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Trim Healthy Mama A to Z

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All of your Trim Healthy Mama questions answered from A to Z. A complete look into the THM plan with insight on how to make it easier and more cost effective.

Trim Healthy Mama FAQ A to Z - All of your THM questions answered

Are you a Trim Healthy Mama with question? Or are you interested in the plan but afraid to take the plunge? 

Today we are embarking on a 26 day comprehensive look into the Trim Healthy Mama plan. If you have lots of questions or need help on something specific, please join us on this journey! 

I blog a lot about THM and I really did not have that intent when I started blogging! My first goal was to share money saving tips with other moms that I have learned along. Since my full time 9-5 is as a professional buyer, I thought my expertise would be valuable to families that could apply those principles at home to live a better life. 

But then one day in June 2018, I posted a Keto/Low Carb/THM S recipe. It was a pretty simple recipe that I threw together one night in less than 30 minutes and did a quick blog post. The pictures are terrible. The recipe is crazy easy. There are only 4 ingredients. I expected to throw it up and go back to talking about saving money on back to school clothes shopping. 

My THM/keto readers had a different plan though! The post went crazy and the recipe has been shared more than 150,000 times on Pinterest. So I decided that maybe you guys were interested in seeing more Trim Healthy Mama recipes and learning about how to save money and time while doing THM! So here we are, working our way through Trim Healthy Mama A to Z. 

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.

Trim Healthy Mama Basics

If you read any of the THM posts that I have, I always stress that you should read the book! The internet is a wealth of knowledge but I recommend reading the book to get your own grasp of the plan.

In particular so that you can understand the sister’s reasoning for different items and then apply personal choice and food freedom to make choices that work for you and your family. 

So now that you have read the book, we will go over the THM basics before we dive into the Trim Healthy Mama A to Z guide.

What is THM?

THM is a way of eating that combines aspects from several other popular diets like Keto/Low Carb diets as well as lifestyles that focus on low fat meals like Weight Watchers.

On Trim Healthy Mama, your meals are broken out into one of four different types: E meal, S meal, XO or FP meal. There are actually a couple of others (like Heavy S, S Helper, Deep S) but you are not going to worry about those until you get these first few down pat. 

Here is the THM cheat sheet!

S Meal (Low Carb – Fats allowed)

The easiest way to describe an S meal is to call it low carb. You will eat whatever fats that you want but you will avoid carbs. Full fat dairy, any type of meat, full fat cheese, and full fat dressings are allowed in this type of meal. 

You can also have berries or a kiwi with an S meal but should avoid other fruits. 

E Meal (Healthy Carbs – Low Fat) 

For an E meal, you will have a lean and low fat meal with a healthy carb. You will avoid fatty cuts of meat and all those full fat dairy and cheeses. You should aim for lean meats, brown rice or quinoa, sweet potatoes or carbs that are higher in carbs such as apples, pears, oranges, half a banana. 

FP Meal (No Large Source of Fats or Carbs)

A FP meal is a meal that doesn’t have a major source of fats or carbs. I think of this meal as a traditional diet meal that you might find on a low calorie meal plan. For example, grilled chicken and non-starchy vegetables would not be high in fat or carbs leaving it to be a nothing meal (as I like to call it) or a FP. 

If you read my 9 tips on what to do if you are not losing, you will need to know what a FP is!

XO Meal (Mixing S and E)

If you mix an S meal and an E meal together on one plate, that is called a XO. A crossover (XO) is still on the Trim Healthy Mama plan. However, if you are actively trying to lose weight, they may not be as beneficial vs. separating your fuels. 

An example of a XO would be a fried egg in butter (S because of the fats in a whole egg and butter) with a piece of sprouted toast (E for the carbs in toast). Eating these together is certainly better than eating a donut but it may not have you losing as quickly as you would if you ate your fuels separately. 

