Trim Healthy Mama (THM), The Diet That Allows Food Freedom

Trim Healthy Mama (THM) On The Go

Wait! You say there’s a diet/lifestyle where you can eat “almost” anything you want from all five food groups, still lose weight, and keep an on-the-go schedule? Yes, there is! It’s called the Trim Healthy Mama Plan. You can eat fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy.  If you’ve struggled with losing weight (which everyone knows I have), you’ll want to stop what you’re doing and take a serious look at the Trim Healthy Mama Program.

As travel writers with a fast-paced, on-the-go lifestyle, keeping a healthy diet is sometimes difficult. The Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Diet allows us, as Grans On The Go, to continue on-the-go meals while focusing on our families and travel.

There are very few diet programs I have not tried. Trust me! The diets were never sustainable for the long term to keep me healthy while being able to lose weight. I tried ketogenic diets, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Sugar Busters, Paleo, and others. In summary, I’ve lived on a diet, off and on, most of my adulthood. With inherited diabetes and hypertension, this makes the weight-loss process harder.

Trim Healthy Mama Diet — What It’s Not

It’s easier to explain THM when you focus on what it’s NOT; therefore, THM is NOT any of the following:

• Low-carbohydrate diet
• Low-fat diet
• High-fat diet
• Vegetarian diet
• Paleo diet
• Gluten-free diet (but can be adapted to gluten-free easily)

How Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Works

The THM program works by lowering your blood sugar. Blood sugar control is essential for everyone, not just those with diabetes or hypoglycemia. Blood sugar levels dictate our hunger, our cravings, and our energy. We feel best when our blood sugar is not too high or not too low. These levels control our brain health, our energy levels, and our mood. However, when disrupted, our blood sugar can lead to increased sugar cravings, anxiety, irritability, poor sleep, brain fog, low energy and weight gain, and in the longer term, diabetes. Balancing blood sugar is vital for everyone.

Eat every 3-4 hours.

Eating every 3-4 hours speeds up your metabolism and balances your blood sugar, which keeps you from getting too hungry and overeating at the next meal.

Anchor every meal and snack with protein.

Eat a form of protein with every meal. Protein will be your primary fuel
source on the THM plan. You will choose whether to have that protein with healthy carbohydrates or healthy fats.

Separate fats and carbs, which are called “fuel sources.”

You can eat both — but avoid eating carbs and fat in the same meal. Keep your fats and carbs separated at meals. One of the best things about THM is you CAN have healthy fats and healthy carbs (hallelujah), but you don’t eat them together in the same meal while you’re trying to lose weight

Cut out all added sugars.

Cut out all added sugars, including white flour, white potatoes, and white rice. The THM plan utilizes sugar substitutes: Stevia, Monk Fruit, Truvia, Erythritol, or Xylitol.

Special Note: Please know that xylitol is poisonous for dogs. Keep any treats made with xylitol away from your pets for their safety!

Stay hydrated.

One of the personal downfalls of past diets was that I never learned to like plain water. The Grans were raised in the “kool-aid” era when moms mixed up lots of colorful sugar in our water. Most diets require you to drink eight glasses or more daily of plain water. The THM plan includes many recipes for what the authors refer to as “sippers,” delicious drinks of tea, coffee, smoothies, and other healthy ingredients that keep you hydrated and tastes delicious.

Different Types of THM Meals

Satisfying (S) Meals

Satisfying (S) Meals consist of protein and healthy fats. There is no limit to the amount of fat you can have in an S meal. Some examples of THM fats are:

• Coconut oil
• Butter
• Full-fat dairy products: sour cream, cream cheese, milk, cottage cheese, plain yogurt
• Avocados
• Olive Oil
• Ghee

Energizing (E) Meals

E Meals are limited to 45 grams of healthy carbs. Additional fat is permitted, (up to one teaspoon), per E meal. Stick with lean meats, such as chicken, turkey, white fish, and lean ground beef. I eat turkey hot dogs for a fast on-the-go E protein. In my opinion, this is where the THM diet really shines. Some of the delicious carbohydrates allowed on the plan are:

• Sweet potatoes
• Non-white potatoes
• Brown Rice
• Sprouted Bread
• Fruits
• Corn
• Beans
• Quinoa
• Lentils
• Green, yellow, and orange peppers
• Carrots

Fuel Pull (FP) Meals or Snacks

A Fuel Pull is both low in fat (5 grams or less) and carbohydrates (10 grams or less).

