Trim Healthy Mama Week 10 in Review

Well, here we are at week 10 on Trim Healthy Mama (THM).  This week was the first time I really ventured way off plan for a meal...but it wasn't even a meal.  It was a snack, but since it wasn't the best choice, I counted it as a meal.  I'll share what it was, but this is not something I plan on doing on a regular basis.  It was a rare treat, and hey, live without regrets!

Week 10 Meals
Day One
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 000 yogurt with a cutie (E)
Lunch -- chicken taco slider; chickpea salad; apple (E)
Snack -- smoothie with a chocolate chip cookie (S)
Supper -- grilled salmon burger with a salad (S)
Dessert -- chocolate chip cookies (S)

Day Two
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 000 yogurt with a cutie (E)
Lunch -- hot ham and cheese on Angelic hamburger bun; 1/2 000 yogurt with a cutie (E)
Snack -- smoothie (FP)
Supper -- Outback's cobb salad with grilled chicken and Ranch (S)

Day Three
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 000 yogurt with a cutie (E)
Lunch -- same as day two (E)
Snack -- cheesecake smoothie and cookies (S)
Supper -- German frikadellen; steamed cauliflower; salad (S)

Day Four
Breakfast -- 1 blueberry muffin; 2 egg muffins; 3 pieces bacon (S)
Lunch -- Progresso Light Chicken & Dumpling soup; 000 yogurt with a cutie (E)
Snack -- cheesecake smoothie with cookies (S)
Supper -- grilled salmon burger with a salad (S)

Day Five
Breakfast -- same as day four (S)
Lunch -- Outback's cobb salad with grilled chicken and Ranch (S)
Snack -- cookies, cashews, and coffee (S)
Supper -- tutti frutti yogurt topped with kiwis, strawberries, pineapple, and Skittles (OFF PLAN)***

Day Six
Breakfast -- same as day four (S)
Lunch -- 2 THM pancakes; 000 yogurt with a cutie (E)
Snack -- cheesecake smoothie (S)
Supper -- Longhorn's grilled chicken and strawberry salad (Crossover)

Day Seven
Breakfast -- same as day four (S)
Lunch -- cheesecake smoothie (S)
Snack -- skipped due to timing
Supper -- grilled lamb chops with salad (S)

Number of Each Meal Type
S --17
E -- 8
Crossover -- 1
Fuel Pull -- 1

Scale Results
Week 1:  5.2 lbs
Week 2:  1.6 lbs
Week 3:  0.4 lbs
Week 4:  1.6 lbs
Week 5:  1.6 lbs
Week 6:  1 lb
Week 7:  1 lb
Week 8:  1.2 lbs
Week 9:  +0.2 lbs
Week 10: 2 lbs 
TOTAL weight loss so far:  15.4 lbs

***This was a rare treat.  My husband is a finance manager at a car dealership.  With that said, he gets limited time off.  Being that the end of the month and a holiday are approaching, he will be working everyday from today through July 4th.  So, since it was Father's Day, and we were enjoying some down time, the boys wanted to go get some frozen yogurt.  This is not something we enjoy very often at all...even though there's a fro-yo shop five minutes from our home...LOL!  I wanted to pass and stay home, but my husband and boys asked me to go.  So, I obliged, and I did enjoy the treat.  I was also pleased with the scale results the next morning...I was down a whole pound...granted, it's not an endorsement to eat off plan, but sometimes, that extra junk can kick your weight loss back into order.  As my husband explained, my muscles may have needed the extra glycogen...whatever all that means.***

This week, I really tried to focus on having more protein in my afternoon snack.  I did this by enjoying a shake.  Protein shakes are not my favorite, but if I can add in yogurt, then it's easier to consume.  Adding in cream cheese makes it even better, too.  I also tried to not have very man snacks/desserts after 8pm.  I'm hoping maybe this will help with the weight loss as well.  Also, I focused really hard on working out this week.  Each day, I would find something to do...some days it was on You Tube and others it was an arm workout program with hand weights.  I also did abs each day.  I'm really hoping that doing this will help on the scale, but also help with toning up the loose skin.

As always, please feel free to click on my affiliate link to learn more about THM or to order any products.  It doesn't affect your purchase at all, but it does give me a little kickback for sharing THM with you.

Trim Healthy Mama Week 9 in Review

I'm just going to admit...this was probably the hardest week on Trim Healthy Mama (THM) I've had.  There were a few nights I just didn't know what to cook...it would have been easier to just run through the drive-thru.  Thankfully, though, I didn't do that...I followed through and cooked something.  I don't know why this week was hard, but that's ok...I'm still on plan and that is what counts.