XO’s are great for growing children, men, nursing mother’s and those that are at goal weight. They are also good if you are going to go off plan or choose a XO! I would much rather see you eat the breakfast that I described above vs. that donut! And some people even swear by eating a cross over occasionally to kind of jump start their weight loss again. 

Protein

Don’t forget to add a protein to every meal or snack!

Now that you have the basics, lets jump into this 26 article list of all things THM. 

Trim Healthy Mama A t0 Z

Ok, here is the list of Trim Healthy Mama A to Z posts that will solve all your THM problems. A new letter will be added weekly and this will be your one stop shop to see every post from A to Z. 

A – Accountability for Success on Trim Healthy Mama  & Alcohol on THM 

B – Budgeting On Trim Healthy Mama and On Plan, Store Bought Bread

C- Cooking Made Easy on THM & Store Bought On Plan Crackers & Chips

D – Drive Thru Sue – What it is & how to succeed if your name might be “Sue” & Store Bought THM Desserts

E – E Meals Simplified

F – Fuel Pull Meals & Understanding Fuel Rotation

G – Giving Yourself Grace

H- Husband’s and THM (Making it Work) 

I- Icecream 

J- Jelly (On Plan, Store Bought Options) 

K- Keto Vs. Trim Healthy Mama (What’s the Difference?)

L- Lunch On THM, More than 35 ideas 

M-Meal Planning Tools 

N- No Special Ingredients (NSI) – Do you really need special items? 

O- Overwhlemed on THM – 5 Simple Tips to Make Life Easier

P- Party Foods & Potlucks – Healthy & On Plan Appetizer Ideas (that even your non-THM Friends will like)

Q- Quitting THM – what I did wrong the first time around & how you can avoid my mistakes!

R- Restaurants & THM – How to eat on plan at virtually any restaurant

S- Shopping List – Everything you will want to grab at the grocery store.

T- Type 2 Diabetes (How my Husband Drastically Improved his A1C in 6 months)

U- Understanding THM – A Beginner’s Guide

V- Vacation Meal Plan

W- Wasa Toffee & Wasa Puppy Chow

X-

Y-

Z-

Drop me a comment if you have a question. I would love to try and help you on your journey. 

Trim Healthy Mama Fast Food Guide For S Meals

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Eating out does not have to be detrimental to your waistline. You can eat according to THM principles using this Trim Healthy Mama fast food guide for S meals!

Trim Healthy Mama Fast Food Guide for S Meals

You have the plan down while you are at home but you know that eventually you will have to venture out into the real world. At some point you will probably find yourself sitting in the drive thru line needing to grab something quick.

Will you just have to start again in 3 hours after eating something fatty and loaded with carbs? Nope! Use this Trim Healthy Mama fast food guide to give you easy “S” meals that you can eat on the run.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Trim Healthy Mama Planning For Success On the Go

Ok, ok. I know that the reason you are sitting in that fast food drive thru lane is because you didn’t have time to plan. The kids have practice or your meeting ran late at work and you need quick and easy.

What I mean is to plan for this emergency to happen. The biggest complaint that I have with eating fast food out on plan is that sometimes the meal seems kind of dinky.

You know what I mean? A cheeseburger without a bun, while ok sometimes, doesn’t always seem as satisfying as it would with that big huge bun.

To combat those dinky meals, you can literally stock your car, purse or top drawer at your office for success. Here are the things that I like to have to help make my meal out more substantial.

Stock Your Car

If the conditions are extreme outside, you may be better keeping these things in your purse so that it moves in and out of the element with you.

But you can be the judge of that! Here are the things that I think make this Trim Healthy Mama fast food guide more substantial.

Joseph’s Lavash or Pita Bread – These make great vehicles to wrap up your low carb burger or grilled chicken to make it more filling. You could even dump part or all of a side salad in with your meat to bulk it up.

Mission Low Carb Tortilla – If you want something amazing, stuff a Taco Bell protein bowl into one of these tortillas for a delicious S taco on the run.

