Review of Trim Healthy Mama
By Natalie, Contributing Writer
Sporting a hefty 619 pages, Trim Healthy Mama by Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett is one of the newer healthy eating reads on the block, having been released in August of 2012. You might benefit from reading this book IF you:
- Struggle with your weight
- Have a hard time sticking to a diet
- Lack energy
- Are still learning about healthy eating and nutrition
- Want to learn a bit about the science behind food – in an easy-to-understand format
- Want to find out about (and avoid) some diet extremes that can lead to poor overall health
Why the Weight?
“Basic Physiology 101: Any extra padding around the waistline is related to an excess of carbs, creating a problem with the hormone insulin.” (pg. 5)
The basic premise of the book in a nutshell:
“Never include large amounts of both fats and carbs in the same meal unless you are trying to gain or maintain weight.” (pg. 64)
After introducing the reader to a raw food purist, a farming meat-and-potatoes gal, a fast food eater, and a whole grains fanatic, the authors explain how every one of these diets cause long term health damage by having the same effect on the hormone insulin.
The PLAN is to stabilize blood sugar by establishing a healthy cycle of eating that includes two basic types of meals:
- Satisfying: uses fats for fuel and will include animal proteins, butter, oils, cheeses, nuts, seeds, non-starchy vegetables and berries. A typical “satisfying” meal might include a salad with dressing and cheese, baked chicken, and roasted veggies tossed with butter.
- Energizing: uses glucose for fuel and will include animal protein and moderate amounts of starch from foods like beans, whole grains, root vegetables and fruits. A typical “energizing” meal might include whole grain pancakes topped with blueberries, maple syrup, and 0% Greek yogurt.
Children and those who are underweight or simply maintaining weight can (and should) mix both fats and glucose in the same meals. But for those who want to break the cycle of sugar spikes and insulin imbalance that are at the root of weight gain and other health issues, the idea is to take turns eating satisfying and energizing meals throughout the week.
Things I Like About Trim Healthy Mama
1. The authors explain the science behind weight gain, lack of energy, hormone imbalances, infertility and other related health issues in a thorough, easy-to- understand way. I was vaguely familiar with some of what they shared, but a few light bulbs turned on while I was reading.
2. “The Plan” is not rigid. It is customizable using normal food on a normal budget. I love the long-term approach to healthy eating that includes all the food groups.
3. They give a gazillion practical examples of how to make it work. (619 pages, remember?)
4. These gals are transparent about their past mistakes. I enjoyed reading about their adventures as younger women following nutritional rabbit trails riddled with error. It is probable that the honest sharing of their experiences will help other women avoid the same mistakes.
5. They include oodles of recipes covering dinners, lunches, breakfasts, desserts, breads, condiments, beverages, cultured recipes, sides, and crock pot favorites.
6. The reader will learn from practical chapters on saving money, exercise (LOVED this chapter), sex, balancing hormones, and skin care, along with Frequently Asked Questions.
7. I enjoyed the fact that the authors have two different personalities and food philosophies. I could relate to Pearl the most as I tend to be loosy goosy with “rules” in the kitchen, wanting to truly enjoy cooking and eating to the fullest, even if that means breaking rules here and there. The book is full of shaded boxes in which the authors banter back and forth with one another on different nutrition issues. They also use these boxes to share extra tips and inside peeks to their “real lives.” It’s loads of fun to read.
Things I Didn’t Like
- Their recipes (overall). I love good food, and I like to think I’m a fairly decent cook. I wasn’t really impressed with their recipes, but they do make it easy to figure out how to tweak your own recipes to make them healthier.
- I didn’t like being told that when I go to a Mexican restaurant, I can’t have chips. And when I go to an Italian restaurant, I have to bring my own Dreamfield’s noodles. I didn’t like being told that I couldn’t eat bananas or baked potatoes.
Oh wait. They didn’t tell me I couldn’t do those things. They just suggested that if I wanted to lose weight and balance my hormones because I was all whacked out – these are some things I COULD do. You know. If I wanted to.
Well, I don’t. In fact, I ate a banana ten minutes ago just to be able to write that.