Week 9 Meals
Day One
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 000 yogurt with an apple (E)
Lunch -- cheesecake smoothie (S)
Snack -- cashews with coffee (S)
Supper -- creamy baked chicken with salad (S)

Day Two
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 000 yogurt with a cutie (E)
Lunch -- taco salad; cutie (E)
Snack -- cashews with Zevia (S)
Supper -- salmon burger with salad (S)

Day Three
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 000 yogurt with an apple (E)
Lunch -- Progresso Light chicken noodle soup; 1/4 cup chick peas; 1/2 000 yogurt with an apple (E)
Supper -- 2 fried eggs; 4 sausage balls; 1 blueberry muffin (S)
Dessert -- strawberries; Lily's chocolate chips; splash of heavy cream (S)

Day Four
Breakfast -- 2 fried eggs with bacon (S)
Lunch -- Canadian ham on an Angelic Bakehouse hamburger bun (added 1/2 slice of ultra thin cheddar cheese and a smear of mayo); chick pea salad; cutie (E)
Snack -- chocolate chip cookies with coffee (S)
Supper -- beef stroganoff over Dreamfield's pasta; salad (S)

Day Five
Breakfast -- cheesecake smoothie (S)
Lunch -- chick pea salad; 000 with an orange (E)
Snack -- chocolate chip cookies with coffee (S)
Supper -- bunless cheeseburger with a salad (S)

Day Six
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 000 yogurt with a cutie (E)
Lunch -- hot turkey and cheese on an Angelic Bakehouse hamburger bun (1/2 slice of ultra thin cheese and smear of Duke's light mayo); 1/2 000 yogurt with a cutie (E)
Snack -- chocolate chip cookies with coffee (S)
Supper -- chicken taco meat in a low carb tortilla topped with lettuce and light sour cream; cucumbers with Ranch (S)
Snack/Dessert -- chocolate chip cookies (S)

Day Seven
Breakfast  -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 000 yogurt with a cutie (E)
Lunch -- chicken taco meat in 1/2 Joseph's lavash with 1 laughing cow cheese wedge and sprinkle of Mexican cheese; topped with lettuce and Walden Farms chipotle ranch dressing (FP)
Snack -- 000 yogurt with 1 tbsp chopped pecans (FP)
Supper -- same as lunch (FP)

Number of Each Meal Type
S -- 16
E -- 10
FP -- 3

Scale Results
Week 1:  5.2 lbs
Week 2:  1.6 lbs
Week 3:  0.4 lbs
Week 4:  1.6 lbs
Week 5:  1.6 lbs
Week 6:  1 lb
Week 7:  1 lb
Week 8:  1.2 lbs
Week 9:  +0.2lbs
TOTAL weight loss so far:  13.4 lbs

So, another week with more results.  I know I sound like a broken record, but you can tell from this week's weigh-in, it's about more than the scale.  I may not be happy with the results, and I might try to sit and analyze why they were what they are, but that doesn't mean I should just throw in the towel and go back to my old eating habits.  I'll continue forward and see what I can do to get back to a negative loss next week.

As always, feel free to comment or ask me any questions.  If you want to know more about Trim Healthy Mama, I'd love if you clicked through my affiliate link.  It doesn't affect your purchase, but it does offer me a small percentage for sharing THM with you.

Happy THMing everyone!

Trim Healthy Mama Week 8 in Review

It's been almost two months (the 15th will be officially two months) since I started Trim Healthy Mama (THM).  I think I've mentioned before that I really wish I would have started sooner.  I would be so much further along in my weight loss journey, but that's okay...I'm making progress now, and that's what really matters.  Here's what I ate during week 8...

Week 8 Meals
Day One
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes smeared with cream cheese and Polaner; 1/2 000 yogurt with an apple (E)
Lunch -- Taco Salad (1/2 cup beef, 1/2 cup black beans, bit of Mexican cheese, lettuce) topped with Walden Farms dressing (zero fat/zero carbs...sweetened with monk fruit extract) (E)
Snack -- chocolate chip cookies with coffee (S)
Supper -- pizza casserole with salad (S)

Day Two
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 orange with 1/2 000 yogurt (E)
Lunch -- strawberry chocolate cheesecake smoothie (greek yogurt, almond milk, frozen strawberries, cream cheese, Lily's chocolate chips, 1/2 scoop THM protein powder, bit of sweet blend) (S)
Snack -- chocolate chip cookies (S)
Supper -- pizza casserole with cucumbers and Ranch (S)

Day Three
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 000 yogurt w/an orange (E)
Lunch -- pizza casserole (S)
Snack -- chocolate chip cookies with coffee (S)
Supper -- 2 fried eggs over spinach with bacon (S)
Snack -- chocolate chip cookies (S)

Day Four
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes (E)
Lunch -- Progresso light chicken & dumpling soup; orange w/ 1/2 000 yogurt (E)
Snack -- 1/2 000 yogurt w/an orange (E)
Supper -- grilled chicken sausage with a salad (S)

