Trim Healthy Mama: 79 Pounds Down

This post about my Trim Healthy Mama journey contains affiliate links. I make a small portion when these links are used, at no additional cost to you. 

Today, I'm sharing my nearly three four* year journey on Trim Healthy Mama. I have lost 79 pounds 119 pounds* and plan on sticking to this plan forever (I really, really love it). I'm going a bit off my normal topics to share this, but if it helps just one person, I think it's worth the jog off the normal path. A year into my weight-loss journey, my husband joined my efforts. He has lost over 60 pounds, too! Check out our Trim Healthy Mama story below.

*(updated 1/17/20)

Yesterday, I summoned up some courage and shared a bit about my weight loss journey on my personal Facebook page. I had three separate friends message me and encourage me to share the journey here on I Should Be Mopping the Floor, too, in an effort to reach more folks about this. Weight loss is such a personal topic, but definitely one so many of us struggle with. I feel like I've finally found a method that I love and can live with (I've been a Trim Healthy Mama for nearly three four years), so I want to share it with you, too, in case it fits into your lifestyle.

I'm a Trim Healthy Mama 

Not only am I a Trim Healthy Mama...my husband is a Trim Healthy "Papa", too. Check out his progress below:

My husband has lost over sixty pounds and kept it off for almost two three years. My journey is still going (I no longer have a thyroid, so weight loss is fairly slow-going), but so far, I have lost 79 119 pounds in just a bit shy of a three four year span. 

This journey of ours began almost three four years ago when my in-laws were at our home for a visit. My mother-in-law had just started Trim Healthy Mama and was thumbing through her books. I inquired about them and the rest is history. The plan was a bit complicated, but also sounded like something I'd actually enjoy...and I have! I read over her books while she was in town and then ordered my own as soon as she left.

The Trim Healthy Mama Plan

The sisters behind this plan have put a lot of thought and effort into it. I won't share too much here about how it actually works...this is after all their livelihood and I want to respect that. But, the main idea is using different "fuels" to get you through your day (and you can switch fuels throughout your day, too). The fuels are different from one another and we tend to hang out in "S" meal land most of the time, but our other fave is "E" mode. "S" meals are similar to a Keto diet, while "E" meals have healthy carbs but lower fat content. There are two other fuels, too. And the entire plan is sugar free (don't leave me now, I promise, it's worth it). The beauty of it is I can be low carb on most occasions, but also enjoy fruit (I missed fruit on most low carb plans) and loads of incredible desserts (sweetened with Stevia). If you actually want to embark on this plan, I highly recommend their books that I shared below, as well as their Facebook groups (just search Trim Healthy Mama or THM). I read the plan so many times, but until I started it, it didn't come together for me. And I won't lie, it's a bit complicated...but once you get it, you get it. And it doesn't make me feel deprived or sad like other diets do. It actually makes me happy, y'all. And? It's easy to eat out, too. We keep it in S mode for eating out, but it's easy to do. 

The Trim Healthy Mama Books

The key to this is starting slow. Sometimes it even helps to just do one of their fuels for a day or two to get the hang of it. Their plan book also has samples of weeks to get you going. I grabbed both of these books on Amazon when I started almost three years ago. The above books are what I'd call their "starter pack": the plan and the cookbook.

• You can grab the Trim Healthy Mama plan book here on Amazon for the best price. I highly recommend the spiral version, since you'll be referring to this book a lot.
• You can grab the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook here on Amazon, too. Again, the spiral-bound version is highly recommended. 

These two books, alone, were all I needed for our first year and a half on the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle. I did find a few recipes on Pinterest, but I really did a lot with just these two above books. A little over a year ago, the sisters released a new cookbook, Trim Healthy Table. 

I grabbed the Trim Healthy Table book here on Amazon, too (again, they have the best price).

Trim Healthy Mama Ingredients

When I first started THM, the "weird" ingredients were always overwhelming to me. I bought all of them, but only used a fraction of them. Now that I've been on plan for a long time, I honestly don't use many of their THM-specific ingredients. A word to the wise: make out a detailed shopping list before you start plan with recipes you'd like to make and the ingredients you'll need. Then order just what you need and build from there. Buying all the "weird" stuff up front can be overwhelming. And to be clear, it's not actually "weird"...it's healthy stuff I just wasn't used to. Almond flour and I are now BFF. Same with golden flax meal. Don't feel like you have to make all of the elaborate recipes, either. Bacon and eggs are on plan on the S fuel...and they're simple! Same goes for a nice steak or grilled chicken breast with a salad and full-fat ranch dressing. These days, we do a lot of those kinds of meals, rather than the more elaborate ones (although, they're still super fun to enjoy, too).