Lily’s Chocolate Bar – I like Lily’s but I also eat other brands of on plan chocolate. By keeping a piece of chocolate with you, you can finish off your fast food meal without being tempted by a milkshake or cookie.

True Lemon – I broke my addiction to diet soda but I am still sometimes tempted by a big Coke when I am in line. A packet or two of the true lemon takes up no room in your purse and will give your water a little flavor.

Pork Rinds or Whisps – Ok, we might be getting outside of what can comfortably fit in your purse unless you are Mary Poppins. But unlike the chocolate, I think both of these would be safe to just keep in your car. These will help you have a good “side” to go with your bunless burger.

Protein Bars – While these might not really go with a fast food meal, they are a great last minute option to keep in your bag. Here are 11 on plan or personal choice protein bars for THM.

Want a guide to a variety of sit down restaurants and take out options? Pin it Here. 

Trim Healthy Mama Fast Food Guide for S Meals

Arby’s

Roast Turkey Farmhouse Salad

Any meat with no bun (they will put it in a bowl for you) and a side salad (dump the meat on top of salad or put it in a wrap you brought from home home), French dip meat on a side salad, Beef N Cheddar in a wrap (that you bring from home) would be amazing but the cheese will be your choice – it has additives that won’t be on plan. But still way better than eating that big onion bun, in my opinion!

Burger King

Whopper (burger only with toppings – no ketchup) and side salad

Captain D’s 

Wild Caught Salmon or other grilled fish with either broccoli or green beans.

Chick-fil-a

Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap with the Avocado or Ranch Dressing

Cobb Salad with Grilled nuggets

Five Guys

You can ask for any burger without a bun. They will put it in a bowl or a lettuce wrap – your choice. 

In-N-Out

Burger “Protein Style” – They will wrap your burger in lettuce if ordered like this.

Jimmy Johns

Unwhich – Sub ingredients wrapped in lettuce.

McDonald’s

Bacon Cheeseburger (no Bun) & Side Salad

Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad

Grilled Ranch Snack Wrap (The ranch sauce has some less than desirable ingredients. You could use a little of their ranch dressing which is also not perfect but ok for Drive Thru Sue’s; Also throw out the tortilla it comes in and replace with a low carb tortillas). This is less than $2.

Popeye’s

Blackened Chicken Tenders with Green Beans

Starbucks 

Egg Bites

Subway

Chopped Salad with lots of veggies, cold cuts or grilled chicken, cheese.

Sandwich Filling into your own low carb tortilla (feed the sub roll to the birds)

New Protein Bowls – Avoid the Sweet onion and the meatball bowls because those have too many carbs/off plan ingredients. All the rest would be fine. 

Taco Bell

Grilled Chicken Protein bowl (no rice or beans). Bring 2 low carb tortillas and you can make 2 huge tacos.
*Note* The official THM recommendation is one tortilla in a serving. However, I often eat 2 when I have Taco Bell because I love TB and it works for me. 

Taco Salad (No Beans, Rice or Shell)

Wendy’s

Baconator and side salad

Parmesan Caesar Chicken Salad (They even have Parm Crisps instead of Croutons that come with the salad – it is like it is made for THM)

Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad 

Whataburger

Grilled Chicken Melt (no Bun) & Side Salad

I hope this Trim Healthy Mama fast food guide helps you make easy and good choices at your favorite drive thru. Don’t forget to stock your car or purse up so that you can round out your meal in the most cost efficient method possible.

My Favorite THM Drive Thru Option

Here is an example of how I used the Trim Healthy Mama fast food guide and a stocked car to have an amazing Drive Thru Sue lunch the other day.

I ordered the Taco Bell chicken protein bowl with no beans or rice. I was kind of worried that the remaining food was going to be small (you know these restaurants love to bulk up meals with the cheap fillers). But I was pleasantly surprised. Excuse the lap picture but here is what it looked like in the bowl.