Day Five
Breakfast -- bacon and fried eggs (S) 
Lunch -- 1/2 chicken sausage; salad; 000 yogurt w/orange (E)
Snack -- cookies with coffee (S)
Supper -- Alfredo Beef & Broccoli with salad (S)

Day Six
Breakfast -- fried eggs with bacon (S)
Lunch -- taco salad (E)
Snack -- 000 yogurt with an orange (E)
Supper -- Alfredo beef & broccoli with salad (S)

Day Seven
Breakfast -- 1 blueberry muffin; 5 sausage balls; 1 fried egg (S)
Lunch -- Outback's cobb salad (minus the croutons and tomatoes) with grilled chicken and Ranch (S)
Snack -- 000 peach yogurt with 1/4 cup pecans (S)
Supper -- 3 THM pancakes; 000 yogurt with an orange (E)

Number of Each Meal Type
S -- 18
E -- 11

Scale Results
Week 1 loss:  5.2 lbs
Week 2 loss:  1.6 lbs
Week 3 loss:  0.4 lbs
Week 4 loss:  1.6 lbs
Week 5 loss:  1.6 lbs
Week 6 loss:  1 lb
Week 7 loss:  1 lb
Week 8 loss:  1.2 lbs
TOTAL weight loss so far:  13.6 lbs

Inches Lost
Month 1:  5.5
Month 2:  7.5
TOTAL inches lost:  13

I've mentioned many times that it's not about the scale, but about how you feel and inches lost as well.  I am very pleased with the amount of inches I've lost over the course of 8 weeks.  Even though I can't see a whole lot of difference in some areas, the numbers don't lie.  I am smaller than I was 8 weeks ago...even if it's not super noticeable.  As always, feel free to ask me any questions or post any comments.  I love hearing from you all.  If you're interested in learning more about THM, I'd love for you to click through my affiliate link to learn more.  You are not affected in any way, but it does offer me a small percentage for sharing my love for THM and their products.

Happy THMing friends.

It's a Wrap...

We finished up the 2014-15 school year today, and I couldn't be happier.  We were scheduled to finish up the end of June, but I decided we'd move a bit faster (since there really wasn't much left), so that we could enjoy two months of summer.

Now, the boys don't get an entire summer of free time, but they will enjoy most of their time as they wish.  They both have to sit and do some extra study work with me on skills that need some honing and practice.

Micah will spend some time working on phonics and reading...not one of his favorite tasks.  But -- it's my hope that this extra work will pay off, and he'll find the joy in reading like the rest of us.

Caleb has consistently scored poorly on data interpretation and problem solving when taking the standardized tests.  I don't really blame him for this because his math program, Teaching Textbooks, doesn't really do a great job of covering those areas.  So, I took the time to find lots of extra practice for him, so he'll sit and work on those skills each day.  It's my hope that he'll be up to par when 7th grade starts in August, but we will most likely still continue to work on these skills throughout the school year.

I quit blogging about our weekly homeschool reviews because it became too tedious and quite boring.  It's my plan next year to blog about the highlights of our year and studies.  It is my prayer that 2015-16 will see both boys continuing to prosper and gain insightful knowledge to make them productive and intelligent citizens in today's changing world, with a bit of common sense thrown in to boot.

Now, it's time to enjoy summer and focus on family time.  I foresee lots of swimming, playing games, spending time with friends, and just being together.  We don't have too much planned other than our trip to GA for Caleb's week at Camp Twitch & Shout.  Micah and I will be heading to South Carolina with my mom to visit her family while Caleb is away at camp...it's been too long since I've seen her family.

Happy summer friends...make the most of it!

Trim Healthy Mama and freezer cooking

If you've followed my blog for any length of time, then you'll know that I go through spurts when I like to stock my freezer full of yummy goodness.  Well, I thought I'd try to do that with a few Trim Healthy Mama ideas, too.  I don't have a whole lot to share, but I'll share two that I did this week.  I'll also share some others that I've frozen just because they made too much to eat and store in the fridge.

E Taco Salad mix
This is 1/2 cup taco seasoned ground beef (drained/rinsed) and 1/2 cup black beans.  This is a great start to an E taco salad.  I've had this with lettuce, a bit of Mexican cheese (less than 2 tbsp), and Walden Farms fat free/calorie free dressing (the ones sweetened with monk fruit, not sucralose).  I used 1 large can of black beans and 1.5 lbs of organic grass-fed beef...I was able to get 8 servings.