• I use their substitution for their baking mix that they share in the Trim Healthy Table cookbook or Brianna's Baking Mix. 
• I no longer use their sweeteners, either. They were a bit spendy, y'all. I often buy granular Pyure at Walmart in the baking aisle, which is comparable to their "Super Sweet Blend". To make it comparable to their "Gentle Sweet Blend", I grind it in a coffee grinder. 
• You can also find Pyure here on Amazon.
• Besides Pyure, Swerve is another favorite sweetener. The Swerve confectioner's version is amazing, too. I use it in some of the recipes I linked to below. 
• The only item of theirs I still purchase regularly is their protein powder (only because a lot of the ones I find have sugar in them). You can grab it here on Amazon.
• What the sisters refer to as "Gluccie" is glucomannan. Their version is spendy, so I get the NOW brand on Amazon here (be sure to buy the powdered version and not the capsules). It's a thickener, similar to corn starch, and is used in lots of soups. A substitute for it is Xanthan Gum, which is widely available in most grocery stores in the baking aisle.

Great Trim Healthy Mama Recipe Blogs:

There are lots of blogs out there dedicated to the THM lifestyle. And since we tend to stay in their "S" mode, we follow a lot of Keto blogs, as well. Mainly I enjoy the blogs for the recipes. I tend to use the THM Facebook groups for specific plan questions. But the following blogs are great to refer to for new and exciting recipe ideas:

• Brianna Thomas: Brianna has THM ice cream recipes down to an art. I also love (and make regularly) the following recipes on her site (she also has pumpkin down to an art, clearly):
• Pumpkin Pie (I do several of these during the holidays so we always have a dessert on hand to turn to!)
• Pumpkin Delight: my friend, Amanda, first made this and I was hooked. It has a crushed pecan and butter crust, y'all. 
• Pumpkin Spice French Toast in a Bowl: my friend, Bonnie, and I are hooked on this one for an easy breakfast. It uses Brianna's Baking Mix, which I highly recommend (it isn't as pricey as the THM one).
• Joy-Filled Eats: this is another fantastic THM-specific blog. The recipes are a bit more elaborate than the ones on Brianna's blog, but they're all so good. My faves on her blog are:
• Cranberry Bliss Bars (my husband's favorite holiday treat!)
• Pumpkin Cheesecake: we made this six times from October through now...it is incredible and not overly-elaborate to prepare.
• Chicken Cordon-Bleu Casserole: clearly, I love S meals, y'all!
• All Day I Dream About Food: this isn't a THM-specific blog, but most of her recipes will work on THM's S mode (keto-ish). I have soooo many favorites on her site, but I'll try to narrow it down:
• Gingerbread Scones: my breakfast this morning...so good
• Mini Vanilla Bean Scones: took them to my in-laws and everyone loved them
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars: oh man, these are killer!
• The following recipes are not THM-specific, either, but are staples in my regular recipe rotation and are "S" meals when using on THM:
• Better than Potatoes Cheesy Cauliflower Puree from I Breathe, I'm Hungry: hands-down, the BEST faux-tato recipe I've ever had! It is fool-proof. I used the specific cheese she recommends, too.
• The Best Keto Dinner Rolls from Hey, Keto Mama: another recipe I can't live without. I keep the ingredients for this one on hand at all times. It's easy to whip up. We use them as rolls alongside soup or even with breakfast since they're similar to biscuits, in texture. They are the fat-head dough style...which I assure you, you'll love.

Oh, and my other favorite THM cookbook is from Brianna Thomas. If you need an additional THM cookbook that doesn't have a lot of fancy preparations or ingredients, this one is excellent. You can grab it here on Amazon. 

Other Things that Help on THM:

One thing the THM sisters recommend is to "own the plan" and "make it your own". We've done just that and have our own little methods and systems now. As long as we are still losing pounds, we are great with it. I read on another THM site about Dreamfields pasta and was instantly intrigued...then I tried it and felt so naughty! It's low-glycemic pasta that can work (carefully) with plan. I use it about once a week (I make regular lasagna with it, chicken noodle soup, spaghetti with meatballs or bolognese sauce, etc.). But, yes...we eat PASTA. I can't have it more than once a week, but we still love enjoying this. Our HEB carries the lasagna and spaghetti varieties. But, I do buy the Dreamfields Penne (in a pack of six) here on Amazon.

THM+ Exercise: 

Besides sticking to the Trim Healthy Mama Plan, I also walk...and walk...and walk. And have grown to actually love it. I simply walk my neighborhood. I have made my goal of 12,000 steps a day for the past year, but just increased it to 15,000 steps a day for the new year. I often take one day a week off. But, the walking has made such a difference for me. My day isn't complete without my walk. If the weather is bad, I walk our local mall (everyone in the mall now knows me!). And my husband is now a runner...he does between 20,000-30,000 steps a day. I didn't start at that 12,000 mark...I had to work up to it. But, walking and exercise have been a big part of our continued weight loss.

This Plan is Not for Everyone

I don't want to sugar coat this and make it sound like it's all sunshine and rainbows. This plan takes effort to learn, but the beauty is its staying power. It's been one I can stick to without ever feeling deprived. One thing, though...you cook a lot. I enjoy cooking, so this isn't a big deal to me. But, if you hate cooking, this may not be your thing. I just want to be up front about that, y'all. 

WHEW! That was a lot to share. But, I hope, in some way, I've inspired you to consider Trim Healthy Mama or a similar plan that you'd enjoy. It has changed our lives in so many ways and we're so blessed by it. Let me know if you have any questions at all in the comments! 

Neglect your chores like me and don't miss a thing:

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