THM Menu Sample One day at a time - Tuesday

Featured on today's Menu: Mrs. Dirinda's baked Oatmeal (Recipe via Pinterest)

Hello everybody! Yesterday I started sharing with you day by day how you can plan your meals on THM. 

Remember: The Snacks are optional if you don't have "enough hours in your day" to get all these meals in... don't worry... skip 1 or both snacks... Just remember to never let more than 4 hours go without food. You should always wait at least 2 1/2 hours between each feeding (no munching in between! even if you are not switching fuels! Yes.... again... I say it... even if you are NOT switching fuels) Now... if you are switching fuels you should wait AT LEAST the 3 full hours.

This week I am sharing the SAHM eddition... Next week we can work together on a "on the go" menu.

Tuesday

E Breakfast:

•  Baked Oatmeal, I love Mrs. Dirinda's recipe (it's a single serving), my tweak is that I use 1/3 cup of egg whites instead of 1/4 cup and most times I use small pieces of apple instead of blueberries.

FP Snack:

• 2 Light Rye Wasa Crackers with 1 wedge of Light Laughing Cow (I love the Chipotle/Queso Fresco Flavor), some extra lean turkey deli meat and cucumber slices. 

S Lunch:

• A big salad prepared with pre-washed Spring Mix (I love all the Organic Leaf Mixes from Costco), 1 hard boiled egg in slices, a few sardines (in olive oil) all dressed with a quick/easy to make mixture of EVOO, minced garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper.

E Snack:

• Apple Slices (1 apple) and Greek Yogurt/Peanut Butter Dip made with 3/4 cup plain 0% greek yogurt mixed with a tsp. of peanut butter (or 1 tbsp. of fat free peanut flour), sweetened with stevia to taste and a splash of pure vanilla extract

Dinner: (S)

• Buttered Tilapia/veggies and Mashed "Potatoes" 
• For Dessert I'll have a "Setting appropriate" sweet, Most times I go for chocolate! My favorite chocolate is: Green&Black's Organic Chocolate I usually allow myself to have up to 6 little squares of this chocolate with a cup of coffee (sweetened with stevia and with a splash of full fat half and half)

Note: This menu that I've put together can NEVER replace the knowledge that comes from reading the book and applying the principles yourself... You will eventually want to be FREE and put together your own food combinations and meals, this is an aid that will allow you to "see" what a THM menu looks like IRL but reading the book is crucial to succeed on the plan. Every good thing is worth the extra work. My tip... is get the book and start reading the chapters about the different types of Settings (S, E, FP, S helpers and Crossovers), start applying every new principle you learn and keep going. I do not charge for sharing my menus and meals, The authors of the book have worked too hard on creating this plan and their own name. Those who use the THM name to sell menus and meal plans are doing so in full knowledge that they are taking advantage of someone else's work. Hopefully they will re-consider and stop. Make sure you do not support those who do so.

TRUVIA:

DEFATTED PEANUT FLOUR

 © Paloma K.

Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Beware of the easy route - Don't pay for THM menus!

Hello everybody! Today I was a bit uncertain about what the TIP would be... not for lack of tips or areas of opportunity I see ... actually because there's so many tips I would love to share that I don't even know which one to choose... BUT... something made it easier for me to make a decision... and it was a sponsored ad on my Facebook this morning... charging to give you what they call "THM Menus and recipes" ... They have a tiny disclaimer at the bottom of their page saying: "We are not affiliated or endorsed by Trim Healthy Mama" and they recommend you to review their menus/recipes with care! (well, that doesn't save much time... does it?)


what in the world???

First of all... They are charging you for something that IS NOT FOR THEM to charge. This is someone else's BRAND and work. You can find menus, plans and meals for free on several blogs and on the support groups, THM beginners is my favorite, even when I am not a beginner at all on THM I love the fellowship there and I also love that I can welcome many "newbies", encourage them and hopefully help them if they have a question or two (The Admins/Moderators do an amazing job but sometimes someone needs help right away and we all try to pitch in), most of us "seasoned THM'ers" find joy sharing good recipes with others, reviewing their own menus, helping them tweak it if we see the need, etc....

Those who promise to send you plans and menus for a fee are unfortunately targeting people that don't really know how THM works and who think someone else's "plans" will work for them... I think that ... in and of itself is bad!

