THM menu 9/30-10/5

Monday:Breakfast~ preworkout-L-water and spoon of coconut oil; postworkout-cheesy omelet (page 219); kids-peanut butter and honey roll ups
Lunch~ salad with chicken; kids- leftovers
Snack~ greek yogurt with berries
Dinner~ hamburgers, roasted veggie medley (page 354) (smashed potatoes for the family)
Desert~ having friends over, making pumpkin spice cupcakes
Tuesday:Breakfast~ muffin in a mug (page 256); kids-cereal
Lunch~ salad with tuna; kids-pb&j
Snack~ cottage cheese and pepper strips; kids-trail mix
Dinner~ spaghetti bolognese (page 350) and cheesy garlic bread (with a cauliflower base)
Wednesday:Breakfast~ preworkout-L-water, 1/2 piece sprouted toast; postworkout- hardboiled eggs; kids-hardboiled eggs and fruit
Lunch~ THM luncheon! Taking: brownies for kids; exotic green curry (page 287), golden flat bread (page 270), pumpkin secret agent brownie cake
Snack~ kids-freeze pops (I'm sure after the luncheon I won't need a snack!)
Dinner~ coconut crusted chicken (page 322)(salmon for chris) and zucchini fries (page 357)
Thursday:Breakfast~ preworkout-L-water, 1/2 piece sprouted toast; postworkout-fried eggs; kids-oatmeal
Lunch~ salad with salmon; kids- hot dogs and mac n cheese
Snack~ skinny chocolate (page 371); kids-graham crackers with peanut butter
Dinner~ sweet and spicy Asian stir fry (page 341), brown rice, pineapple
Friday:Breakfast~ sprouted French toast (page 239)
Lunch~ tomato soup and grilled cheese (mine will be made with bread in a mug (page 265), just like campbells soup (page 292)
Snack~ roasted garbanzos (page 397)(fruit for the kids)
Dinner~ broiled tilapia, twice baked zucchini (page 362), butternut squash puree
Saturday:Breakfast~ preworkout-L-water, spoon of coconut oil; postworkout-cheesy omelet (page 219); kids-cereal
Lunch~ baked eggplant round pizza (page 353) (fruit for kids)
Snack~ peanut butter celery
Dinner~ Fall Fest at a friend's house. We're taking pumpkin treat (page 388)

Linking up at Menu Plan Monday, Trim Healthy Tuesdays, Teach Me Tuesday and Totally Tasty Tuesdays

THM menu for 9/23-9/29

I am currently in search of L-Glutamine powder so I can take a dose in sparkling water pre-workout, as suggested in the book. So when you see L-G water, that's what it means.


Monday: breakfast: sprouted toast with a sprinkle of mozzarella and a slice of tomato ~toast with honey and peanut butter for the kids
lunch: luv my sweet potato lunch page 306~ peanut butter and jelly for the kids
dinner: light coconut curry chicken in the crockpot over quinoa page 313
snack: apple cinnamon greek yogurt swirl page 250

Tuesday: breakfast: pre-workout: L-G water and a spoonful of extra virgin coconut oil. Post-workout: easy peasy pumpkin muffins page 262
lunch: grilled salmon and salad with EVOO
dinner: Quesadillas page 307~ rice and refried beans
snack: crepes page 220 with cream cheese and fruit; community group snack: lemon coconut sheet cake with lemon cream cheese frosting (recipe)

Wednesday: breakfast: pre-workout: L-W water and sprouted toast; post-workout: BBS page 242 and a fried egg
lunch: golden flat bread page 270 as a pizza crust with s toppings; veggies
dinner: alfredo crock pot chicken page 315 over noodles (dreamfields for me)
snack: vanilla sip smoothies page 249

Thursday: breakfast: pre-workout: L-G water and an apple; Post-workout: FSF page 240 and cheesy omelet page 219
lunch: exotic green curry page 287 ~PB&J for the kids
dinner: speedy Chinese broccoli and beef page 343 (shrimp for Chris) and caulirice page 358
snack: muffin in a mug page 256