- All authors but One are fallible.
- Don’t get all your information from one source. (Not talking about the Bible here.)
- Chew the meat; spit out the bones.
My Favorite Chapters
- Foundation Foods–where they share several basic foods that are key to good health, including why they are important, how to include them in your diet, and where to find them. I was able to easily include some of those foods into our diet just by throwing them into our daily smoothies.
- Exercise–where they cover the latest research as well as the physiological benefits of various types of exercise routines. I discovered I am tragically ignorant in this area.
A Few Practical Changes in My Own Life
- More protein-rich breakfasts (eggs, cheeses and protein shakes) replacing our typical grain-based breakfast.
- Sprouted bread instead of regular whole wheat. The rest of the family will not switch, but that’s OK. With the encouragement of this book, I’ve decided to make some personal changes that don’t include them.
- Stevia to sweeten my coffee and fruit smoothies. (See my article on sweeteners for more information about the kind of stevia they recommend.)
- More wild-caught fish for dinner.
- Adding hemp seed, chia seed and whey protein to our daily kefir smoothies. (I’ve always thrown in raw coconut oil – another ingredient they recommend.)
- Using coconut sap sugar instead of white sugar in my baking.
- Added a stretching and exercise routine to my life that is totally doable with my busy schedule and lots of Littles.
Is the Book Worth the $35 Price Tag?
In a word, yes. I learned more from this book than I’ve learned from a dozen other similar books in the past ten years. Sure, there are a few things that I might not agree with completely, but in my opinion the book holds up its end of the bargain in providing the reader with a wealth of updated information as well as motivation to change.
Thank you for this review. I’ve been wondering about this book. I’m still not sure if I’ll spend the money (looking for a deal), but I feel more informed. Thanks!
They recomend eating more wild caught fish, but ever since the nuclear power plant disaster in japan, I have stopped buying canned Alaskan salmon, for fear of contamination. Is that nuts, or a justified fear? I live in a landlocked state, and while I try and focus on eating local food, I do make exceptions for things I think will greatly benefit our nutrition, such as the said salmon. However, I don’t know of another source for oily fish. Any thoughts?
Hi Angie! I buy frozen, wild-caught salmon at my local Wal-Mart. It is an American product. I just thaw it out under warm water (takes about 10 minutes) and saute it in butter with cajun spices. I drizzle it with lemon juice and serve it with roasted asparagus. Yum!
This is a very good book. There are alot of good suggestions in the book. These ladies are Christians and love Jesus. They have put many hours into this book. It is a big book with lots of information. I’ve lost 6 pounds in the first few weeks. Im 55 years old with only 15 or so pounds to lose. It has been the very thing that I needed to get my hormonal weight in order. It is well worth the money to me.
This is timely because I am dealing with some health issues in menopause that I have never dealt with before — relating to hormone imbalance. I have been convicted that i need to take a closer look at my diet. And I want to understand the why of the changes. Thanks so much, Natalie.
It sounds good, and I am going to order it. I looked at this book recently when you mentioned it on Visionary Womanhood. I read most of the material Amazon made available for free in the “peek inside” feature and felt kinda discouraged…I know very little about all of this, and about two years ago I started grinding my own grain and making whole wheat bread…then I read in Trim Healthy Mama about how people can go overboard with that and it isn’t as healthy as you would think, blah, blah, blah. I felt discouraged because sometimes it seems like I try to make a healthy change here or there and then later find out it wasn’t as much of a health boost as I had originally thought. The idea of making large sweeping changes seems overwhelming, too. After reading your post I went to a few websites and tried to find hemp seed, chia seed, and coconut sap sugar…and couldn’t. Even just knowing where to get things like that is an obstacle. Multiply that times everything else….like learning how to sprout grains, and learning how to make my own kefir (I buy it, but it is $$$ so I limit who in the family is allowed to drink it to just the littles…) and that is just the things I gleaned from this post that I need to change. If I read another post, there will be 5 more things to try and do, and so on. Anyway, as I said, I am going to buy it, and try to start implementing some changes for our family. I’m trying to remember that even some change is a good thing. Baby steps! Thanks for a good post!