Eating a Fuel Pull meal with very little fat or carbs forces your body to burn stored fat. Fuel Pulls are the most restrictive meal plan. And, of course, if you’re already losing weight, you have the option to stick with just Satisfying (S) and Energizing (E) meals.

One of the best things about the plan is if you mess up (which, of course, I do), you only need to wait for the three-hour time period for a fresh start and your next meal!

Sweeteners to Avoid

It’s best to avoid all forms of sugar, agave, maple syrup, fruit juice concentrates, fructose, dextrose, dates and date sugar, and nectar.

Artificial sweeteners to avoid (and certain sugar alcohols):

• Acesulfame potassium
• Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
• Maltitol
• Maltodextrin
• Maltose
• Saccharin (Sweet-n-Low)
• Sucralose (Splenda)

You can choose from sugar substitutes like Stevia, Erythritol, Xylitol, Truvia, and Monk Fruit.

Trim Healthy Mama Books

If you would like additional information on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, there are several books available on Amazon or at Trimhealthymama.com.

For those wanting very detailed information and the “why” behind the plan, purchase the Trim Healthy Mama original plan book .

But consider yourself warned, this book is “detailed.” So if you aren’t the detail type and just want the easy, get-started plan, go straight for Trim Healthy Table. Trim Healthy Table has enough information to get you started until you learn more and many great recipes as well. I purchased the original plan book on Audible so that I could listen while still traveling.  There are several other books available from the authors.

There’s also a great, free printable quick-start guide at Gwen’s Nest blog. You can download it here.

Follow Trim Healthy On The Go on Facebook

Follow our Facebook page at Trim Healthy On The Go for ongoing tips and ideas about how to stay on plan with a busy lifestyle and travel. And if you would love to see our travel tips and adventures, you can find us at Grans On The Go on Facebook.

Trim Healthy Mama App is free!

The free portion of the app allows you to search for foods and determine whether they fall into E Meals, S Meals, FP Meals, or whether they are NOP, Not On Plan. Just go to the App Store and download it for your phone.

Trim Healthy Mama Membership Site

This site is loaded with resources to streamline your THM journey. Search and save your favorite recipes from the most comprehensive database of official THM recipes available anywhere. Enjoy hours of THM videos, official THM menus, and the THM Info Library. The one-of-a-kind Menu Builder allows you to create your own weekly menus and auto-generated shopping lists with ease.

The Trim Healthy Membership makes a great companion to your THM Plan Book & Cookbook, which are available both in stores and online. The cost of the membership is $69.99 per year or $5.84 per month. Of course, you can do the program without the membership, but this is a tool that makes your life a little easier. You can sign up for the membership here. In addition, the THM Membership gives you a discount on any products purchased.

Trim Healthy Mama Exercise program (Workins)

Workins focus on rebuilding your body from the inner core out. They help strengthen and heal your foundational layers before concentrating on outer muscles.

You won’t be doing any brutal sit-ups in this program, but you will tone your body naturally! This is an exercise method that tones your entire body. Whether you are an avid exerciser or not, Workins have a fit for you. They don’t leave Over-50 women out of the picture either. Choose either, Gentle, Steady, or Thrill fit for each Workins routine and set your own pace.

Workins to stream on your own television costs only $14.99 per year, a true value. You can sign up here.

Make the change to a healthy lifestyle today

Trim Healthy Mama has been a great addition to my on-the-go lifestyle. It has allowed me to lose weight and have much better control over my blood sugar and blood pressure. We are excited to share more ideas with you about how to incorporate these foods into your life without staying in the kitchen and preparing meals all day. Because life is short — let’s enjoy it every day!

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