The Trim Healthy Mama Plan has been around for several years. They’ve updated their plan and published two new books! Today I’m sharing why this healthy eating plan may be right for you…read on to learn more about Food Freedom!
If I said “I had a FP FSF for lunch and later I’m going to have some CBW for a snack” would understand the code?
Do you see people posting delicious looking meals in your Facebook feed? With a bizarre language to describe it? And, even more confounding is that they are losing weight while eating what looks like fattening foods?
What about this one…”I just made this amazing GGMS and CIM for breakfast! I can’t believe I’m eating cake for breakfast and it’s good for me!!”
I mean really, you can’t lose weight eating cake for breakfast, right? What is this craziness?
This craziness is called Food Freedom.
It’s the Trim Healthy Mama way. And there’s thousands of people…men included…completely crazy over this lifestyle.
It’s not a fad, it’s a very healthy and balanced way of eating.
Here’s 5 reasons why Trim Healthy Mama is the plan for YOU
1. No counting calories or weighing portions necessary
Did you know that not eating enough calories a day can actually hinder weight loss? Your body thinks it’s starving and goes into a protective mode, hanging on to fat stores for dear life because it doesn’t know when or if it’s going to get food again.
Counting calories drove me nuts, and I never stuck with any diet long because of that.
This doesn’t mean we go crazy with calorie-dense foods, we still eat sensibly. But we don’t restrict our meals to barely enough calories to survive. We center our meals around a healthy protein source and load up on veggies and fruits, only counting healthy fats and carbs. As long as your meal stays within the plan guidelines for those two things, you’re good.
You’ll focus on nutrient-dense foods to nourish your body. Calorie-dense foods are fine too, but just not every single meal and snack…balanced eating is healthy eating!
Here’s the news you’ve been longing to hear: Throw off the shackles of obsessive counting and measuring, and enjoy eating again. Once you get a good grasp on how the plan works, it’s easy to “freestyle” your way to a slimmer waistline and better health.
2. No cutting out entire food groups…unless you need to
So many fad diets out there cut out entire food groups, essentially vilifying foods that are natural and healthy. The only thing the Trim Healthy Mama sisters want you to cut out of your meals is unhealthy processed junk foods and sugar. If you’re a “Drive Thru Sue” type, there are still some healthier options in the prepackaged foods department and those are on plan.
But focusing on simple, real, whole food ingredients that aren’t laden with chemicals and preservatives will give your body the best tools for gaining good health…with the bonus benefit of losing unwanted fat.
Tomatoes, cottage cheese, capers, My Favorite Creole Seasoning Blend and arugula. A simple, healthy, Fuel Pull option – low carb and low fat.
Fats are good. Carbs are good. Fats and carbs together…not so much. That’s the basics of putting together a healthy meal or snack on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.
You don’t have to ONLY eat low fat (because we need healthy fats!) or ONLY eat low carb (because we need those too!). You’ll mix those eating styles throughout your days and enjoy a variety of foods.
If you have food allergies, this plan is still very workable. You simply replace those offending foods with on plan choices and you’re good to go.
3. You’ll discover what works for YOUR body.
I’m fully convinced that there is not one single way of eating that is perfect for every single body. That’s because we are all so unique. We have different metabolisms and energy levels. Different abilities for exercise. Different taste buds and texture preferences.
What works for you may be entirely different from what works for your sister or best friend. And that’s totally OK. As long as you stay within plan guidelines, that’s the only requirement.
Maybe your body does better with less dairy. Or more carbs and less fat. Or like me, less carbs and more fat. No judgment here!
Gluten free? Trim Healthy Mama has tons of gluten and grain free recipes! Like Wonder Wraps, Muffins in a Mug and easy to make breads.
It may take some time for you to figure out what your body needs to feel good and get healthy. You may have to overcome the damage years of really bad eating and yo-yo dieting, and healing takes time.
This Trim Healthy Mama plan is a lifestyle, not a quick-fix. And once you discover the joy of the freedom of eating what’s best for YOUR body, and the health benefits of nourishing YOU, you’ll never want to go back to the way you used to eat.
4. No fancy, expensive ingredients required
If you’ve been lurking in the Facebook group you may see some ladies complaining that you have to have all these special ingredients that are expensive.
No. You. Don’t.
When I first started Trim Healthy Mama, I didn’t buy any special ingredients…because they just weren’t in my budget. And guess what? I started losing weight! You can do this plan with foods easily found at the grocery store.
Yes, there are special ingredients like whey protein powder, collagen, lecithin and Baking Blend that may make things easier, but they are not necessary to be successful on this plan.
What is necessary is a desire, and willingness, to change they way you’ve always done things using the resources you have available. If you’re not willing to do that, no plan will work for you.
Sriracha Deviled Eggs. NSI (No Special Ingredients) required, but there’s two that really make them even more delicious and nutritious, if you have them.