Trim Healthy Mama speaks to the whole wheat bread issue. It IS very healthy to eat whole wheat grains! The problem they have found in their own lives and in talking with many people who eat whole wheat grains, even grinding their own flours, is that the amount of carbs the people consume causes their blood sugar levels to spike a lot, and this causes insulin resistance – which eventually leads to diabetes and weight gain around our middle sections. For people who are thin and aren’t putting weight on around their middle sections, they can probably get away with eating whole wheat breads and homemade bread products, etc., for a lengthier period of time. But once we start noticing the weight gain around the middle, then that’s a big clue that we are becoming insulin-resistant, and we need to make some changes in our diet.
I know what you mean about changes being overwhelming! I have been changing things for close to two years, and I am nowhere near being done! I do believe in baby steps like you said. I also pray and ask God for enjoyment and excitement about cooking, and for resources etc. I need his help to be able to keep being healthy for a lifetime! And I do get discouraged sometimes. Sometimes I think my mind just needs a break!
I just checked this book out from my local library and I have not had much time to read it yet. I have appreciated the stories and how much information they are sharing. But I also had a few concerns after just a quick “look-through.”
I was a little confused by their suggestion on using Truvia so much in their recipes. I had thought that product was another one of those “no-no’s” due to how they process it. Do you know? I know they had other recommendations as well, I just found that surprising.
The other thing I found a little hard was their suggestions for their meals. I felt I would have to make sure I had a lot of different products on hand just to follow their daily meals and I just am not sure I could do that right now. Instead, I just need to glean from it and make some adjustments as I can.
I will definitely spend more time reading it. I’m not sure yet if I’d purchase it or not. It is so hard when every book you get out there tells you something different then from the one before and you don’t know who to believe. I definitely am not an over-eater, I think my biggest struggle is learning how to put the “right” foods together for me and my body and that I need to exercise.
Thanks for your review of the book. I found it helpful.
LOVE your review – and your honesty.
I almost choked on my banana and spilled my fair-trade coffee with raw cream.
A girl after my own heart. ; )
Been on Trim Healthy Mamma plan for a couple months now and I LOVE this plan. You can make it your own with the recipes~ I have also tweaked my own and made many new ones. I have lost 30lbs so far. This book is filled with wisdom. Also the authors have a facebook and a group page and always there to answer questions! I honestly do not know what you found in the book that you DIDNT like. This book has been needed for mammas and its finally here! Yay!
I got this book when it firsut. There is allot of good meat to it and I have benefited from the chapter on hormones and biblical eating. The problems I have had with their plan are that it relies very heavily on dairy and a konjac root powder called glucomannan. They go on and on about its benefits and safety, however the first time I ate a very small amount of one of their pudding recipes with it I had a scary allergic reaction to it. And my husband, who has no food sensitivity, got very loose stools from it. I googled glucomannan and found many negative things said about it online. They rely on glucomannan to help you feel full and eat less calories, it seems unclear how well I could do on their plan without it. It is in 50% of their recipes. Overall I loved the heart to heart style of the book. I think their transparency was encouraging. If you have no food sensitivies, then their plan may work
wellfor you. I also had a hard time giving up honey as they suggest. And I would never choose to eat truvia or processed foods like whey powder and denatured peanut powder which they also rely heavily on.
It may help you to know that in most recipes the glucomannan can be replaced with xanthan gum. unfortunately, not in the puddings. 🙂
Great review, Natalie. The Humbled Homemaker recommended this book to me too. I’ve been doing a lot of reading along this line lately. I already ready Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It. I’m currently reading The Paleo Diet and I have got Primal Blueprint on hold at the library. Seems I’ll be reading this one too.
PS – I like bananas. No wait. I LOVE BANANAS. Don’t take my banana. I might bite you.
Okay – so now I’ve actually ordered the book and read it. And yes, I kissed my bananas good-bye. Wow. Must be a miracle book. 🙂 Worth. Every. Penny.
