If there are any "Trim Healthy Mamas" here who might be able to help me

[Greta]

I'd be most grateful!  I'm starting the plan tomorrow, and I'm going to give it a month and see how it goes.  I did a ketogenic diet for 12 years, so S meals, no problem.  I get that part.  But E meals are going to be a challenge.  "Low fat" is just not part of my vocabulary.  I don't know how to cook/eat that way!

 

I know that I need carbs at breakfast in order to avoid getting a migraine, so breakfasts are going to be E meals.  Most of the ideas I'm finding online for E breakfasts are all sweet things.  I can't eat sweet things at breakfast (other than a modest portion of fruit) because it sets me up to crave sweets all day long.  So my only ideas so far are something like this quinoa egg scramble but using only the egg whites.  Or a version of huevos rancheros using a sprouted-grain tortilla, scrambled egg whites, chili beans, and salsa.  Any other ideas for savory E breakfasts?

 

Ideas for easy E lunches would be appreciated as well.  I'm going to make S dinners, and some days lunch will be leftovers from dinner the night before.  But I know I need to mix in some E lunches as well.  I've got some really good natural deli turkey, and ezekiel bread, so that's my go-to for now.

 

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[mykidsrmyjoy]

I don't really have any non-sweet E breakfast ideas, but a favorite E lunch for me is lettuce topped with chick peas, tuna, sliced tomatoes,cucumbers and doused with balsamic vinegar and a teaspoon of olive oil.

[DawnM]

do the sugar alternatives like stevia still cause cravings?  For me, only real sugar or honey actually cause the cravings.

So I will do overnight oatmeal or greek yogurt for breakfast.

[Greta]

I don't really have any non-sweet E breakfast ideas, but a favorite E lunch for me is lettuce topped with chick peas, tuna, sliced tomatoes,cucumbers and doused with balsamic vinegar and a teaspoon of olive oil.

 

That sounds great -- thank you!!

 

 

do the sugar alternatives like stevia still cause cravings?  For me, only real sugar or honey actually cause the cravings.

So I will do overnight oatmeal or greek yogurt for breakfast.

 

 

 

Yes, unfortunately, the super sweet taste causes the cravings, even when there's no actual sugars there to back it up.  The natural sweetness of fruit doesn't seem to have the same effect, though, so I bet I could do oatmeal with chopped baked apples or yogurt and peaches or berries, and as long as I don't add any additional sweetness it would probably be fine.  Thank you!

Edited April 10, 2017 by Greta

[wintermom]

I haven't read the book, so I'm not sure what "E meals" are exactly.  If you like yogurt, but don't want any sugar, you could try kefir. It's amazing over berries.

 

 

[MorningGlory]

Hi Greta,

I did THM for about 4 months last year and really struggled with E meals throughout the whole process. I did enjoy the THM pancakes (they are REALLY good) and overnight oatmeal, but like you, the sweetness with no fat to temper it in the morning just seemed to set off a day of cravings and fake hunger and just general misery. I always did much, much better with an S breakfast...even a sweet one like the mug muffins. In your case, you might consider doing an S breakfast with an S-helper (I think that was what it was called). Like a slice of sprouted grain toast with eggs. It has been almost a year since I've done THM, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details. 

 

For E lunches I ate turkey sandwiches on sprouted bread with deli mustard, lettuce, tomato, etc. I loved those lunches!! But still, I preferred all the S meals. :-)

 

THM has some fabulous, yummy recipes (albeit with sometimes unusual ingredients). 

 

Now I'm just doing a "no flour, no sugar" eating plan. It is so easy. Very slow weight loss, but I don't have to think so much. I don't mind if I lose weight slowly. 

Good luck!!!

[Greta]

I haven't read the book, so I'm not sure what "E meals" are exactly.  If you like yogurt, but don't want any sugar, you could try kefir. It's amazing over berries.

 

I should have explained!  The E stands for energizing, meaning carbs.  The basic idea of the plan is that you eat protein at every meal, but you either eat carbs with it or fat, but not both.  So the E meals have protein and carbs and very little fat.  And the S meals have protein and fat but very little carb.

 

Kefir with berries sounds excellent!

 

Hi Greta,

I did THM for about 4 months last year and really struggled with E meals throughout the whole process. I did enjoy the THM pancakes (they are REALLY good) and overnight oatmeal, but like you, the sweetness with no fat to temper it in the morning just seemed to set off a day of cravings and fake hunger and just general misery. I always did much, much better with an S breakfast...even a sweet one like the mug muffins. In your case, you might consider doing an S breakfast with an S-helper (I think that was what it was called). Like a slice of sprouted grain toast with eggs. It has been almost a year since I've done THM, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the details. 

 

For E lunches I ate turkey sandwiches on sprouted bread with deli mustard, lettuce, tomato, etc. I loved those lunches!! But still, I preferred all the S meals. :-)

 

THM has some fabulous, yummy recipes (albeit with sometimes unusual ingredients). 

 

Now I'm just doing a "no flour, no sugar" eating plan. It is so easy. Very slow weight loss, but I don't have to think so much. I don't mind if I lose weight slowly. 