Friday: breakfast: pre-workout: L-G water and a spoonful of extra virgin coconut oil; post-workout: zucchini fritter page 217
lunch: BLT salad page 306~ BLT sandwiches and chips for the kids
dinner: creamy broccoli and cheese soup page 335 with oven flax crackers page 393
snack: hemp delight page 253 ~gogurt

Saturday: breakfast: savory skillet quinoa page 231
lunch: summers cup page 289 and sprouted bread
dinner: birthday party
snack: muffin in a mug page 256

Sunday: breakfast: THpancakes page 223 with berries
lunch: warm chicken sprouted sandwich page 298~PB&J for the kids
dinner: lighter side of chili page 330 and baked blue corn chips
snack: cottage cheese and peppers

Linking up to Trim Healthy Tuesdays, Hip Homeschool Hop, Works For Me Wednesday, Menu Plan Monday , Domestically Divine Tuesdays.

Practical exercise

Exercise is the area I struggle with the most.

When I do exercise (which isn't very often), it's a 20 minute video in the living room with children climbing me, stealing my hand weights and getting under my feet.

It just doesn't seem worth it most days.

I know how important exercise is though. Now that I am nearing my goal weight, I see that the number on the scale isn't all there is. Toning and strengthening are just as important to a healthy body, a clear mind and a smaller clothing size!

I've gotten mixed opinions from people when I mention that I don't exercise. Most often I hear:

"Oh you're chasing children around all day. That's plenty of exercise!"

If only that were true, I would've been a size 4 about 2 kids ago! Seriously. My house isn't that big so it doesn't take much to "chase after" my little ones. For the most part the children have been trained to stay by me when we're out and about. So no fitness involved there....

So I've been brainstorming ways to practically fit in more movement during the day.

I love the idea in the book about sitting on a balance ball while doing school at the table or sitting at the computer.

The SPEW (page 558-559) is also a great way to fit in quick moves. Although, I'm sure I don't do it right, at least I do it and it gets my blood pumping.

There are 3 toys in my house that are a great way to play with the kids and get some cardio in at the same time: hula hoop, jump rope and skip-it. The kids get a kick out of watching mom use their toys and we can have competitions to see who can do each one longer.

Doing standing push-ups against the counter when I'm doing my bible reading in the morning is a great way to warm up my arms for the day ahead.

Dancing with the kids during music time is another fun way to get the kids involved. We also incorporate movement when we work on our scripture memorization for the week. Our curriculum suggests alternating between reciting the verse and doing a move such as 5 sit ups or running in place for 10 seconds.

Tightening and releasing abs or glutes while driving is a great way to use mindless driving time to your advantage. Just make sure you pay attention to the road too ;-)

If the kids are upstairs and I need them, I will go up instead of calling up to them. Same thing with dirty clothes from upstairs, I will go up and get it instead of having them bring it down. That gives me an excuse to do the stairs as well as see what their rooms look like.

Giving the tub a good vigorous scrubbing is a job that needs done anyway, so why not really put your back into it and get a great workout at the same time?

That's all I have right now. I know there will come a day when I can do a 45 minute intense workout with no one under foot or go for a run and not worry about a babysitter or getting breakfast ready....but I don't long for those days because that would mean my kids are grown. In this season of life, I will make do and I know God will reward that effort (as He already is!).

How do you fit exercise in? What's your favorite way to include your kids in exercise? Do you have a favorite video? A favorite piece of equipment?

Update and next week's THM menu

I stuck to week 1 of the FC (even though I almost cracked on the second FP day). Lost 2 lbs. I am .7 lbs away from being a healthy weight on the BMI calculator and 1 lb away from 40 lbs lost since starting the plan in January! I had a friend ask me if I'm going to celebrate when I hit to 40 lb. mark. My response?

every time I look in a full length mirror!

Before

After~ish

All while eating things like this!

I'll have better after pics when I reach my 40 lb mark.