We began eating the Trim Healthy Mama way as a family about a month ago. As a family of four, we’ve lost over 25 pounds and 8 inches around the waistline in one month’s time. We’ve enjoyed the breakfasts, lunches, and dinner recipes, but we’ve found a different website for desserts because we haven’t really liked the taste of most of the desserts, though their Tummy Tucking vanilla Ice Cream is quite good!
Three out of the four of us had weight issues around the midsection, and I am pre-diabetic, so we definitely needed to make these changes even though we’d been eating mostly whole, clean foods. Trim Healthy Mama has taken all of the nutrition information I’ve read for years and years, and summarized it into an easy-to-read and use format that we are really enjoying for our family. My husband ate a banana every day of his life, but is now eating an apple every day now instead. That, plus eating no carbs for breakfast and eating our dinner leftovers for his lunch has helped him really start losing weight and inches. Next is to start working out like they suggest in THM. We’re finally excited about a plan that will work for us!
About the intestinal issues that someone mentioned here, we haven’t had a problem with the gluccomannan powder, which is just ground up Konjac root. It’s a filler and thickener, but for some people who eat it too much, it does cause gut issues that will make someone stay in the bathroom for a while. Ever since I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes and have been on a medication for that, I’ve had problems with gut issues. But the glucomannan hasn’t bothered me at all, thankfully! For some people, even adding hemp seed or chia seed or any boost in the fiber levels will cause gut problems. If we start out slowly with it, and build our ability to handle it, it works better. But obviously, there are some people who are intolerant to glucommanan, as one of your commenters said. I wouldn’t say that half of the recipes rely on glucomannan. Half or 3/4 of the dessert recipes do, but we haven’t used it in our breakfasts, lunches, or dinners hardly ever, even with using a wide variety of their recipes.
I bought this book for my daughter because she is struggling with losing her “baby” fat after her second c-section. She is a home-birth midwife and is already versed in healthy eating habits, but she is totally amazed at the results of following this Trim Healthy Mama’s advice. She isn’t doing everything ‘by the book’, but like the Amazon reviews I read said, even following half of their tips results in lost pounds! She has lost 8.5 lbs. in 5.5 weeks and she is thrilled!
I now own this book and am enjoying it’s conversational style of writing. The premise of not combining two fuel sources (glucose and fats) in the same meal really works. It just makes physiological sense to avoid the storing of extra fuel/energy, which our body stores as fat. We did purchase much of what is recommended in the book (alternative natural sweeteners and low carb flours such as peanut, and almond. Most of these items are used in small quantities to make incredibly healthy smoothies, side dishes, and delicious desserts. So the amount used makes them affordable.
The best part of this nutritional diet is that even if you just use the one-fuel-source idea in your meal planning, you will lose weight. My daughter is ecstatic with her weight loss. She just wasn’t losing by trying to cut down calories and exercise. Plus she is now enjoying the delicious options and not feeling hungry. Even her husband is amazed at the healthy, low calorie desserts they are enjoying. This is a healthy option for eating healthy, satisfying meals while enjoying treats that won’t throw off your diet. Highly recommended!
sorry if this has already been mentioned – just wanted to point out that there is an ebook version available at aboverubies for $19.95:)
Thank you!!! I’m an ebook/kindle reader – I suspect it’s the instant gratification angle, in part. Was bummed that amazon didn’t carry the book in that format. Will check this out ASAP!
Errr, won’t be buying anything from that website….
Oh, I’m such a spaz. When I originally looked up AboveRubies, I looked up AboveRubies.COM which appeared to be some abortion/planned parenthood thing. AboveRubies.ORG…. well, that’s a totally different animal 🙂 Sorry about the confusion – mainly, my own confusion played out for the world to see. LaDiDa
I agree with the review that this book is totally worth the money! If it is the only health book you read this year–read it. They have a way of laying out the information that makes it soooo simple. I have read so many health books from cover to cover–yes, including Nourishing Traditions. However, living the nourishing tradition way not only didn’t help me lose any weight it also left me stressed and always anxious and worried I went I couldn’t prepare all my food just so. I am so not into that whole “law” stuff. You know, “whom the Son sets free is free indeed”.
