‘My cravings subsided and I’m down 15kgs thanks to this’

She found the support she needed

Getting back on the health horse isn’t always about mastering a complex diet plan. Here’s how one busy working mum took back control of her nutrition, prompting her healthy weight loss and evolved health habits. 

Any dietitian, nutritionist or professional athlete will tell you the same thing: A healthy diet is made up of far more than what appears on your plate. So many aspects of our lives, such as our careers, our families and our culture, influence our daily nutritional habits, and in turn, our ability to be the healthiest version of ourselves. 

When life throws you too many curveballs at once, the first thing that tends to fall to the wayside is prioritising your own health, seeing overwhelmed individuals manage their schedules by resort to poor dieting choices, less movement and weight gain.  

For Monique Earsman, managing her nutrition and health always revolved around her career, her children, and convenience. Balancing the work-life juggle that so many of us are yet to master, the Executive Director from Aranda found comfort in food during the tumultuous pandemic period, “Between working a busy job from home and caring for small children, I turned to food for comfort and threw everything I knew about healthy, moderate eating out the window.”

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What drove her to take action

At the peak of Earsman’s health dilemma, the nutritional habits she’d developed during Covid had resulted in some weight gain (her heaviest weight being 84kgs), and almost a complete abandonment of her exercise routine. “My diet often consisted of convenient ready-made meals and generous servings of rice or pasta,” she says. “Additionally, I'd frequently finish up my children's leftovers.” 

Attempting to ignore her weight gain, Earsman avoided glimpses of herself in the mirror or photos, but when she realised she no longer felt connected to herself, the working mum was determined to get back on top of her health. “I was fatigued more regularly, and I didn't have the energy to keep up with my kids.”

Finding the inspiration from a former colleague’s health transformation, the busy mum channelled the motivation to try the infamous CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet. 

“The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet provided me with a framework and re-education about what my body needs to function well,” shares Earsman, on the diet’s emphasis on the value  of vegetables, fruit, lean proteins, and controlled portion sizes. “One of the biggest differences is that I eat a lot more vegetables these days, not just quantity-wise, but variety too. I love experimenting with how they’re prepared, as well as with different dressings and sauces.”

Before and after: Monique lost a total of 15kg in seven months. Image: Supplied

Managing the lifestyle changes, one step at a time 

For Earsman, taking back control of her diet and healthy habits didn’t require a complete overhaul, but rather a few gradual changes, each informed by experts and her community. Easing back into exercise alongside her diet modifications, Earsman now scheduled walking and bike riding into her week.

“I don’t think I could’ve made the change without the support provided by the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet,” she says. “It took me back to basics and gave me the structure I really needed to get my health back on track.” 

While she doesn’t follow a specific plan each week, the Executive Director adheres to the general nutrition principles she’s learnt throughout her journey. She says this conscious, flexible approach works well, making mealtimes easier with her family, eliminating the need for a highly specific shopping list, and allowing her to make informed choices based on her understanding of nutrition. 

You can learn more about the popular and scientifically-backed CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet here.

Monique’s typical day on a plate:

Breakfast: Poached eggs with wholemeal toast or bran paired with low-fat, high-protein yogurt.

Lunch: A salad with chicken.

Dinner: Lean protein, such as fish, chicken, or beef, accompanied by lots of veggies.

Snacks: Fruit, yogurt, or cheese.

The working mum couldn’t be happier with her hard work, determination and willingness to support her health. Image: Supplied

Monique’s biggest piece of advice

While losing 15kg in seven months is an impressive feat for anyone, Earsman is most proud of her ability to stay on track throughout the process, something she equally attributes to her supportive network. 

“Even though I was nutritionally literate, I realised that I needed the added structure of a program like the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet to reset and make a change,” she explains, sharing that honesty with herself was always paramount to her weight loss success. 

“ If I’m guessing portion sizes and forgetting to track snacks or components of a meal, sustaining my progress is undermined,” says Earsman. “Being honest with myself is what pays off.”

For anyone looking to embark on a similar transformation, taking back control of their health and wellbeing, Earsman recommends leaning on a supportive program, “No matter how much you know, make use of the tools available to you to learn about nutrition and positive eating habits,” she says.  

Originally published as ‘My cravings subsided and I’m down 15kgs thanks to this’