Updated to Note: According to Pearl and Admin’s on FB site, you can eat the beans that come with the power bowl. It is likely <1/4 cup of beans and stays an S. At the worst, it might move to an S helper. So have your beans if you want to get a little more for your money.

Taco Bell Protein Bowl No Rice or Beans Trim Healthy Mama Fast Food Guide S Meal

I took the lovely spork that they gave me & divided it out into 2 Low Carb Tortillas. It was so good!

Taco Bell Protein Bowl No Rice or Beans THM S Taco on Low Carb Tortilla

Pin this Trim Healthy Mama Fast Food Guide to your THM board so that you have some good S Meal ideas to choose when you are out. It is so nice to know that you can stay on plan while still living your busy life.

Additional Resources:

Eating Out on THM – A guide by cuisine to help you eat at ANY restaurant

Free 7 Day Drive Thru Sue No Cook Menu Plan

Follow my THM Instagram daily Food Diary – Connect, ask questions and get inspiration!

If you would like to read more about my journey on THM postpartum, how I make the plan work for me and a free 2 week meal plan, read this post. 

6 Trim Healthy Mama Lunches For Work

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These 6 Trim Healthy Mama lunches will make your work week so much easier and keep you on plan. 

6 low prep THM Lunch Ideas

The Trim Healthy Mama plan works for weight loss but it can seem overwhelming at first.

The biggest complaints that I see on the Facebook groups regarding the plan is the large time and cooking commitment and that it costs too much. With proper planning, both of those can be easily overcome.

Here you will find six Trim Healthy Mama lunches that you can take to work that require little prep work and are fairly economical.

The other complaint that I hear is that it is hard to know which type of meal (S or E) that you are consuming.

Each of these meals will be labelled so that you can easily determine the fuel of the Trim Healthy Mama lunch that you are consuming. And if you want an extra THM S idea, read about my favorite protein packed salad here.

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information. 

Need More THM Lunch Ideas?

12 Easy Low Carb Lunch Ideas

One Rotisserie Chicken, Five THM Lunches

5 THM Leftover Chicken Lunch Ideas

Lunch on Trim Healthy Mama – 35 Meal Ideas

Meal Prep Tip

I don’t like participating in the Sunday meal prep game. My Sundays are for church, family, rest and Pinterest (in that order). If it works for you great but if it doesn’t, here is what I do. I just cook extra of whatever meat that I make for dinner and then incorporate that extra into lunches during the week.

For example, I will have my husband grill a couple of extra chicken breasts which takes no extra time. I also brown my ground beef as soon as I buy it and then freeze it. Doing this makes a lunch with ground beef a cinch to pull together.

6 Trim Healthy Mama Lunches

I am trying to shed some of my leftover baby weight so I am currently sticking with one E meal or snack a day and the rest of my meals fall into the S category. If you are closer to goal weight, you may want to add in extra E meals or even some crossovers.

(That is what works for me. Some people find that more E meals aid in their weight loss. You may have to play around with it to see what works best for you)

Grilled Chicken Salad – THM S

Salad included baby spinach and shredded cabbage, grilled chicken (leftover), boiled egg, shredded cheese, 1/2 an avocado, mini bell peppers and ranch dressing.

Another of my salad favorites is the Mama’s salad. It is awesome because the protein requires no pre-cooking and you can read about it here.

Grilled Chicken Salad THM S

Sprouted Ham Sandwich – THM E

Most of my Trim Healthy Mama lunches this week were in the S category. I do try to have at least one E meal or snack a day.

I find incorporating at least some carbs daily prevent me from getting that “Keto Flu” feeling.

This E meal included a sandwich made on sprouted bread (my favorite is from Aldi) with lean ham, laughing cow cheese spread and baby spinach.

As a side, I had baked blue corn tortilla chips with salsa and a small serving of blackberries.

*Edited to Add: these chips have become almost impossible to find. In order for the blue chips to be on plan, they must be the baked variety. No worries, the Baked Tostitos are great and also on plan!