That being said, I don't think I'm going to go for a week 2. I should've figured. I've never done the full 2 weeks. I'm a weakling. I did learn that I need to make exercising a more important part of my plan though. I think I'm nearing the end of my scale focusing days. I can only lose so many pounds. There is still much work needed though....toning, strength training, etc. So look for upcoming posts on exercise. For now, here is my freestyling menu for September 15-21.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Breakfasts:
s:fried eggs (4 times) toast for the kids on two days; cereal on two
fp:egg white scramble with veggies (page 217)
e:oatmeal and fruit
e:trim healthy pancakes (page 223)


Lunches:
fp:salad with tuna tuna melts for the kids
e:nicey ricey salad pb&j for the kids
s:salad with crispy salmon hot dogs and mac & cheese for the kids
e:leftovers of the hearty green soup
e:pinto bean roll ups and fruit
s:grilled cheese (using bread in a mug~ page 265) and just like campbell's tomato soup (page 292) normal grilled cheese and tomato soup for the kids
s or s helper:peanut butter on a low carb wrap and carrots pb&j for the kids


Snacks:
fp:muffin in a bowl (page 258)
fp:fat stripping frappa (page 240)
fp:big boy smoothie (page 242)
e:carb smart ice cream
s:skinny chocolate (page 371)
s:peanut butter fudge (modified from the rich chocolate fudge recipe on page 386)
fp:lemon mousse (page 367)


Dinners:
s:fried breaded fish (page 344) and salad
fp:fotato soup (page 294) crackers for the family
e:chili (page 330) tortilla chips for the family
s:tacos with rice for the family
e:spaghetti (dream fields for me) and salad buttered bread for the family
e:hearty green soup (page 334) sprouted bread for me rolls for the family
s:friend's party---making it an s and trying not to cross over


Lots of GGMS, shrinkers and, of course, coffee!

Linking up to Trim Healthy Tuesday, Menu Plan Monday and Hip Homeschool Hop.

Necessities

Everyone has the same question when they get ready to start the plan.
Doesn't matter if they've read half the book, none of the book or every page of the book.
Doesn't matter if they've been reading the boards, printing the files or observing someone else who is following the plan.
The same question (or a close variation of it) is always first on the floor:

"What do I HAVE to get?"

Now everyone's answer to this question will probably vary.
It may change with the seasons.
With their progress.
With their life stage.

Here are my absolute essentials to following THM..........


coffee: top of the list.

half and half: because I like my coffee creamy.

eggs: I must have eggs. I could eat eggs every. single. day. for breakfast.

boneless skinless chicken breast: cheap and versatile (works in s,e and fp). I boil it as soon as I get home from shopping. After it cools, I shred, dice or slice it and throw it in the freezer. If I have the money, I'll get 2 big packs and the second one I will separate out into a couple meals worth of breasts and freeze for things like balsamic chicken.

romaine lettuce: salad. enough said.

stevia: in any shape, form or brand.

cottage cheese: another cheap and versatile ingredient. can be used in trim healthy pancakes for breakfast, on a green salad for lunch or in cottage berry whip for a snack.

lemon juice, ACV and ginger: gotta have my GGMS!

I could live with these things.
Seriously.
Obviously I buy and cook other things.
Given an extremely tight month or a food crisis, I could totally stay on plan with these 10 things.

What about you? What are your must haves to stay on plan?

Where do you buy.....?

I've been getting lots of questions lately about where I buy things. It will make life much easier if I have this all typed down instead of telling people individually. Before I make that list I have 2 disclaimers:

1. I am the only one in my house who uses most of these ingredients. My children and husband are all at or below a healthy weight so I refuse to waste money feeding them things like low carb wraps, whey protein powder and almond flour. That means my products last for a reasonably long time. That also means that prices may have changed since I bought mine. Which leads me to.....

2. I don't always buy the cheapest deal. *gasp* Yes, it's true. Sometimes I don't feel like comparison shopping to find where oolong tea is when I can get the box of 100 right in front of me for what seems like a decent price. I also don't want to run all over town for one or two things (my almond milk is cheaper at walmart, but what's the point in going that way if that's all I need?)