S, E, or FP Grilled Chicken
I got the marinade recipe for this grilled chicken from a fellow homeschool and THM friend.  It's probably not for the purist, but I don't claim to be one.  It's 3/4 cup Kraft Lite Zesty Italian dressing and 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (sugar free).  I mixed all of that together and added three packs of all-natural thin-sliced chicken breasts.  I let that marinate over night, and then I grilled it up the next day.  Since I tossed out over half of the marinade, there's really not enough fat or carbs in this to matter.  I think it was around 1g of each, so that's how it can fit into all three meal types.  I was going to slice it and freeze it that way, but I decided to just leave them whole to give more serving options.  This can be served up with some non-starchy veggies with butter for an S, served up with a sweet potato or other plan-approved grain for an E, or eaten over a salad with the Walden Farms dressing for an FP.  The versatility is endless.

Other THM items that freeze well...
Now, I've also frozen several different items once I was tired of eating on them for a few days.

THM sausage balls
THM fudgy brownies
various muffins
chocolate chip cookies

I've also heard that the THM E pancakes from the book freeze well, too, but I haven't tried that yet.  There are three of us in my family that'll eat those, so they don't typically last too long when I make up a batch.

If you're interested in learning more about THM, please click through my affiliate link.  It doesn't affect your purchase at all, but it does offer me a small percentage for sharing THM with you.  Feel free to ask any questions via the comments.

Trim Healthy Mama Week 7 in Review

Here we are at the end of week 7 in my Trim Healthy Mama (THM) journey.  If you've been following my journey, then you know that I've posted that it's getting easier and easier.  Again, for me, the key is to find what works and just make that your plan.  If that means eating the same meal a few days in a row, so be it...it makes it simple.  I also (as you know from following my journey) write down every meal, and I also take pictures.  I can always go back and look for ideas or see the nutritional content of something I've already prepared.  Yes, I'm a numbers girl...I write down the fat, carbs, and protein of nearly every item in my meals (at least the first time).  You don't have to do that with this plan, but since I'm just a bit anal retentive and OCD, it's what works for me.  That's the key...do what works for YOU!

Week 7 Meals
Day One
Breakfast -- 2 banana muffins; 000 yogurt; small apple (E)
Lunch -- 2 fried eggs over spinach with bacon (S)
Snack -- lemon cupcake with cream cheese icing with coffee (S)
Supper --  kielbasa, steamed cauliflower, sauteed squash and zucchini (S)

Day Two
Breakfast -- same as Day One (E)
Lunch -- McDonald's grilled chicken southwest salad (minus the tortillas) (S Helper) **
Snack -- skipped due to late lunch and being off schedule
Supper -- grilled pork chop with salad (S)
Snack/Dessert -- lemon cupcake with icing (S)

Day Three
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes (E)
Lunch -- 3 pieces Canadian bacon with a salad (S)
Snack -- skipped due to being off schedule
Supper -- Cracker Barrel's grilled chicken tenderloins, steamed broccoli, green beans, and turnip greens (S)
Snack/Dessert -- Lily's Chocolates (S)

Day Four
Breakfast -- 3 banana muffins; yogurt with an apple (E)
Lunch -- same as Day Three (S)
Snack -- THM fudgy brownie with cream cheese icing (S)
Supper -- grilled salmon burger smeared with mayo; salad (S)

Day Five 
Breakfast -- 2 fried eggs with bacon (S)
Lunch -- same as Day Three (S)
Snack -- skipped due to being off schedule
Supper -- grilled lamb chops with a salad (S)
Snack/Dessert -- THM fudgy brownie with cream cheese icing (S)

Day Six
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 000 yogurt with 1/2 a seedless orange (E)
Lunch -- Taco salad (black beans, taco meat, lettuce, cheese, and Walden Farms fat free dressing); 1/2 000 yogurt with 1/2 a seedless orange (E)
Snack -- 2 'Just Like Nestle' chocolate chip cookies with coffee (S)
Supper -- spaghetti (served over Dreamfields pasta) with a salad (S)
Snack/Dessert -- 'Just Like Nestle' chocolate chip cookies (S)

Day Seven
Breakfast -- 3 THM pancakes; 1/2 000 yogurt with an apple (E)
Lunch -- grilled chicken over salad (FP)
Snack -- 000 yogurt with 1 tbsp chopped pecans (FP)
Supper -- 2 fried eggs over spinach with mushrooms and bacon (S)
Snack/Dessert -- 'Just Like Nestle' chocolate chip cookies (S)

Number of Each Meal Type
S -- 20
E -- 7
FP -- 2
S Helper -- 1

Now, onto the results from the scale...
Week 1 loss:  5.2 lbs
Week 2 loss:  1.6 lbs
Week 3 loss:  0.4 lbs
Week 4 loss:  1.6 lbs
Week 5 loss:  1.6 lbs
Week 6 loss:  1 lb
Week 7 loss:  1 lbs
TOTAL weight loss so far:  12.4 lbs

If you're interested in learning more about THM, please click through my affiliate link.  It doesn't affect your purchase at all, but it does offer me a small kickback for spreading my THM encouragement.  Feel free to ask any questions or ask for any recipes in the comments.  I'd love to hear from some fellow THMers.