Sprouted Sandwich with Blue Corn Chips THM Ef

Cheeseburger Salad – THM S

The cheeseburger salad was my favorite lunch all week.

My husband grilled the burgers for this on Saturday but if you had this during the week, you could easily make an extra to warm up during the week for this salad. I’ve also used my air fryer and a frozen burger patty to make this super quick and easy.

I put diced tomatoes, chopped dill pickles, red onion and ranch on this salad. It cured the itch for a burger on a (gasp) bun.

Cheeseburger Salad THM S

Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocado – THM S

Simply make an easy tuna salad and stuff it in your avocado.

My tuna salad had dill pickles, a little greek yogurt and a little mayo, and boiled eggs (from Easter, hence the blue dye!).

I thought the taste of this was really good but I did add a few pork rinds with this meal to provide a little crunch.

Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocado THM S

Loaded Pepper Nachos – THM S

I had seen many recipes for this type of lunch floating around the internet and it honestly just never appealed to me.

But one day I had mini peppers and leftover taco meat in my fridge so I gave it a chance. I was really pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Slice your peppers and roast for a few minutes in the oven, top with your warm taco meat and cheese. Cook for just a few minutes to melt the cheese. Then top with avocado, sour cream and salsa. Yum.

You could probably prep this (roast your peppers) and then just warm it up in the microwave if you needed to take it to work.

Loaded Pepper Nachos THM S

Pickle Cream Cheese Roll Ups – THM S

I eat this at least once every couple of weeks. I love how simple it is to put together.

Simply spread some cream cheese on a piece of deli ham and wrap a dill pickle in it. Super easy and delicious.

I served it with a side of strawberries and pepperoni chips. If you have never tried pepperoni chips, you are missing out.

Just put the pepperoni slices between two paper towels and microwave for a minute or less until they are crunchy. I like to dip them in wing sauce or ranch.

Pickle Cream Cheese roll ups THM S

Want more practical THM meal ideas? Join me on Instagram where I share my daily food diary. 

I hope these 6 Trim Healthy Mama Lunches help to show you that you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen or tons of money on special ingredients to stay on plan. With a little bit of planning, you can eat great all week.

If you are struggling with understanding the plan, I do highly recommend that you read the book. It will really help you to get a grasp of the way that they recommend that you separate fuels in order to maximize your weight loss.

Have you lost weight on THM? I am down 12 lbs in 4 weeks so far!

6 Trim Healthy Mama Lunches You can Take to Work

6 THM Simple Lunch Ideas that require low prep

THM and Type 2 Diabetes – My Husband’s Journey

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My husband’s experience with THM and Type 2 Diabetes, how he lost weight, decreased  diabetes meds, blood pressure meds and drastically decreased bad cholesterol levels. 

Type II Diabetes & THM Diet - Decreased Meds

This summer I sent my husband to the Dr. after several days of him not feeling well. He came home with a diagnosis of Type II diabetes, high cholesterol and his blood pressure was out of control. 

Rewind to 2003 and you would find me in nursing school. I’m not a nurse (during clinicals I decided to go to business school – oh to be 20 again) but I immediately started trying to remember things I might have learned in school that could help us now. 

We had to fix this and get my husband healthy. He has 5 kids and a wife that really like him and want him around for a very long time. 

So we started trying to control and reverse his Type II Diabetes with diet and exercise. The diet that we chose was Trim Healthy Mama. If you want to read more about what this plan entails – read this overview.

Important: Neither myself or my husband are medical professions of any kind. This post is simply our experience and should not be used or assumed to be medical advice. If you have Diabetes or any other medical condition, you should consult with your doctor. 

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

THM and Type 2 Diabetes – My Husband’s Journey

This post will be a little different than my normal posts on THM basics or simple Trim Healthy Mama recipes. My husband put together a first hand account about his experience with a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis, following the THM plan as a man, exercise and his follow up appointments with his doctor after the initial diagnosis. 

So I’m going to post his thoughts below & then I will give my thoughts on the experience at the bottom.  