So, keeping that in mind, here is my personal list of THM products (though not exhaustive), where I buy them and how much they were the last time I purchased them. (in no particular order)

Aldi: lemon juice (32 oz) $1.89; tomato sauce (8 oz) 29 cents; old fashioned oats (42 oz) $2.29; canned pumpkin (15 oz?) 99 cents (seasonal); chunk light tuna in water 69 cents; half and half (32 oz) $1.49; stir fry veggies $3.49; frozen blueberries $2.49; frozen chicken tenderloins $6.29; fit and active string cheese $2.49; happy farms 50% less fat cheese wedges $1.29; vanilla $1.99; stevia packets (40) $1.99; cottage cheese $2.29; sour cream $1.29; fit and active chicken broth carton $1.49; heavy whipping cream $1.99; salmon (4 wild caught salmon filets) $4.49; unsalted butter (4 sticks) $2.49 (this is cheaper when there's a sale at Marc's); fat free refried beans 79 cents; taco seasoning packet 35 cents; light turkey ham chunk $4.46; dried great northern beans $2.29; canned black beans $1.99; dried pinto beans $1.99


Marc's: dried split green peas $1.09; dried lentils 89 cents; guy's sugar free bbq sauce $2.49; wasa crackers $2.49; quinoa (16 oz) $3.29; walnuts (16 oz) $5.99; flax meal $2; ricotta cheese (30 oz) $3.78; Hershey's cocoa powder $2.79; unsweetened baking chocolate $2.58 (they have reduced the size of the packages now and I haven't bought it since then, so this may be cheaper for less product now); balsamic vinegar $1.99; pompein EVOO (16 oz) $3.29; frozen cauliflower (32 oz) $3.18; dreamfields pasta $1.99 (big variety here too!); oolong tea (20 bags) $1.99; cream cheese $1.19; almonds (8 oz) $2.50


Whole Foods: stevia drops $8.99; white stevia extract powder $7.99; bragg's ACV $3.19/lb in the bulk bins; psyllium husk $6.49; dried coconut $3.99/lb in the bulk bins; nutritional yeast $8.99/lb in bulk bin (this weighs very little so it's cheaper than it may look); chia seeds $9.99/lb in bulk bins (another light item); chana dahl $2.99/lb in bulk bin; erythritol (12 oz) $7.99; ground ginger $8.99/lb in bulk bin


Trader Joe's: canned coconut milk 99 cents; sprouted bread $2.99; organic kale (10 oz) $1.99


Sam's Club: frozen tilapia (3 lbs) $12.98; bonless skinless chicken breast $1.98 lb; cheddar cheese block (2 lbs) $5.98; romaine lettuce (6 pack) $3.98; Fage greek yogurt (35 oz) $4.98; frozen strawberries (5 lbs) $8.48; egg whites (4 cartons) $6.40; extra virgin organic coconut oil (54 oz) $15.99


Swansonvitamins.com: (look for coupon codes for free shipping) glucomannan $9.90 (I bought this in January and still have nearly 1/2 a container left!); full spectrum milk thistle capsules $3.49; swanson premium whey protein powder (36.5 oz) $25.99


Amazon.com: protein plus peanut flour ( I overpaid on this. Nowhere had it and I really wanted it.); 4 pack of bob's red mill organic coconut flour $26.76


Anything missing? If there is something in particular you are wondering about, leave a comment and I will add and edit where needed.


Linking up to Trim Healthy Tuesdays

My top tips for new THM's

After I lost my first 25 lbs or so, people started getting the book and giving it a try for themselves. Everyone needs help and has questions and I LOVE being a mentor to new mamas. Now that I've almost reached the 40 lb mark (and what the BMI calculator says should be my ideal weight), I feel like I have learned a few things along the way. I share this info every time a friend or family member starts on their journey. I'm going to share it here because these are things I wish someone had stressed to me.

1. Measure yourself before you start the plan. I can not say this enough. I SO wish I had measured. I know I have lost many, many more inches than I have pounds. I also know that if I had those numbers to check, the weeks when the scale did not budge (for weeks at a time!) would have been easier to deal with.

2. You don't need every ingredient to get started. I have a friend (who shall go unnamed, but you know who you are....) that went out and bought everything. No joke. She had a large laundry basket overflowing with ingredients that she had no idea what to do with yet (or if she even liked them for that matter!). Now, that's great if you have the budget and the support from your husband to do that. I'd venture to say that most of us aren't in that position and that's okay too! This plan does not have to be expensive! Remember: it was written by 2 homeschooling mamas of large families! Not some Hollywood diva who has a personal shopper and an unlimited bank account. I started the plan with stevia, coconut oil, whey powder and glucomannan (and I could've held off on the last two and done just fine for a bit!)

