Published: 3 minutes ago
This time of year, there’s a big push to start restricting, counting calories, weighing food, reading labels for numbers and treating our bodies like machines that only need a specific amount to function.
But our bodies are not machines... and we are not numbers.
This mindset of restriction and constant tracking can actually be very harmful — not just physically, but mentally too. And when our mental health is affected, our digestion, hormones, energy levels, and relationship with food are affected as well.
Every body is unique. What one mum needs will be completely different from another.
Our needs change depending on our lifestyle —
how active we are
how much sleep we’ve had
how stress and emotions have affected our day
what we’ve been through in the past
No two days are the same — so why would our food needs be?
And it’s very important to remember that we are mums. Our bodies have been through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum — which is a deeply sensitive phase. Caring for a newborn, broken sleep, emotional load… this all matters.
As women, we also go through monthly cycles. Our hormones fluctuate, and with that, our energy, appetite, mood, hydration needs, and digestion change throughout the cycle. Some days we naturally need more food — and that’s not a failure, that’s biology.
If you ever feel like you’re “overeating,” it might simply be because:
You’ve been more active
You haven’t slept well
You’re in a phase of your cycle where your body needs more
You’re breastfeeding
Or you haven’t been eating nourishing, filling meals that truly support you
Especially for breastfeeding mums — restriction can be extremely draining and counterproductive.
Instead of controlling and restricting, we want to listen.
Listen to hunger
Listen to fullness
Listen to energy levels
Listen to what your body is asking for.
January doesn’t have to be about punishment. It can be about supporting ourselves — gently, realistically, and sustainably.
If this message resonates with you and you’d like ongoing support, you can join our Healthy Mums Facebook Support Group, where we help each other, share nourishing recipes, practical tips, and real-life experiences — without judgement 💚
👉 Join the Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4056550171234521/