Are you wondering what the difference is in Keto vs. Trim Healthy Mama? Find out all the details on these two diets & which lifestyle is best for you.
Keto Vs. Trim Healthy Mama – what is the difference? Although there are some similarities, there are plenty of differences as well.
We will go through the main points below so that you have a good idea of the two different plans and you can decide which will work best for you.
And if you are joining us from the THM A to Z series welcome! You can see the entire series here, where I share all things Trim Healthy Mama!
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Keto Vs. Trim Healthy Mama
Are they the same? No but they do have some overlapping traits.
This is going to be a very basic comment about the two diets. You can definitely read more about the ins and outs of each but this should give you a good general idea of Keto vs. Trim Healthy Mama.
Ketogenic Diet
The Keto diet is a very low carb, high fat diet that typically involves counting macros (fat/protein/carbs). You can read more about Keto here.
On Keto you avoid sugar and carbs. This includes most fruits and veggies that have high numbers of naturally occurring carbs.
Trim Healthy Mama
The Trim Healthy Mama diet focuses on eating fats and carbs separately and eliminating sugar from your diet.
Fuel Separation – E & S Meals
Fats and healthy carbs are allowed on Trim Healthy Mama but they are separated into fuels.
A THM S meal is similar to a meal you would eat on Keto or a low carb diet. On a THM S plate, you are allowed fats, non-starchy vegetables and a serving of berries if desired. S meals avoid carbs.
A THM E meal is similar to a Weight Watchers meal or any heart healthy, low fat diet. Your fuel source in an E meal is from a variety of healthy carb options. For example, sweet potatoes, fruits, brown rice/quinoa, popcorn and beans are allowed on your E plate. During an E meal, you avoid fatty foods like butter, red meat and cheese.
E meals work differently for some but the general recommendation is 5-7 E meals per week. Some find that more E meals work better for weight loss and some need a few less.
The meals and snacks are separated by 3 hour increments. The idea is that you give your body time to burn through either the fats from an S meal or the carbs in an E meal before you introduce additional food.
You don’t have to alternate S then E. There are a variety of ways to switch up the fuels on Trim Healthy Mama. If you want more info, you can read more about how to rotate your fuels properly. But regardless of how you eat your meals (S, S, E or E, S, E etc. you always need 3 hours in between meals/snacks).
Sugar Elimination
The Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle also focuses on eliminating sugar completely.
Natural sugar substitutes are allowed on plan like Stevia, Monk Fruit and Erythritol. THM also makes some of their own products like Gentle Sweet & Super Sweet that are also permitted on plan.
The use of artificial sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame is not on plan.
Protein at Every Meal
Not unlike most Keto meals, THM encourages protein at every meal. The intention is to try and keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the day.
It also helps to make meals or snacks seem more substantial and helps to prevent you from feeling famished an hour after you eat (because remember you need to space food out by 3 hours on this plan).
If you would like a more in depth look at THM, check out this easy guide to understanding Trim Healthy Mama.
Key Differences THM vs. Keto
If you want the 100 ft perspective of the differences between these two ways of eating, here it is:
- Ketosis – Like it sounds in the name, Ketosis is something that you strive for on the Keto diet. On the THM diet, you will never actually enter Ketosis if you are rotating in those E meals 5-7 times per week.
- Counting Macros – On Keto, you need to count your macros in order to ensure that Ketosis is achieved an maintained. On THM, you are not required to track anything. No macros or even calories.
- Eliminating Carbs – Keto restricts carbs to a fairly low level every day. THM allows healthy carbs in E meals and while there is a recommended number of carbs per meal, it is a fairly substantial amount. Example: a medium sweet potato.
Similarities
- Clean Eating – The base of both Keto & THM is a pretty clean, healthy lifestyle. Each plan has deviations that provide convenience items to fit the busy lives of it’s followers. For Keto that is called “dirty Keto” and the Trim Healthy Mama’s refer to it as “Personal Choice.” These variations of the diets basically allow in less than desirable foods or ingredients but that still fit the overall goal (low carb for Keto/THM S) or low fat/healthy carbs for the THM E meals.
- Net Carbs – In general most Keto followers will track net carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus the fiber/sugar alcohols. Trim Healthy Mama also follows the practice of tracking net carbs in S meals. The biggest difference is just that THM only tracks for that one meal, not comprehensively over the entire day.
- Special Ingredients – Each way of eating allows you to be successful without special items. However, you can buy Keto bread and THM protein bars if you wish.
Which Diet is Right For You?
This is a great question and it is really up to you.
I have personally had good experience with THM and lost 60 lbs postpartum after my second child.
I like the food freedom and being able to have healthy foods that are a bit heavier in carbs like fruits, carrots and sweet potatoes.
However, if you are following THM, the keto community can be a great resource for you for THM S meals.