I disagree with the review about the recipes. They have actually been really great. Simple to put together and good tasting. I would say, don’t dis’em till you try’em. I really appreciate the simplicity and speed of most of the recipes. With 5 kids and homeschooling I just cannot be in the kitchen a ton. And please don’t think that I don’t like to cook or am not an avid cooker. I love cooking, baking, the whole lot. But some seasons of life just require different things. Plus I don’t want to look back and think I never helped anyone or reached out to others because I was too busy soaking my grain or cooking needless things from scratch all day. Or worse look back and realize that I missed my children’s childhood. Not to be harsh, but a whole lot of health books are either flat out missing it on the nutrition of the plan or they require so much of a person that is takes over their life.
I have been doind the plan for a full 3 weeks and I have already lost 10 pounds. I am nursing a 1 year old so that helps, but I will tell you that I wasn’t losing anything until I started on the plan. I really truely believe they have hit something on restarting, resetting your metabolism with this plan. Please, please if you have struggled with weight loss, read this book. I have never been able to break my plateau and in just three weeks–done! I really cannot say enough good things about this book. I also loved the chapter on hormones!! Really good. I don’t even want to loan it out because I keep using it for referencing. Thanks!
I’m with you, girl. I lost my last 10 “baby pounds” as well this past month just “sort of” doing their plan. Pretty amazing, in my opinion. I’m 46 years old, and my baby will be one next week. : )
Thought I’d pass on my experience with Trim Healthy Mama. I have always struggled with being slightly overweight and no amount of eating less, or eating better has helped me control it. From the time I was grade school age I have eaten healthy- whole grain bread, whole foods, not much processed junk etc. I am now 31, a homebirth midwife, mother of 2, and gaining weight by the year! It just doesn’t come off me! You know how some people say, “Once you start nursing that baby it will suck it all off of you?”. Very funny. Not me!!!
Fast forward to 6 weeks ago- My mom (Terry Covey from momsmanylessons.com) bought me a copy of THM for my birthday knowing I was trying desperately to lose the 50+ lbs I had gained since getting married 4 years ago and having my 2nd baby in the fall. I skimmed it, began implementing the basics right away, and then read it in depth. Six weeks later, I have lost 9 lbs and every time I step on the scale I continue a slow and steady decline! I am shocked and for the first time have HOPE that maybe I can actually reach a healthy weight once again!
OK, lest you think I have joined the following of the THM plan 100%, you’ve got to understand that I am NOT a follower type person! I have observed WAY too many families get on band wagons and go with-the-flow in all sorts of Christian arenas and have consequently seen the fall-out that soon follows. I believe in seeking God, balancing out truths, and being the unpopular ‘weird’ one.
I have sought to take the heart and undergirding of this book and apply it to my life. Sometimes that means a healthy dose of self-control, like not eating bread and butter together on a regular basis (oh, that’s the hardest for me!). And other times it means whipping up a to-die-for dessert with butter, chocolate, raspberries, coconut milk and oil galore just to make me feel completely undeprived (and I am known to indulge on a 2nd helping and I am STILL losing weight)! I have come to accept a principle that I had not reckoned with in the past: Everything has a consequence or result to it. Even the food (or combination of foods) I put in my mouth.
The basic premiss in general: Don’t mix fats and carbs, and always focus a meal around a protein. I love gluccomannan! It makes the greatest shakes and ice cream and provides smoothness that is hard to find without lots of calories. I also found the recipes just so-so. Some are great and others just merely ok. But there are plenty of ideas so you can get creative and alter some of your family favorites to be more slimming. So if you are worried you will have to be a rigid rule follower to loose weight eating this way, you will not! Just read the book, understand the basics, rearrange the way you eat a bit, and get some enjoyment out of stepping on the scale for a change!
Forgot to mention that I have gotten some amazing treat type recipes at: healthyindulgences.net. And while I am not the workout type of gal, I have been attempting to implement a 15-20 minute routine in my day just a few times a week. After reading bunches of reviews on dozens of DVDs, I decided to purchase the Gorgeous Core DVD. And while I am not impressed with the level of modesty in the trainer (paper slipped in cover upon entrance into my home) I am really enjoying the workouts. Did I just say enjoy? Ok, so maybe enjoy is not the correct word. 🙂 More like I find them very doable with lots of encouragement and they are pushing me in just the areas I need for a major cesarean ‘pooch’ belly!
