Trim Healthy Mama ~ Chapters 7, 8 and 9

This week I was short of time, so I just read the next three chapters. These are the chapters that explain the plan, however, so there was lots of information!

And now I am sold. I am loving the science behind this way of eating, and I am already noticing a difference in my waistline. (In all fairness, I have been doing some extra work outside in the yard each day and doing lots of sweating, so that might be helping.) But, I definitely feel GREAT eating the foods and on the plan. I am excited to share with you what I learned in these chapters.

In a nutshell:

• Never start your morning with a fruit only breakfast.
• S meals are satisfying meals which means they are heavier on fat, have a protein as a base, and have extremely minimal carbs (and all non-starchy).
• E meals are energizing meals which means they are heavier on carbs, have a protein as a base, and have extremely minimal fats.
• You should alternate these meals and eat them 3 hours apart.

So, like yesterday. I had an E breakfast of an egg white coffee cup omelet with mushrooms, spinach, onions and parmesan cheese on one-half a Joseph's pita.

For lunch I had an S meal of a salmon patty and a salad with lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, chunks of cheddar cheese, avocado, sliced almonds and ranch dressing.

For a snack later in the day I had a banana (which is really a fruit you should avoid because it is about as bad as a starchy white potato ... but, oh well, baby steps) and a spoonful of peanut butter.

We had a softball game and I didn't get dinner, so when I came home I had a big bowl of bran cereal with blueberries, strawberries, and sliced almonds. (Again, this cereal isn't an approved food, but this may be something I am unable to give up. I love my evening bowl of cereal, especially if I have been good all day!) This was definitely an S meal, loaded with carbs! My protein came from the almonds.

I have to say that I am not really loving the majority of the recipes I have tried so far, but I am using the book more as a guide for making sure I eat according to plan.

I made the Muffin in a Cup. I wasn't sold on it. It wasn't sweet enough, if I'm going to eat chocolate. It was too bitter. But, it might be really good with blueberries or strawberries cooked in, and I plan to try that next time.

I have also made the Bread in a Cup. Now, I probably would like this pretty well if I was able to use golden flax meal instead of golden flax seed. I couldn't get the seed to grind up by using my chopper, so I think I am going to have to actually buy a grinder. I haven't looked at Walmart for the meal, but our Amish store doesn't have it. I had it with cheddar cheese which made three grilled cheese sammies.

I did make the Crabby Patties for dinner, which are really just salmon patties. I made them like burgers and put them on buns with cheese for my kids. Brynne's not a huge burger eater, so it wasn't her favorite. But, Eli loved it! It is so healthy so I think I am going to fix those about once a week. I just had mine plain, and then had the leftover one with my salad yesterday. Yum!

Chapters 8 and 9 give you specific lists of all of the approved E and S foods and the things you should not have when eating those meals. That is a list I will keep handy at all times! I plan to just tack a list to my refrigerator of the different meals I eat for breakfast, and code them with E and S, and make a similar list for a few different lunch options coded as well. Then I can choose a breakfast, and if it's an E breakfast then I can choose an S lunch off my list. Then I will know what to make for dinner based on my S lunch choice. If I eat an S lunch, then I will make a more E friendly dinner for our family. And visa versa.

It's just going to take some practice.

I was also so happy to read that they do not expect you to make everything from scratch, especially in the carb department. Rye bread is an approved bread, and I actually like Rye for hot sandwiches. Joseph's Pitas are approved, as are Mission low-carb whole wheat tortillas. These will be very important for me for my lunches. And I don't have to GIVE UP pasta! My family will be THRILLED! I just need to buy Dreamfields pastas. They are approved. (And they sell all of those items at Walmart! So, I don't have to order online or lament the fact that we don't have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's anywhere in our vicinity!)

I still have so much to learn. These are just the basics. But it's so encouraging!

Next week I will be moving on to Chapter 10, and skipping ahead to look at Chapters 21 and 34.