Category: Weightloss

Last week as I was describing the beginnings of Trim Healthy Mama and the food plan, I alluded to the printed supply lists that teachers send to the local stores to post in the school supply aisles.  These lists not only help parents to select the specific supplies their child(ren) will need,  but it also ensures that each student will come to school prepared for whatever the teacher’s lessons will require.   Filling their backpacks with the right supplies and tools will set them on the path for successful learning and, hopefully, successful completion of the coming assignments.   Ongoing failure to bring the right supplies and tools in their backpacks will not only prevent the students from doing the assigned work, the students will fall behind and will be sort of doomed to fail from the first day.

Say, for example, the students were to have come prepared with paper and pencils for their math lessons and they were to come prepared to purchase the math books – but then imagine the difficulty the student would have in writing the math problems the teacher had written on the board had the student not brought paper and pencils in their backpack.  Then imagine the student saying the cost of the book was too great and they just wanted to read someone else’s book instead.  That would mean that the student could never take the book home to complete the assignments and they wouldn’t be able to copy the lessons very well in class because of the shared book and the limited class time and the lengthy introductions that must be read for each new math concept.

Maybe I’ve drawn this out too much and it seems to border on the ridiculous as some analogies tend to do.  I guess I’m attempting, once again, to demonstrate the seriousness of understanding the mechanics of the THM plan (or any other intricate diet regimen, for that matter!) and the very specific food or “fuel” combinations, the unique recipes and the corresponding ingredients necessary for each recipe.  Failure to understand the mechanics or the why behind the plan and failure to acquire the necessary ingredients or food supplies will practically be a set up for failure – much like the doomed math student in my illustration above.

I see the negative press about the THM plans and I think: there has to be a breakdown somewhere.  Again, could be any food plan, by the way.  Failure to understand a plan and failure to have the necessary preparations and failure to apply the plan really makes the plan destined to be a failure for the one who, in essence, rejected it by not taking it seriously.   Again, could be any food plan.

So what’s in the THM Jetpack?   First, understand that the Jetpack itself is prayerful resolve – prayer for wisdom and discernment and direction; it’s prayer for understanding and application and the resolve part of prayerful resolve is the resolve to address and the resolve to tackle health issues and out of balance eating or out of control food issues.  This, I think more than anything, is the Jetpack for THM.  Once that’s in place, the Jetpack  (for THM) contains a number of important things… I’ll share about them in THM Jetpack part 2.

Regarding the THM Jetpack, first: remember that  the Jetpack itself is prayerful resolve (THM Jetpack part one).  Now, let’s tackle what’s in the Jetpack.

Besides your Bible & journal, start with the book: Trim Healthy Mama. Don’t misunderstand, while the book will add some $ignificant weight to the Jetpack, it won’t be all you need to work the plan; it is the “class material” you’ll need for the journey, but contrary to what you might think, it won’t be the all you need and it’s not the most expensive part of the “diet” plan.   Okay, so at this point you just might be thinking: What?!?!  This deal’s going to cost more than thirty-five bucks?!?!  Yep.  Yep, it will – it’s going to cost you.   You’re going to see that, initially, it’s going to cost you a whole lot.   But once you begin filling your THM Jetpack with all your THM plan goodies, you’re eventually going to come to the realization that you’ve been justifying all sorts of rather indulgent expenses for years!!  And, given some time, you’re going to realize that all the different goodies you’ve willingly purchased actually cost a whole lot more than you’ve realized.  Seriously, go back over your receipts and see what you’ve been willing to $pend here and there on food and $nack items.  Don’t forget little “fa$t food” trips.

It’s just going to shock you initially, perhaps, what you’re going to need to spend in order to closely *follow* the plan and *use* the recipes and implement the *guidelines* of the plan.  You might, for example, think glucomannan might be a little expensive and unnecessary;  but then, somewhere in the dark recesses of your mind,  you’ll remember that you never thought it was too expensive to occasionally buy Costco Vanilla IceCream or a couple of Grande Mochas from the S’bucks in town now and then.  You might also, initially, think that the protein Isolate powder is way too steep and you’ll rationalize that any ol’ protein powder will do… but then, at some point you’ll come to realize, wait,  you’re not buying Häagen-Dazs pints or Potato Chips or candy bars or “protein bars” or Dr. Pepper or any other of dozens of relatively expensive food items you (and I) just took for granted in the monthly food purchases.

So here you go… (read the THM book—re-read the book—understand the mechanics) see the suggested resource links and remember:
an unprepared student will be a frustrated and probably unsuccessful student.

 Jetpack contents:
‎† Oolong Tea.   †Apple Cider Vinegar.
†† Whey Protein Isolate (Isolate, not just any protein powder).
Heavy Cream (take it easy!).
† Stevia and/or † Truvia (and Xylitol and Erythritol can be used as well).
† Glucomannan .  †† Coconut Oil (!!!).
† Light Coconut milk.
† Unsweetened Cocoa Powder(!!!).
† Peanuts or Peanut-butter (natural).
De-fatted Peanut Flour.
Nuts & Seeds (watch it, though… go easy).
† Quinoa.  Chia Seeds.  Chana Dal. Golden Flax. Golden Flax-meal.
Coconut Flour.   Wheat Berries (which you’ll sprout if possible).
† Kefir and Greek Yogurt.
Cottage Cheese (low or nonfat) Lower fat cheeses, Light Laughing Cow cheese.
Nutritional Yeast.  Xanthan Gum.  Spices… great spices!!
† Salmon, Chicken, Fish, Lean Meat.
Unsweetened Almond or Flax Milk.
Vegetables (avoid ititially, white/red potatoes, corn).
Cauliflower.
Fruits (avoid high glycemic index fruits, dried fruits, fruit juices).

As a side note, the THM plan of eating or recipes don’t fall into a particular diet category.  THM’s not a fad diet and it’s not a two-week deal.  It’s not Weight Watchers ® and it’s not Paleo.  It’s not Atkin’s® or Zone® or Southbeach® and, obviously, it’s not Vegetarian/Vegan.  And, just so’s ya know:  It’s not Raw (the authors talk candidly about pitfalls of different diet phases they experienced – you may even have followed them through their food journeys).

So…  dear THM (wannabe?):  it’s not an all or nothing deal.  You “mess up” or you eat “off-plan” you don’t quit and say, stupid plan! and say/think you can’t do it.  No, you just get up, dust off the error of your ways, grab your Jetpack and keep going from wherever you are!!

As I’ve made my way to this part of the journey, I find the incredible thing about this plan is it’s just a plan, a helpful encouraging plan.  I think you’ll appreciate the simplicity and flexibility you’ll have within certain very practical guidelines.   But… and this is a very big but ( one ‘t’ – no pun intended—but hopefully it’s the last big bu.. you’ll ever have):  you will have to give up free-wheeling anything goes eating f.o.r.e.v.e.r.  if you’re ever going to be and remain trim and healthy – don’t read that as: skinny and healthy.  There’s a great difference between trim and skinny.

† denotes  a THM  “foundation food”

Get some more great encouragement here and here and here!!

Happy Trimming!!!