It is a great read. Started eating this way for about six weeks and am down 19 lbs. Don’t feel deprived and have much much more energy. I am trying to follow it most of the time and take what offered at someone’s home with grace and thanksgiving.
I’m reading this too and about to write a review, myself! I just did a blog post about the Skinny Chocolate… http://www.thebluehouseblog.com/2013/02/trim-healthy-mama-skinny-chocolate.html
Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you as well. I recently subscribed to your blog and have really been enjoying the posts. They really relate to (and support) the direction and wisdom the Lord has already lead me to! (Which is quite encouraging!) I’ve wanted to purchase this book since before it was released. I have been waiting because I know that there are times and seasons where more information can just bring a “weight” and I’m trying to be spirit lead in this way! I’m looking forward to reading it in the future and appreciate a good overview in your blog post. I especially appreciate you having pointed to the One who ultimately is the Answer and gives us the wisdom we so desire! Thank you and God bless!
I’m just doing some searching on this book and came across your review. I keep seeing it advertised in Above Rubies and for various reasons, might start implementing some changes. I honestly don’t like to THINK about what I’m eating much. I feel like it is a waste of time and energy. Our family is on a very limited budget trying to get out of debt and pursue some of my husband’s other plans and I’m trying to do my part, which often means NOT being able to spend more than necessary for our meals. (And he eats a LOT and is skinny, so he’s not very understanding of my struggles). I do grind my own wheat and make our bread, but I only eat it MAYBE once a day. I could stand to loose 100 lbs give or take (to be trim) but I haven’t actually gained any weight in 4 years. I’d been pretty much the same weight since puberty (didn’t eat great growing up, but not terrible…our family even did the whole Atkins thing for a time which worked very well for us.) The only time I put on weight was during pregnancy; lost only about 15 lbs after and then stopped, nothing much since then up or down. I don’t know if this means that my diet is fine (since I’m not gaining, anywhere) and just need to exercise more, or if I need to do both. I’ve also always wrestled with the whole obsession in our culture over physical health and appearance, even amongst Christians. I see so little emphasis on it Biblically, so I’m hoping this book might show me some things I’ve yet considered. Healthwise, I’m pretty healthy and moderatly active. I’m pretty strong and have enough energy to get everything done in my home that needs doing. I do however have some hormonal/thyroid issues and infertility (since my first and only pregnancy) I’m trying to address (also taking some supplements from my chiro for it). Stress has been a huge part of my life for the past few years for various reasons as well. I’m just now (I hope! LOL) getting to a less stressful situation and yet I still haven’t “figured out” what I’m to do about my physical situation and what mindset to have. Thank you for reading and for your review. It helped me decide if the $20 was worth giving up. 🙂
Just though I’d share my experence with THM as well! 🙂 I started my version of the plan after Thanksgiving and am still going strong! I have been a pretty healthy eater and a regular exerciser for many years now. I weighed 132 (a very good weight for me) up until turning 30 when I promptly gained 10 lbs. I’m almost 36 and for the past 5 1/2 years my weight has fluctuated up to 150 and down to 140 but I could never seem to break the 140 mark!
After eating the THM way for a few months, I dropped to 137, finally breaking the 140 plateau! I feel so much better, have more energy and don’t feel deprived in the least! When I started this plan, my weight was up to 146 I’ve lost 9 pounds in 4 months. My favorite THM snack, is nonfat greek yogurt with truvia and frozen berries. My favorite lunch is quesadillas on Joseph’s pitas, sprinkled with hot sauce and spread with nonfat greek yogurt. Dinners are easy-I just eat the protein and veggie and abstain from the carb heavy side dish. I also eat a lot of salads sprinkled with bacon bits, smoked almonds and sun dried tomatoes and drizzled with chipotle ranch dressing. Yum! Who could ever feel deprived eating this way?