My Husband’s Ride with THM and Type 2 Diabetes (In his words)

My wife thought that my recent experience being diagnosed with Type II Diabetes was worthy of a post on her blog.  I love her and I do feel the story is worth a read so here we go. 

Like many others, the economic and emotional impact of COVID-19 was highly significant on my life.  When the country basically shut down, my compensation package was reduced and the business I have loved for the past 12 years suffered major revenue shrinkage.  We had to layoff approximately 35% of our longstanding employees.  Altogether it was an incredibly stressful and sad time. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t handle the situation in a healthy, controlled manner which is unusual for me but I didn’t manage the situation well.  When you are forced to fire people who literally did nothing wrong, that is a problem for me as I love the people that work here.  Ultimately, I started drinking on a daily basis and decided that if I wanted to eat something, I simply ate it.  Hot Fries, donuts, brownies, triple cheeseburgers…the more unhealthy, the better.  I also decided that exercise was an overrated waste of time.

After five and a half months of this amazingly destructive behavior, I woke up one day, shockingly, feeling sick.  Not a little sick with a runny nose, but I cannot move because I feel so terrible sick.  My wife checked my blood pressure and it read 183/114.  Not so great. 

This condition lasted for 3 days.  On the fourth day, the wife put me in the car and off to the doctor I went.  The doctor is a family friend and I have been under his supervision for several years.  When he saw me in the hallway, he immediately came over to see me, asked a handful of questions and put me on an EKG as he thought I might be having a heart attack.  At 47 years old, that’s pretty scary.

Long story short, I wasn’t having a heart attack but about everything that could be wrong outside of a really serious condition like cancer.  The vampires drew my blood and the lab report indicated I was in really bad shape. 

Here was the Lab Report:

  • Glucose – 297 (Normal: <140)
  • Triglycerides – 774 (Normal: <150 mg/dL)
  • A1C – 8.9 (Normal: <5.7)

For example, my Glucose was 297, Triglycerides 774, good cholesterol was low and my bad cholesterol was high.  And for a kicker my Hemoglobin A1C was 8.9 which officially surpasses the threshold of 6.5 (prediabetes) meaning I had Type II Diabetes.

What Went Through My Mind After A Diabetes Diagnosis

I watched my father suffer through the misery of Diabetes.  Prior to his being diagnosed, my mom was an amazing country food cook.  I remember the pan fried chicken, amazing casseroles, cornbread full of butter and all the other delicious food enjoyed in my early days. 

After dad’s diabetes was diagnosed, mom lost her ability to cook anything good…don’t tell her that but it’s true.  The food was tasteless with a hint of cardboard texture.  Needless to say, I was completely petrified that my wife who is also an amazing cook, was going to be serving up dog biscuits with gravy for dinner here on out.

However, my amazing wife took days to research diabetic diets.  As it turned out, her favorite Trim Healthy Mama plan looked like it might do the trick.  We agreed it couldn’t hurt to try it anyway.  For the sake of my wife and five children, I screwed my head on straight and committed to getting my health back in order. 

Getting on Plan And Exercising 

I ate S meals 4 out of every 5 meals for the first 90 days of my recovery.  When I started to feel strange like you do on pure Keto, she would make me eat a piece of fruit with some protein to even me out.  My doctor had me taking 4 doses of diabetic medication per day and 2 pretty strong medications for my blood pressure.  I slowly but surely started working out 6-7 days per week, and yes a walk was considered a workout at the time. 

The Follow Up Appointment

I went back to the doctor two months later, 35 lbs lighter and feeling like I was 25 again.  He couldn’t believe the difference. 

As a matter of fact, he wrote all over my lab results and put smiley faces on it.  Not the norm.  The results were pretty praiseworthy if I do say so myself. 

New Lab Results – 2 Months Post Diagnosis

  • Glucose – 116 (Within Normal Range)
  • Triglycerides – 156 (Just slightly higher than normal)
  • A1C – 5.9 (Slightly over normal but now in pre-diabetes range)

 All good news.