THM is about learning how foods work... It's about understanding how to mix foods, how much time to leave in between meals/snacks, how to choose best when eating out, changing old ideas about food, changing the way you see it and EMPOWERING YOU by giving you all the knowledge you need to MAKE PLANS that fit your life, etc... This is not a "diet" that will give "the same template" to all women and expect them all to make them fit their lives... If you PAY for plans/meals that somebody else "thought about" you are not learning a thing and you are giving your money away just to find disappointment when the time to "choose" comes or when you want to be freed from paying 7 dollars a month! are you ever going to be able to do this on your own? I don't think so... YOU have to LEARN about how the fuels work for your body... and only YOU can decide how you switch/incorporate them in your life.

I'd say invest the money on the BOOK ... and hang out with us on our FB groups. Take one step at a time and you'll be running in no time! All by yourself! Those 7 dollars use them in better ingredients instead (which you will still have to buy, it's not like they are buying the food for you) and also, you will have the CERTAINTY that your plan will be correct because you will have the knowledge (rather than reviewing someone else's plan with care. 

Honestly... If you see that sponsored ad, run away from it no matter how "good" it might initially sound! Now... I don't make any money from telling you all this! Pearl and Serene might not even know I exist, I am not a THM lawyer of defender of the plan! I care about moms like you! Who might judge the THM REAL plan by someone else's business that more likely than not will NOT provide you with the ideal plan for you and accurate completely on plan recipes.

So... You've been warned... If you still want to support a group that is charging off of somebody else's brand and work... it's your decision but if it doesn't work... then give Trim Healthy Mama a REAL try.(By the way, I just saw one of the recipes they promote as "THM" saying it's an "E" and it's a crossover -on plan but not weight loss inducing- this is just a clear small example of how it can't be trusted)

In their disclaimer they should add "Not only we aren't affiliated or endorsed by but we are completely misrepresenting Trim Healthy Mama"

Instead... Get the real deal:



Edited to add:  If you find a blog that is NOT charging for menus and meal ideas (I often share recipes, meal ideas and even let you see what I ate during my week) those are awesome tools to use as an EXTRA AID in your THM journey... it is just important to remember that they can't "replace" the knowledge that comes from reading the book and understanding how the plan works for yourself.

© Paloma K.

 Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

THM Week Recap and Tip of the Week

Hello friends! Ah! I feel like I have neglected my blog and even friendships in the social media world so much! It seems that I can only get 1 post a week and that's even sometimes hard! Why? I don't know... it seems like I am in the midst of a cloud right now... Filled with so much excitement and at the same time in expectation of what's to come that I am almost paralyzed... but everything is going well... I can give you a little bit of the news in advance though... Just because I can't wait any longer and just because I know you won't tell anyone (LOL!)

So... hubby wrote a book... and it will finally be published in March (God willing) the book is based on the book of Job....  his suffering... faith... everything! I don't want to spoil it for you! Whether you're going through suffering, you went through it, a friend of you is going through it and you don't know how to comfort or what to say... you must read this book! I must say it is pretty amazing... I am a very honest, objective critic... particularly of those I love... and ... this book (and the many times I've read the manuscript) has touched my heart and made me see the situation differently than the way I used to when I've read the book of Job before...  and I just got stuck in the questions of "why did God bring Job up?" or "Why was God even talking to Satan?" It truly is NOT your typical "explanation" on the book of Job or "justification" for the things that happened to him ... wait... I shouldn't share more... you should read it. So... yeah... .. There are other things going on ... very exciting as well but... that's one that I can start sharing a bit for now....

Would you be in prayer for us with it all? Thank YOU!!!

Now... Trim Healthy Mama, right? Well... Usually tending to do  a lot of  some emotional eating... Going through these things in life (even good events can trigger such bad habits) has made it a little harder to not spend the whole day eating, munching, "just tasting" a little bit... So... here comes the tip of the week:

Eat enough and drink your "sippers"

So... yes, eat enough when you have your meals/snacks... Don't skip meals and make sure you have a good batch of Good Girl Moonshine or The Shrinker ... There are other THM meals but those two really help me when I am craving something and I am just in the need of putting something in my mouth... They calm those cravings down and make me feel like I am still "having fun" (yes, I also eat just because it's fun!).... Make sure you buy a good Raw Apple Cider Vinegar I buy this one and it you're still not that crazy about the flavor, play with the recipe a little... I have so much fun varying the flavors... I buy a good box of your favorite teas I absolutely love these until you find your "cup of tea" ... get it? cup of... ? ok... maybe too predictable LOL!