3. You don't have to read every word of the book before you start. Confession time: I still haven't read the whole book. The chapters on hormones don't really pertain to me at this point and "movin with the belly" won't ever be a required read for me. HOWEVER: be sure to read the first 210 pages to get the how and why of the plan!! The other 400ish pages are amazing and should be read early on, but they aren't necessary in order to jump on board.

4. Don't freak out when you accidently have an S Helper or a Crossover. The plan is very forgiving. When (and we all do it) you realize you have a little (or a lot) too many carbs in your last meal or a food you thought was an S is really an E, take a deep breath and record it in your memory for next time. Chances are you're still eating far better than you were before.

5. Find a knowledgeable support person. Back when I started THM, the facebook group was just a few thousand members strong. It was so easy to post a comment and get a credible answer (many times straight from Gwen or Pearl). These days, it's much harder to catch all the questions. It's also hard to catch all of the misinformation and correct it. I keep hearing from friends and family that sometimes it's more confusing than it is helpful. Don't worry, the main mamas are working on the remedy for this! In the meantime, my advice is to get a mentor. Chances are, you are doing THM because you know someone who does it. That means you know someone who has been doing it a little longer than you and has at least a bit more insight. Don't be scared to ask questions and grow together!!

That's all I can come up with today. I can't believe I've done 2 posts in a row. This has to be a new record for me!! If you have any questions, please leave me a comment. I would love to interact (and see who's visiting!). Have a blessed weekend.

My THM menu for September 7-13

I'm planning a fuel cycle starting Saturday. What I'll be eating is in bold and if the family is having something additional, I put that in normal print. Just an extra help for those with kids. Need the recipes? Buy the book and become a trim healthy mama!

Saturday September 7: Breakfast: simple fried eggs- page 215; toast
Deep S day 1 Lunch: crispy salmon- page 283; salad; tuna melts
Snack: skinny chocolate- page 371; cheese and crackers
Dinner: fantastic meatloaf- page 316; simple steamed broccoli- page 354; rolls

Sunday September 8: Breakfast: basic whey smoothie- page 243; hard boiled egg; toast
Deep S day 2 Lunch: Better than chef salad (chicken sautéed in coconut oil on a large romaine salad with EVOO)page 305; PB&J
Snack: skinny chocolate; animal crackers
Dinner: lemon Dijon chicken (salmon for chris)- page 286; cauli rice- page 358; buttered bread

Monday September 9: Breakfast: simple fried eggs- page 215; toast
Deep S day 3 Lunch: hamburgers; sliced veggies (cucumbers, peppers); buns for the kids
Snack: fat stripping frappe- page 240; fruit
Dinner: Basic chicken and veggie stir fry- page 342; rice

Tuesday September 10: Breakfast: egg white scramble- page217; cereal
FP day 1 Lunch: Mexican cottage cheese salad- page 302; PB&J
Snack: big boy smoothie- page 242
Dinner: succulent citrus baked fish- page 286; creamless creamy veggies (zucchini)- page 352; rolls

Wednesday September 11: Breakfast: fat stripping frappe- page 240; chia tapioca- page 238
FP day 2 Lunch: egg white wraps (with tuna and veggies)- page 274; normal wraps for the kids
Snack: muffin in a bowl- page 258; fruit
Dinner: chicken broth anything soup- page 293; wasa cracker; taco soup and chips for the family

Thursday September 12: Breakfast: warming quinoa porridge- page 277; blueberries
E day 1 Lunch: nicey ricey salad- page 304; hip trim honey mustard- page412
Snack: baked apples- page 379
Dinner: all day lentil stew- page 311; sprouted bread; regular wheat bread

Friday September 13: Breakfast: trim healthy pancakes- page 223; strawberries
E day 2 Lunch: hummus (I just process chickpeas, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes); sliced veggies; apple
Snack: cottage berry whip- page 379
Dinner: balsamic chicken- page 324; white bean mashies- page 361; broccoli; salmon for Chris

I've never done a 2 week fuel cycle. We'll see how things go this week and if I feel up to it, I'll do week 2 and post the menu here then.

Linking up to Trim Healthy Tuesdays and Menu Plan Mondays