THM Beginners Steps
Beginner Steps for People Starting Trim Healthy Mama
I know that starting something new can be overwhelming. I remember how I felt when I started following this plan and reading the book. If I am going to be honest, I felt confused. I know I am not the only one to feel this way, so I created a beginner guide to start taking baby steps to implement the Trim Healthy Mama plan.
Let’s talk about what this plan isn’t. Eating the THM way isn’t low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie. This plan doesn’t exclude a food group, you get to eat all of them. You aren’t counting pts or calories, you aren’t trying to fit in your macros. This is food freedom and once you get the ideas down, easy to follow.
Does this sound too good to be true? Well, maybe. There are things you can’t have and be on plan. Basically no sugar, no white flour or white rice. I don’t want to give the whole plan away since it isn’t my work but those are the basics. As a person who LOVED to bake, this was hard. I don’t know if I can emphasize enough how much I loved sugar and sweet things. However through following this plan, my sugar addiction was broken.
When you are starting out, you don’t have to jump in with both feet. You can start with a few steps, and add more, and before you know it, you are implementing the whole plan.
Start by understanding what the letters for the meals mean. Again, without giving too much away, here are the basics. Meals with fats are S meals, S stands for satisfying. Meals with carbs are E, E stands for energizing. Meals with neither enough fat nor carbs are FP, FP stands for fuel pull. Those are the basic ones. What I suggest is that you take a few index cards and write out what each meal includes, what makes each meal that fuel source. That is what I did and it was a tremendous help.
Start with one meal on plan per day for a week. Don’t feel overwhelmed by trying to get every meal you eat on plan, start small. Many people just start with breakfast. Make oatmeal and sweeten with stevia or another approved sweetener. Eat bacon and eggs. Maybe Greek yogurt with berries. Do you have to eat on the go? Make up some egg cups, some oats in a jar, etc. Grab those on your way out the door in the morning.
Plan and Prep ahead when you can. This sort of goes with the one above. When you don’t plan, it makes it harder to be successful. When you don’t plan it is much easier to just grab something off plan and then feel defeated. Make sure you have your ingredients ready for the week. Are you making a breakfast casserole? Do you have all of the ingredients? Can you make this ahead of time? Do you have drinks planned or even prepped? A little forethought can make a huge difference in being successful.
Are you addicted to sweet drinks? I used to be addicted to Dr. Pepper. I would have a few cans a day. I also drank a lot of sugar in my coffee and loved sweet tea. You need to at least start reducing the sugary drinks and find things to replace them. Start increasing your water intake. Water is an essential drink and most of us don’t get near enough. I wasn’t a water drinker before THM, now I drink at least 10 cups a day. My coffee is sweetened with one doonk of stevia and so are my sippers. Sippers are a great way to drink on plan and feel good about what you are drinking. Make up some good girl moonshine. Switch up the water with flavored teas. There are so many recipes out there you shouldn’t get bored.
Switch up your fuels to keep your body guessing. When you eat the same fuel every day for the same meal, your body gets used to it. You want to keep your body guessing and not get in a fuel rut. Also, throw in some fuel pulls here and there. I love to take a portable container and put in Greek yogurt and add a doonk of stevia. If I have collagen and mct oil, I mix those in too. Then I top it with frozen berries and put in the fridge. It is ready for a snack and I can take it with me when I run errands.
Don’t stress about the special ingredients when you start. You can follow this plan without ever purchasing a special ingredient. Do SI’s make this a bit easier? Yes. Eventually, if you have the money, do I suggest getting them? Yes. I love my gentle sweet and baking blend, etc. But they aren’t necessary and when the sisters started eating this way, they didn’t have any either. You can be successful with or without them but when you start, just start simply and with the basics and then you can start adding them as you learn more.
Try to eat every 3 to 4 hours. You want space in-between your meals to make sure that you aren’t mixing your fuels. You could be sabotaging your weight loss if you are mixing up your fuels and eating too soon. Sound confusing? Think about it like this- you ate an oatmeal breakfast at 6 and you have planned on an S snack at 8. You need to wait at least 2 ½ hours for optimal digestion of your carbs from your e breakfast. Try not to go longer than 4 hours without eating. You don’t want to enter into a catabolic state I try to stick to the 3 to 4 hour rule and not think about any of the other stuff. Here is a sample schedule- breakfast at 8, lunch at 11:30, snack at 3 and dinner at 6:30. If I am hungry before bed, I have something little. Did you cheat (either on purpose or an accident), that 3 to 4 hour rule comes back into play. Just start over then.
Get support. Find a certified Trim Healthy Mama coach. To become a certified coach you have to prove that you know this plan and pass tests. Can’t afford a coach or just don’t want one. There is support online all over the place. Do you have family or a friend following this plan, encourage each other. I had encouragement from some friends when I started and that really helped me.
Give yourself grace. This one is so important. Most of us make mistakes, we fail at some point. Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t give up. Following this plan is worth it. It can change so much in your life. My energy levels went up, I felt better and I had more confidence. Did I mess up, eat desserts, flour tortillas, doughnuts? Yes to all. I practiced the 3 hour rule and still lost 40 pounds. I had to learn how to give myself grace. If you make a mistake, cheat, give yourself grace.
After following this plan since 2014, all of the testimonies I have seen and my own experience, I can say without a doubt, it works. I believe you can also be successful. It isn’t always easy, but most things in life that are worth it, aren’t easy. I am thankful for my friend who shared this plan with me and encouraged me. If you have questions, feel free to contact me.