However, I go off plan all the time. I had a cheeseburger, chips and a pepsi for dinner last night, for example. 🙂 I also still eat bananas when I want to-I just only eat half of one at a time. I put flavored coffee creamer and real sugar in my coffee too. I just try to use them sparingly.
All of this cheating means that my weight loss is slow but I’m okay with that because it also makes it possible for me to make this way of eating a lifestyle instead of a fad diet. Studies have also proven that we’re more likely to keep weight off if we lose it slowly.
I highly recommend THM! After 6 years of hard work, it’s the only way of eating that’s helped me to finally get close to what I weighed in my 20’s. Just remember to take what works for you and ignore the rest. You’ll be surprised at how much you’ll be helped if you just apply 1/2 of the concepts you’ll learn from this book!
I have the book, I am now in my 60’s and learnt more from this book than any other or the sum total of all the healthy food/diet/lifing books I have ever read in my long life. The science behind the foods is amazing (& true as I have checked). Finally understanding what happens where, why and how, has made it so much easier to understand what to eat when and why and the consequences. Great motivation, great information including the very informative hormone & happy married life sections. God bless these courageous women for making this all available in one handy book. I am giving a copy to every young woman I know to given them the nutritional and specific female anatomy information at the start of their life so they won’t have to live in ignorance for as long as I and most of my female friends have had to endure.
I love this book and I have just recently started to apply the info in it. I doubt I would ever do it exactly like they do. My version will be modified but will keep the main ideas with my meals, high fat/low carb, higher carb/low fat with protein at the core of each meal. I have done this far from perfectly so far and I’m already starting to lose. My problem is keeping it in my mind but hopefully that will get easier. I just recently got the Stevia (been using Splenda as that’s what I had on hand) and haven’t quite figured out how much to use so still working on that but I think I’ll be ok with it. My snacks are where I have more of a problem than regular meals. I prefer sweet snacks, and other than fruit, I haven’t tried their snack ideas. Going to go slow on the recipes and starting with the breakfast and evening meals first. I am already used to using flax and chia seeds and protein powder.
I bought the e-book version and have learned quite a bit from it. I am a 56 year old mom of two little girls. I would like to lose some weight, and to be honest I could lose 50 pounds and get to the “trim” stage. However, the book, to me, is just a rehash of different diets put together. I am with one of the other commenters here, I am not so into the “needing to be trim” outlook of the world. I am healthy, strong, and able to do all I need to do. I did the Atkins diet a few years ago and did lose over 50 pounds, but as soon as I went back to eating a normal way, when my cholesterol went through the roof, the weight came back along with some friends. So I am wondering what is going to happen when I go back to eating “normal” after this diet? Same thing I could bet. The idea of eating only one type of fuel at a meal makes excellent sense, and I will incorporate that as much as I can because I want to stay healthy and diabetes runs in my family. However, the glucomannan, konjac noodles, Stevia, etc., etc., is all too much money and too much processed food. I am of the mindset that if we eat the way the Lord intended for us to eat, and not sit on our duffs all day, then the weight will be what God intended for us. He created us to be a unique person and only He knows what His plans were from the beginning for each of us. So what if He decided that some weigh 120 pounds and some weigh 200? Well, as long as I am healthy, I am not going overboard. I am not a teenager any longer and I won’t be able to do the things I did or wear the clothes I did then. I can accept that. Looking at my genetic heritage, eating healthy, and keeping active without worrying about whether my tummy is flat is the way I will live my life.
I bought the book a few months ago, and have been losing weight eating THM style meals. For the most part I love the food. Two things that did not turn out and I will not be making again are the spinach bread and Nori Wraps. I love the Skinny Chocolate most of all, and it’s fun to be able to make my own choco any time I want. I don’t follow it completely faithfully though, but the changes that I have made and been making have resulted in weight loss which is very exciting.
Do you think there is a large benefit to following the diet like an 80/20. Or do you think the 20% ruins it all?
Because honestly, there are some things I just enjoy well. I do like potatoes (not in excess of course) and well bananas are great. My daughter loves them, and I occasionally rely on them during low budget times.