These pictures are from July 2020 & then December 2020.

Before THM & After THM

5 Month Check Up – Getting off Meds

In December, all of my labs were within normal ranges and he reduced my diabetic meds to 1 pill per day, and my blood pressure meds to one half of one pill per day.  That entire scenario took place from mid-July to the first week of December.

Stacy Note: Interjecting because I don’t know if he did this justice! He has been on fairly strong blood pressure medication since his 20’s and now he takes 1/2 of a pill. So not only did he improve his blood glucose and A1C, his blood pressure that has been an issue for years is now much more controlled! Ok, back to him…

No Pain, No Gain

Now I cannot say that the diet or exercise were easy or painless adjustments.  Who wouldn’t want to each chocolate cheesecake with a side of sweet bread and fried chicken.  However, my wife’s diet was pretty amazing.  Unlike my mom, she can still cook and I completely enjoy my meals.  All kidding aside, the impact on my life has been amazing. 

I am still on plan and have adopted the diet as a lifestyle change.  I’m no doctor and I cannot speak to whether or not the plan is the path to mitigate diabetic conditions but it has been a proven winner for me.  If nothing else, I have and would tell anyone to give it a shot.  Anyone who saw me before and after wouldn’t hesitate to do so. 

Thank you my wonderful wife and best friend for taking care of me.  I hope this quick note will help others understand that there’s a solid solution for living comfortably with Diabetes. 

–Thomas

How We Manage Type II Diabetes with Trim Healthy Mama 

We feel that adopting the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating was instrumental in achieving the better numbers that Thomas received on his follow up lab reports. 

I know that there are probably many wives that will be reading this to help their husbands so I just wanted to give my perspective on what helped during this process. 

Things I Didn’t Do When My Husband Was Diagnosed with Type II

Worry About Vegetables – If you are a Trim Healthy Mama, you know we love our veggies. They are a great way to fill up without a lot of calories and of course they give you tons of good nutrients. But my husband was resistant to veggies.When I cooked, he would often skip the vegetables all together. So while I actually did worry about him not eating veggies, I didn’t push it.

He is a grown man after all & I needed him to stick to this plan.He ate a lot of meat, cheese, eggs and bacon (because that is a category all on it’s own).But remember his insanely high cholesterol? I was concerned about that too of course but I figured meat/cheese was better than chips and high sugar foods so I went with it.

Would it be better if he had been eating broccoli and asparagus for breakfast? Sure but he wasn’t there. So we went with what he could deal with at the time and then slowly introduced more vegetables as he tolerated them.And I’m proud to say he now eats quite a few happily. 

Worry About On Plan Desserts – I’m the type of person that goes all in to fix a problem. I would have been perfectly happy if he had decided to eat only vegetables and lean meats (because we needed to fix horrible cholesterol and diabetes).

But my husband that claims he doesn’t need dessert was wandering around after meals wanting something sweet. I started trying out different on plan treats and then would feel myself worrying. Is he eating too much of that on plan cake? It is better to have an on plan treat on hand vs. not having it and him being tempted by something else right?
 
These were all things running through my head. But I just stopped. I couldn’t control this, he had to. And if eating a THM cheesecake would keep him from a Snickers, that is what we had to do. So he ate a lot of on plan treats. 

Worry About Frankenfoods or Personal Choice – My husband found a few things that made the transition from eating lots of carbs and sugar into THM easier (more about that below).

In the books, you read about limiting these foods since they are less than ideal from a purist view. But using these less than ideal options kept him from eating a big piece of french bread (his fave).

So while they might not be as great as eating a celery stick, it was certainly better than carbs and sugar. And you know what? After a few months he started “needing” the items less and less. 

How We Made The THM Transition Easier 

When we first started combining THM & Type 2 Diabetes, some things worked perfectly and other failed miserably. Here are the things that made it easier for us to stay on plan. 