Anyway... that's my tip of the day... If you're just starting on Trim Healthy Mama and you were used to having flavored drinks/juices or soda.. and you're kind of bored of water (I absolutely LOOOOVE water but I know it's not that easy for everyone to drink the recommended amount) then you have to try these drinks that will absolutely hydrate you, make you feel fuller and will also send to your brain that message of 'I am doing something healthy, I don't want to ruin it with chips' that will help you stay on track without it actually being hard... or at least I think so...

Now... if you kind of want to take a look to the things that I've been eating this week... well here I go:

Hopefully these will inspire you:

Cheesecake Berry Crunch: (- S - Trim Healthy mama Book page 373)

Fried Chicken Strips (S) and cauliflower rice (Breading for chicken strips: Salt pepper your chicken strips, pass them through coconut flour, then egg/half-half mixture and then coat with a mix of ground pork rinds and almond flour, fry in coconut oil)

Turkey Bean Soup (E), this time I actually used venison, you can also substitute the meat with chicken breast... here is the recipe: Recipe here

Mrs. Dirinda's Famous baked oatmeal (E), I made it this week but switched the berries for apples, and instead of only 1/4 cup of egg whites I used 1/3 cup. Delish! click here for pin of her recipe

 

Salmon and Avocado Sandwich: I used Joseph's low carb pita bread, toasted it a bit and filled it with a mixture of canned wild caught salmon, avocado, mayo, cilantro, a bit of chopped onions and tomatoes. Salt/pepper to taste and a squirt of fresh lime juice.

 Chicken Salad with Pecans: I used delicious Romain lettuce leaves to serve my chicken salad Recipe Here (the original recipe calls for almonds, you can use whatever you prefer)

Chocolate Cupcakes (S): These were such a big hit! We loved them, I didn't have heavy whipping cream to make whipped cream but I used a bit of sugar free Hershey's Chocolate syrup and strawberries to top them... Recipe by Tonia at "The Sunny Patch" my twist was that instead of xylitol and stevia extract I used 14 packets of Truvia.

Steamed asparagus and eggs (with butter! YUM YUM) - S - : To make these I just lightly steam the asparagus (remove tough ends) until they are tender, then add some butter, salt and carefully place two (or three) eggs on top of the asparagus bed, it all becomes one! Looks pretty too! Cover with a lid and cook until the eggs are done (I like the yolks a bit runny, about 3-4 minutes), side of avocado... Delicious for any meal of the day!

 Of course I ate other things... But I didn't stop to take a picture of everything... I hope this inspired you a bit though! Would you leave a comment and let me know?

© Paloma K.

  Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

THM Tip of the week - Grams of Sugar vs Added Sugar

Hello everybody, last week I started a "Paloma's THM Tip of the Week" for my blog...

If you have no clue what THM is ... Well... you have to check this out

If you are already on THM or lurking and full of questions... I hope my tips will help you... I want you to stay encouraged and motivated realizing that this plan is doable!

 So... here we go... this is the 2nd. Tip I share... please leave comments, suggestions or questions ... I'd love to hear from you!

Get familiar with labels

Food! We love it! And many times we eat it without even looking at the label on the packaging which gives us such important information. Many others of us WILL indeed look at the label and only be concerned about the "calories"... those that are a little more thorough might look at the fat content or "Sodium" (many times wondering if that's too high or just enough). Trim Healthy Mama plan we have such freedom that calorie counting is no longer needed (I do it once in a while just because I am obsessive like that) but in our plan "Ingredients Trump Numbers" (if you join the FB group you will see that phrase there often) ... We care more about the ingredients we eat and their categories (there are some things that we just do not mix).... but KNOWING how the labels work will help you a lot and will save you from a lot of confusion...

See that label? Let's study it together, we will not get in depth but I will show you two very important things that you have to notice... On Trim Healthy Mama we focus A LOT on the ingredients... Sugar (also known as glucose, corn syrup, dextrose, honey, agave nectar, evaporated cane juice, cane juice, juice concentrate, fructose... and many more) is not allowed on the THM plan, actually it will be easier for me to tell you the sweeteners that are on plan: Stevia (natural and doesn't spike your glucose levels) -Trim Healthy Mama has great sweeteners- and some natural sugar alcohols like Erythritol and Xylitol - like this or this  

BUT... sugar (even if it claims to be natural, organic, lower GI -like agave or coconut sugar-) is NOT on plan.

