The Fit Mum Formula Ltd. diet and exercise system is based on the physiological knowledge of how your body responds to food and exercise, rather than what as a Western society we have come to accept as a normal diet. It is therefore probably slightly different to the way you are used to eating and exercising, but backed up by scientific studies and evidence to support how and why it works. However since everyone’s physiological and metabolic makeup is slightly different, we teach you to listen to your body and adjust both the diet and exercises to suit your needs and maximise your personal benefits from the programme.

I have to insist Mums get the ‘ay ok’ from the doctor at your 6 week check-up to exercise. Before that walking is great – it’s low impact, burns calories and is great for stress relief and to clear the head after a sleepless night too! Then as soon as you have completed your check-up and have confirmed you’re fit and well, I’d love for you to let me help you get back to your old self.

Some women have pelvic floor problems and/or bad diastasis recti – where the stomach muscles don’t close properly and when lying down you can fit 2, 3, 4, even 5 fingers into the gap. Both of these should really be dealt with a post natal corrective specialist. Every mother will experience a loss of muscle tone and strength on their tummy, but concentrating on hundreds of sit ups is not going to help and may even make it worse! Core work as part of a whole body workout, where your core is engaged (but not strained) at all times is the safest way to gradually regain core strength and gradually flatten your tummy.

Time and energy are two of the biggest factors that affect Mums. That’s why I prefer High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) as you get a lot done in a short amount of time and make progress pretty quickly. Combine this with dietary strategies that prevent dips in energy and blood sugar and you feel better so you have more energy to workout in the first place! Hunger is not nice and is not necessary either. If you choose the right proportions of the right foods you shouldn’t feel hungry.

The great thing about the food we recommend is that you can find them anywhere including supermarkets and restaurants. Lean meat, poultry and fish, grains, yoghurt, low fat cheese, fruit and vegetables are readily available. There is a list of things we recommend you add to your shopping list supplied with your meal plan when joining the programme. Multiple options are given for meals as well as recipe ideas, so you can make the plan work for you. Of course there are some great optional foods and products that may be harder to get hold of, but in the age of internet shopping you’re only a click away if there’s something you’d like to try.

As with anything new, if you are not used to eating and exercising in a certain way then you may experience some side effects while your body adjusts, and most importantly switches from burning sugar as fuel (or muscle turned into sugar) to burning fat. This is perfectly normal and does not mean that the plan is not working or that it is not for you, just that you need to allow your body time to respond appropriately. We will show you how to minimise and manage any effects you may experience to make the transition as easy as possible.

In the case of long term effects, metabolic conditioning is a perfectly safe and normal way of eating and living that can be continued indefinitely for most people, and should in fact benefit your overall health when applied as a long term lifestyle choice, reducing the risks of many common diseases as well as decelerating ageing.

At first look, it would seem that a Fit Mum Formula workout is very similar. The difference is that we want you to REST. We want you to train hard, in short bursts, reach a state of oxygen debt in your muscles, take that rest when your body tells you it needs to, then when ready, do it all again. Resting allows the metabolic changes to take place fully within you. Our workouts are designed to make the body a fat-burning machine for a long time after the workout, and it is not just a case of eat less and train longer, to lose weight. We want you to loose FAT. It is not a calorie counting approach to weight control, which is how most exercise classes approach weight loss. In fact, do this right and you might actually gain weight by the scales, since muscle is heavier than fat, though you will look smaller. It’s not about what the scales tell you, it’s about what your body fat percentage is that will determine how lean, toned and sculpted you look.

The first priority is your safety, therefore your clothing should be normal sports attire that allows easy freedom of movement. No buckles, or items to catch yourself on. Normal gym/fitness trainers, as there is also an element of cardio involved and you will need adequate protection and stability in your footwear.

Water: you may well get hot and thirsty during the exercise sessions, and staying fully hydrated during exercise is always sensible so have some nearby whilst following the routines.

Towel: optional but probably wise as you will work and train hard!

Gym mat: not essential, though if you have one you may find it makes floor exercises more comfortable.

For the BodyBack programme you will be using your own body rate for resistance, and the intensity desired to induce not only fat burning but also the metabolic ripple that creates an afterburn, whereby you keep burning calories even at rest, is perfectly achievable without the need for weights.

For the more advanced BodyFab workouts the dumbbells that you use should be of a weight that allows you to do 10 side raise’s, with the 10th one being just possible. If the weights are too light then you will not tire and have no reason to rest, so Metabolic changes are less likely to occur. Too heavy a weight and you will be resting too much and you will not be benefiting from the workout. Unless you have upper body strength that is way above or below average for most women, 3kg will be an ideal starting point, so use this guideline as you progress through the course.

You may notice differences in how you feel almost immediately – less bloating after meals yet feeling full and satisfied for longer. Fewer cravings, less hunger, more energy (there may be a period of adjustment, see the section on side effects, above).

Even when following the programme correctly and suitably for your physiological makeup, results will vary depending on how much weight and fat you need to lose, how much muscle you already have before beginning the programme, as well as your age and gender. Again there will be physiological changes from the very first meal and workout, but how soon you notice results visually or by measuring inches or fat loss, could be anywhere from a couple of days to a fortnight, but with the 6 week programme you will almost certainly see and feel the changes that metabolic conditioning can do for you.

Remember that this is a lifestyle not a quick fix – evidence suggests that the faster you lose weight, the faster you regain it (and often more). We would rather you took things at a realistic, sustainable pace that works for you, and made it a lifelong healthy lifestyle, than to yoyo from one extreme and back again.

Absolutely, so long as it’s been six weeks since you gave birth and you’ve been given the all clear by your doctor to exercise. Our programmes are based on normal, healthy food, so are suitable for everyone who is not under medical supervision and has been given specific dietary instructions as part of this. As a matter of fact our very own Polly is still breastfeeding her youngest daughter. You might find your calorie requirements are higher than if you weren’t nursing, so very simply put, eat a bit more!

Yes! Not only does The Fit Mum Formula have an entire section dedicated to Beauty & Lifestyle advice including skincare, product and treatment advice, but a wonderful side effect of the exercise and nutrition system you’ll be following is actually one of the most effective anti-agers available. The protein, healthy fats and antioxidants combined with improved metabolism and circulation feed skin, hair and nails so that you’ll soon be glowing, and not just with sweat! On a deeper level, chemical and hormone changes result in an increase in something called Human Growth Hormone (HGH); the stuff that makes babies and children grow, and contrarily keeps your body (and skin) looking and feeling young.

The foods we recommend on the meal plan are totally interchangeable, and since we actually teach you the ‘how’s’ and ‘why’s’ of what to eat rather than just dictating a rigid plan, you can tailor it to exactly your needs. What matters is that ultimately you are getting the right balance of the right sorts of foods, so there will always be an alternative in place of foods you are allergic too. We are also on hand to support all our members personally so you can get in touch with us at any time, for example if there is a recipe you like the look of but it includes something you can’t eat, just let us know and we’ll suggest a substitute ingredient.