Beginning the THM Journey

As I’ve begun the THM (Trim Healthy Mama) journey, I’m surprised how easy it has been to change my eating *lifestyle* bcz, seriously, food is a lifestyle with me — and I know it is very much so for many other mamas.  Food speaks volumes for most mamas… it says, I love you… I care about you… I’m thinking of you… I’m celebrating with you… I am making memories memories with and for you… setting traditions you’ll carry on in your own homes some day.  Food says: welcome home.

Events of most days are food related.  Talk about food, think about food, make food, eat food, clean up food, snack on the cleanup foods, think about the next meal, share awesome recipes, talk about awesome dishes, plan awesome meals, look at pinteresting recipes and pinteresting photos of f.o.o.d.

So now, the THM journey.  Most THM’ers will understand this intro.  And that’s bcz they, like me, finally got to a point where all this food talk/prep/thought/intake and more intake was causing a physical and mental train-wreck.  I say, most THM’ers, bcz there seem to be other mamas reading and “doing” the Trim Healthy Mama plan who are seasoned veterans of diet and exercise.  They’re the ones who’ve had the fortitude and resolve to stick with plans, stay disciplined and have come to see the THM plan can really work in a family setting with simple modifications for family members who need more calories, etc., etc.  But, I dare say, it seems that most of the mamas who’ve embraced the THM plan were not previously so disciplined to stay with a healthful, appropriate calorie/nutrition intake, daily regimen — year after year. 

I’m finding that the initial enthusiasm I had for the THM lifestyle fluctuates a bit and here’s why.  While I had many of the food items in my fridge and pantry, there were/are many items I did not/do not have on hand.  So I had to improvise and muddle along with a smaller variety of acceptable or ‘plan’ ingredients.  Then, some of the sweeteners I did acquire tasted awful to me.  Some of the reworked favy recipes were not S meals to me at all.  “S” meals = satisfying.  And they sure weren’t.  But… what to do? what to do?  I had to press on.  I’d invested in the book, invested in the ingredients and had already predetermined to stick with this journey.  So I have.  And you know what I’ve come to experience?  I’m learning to appreciate this new way of eating. 

You know I love sugar.  I love honey even more.  And chocolate… chocolate almost as much as butter & sugar anything.  But I’ve sort of gotten past that sugar-sugar-sugar addiction in the last two weeks.  Example… I made frosting for birthday cupcakes yesterday.  Ordinarily, I’d have tasted and adjusted–tasted and adjusted the Vanilla-Bean buttercream—and I mean a teaspoon size “taste” for adjusting the vanilla/sugar/butter/salt/cream ratio.  Yesterday I was able to tell if the ratio was correct with less than a 1/8 teaspoon t.a.s.t.e.  And I didn’t have any inclination to taste more.  This morning I’m amazed at that.  And the chocolate ganache-mousse frosting for the chocolate chip/chocolate cupcakes?  Same thing… and no inclination to dip a tablesp0on into the Kitchenaid mixing bowl.   If nothing else, this is amazing.

So the journey has surely begun… and I’ll tell you more about it.