Don't worry... you can still enjoy lots of sweets... but your palate might in fact need some adjusting to the sweeteners, as you flush out the sugar from your system.

Anyway... So... back to that label! See the ingredients? Let's try a little exercise... Do you see any sugar in the Ingredients list? The LIST is at the bottom... right below that little chart with numbers and percentages.... look at the pic and check please, this will help you.... No sugar, right? That means this specific product (Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt) does NOT contain any added sugar... Most mamas start jumping up and down of joy when they see that it's actually sweetened with STEVIA LEAF EXTRACT!... but then... uh... their eyes catch something while they jump... as they look a little higher on that same label they see the word "Sugar" .... and when they see that it says "7 grams" they want to faint! If they already ate some they almost want to "spit it out" like it was poison (which... well... let's be honest... sugar IS like a poison) and they get troubled, confused and frustrated... But... let me tell you something: 

 Jump and dance away mama! You're good to go

Your brain is not tricking you, the food industry is not tricking you (at least not in this specific case), this is not as confusing as you might think... the "Sugar Grams" you see there are actually naturally occurring sugars from the dairy in your yogurt... THERE IS NO added sugar in this product and ... of course we all love a lower number in the grams of sugar but thankfully the fermentation process in a yogurt helps lower the impact on your sugar level... (this happens specifically with fermented products like Kefir and Greek Yogurt which are both allowed on plan, make sure you buy them 0% and plain! the only allowed "flavored" yogurt we've found so far to be on plan is the Triple Zero Oikos because it's the only one sweetened with stevia).

Now... let's just do another quick exercise just to make sure we got this! Let's do it with an "easier" product (dairy can be higher in natural occurring sugars so it can get a bit harder to figure out) but let's practice with a product we would assume there would be no traces of "sugar" in it...

Let's go with something most of us love and that you can enjoy on the THM plan... UNSWEETENED PEANUT BUTTER!

 You can buy the most affordable kind like:

Smucker's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter or Kirkland Natural Peanut Butter

If you can afford it get the organic/non gmo kinds like: this or this.

Let's look at a label:

I think you now know where to look first, right? Ingredients! What does it say? Basically Peanuts and Salt!

Now, let's look at the chart on the left, the nutrition facts:

Sugars: 2 grams...

With the knowledge you now have... is this product ON plan?

mmmmm

need another second?

.....

If you answer was YES! You are correct! On THM we can eat this product in an S setting, the "S" stands for "satisfying" where FAT is the FUEL. We avoid grains, starches (basically we keep our carbs low) in an S setting... so you would be MORE THAN SAFE eating this product in an S setting... Your carbs are 7 grams, then you remove the 3 grams of fiber and you end up with 4 grams of net carbs in 1 serving of this peanut butter (10 grams of carbs is the limit for an "S")...

"But wait... what happened with the sugar? I thought it wasn't allowed!"

You are right! Sugar is off plan... But... there is NO ADDED sugar here... as long as "sugar" (or any of its nicknames) is NOT listed on the ingredients you are good to go! (well... of course there are other off plan ingredients but we're just talking about sugar right now). Grams of sugar in the nutritional facts are good to know but they do NOT disqualify a product from the plan...

Keep checking your ingredients... Stay alert! Don't let that sugar sneak up on you!

Other favorite sweeteners on plan are:






(Update after publishing) Beware of Truvia Baking blend... Yes it's cheaper but it's because it's mixed with sugar. It is NOT on plan, stay away from Stevia in the raw as well, it's NOT only stevia and it's NOT on plan. We have to check the labels of everything... Grocery shopping actually makes me a bit angry to see how many "innocent looking" items have sugar in them! You can even go to your pantry and check your container of SALT and you will very likely find DEXTROSE in the ingredients.

I hope this is helpful for you!

© Paloma K.


 Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Rehearse, Practice, Wonder, Question - THM Tip!

Hello friends! How are you doing? I know many of you are just joining (or thinking about it) Trim Healthy Mama... I know a few friends that have asked me about this amazing plan, they all get encouraged to join when they hear about the amounts of foods you can eat, the fact that you can have butter with your veggies or that you can eat a nice steak and feel no regret! But as soon as they hear something like "S, E or FP" I can see glossy eyes! Many get lost there...