Good luck!!!

 

 

It does seem like, from what I've read online, people generally have a harder time with the E meals than the S ones.  I hadn't thought about doing an "S helper" -- that's probably a great suggestion.  Thank you.  And thanks for being honest about your experience/struggles!  I'm really going to try hard to stick with it for a month, and see what happens.  I can't do strictly low-carb anymore because it makes my migraines worse, but I've been gaining weight, even with what a thought was a perfectly sensible "no sweets, no white flours, no snacking" rule.   :(  Perimenopause sucks!  

[Erica in OR]

For breakfast, you could do THM pancakes with a berry topping, or the THM stovetop granola recipe in whatever version appeals. I like the one that uses pumpkin spice flavoring and throw in a chopped apple. It does have sweetener, but you could either leave it out or cut it back to a bare minimum. Or, just egg white omelettes with a sauteed non-starchy vegetable on the side.

 

For lunch, my favorite E is the THM Waldorf salad, although I don't add the spice to the nuts. A lot of the Progresso Light soups are THM-friendly, and I like the ease of using them for a quick lunch with my DH's homemade whole wheat sourdough.

 

Erica in OR

[Greta]

For breakfast, you could do THM pancakes with a berry topping, or the THM stovetop granola recipe in whatever version appeals. I like the one that uses pumpkin spice flavoring and throw in a chopped apple. It does have sweetener, but you could either leave it out or cut it back to a bare minimum. Or, just egg white omelettes with a sauteed non-starchy vegetable on the side.

 

For lunch, my favorite E is the THM Waldorf salad, although I don't add the spice to the nuts. A lot of the Progresso Light soups are THM-friendly, and I like the ease of using them for a quick lunch with my DH's homemade whole wheat sourdough.

 

Erica in OR

 

 

Thank you Erica!  These are great suggestions.   :001_smile:

[NavyMommy]

I love an S helper for breakfast. 1 whole egg with some additional egg whites for more protein, and a slice of toast with butter. I also often do cottage cheese with berries and cinnamon. That's either a FP or an E depending on the type / amount of berries involved. There are a lot of carbs in the cottage cheese as well so it's a good blend for the morning.

 

 

[wintermom]

I should have explained!  The E stands for energizing, meaning carbs.  The basic idea of the plan is that you eat protein at every meal, but you either eat carbs with it or fat, but not both.  So the E meals have protein and carbs and very little fat.  And the S meals have protein and fat but very little carb.

 

Kefir with berries sounds excellent!

 

 

 

It does seem like, from what I've read online, people generally have a harder time with the E meals than the S ones.  I hadn't thought about doing an "S helper" -- that's probably a great suggestion.  Thank you.  And thanks for being honest about your experience/struggles!  I'm really going to try hard to stick with it for a month, and see what happens.  I can't do strictly low-carb anymore because it makes my migraines worse, but I've been gaining weight, even with what a thought was a perfectly sensible "no sweets, no white flours, no snacking" rule.   :(  Perimenopause sucks!  

 

Just a reminder that low-carb does NOT equal no carb. Be choosy with your carbs to make them all count the very best for you. 

 

I really like how you are intentionally tweaking this to fit your personal needs and past experience. I think that's a really wise decision.

 

All the best in this food journey!

[DawnM]

I will add that E meals for breakfast weren't as satisfying to me, so I would choose NOT to do E meals in the morning.  

 

I typically did E meals for afternoon snacks.

 

For breakfast I would have a muffin in a mug (although I preferred to make a full batch and freeze so I could grab and go) or last night's leftovers.  I don't mind dinner food for breakfast.

 

I would have eaten eggs but I am semi-allergic (I showed a 3 out of 5 on the allergy test) and find I can't have just eggs.  I can have eggs as one ingredient IN something , but not alone.  

 

But if you can have eggs, the Southbeach diet egg cups are very convenient to make in a batch.

[Greta]

Thank you all so very much!  This is really a huge help.

 

 

Just a reminder that low-carb does NOT equal no carb. Be choosy with your carbs to make them all count the very best for you. 

 

I really like how you are intentionally tweaking this to fit your personal needs and past experience. I think that's a really wise decision.

 

All the best in this food journey!

 

 

Well that is due mostly to the help I've gotten in this thread!   :001_smile:  For some reason I had this notion in my head that I had to go on the diet 100% this morning.  But actually I can ease my body into it, and that will probably serve me better.  Since the "S helper" meals got mentioned (mostly fat but with some carbs added), I thought why not try an "E plus" with mostly carbs, but keeping some of the fat that my body is accustomed to.  Between those two, I should be able to gently transition and make this work.  I hope!

[Greta]

I love an S helper for breakfast. 1 whole egg with some additional egg whites for more protein, and a slice of toast with butter. I also often do cottage cheese with berries and cinnamon. That's either a FP or an E depending on the type / amount of berries involved. There are a lot of carbs in the cottage cheese as well so it's a good blend for the morning.

 

 

I will add that E meals for breakfast weren't as satisfying to me, so I would choose NOT to do E meals in the morning.  

 

I typically did E meals for afternoon snacks.

