to keep the weight off ever since.

‘Unfortunately, there is no such thing as spot reduction,’ Julia told the Healthy Mummy. 

‘Through healthy eating and regular exercise, you’ll be able to lose body fat and eventually you will lose it in your butt and thigh area too.’ 

1. Diet

To shed her weight, Julia followed the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge and committed to a healthy, strict diet.

A typical day on the mum’s plate sees Julia enjoy a smoothie with berries, bananas and oats for breakfast, before she snacks on a cup of tea and some Greek yoghurt with fruit mid-morning.

Julia said one of the biggest things that influenced a change in her body was cutting down on sugar.

‘I also embraced meal prep and repeated several meals so I was never without a healthy meal on hand and got tempted to eat unhealthily,’ she said.

‘Lunch is leftovers from the night before – so something like chicken and a salad,’ Julia said.

Then mid-afternoon, she enjoys either some boiled eggs, nuts or rice crackers with peanut butter, before having a Mexican lasagne or one pot bolognese for dinner – some of her favourite foods.   

2. Cardio

The weight loss challenge incorporated high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, which involves extreme cardio.

‘I did three HIIT workouts a week and it has helped me a lot with losing weight and toning up,’ Julia said.

‘I also did a lot of running. I joined my local running group and ran two half marathons this year so far.’

When it came to losing the weight, Julia landed on Australia’s leading weight loss program The Healthy Mummy after browsing their thousands of body transformations.

‘I had seen some great transformations on there so I signed up to a local running group and a bootcamp and started following the meal plans on the Healthy Mummy website,’ Julia told FEMAIL.

‘It was intimidating signing up to the bootcamp because I was already in a negative mindset and because I hadn’t done exercise I was worried that I was too unfit and would hold people back.’

But Julia pushed past her fears and began noticing a change in her body within three weeks of doing bootcamp and eating differently.

‘I saw results really quickly. About three months in I started shopping for clothes and I could see and feel the difference,’ she said. 

3. Strength training

As well as HIIT and cardio exercises, Julia tightened her muscles through strength training – which incorporates key compound lifts into a workout using heavy weights.

The lifts that proved to be effective for toning her bum included squats, lunges and step-ups that were done at home. 

It’s ideal to train the lower body at least two times a week and increase the weight over time to build muscle. 

4. Drinking plenty of water

As the human body consists of nearly 60 per cent water, it is essential to maintain health and wellbeing by drinking at least two litres of water each day.

‘I also drink around three litres of water a day and it has made my skin appear much healthier and smoother,’ she said.

Drinking water will help hydrate the kidneys, improve digestion and gut health, rejuvenate the skin and avoid feeling fatigued.

Speaking about her tips for others who want to start a weight loss journey, Julia told The Healthy Mummy that one of the things that helped her most was taking progress pictures as she lost weight. 

‘I’m glad I took before and after photos, because even if the scales aren’t moving I can still see process and know that I’m moving in the right direction,’ she told the publication. 

‘I had to learn that scales don’t always tell the truth and now I’d rather go by my progress pictures to reflect on my achievements.’

Julia also said you should have a motivation board up somewhere in your house, so that you know what your goals are and just how far you’ve come.

‘A big one for me is changing up my workout routine regularly so I stay motivated,’ she said.

‘It doesn’t always have to be a walk, run or a gym. Jumping on the trampoline, having a dance off with your kids or running around the play centre with your kids is a great way of staying active – plus, it’s also lots of fun.’

Julia aims for a mixture of strength and cardio with her workouts, alternating walks and runs with compound movements like step-ups, squats and lunges. 

She also keeps moving throughout the day, by squatting and lunging around the house while doing chores and looking after her kids.  

Now, Julia urges women to stop comparing themselves and focus on their own journeys.

‘Any progress is amazing and never get discouraged if your scales aren’t moving because it doesn’t mean you are not achieving,’ she told FEMAIL.

‘Us mums are so much more capable than we think and if I can do it I promise you that you can do it too.

‘Go for it, it will change your life.’