My beautiful oldest daughter is bright as can be, she is 6 years old and very smart... But she often complains when we do something "new" for school (I home-school)... She is a perfectionist and wants to avoid making mistakes at all costs! So if I introduce a "new word" to her spelling words she gets frustrated and says:

- "but I don't know that one!" ... and I answer:

- " Well... of course... of course you don't know that one! Isn't that exciting? you are learning something new! In the beginning it's going to seem odd, weird and sometimes even impossible! But isn't it going to be great when you get it? and then it  just be part of your well known words. Would you rather I repeat day after day: *cat, hat, pat, bat*? No, right? I know you know those! Those are now easy! But at some point they weren't!"

What does that have to do with anything? I know you know what I am trying to tell you! Trim Healthy Mama is a new thing for you! It's not even a "familiar word" but... how awesome is that? It's an opportunity for you to learn something new (to you)... and not only something new... it's something good and something that will soon become part of who you are and you will manage to see it as something easy!

Of course you DON'T HAVE TO learn this plan... It's not indispensable, you could just continue your life without it... I often see posts of ladies that want to be "convinced" that this plan works... Day after day I see ladies on the FB groups trying to explain why this is so good for others! Like trying to convince a kid to eat his veggies! So I am not going to try to convince you! You can see all the amazing testimonies day after day on Facebook ... We are not children anymore... I am responsible for my health and I have my own struggles... Staying or not staying, joining or not joining is completely each individual's personal choice and decision to make. Others get discouraged when the scale doesn't move (been there! TOTALLY, way too often) and when we are down we want to be convinced to stay on plan! Thankfully there are wonderful, encouraging ladies on plan that will try to do that work and convince others... but honestly... if someone has made up their mind to "quit" it's almost unfair to put that "burden" on others to fight for them and somehow try to keep them doing what's good for their health!

 So... I decided to start this new "thing" on my blog and it's called "Paloma's THM Tip of the Week".

Here goes this week's Tip

Read the book and...

Spell it!

Just like with my daughter... whenever there is a new word she freezes and thinks she can not do it! Just yesterday she wanted to write a sentence and use the word "suddenly" and the first thing she did was come and ask me how to write it... I could just answer! It's easier not only for her but also for me... But... I know for a fact that I will not be helping her if every time she has a question I immediately jump and tell her the answer without having her try to think about it for a little bit....

I said: "I know you never write that word but I also know you've seen it before... you know how the letters work... so sound it and you tell me"

She immediately said: "Ok... S-U-D ....." and ... she spelled the whole word she thought she didn't know.

Whenever you go to the FB group and want to ask a question... go ahead! Questions are not only welcome but also encouraged... but if you take my tip... TRUST ME ... you'll be rehearsing those concepts that you think "don't make much sense" but you've ALREADY SEEN THEM in the book, etc... The knowledge is there! Try to apply them for yourself before you ask and you might be pleasantly surprised and actually excited to realize you know more than you give yourself credit for....

Of course ... the first thing is I am assuming you already READ THE BOOK ...

Don't get me wrong... I am not saying don't ask! I am the very first one to help answer a question whenever there's a doubt on the group... I am also the first one to ask if I really can't figure out something! You shouldn't do this by yourself when there are so many wonderful people out there willing to help you... BUT... before you ask someone else... ask yourself if you can "answer your own question" and when you come up with an answer... even if it's a wrong one... then share with the group ... something like "hey... I was wondering if I could have rice with my *S* meal... I think I can't because rice is a grain and it belongs in the *E* meals but I am not sure and I want to confirm"

What a wonderful thing that is! To see mamas trying to apply their knowledge, willing to make mistakes, being teachable because they take their health that seriously.

 Also... I've seen that one of the administrators of the group (Michelle) sometimes challenges the members to figure out what kind of meal she is eating, she posts a picture and everyone chimes in with their response... many get it right, many get it wrong but they are ALL PRACTICING their knowledge and willing to even make a mistake! guess what? Most of the things I know BEST are the result of a mistake I once made and once it got corrected I never got it wrong again!

See? Try for yourself! Make an extra effort... go the extra mile... it will make all of the THM concepts become a part of you THAT MUCH FASTER.

And that's my tip for you today! I hope you take it or let me know your opinion.... I love hearing from you!
 
More tips to come each Friday! Stay tuned.

© Paloma K.



 Disclaimer: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.