 

For breakfast I would have a muffin in a mug (although I preferred to make a full batch and freeze so I could grab and go) or last night's leftovers.  I don't mind dinner food for breakfast.

 

I would have eaten eggs but I am semi-allergic (I showed a 3 out of 5 on the allergy test) and find I can't have just eggs.  I can have eggs as one ingredient IN something , but not alone.  

 

But if you can have eggs, the Southbeach diet egg cups are very convenient to make in a batch.

 

 

 

Thank you both!  I can eat eggs, and I really like them.  NavyMommy, I used your suggestion, and I made my quinoa scramble this morning with one whole egg plus a couple of egg whites.  That was a great idea.  Dawn, the Southbeach egg cups are a great idea too - thanks!

[extendedforecast]

I haven't read the book, but I'm familiar with the concept. Are potatoes allowed? I love breakfast tacos with eggs and potatoes and maybe a little salsa too.

[lavender's green]

My go-to E breakfast is steel-cut oats with 0% Greek yogurt and maybe a little fruit or berries, depending on what I have. I've also thought that Greek yogurt with unsweetened pumpkin stirred in would make an excellent autumn breakfast. Sometimes I'll do an egg white omelet with herbs, and oatmeal or fruit on the side. Most of my other meals are S (E for breakfast and S for most of the rest is what works for my body and lifestyle right now), so I don't have a lot of recipe ideas, though occasionally I'll do a bean or lentil-based soup with a little homemade sourdough bread. Homemade hot and sour soup is a good protein source and you can pair it with either fats or carbs. Mashed sweet potato or squash with chicken breast or fish is good too.

 

DH and I have been doing Trim Healthy Mama for a few weeks now, and it's going great. My baby weight this time around has been extremely stubborn, and I'm almost 18 months post-partum, but this is working for me! DH is getting noticeably slimmer too. He's wearing stuff he hasn't worn in over a year. I like that it takes a common sense approach and you're not cutting out any major food groups. None of this "I look at a piece of bread and gain ten pounds" sort of thing. I've dabbled in different diets and know a lot of people who've wrecked their health from going over (or under)-board, so this aspect is especially important to me.

[Greta]

I haven't read the book, but I'm familiar with the concept. Are potatoes allowed? I love breakfast tacos with eggs and potatoes and maybe a little salsa too.

  

My go-to E breakfast is steel-cut oats with 0% Greek yogurt and maybe a little fruit or berries, depending on what I have. I've also thought that Greek yogurt with unsweetened pumpkin stirred in would make an excellent autumn breakfast. Sometimes I'll do an egg white omelet with herbs, and oatmeal or fruit on the side. Most of my other meals are S (E for breakfast and S for most of the rest is what works for my body and lifestyle right now), so I don't have a lot of recipe ideas, though occasionally I'll do a bean or lentil-based soup with a little homemade sourdough bread. Homemade hot and sour soup is a good protein source and you can pair it with either fats or carbs. Mashed sweet potato or squash with chicken breast or fish is good too.

Thank you both for the ideas!

 

DH and I have been doing Trim Healthy Mama for a few weeks now, and it's going great. My baby weight this time around has been extremely stubborn, and I'm almost 18 months post-partum, but this is working for me! DH is getting noticeably slimmer too. He's wearing stuff he hasn't worn in over a year. I like that it takes a common sense approach and you're not cutting out any major food groups. None of this "I look at a piece of bread and gain ten pounds" sort of thing. I've dabbled in different diets and know a lot of people who've wrecked their health from going over (or under)-board, so this aspect is especially important to me.

This is so encouraging - thank you! I've done so many diets over the years that are built on eliminating food groups. I like that THM doesn't eliminate anything, but seeks to put everything in its proper place and time. I'm so glad that you and your husband are having success with it!

[Free Indeed]

I love THM. Some people make it more complicated than it has to be. It definitely makes you think through what you are putting in your body. I have lost about 70 pounds- 40ish of it on THM.

For E breakfasts I like to use sprouted bread- I make the peanut butter junkie and maybe a bit of fruit to make peanut butter toast and fruit, I also scramble egg whites and smear a laughing cow wedge on the toast to make an egg sandwich, I also make fruit filled crepes, and the big boy smoothie. I'm not sure if you would consider those "sweet" or not. Sometimes I will just do a plain piece of toast and protein shake.

[Greta]

I love THM. Some people make it more complicated than it has to be. It definitely makes you think through what you are putting in your body. I have lost about 70 pounds- 40ish of it on THM.

For E breakfasts I like to use sprouted bread- I make the peanut butter junkie and maybe a bit of fruit to make peanut butter toast and fruit, I also scramble egg whites and smear a laughing cow wedge on the toast to make an egg sandwich, I also make fruit filled crepes, and the big boy smoothie. I'm not sure if you would consider those "sweet" or not. Sometimes I will just do a plain piece of toast and protein shake.

 

 

Congratulations on your amazing success!  The egg sandwich sounds really good.  I've ordered the THM cookbook, but it hasn't arrived yet.  So I'm not familiar with the particular recipes you mentioned.  But I look forward to reading and trying them!