4. No expensive meals or supplements to buy
Some diet plans have you forking out ridiculous sums of money for already prepared meals that leave your belly unsatisfied and your wallet empty. Other plans have you buying so many special supplements that you could open your own health food store!
The Trim Healthy Mama plan lists many helpful vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements (as well as their benefits) that can help you on your journey, but they are not required. If you can afford them, great, if not that’s OK too.
You’ll also enjoy the benefits of healthy, home cooked meals. They can be as elaborate or as simple as you like, whatever fits your abilities. No prepackaged, boring meals you pull out of your freezer and nuke.
This simple, flavorful Jalapeno Burger with Sriracha Burger Sauce is easy to prepare and absolutely 100% satisfying!
If the thought of actually cooking terrifies you, don’t worry – there’s also a brand new cookbook (read my review here) with tons of easy, delicious recipes.
You’ll also find many bloggers, like myself, who publish their own THM friendly recipes. Some of my favorite Trim Health Mama bloggers are (in no particular order because they’re all wonderful!) Briana Thomas, Oil of Joy, Darcie’s Dishes, Wonderfully Made and Dearly Loved, A Home With Purpose, and Nana’s Little Kitchen. I’ll be adding a page with links to ALL my favorite bloggers soon.
5. Your health will improve, with a BONUS benefit
Can we just take a moment to remember one thing?
That scale is only one part of the picture. The number on that thing does NOT define you. YOUR body is built differently than mine. We could be the same height, you could weigh twenty pounds more than me, and you could look thinner and healthier than I do.
We have to stop focusing on what the scale says, or what some chart says, we should weigh and start focusing on nourishing our bodies. Giving our bodies what they need to function best will help them heal and that’s where you’ll find the bonus benefit – those unwanted pounds will start melting away.
It may take longer than you’d like, but remember – you didn’t pack on those extra 70 pounds overnight. If they came through a series of poor eating choices and habits then they will need to be undone by a series of good eating choices and habits.
The old plan book vs the new plan book
Not gonna lie, the old plan book scared me a little when I received it. It’s over 600 pages! Most of those pages are recipes but still, it was a little daunting at first glance. There’s been some terrific changes and if you’ve been using the old plan book I think you’ll like the new format even better.
- It’s smaller!
- The core principles are presented in an easier-to-understand format.
- There are what I like to call “CLIFF Notes” style outlines for the basics of different meal styles, which makes it super easy to see at a glance just what an E meal is or if the dish you want to make for supper is a Fuel Pull or Cross Over.
- The Sisters heard a lot of feedback from the thousands of THMs who follow their plan and did their best to create a new plan book that meets the needs of so many people (mamas, kids and even men can and do benefit from this lifestyle!) – no small task, I assure you. There’s less “chit chat” and more focus on plan details.
- You’ll find new recommended foods and supplements, sample menus for each style as well as information for the Drive Thru Sue, Vegetarians, Purists, Budgeting Mamas, Mamas with Allergies and more that will help anyone begin to implement the plan.
If you’ve been feeling discouraged, you’ll love this about Trim Healthy Mama:
One thing I love about Trim Healthy Mama is how encouraging the sisters (and the online community) are. They are very realistic (being busy mamas themselves) and understand that life happens, hormones happen, tight budgets happen…and sometimes our food choices suffer because of that. Do we beat ourselves up?
No, we start over again in three hours and get right back on plan.
We do the best we can with the resources we have available.
We don’t obsess over numbers – calories, clothing sizes, scales – but we consistently work on making good choices, one meal at a time. This came through in the first book and is carried on the in new plan book.
We focus on loving our bodies through nourishment.
One more thing – I love having a secret code that only my fellow THMs understand.
And you know what else? I love that people can’t believe I can eat like this and lose weight!
Think I’m nuts? That’s OK, go ahead and eat your little bitty cup of fat free yogurt for breakfast. I’ll have my Dark Chocolate Coconut Cake in a Mug. It works for me – you can read my 90 Day Progress Update and One Year Trimmaversary posts to see how!
Want to get started on this amazing Trim Healthy Mama journey?
You can order your copy of the new plan book and cookbook from my affiliate partner.
Marcine says
I was wondering if you have recipes for just one person?
dawnyoder says
Hi Marcine,
I do have many recipes that are just for one person. I’m the only one in my family who is an “official” THM follower, so I often make things just for me. I do try to also include recipes that will feed a family or be good for a potluck, as many of my readers do need recipes like that too.
My mug muffins, cakes, breads and biscuits are all mostly one serving. I have several sandwich filling recipes such as egg salad, tuna, and chicken salad. Also, my shake recipes are all single serving. If you see a recipe you’d like and need help reducing it to a smaller serving let me know, I’d be happy to help.