Find Things You Like (Or that your husband likes) – If I had tried to make him eat brussels sprouts and okra at every meal (or any meal), he would not have made it. There are so many things that you can have on Trim Healthy Mama, there is no reason to force something you don’t like. Especially early on.

We used to joke that my husband only liked “kid food.” Give him a pb&j over a nice piece of salmon any day. So finding good subs for things that he really enjoyed were key. PB&J as an example.

He doesn’t love sprouted bread and especially early on, it was extremely offensive to him. But a low carb tortilla, Jif no sugar PB and a smear of Simply Fruit grape jelly hit the spot. All the flavors that he likes but made over into a healthier option. 

We also ate lots of grilled meat and salad. Venturing into lots of weird ingredients and casseroles just wasn’t what he was up for. So we ate simple. We knew what to expect and enjoyed most of our meals. 

Early on he also liked a lot of Frankenfoods. Low Carb Tortilla Pizzas were his favorite. I bet he ate one a day for weeks. Although that frequency isn’t really highly condoned on plan, he did ok with them.

Plan for Eating Out – Since we started him on THM during COVID, there wasn’t lots of eating out for us but of course life happens and you will end up in a fast food drive thru sooner or later.

Plan for it and know what you will eat.Honestly, going to a fast food restaurant seemed kind of blah to me on THM. But we have really enjoyed a bunless burger on a salad (just FYI, the taste you like is in the meat not the bread) or a Taco Bell protein bowl.

Click here for a THM Fast Food Guide or a Sit Down Restaurant guide.

Plan for Cravings & Stock Your Pantry – What kind of snacks do you crave? Salty or Sweet? Keep some things that you will enjoy at your house, in your car and at the office so that you are not tempted to grab something from the vending machine. 

If you are a salty/crunchy fan, here is a list of store bought chips and crackers that will help you stay on plan. More of a dessert lover like me? These store bought sweet treats will keep you content without the sugar. 

Reasons for Success 

So obviously our goal with THM and Type 2 Diabetes was to get rid of the Big D. And by get rid of, I don’t mean that it will really be gone because my husband will always be a Type 2 Diabetic. There is no going back once you cross that line. 

But what you can do is control it and live a healthy life. His immediate goal was to go off the diabetes meds. He wanted to control it with diet and exercise alone. And while he is not quite there yet (another follow up in about a month), he is so very close.

Here is what we attribute to his success in lowering his cholesterol, glucose and A1C. 

*Again, we are not medical professionals and this is our personal experience. Speak with your doctor about your medical treatment. 

Trim Healthy Mama – THM and Type 2 Diabetes were a great combo for my husband. He ate S meals primarily (especially in those first 3 months) and then mixed in an E meal every few days.This helped him to not feel the deprivation of Keto and having such a restricted carb allowance.

However, we wanted to keep the carbs pretty low to try and heal his body.Following the fuel rotation that we did is one way that we feel he was able to be successful.

He probably had an E meal 2-3 times per week in the first 90 days which is less than the THM recommendation of 5-7. We have slowly added in more for him but early on he did less. 

Walking – He went pretty hard core with his exercise routine and definitely did more than just walking. But the reason that I chose walking as a success factor is because it was always there.If he was too sore to lift weights or do planks, he could walk.

It has actually become one of my favorite ways to connect with my husband throughout the week. We walk and talk & get some fresh air. We walk when it is cold & when it is 100 degrees out.

And if that isn’t enough, it is great exercise for our kids too. They ride bikes & get their wiggles out while we get a bit of adult time a few feet back. My 3 year old is a BEAST and often rides close to 3 miles on his little bike with training wheels. 
 
Nike Training App – We go to the point where I forbid my husband from saying these 3 words. I’m kidding but only kinda. He loves this app so much! And if you promise not to tell him, I think it is pretty cool also. 

It is totally free & has tons of free workouts that you can do in your living room! Whether you feel like getting in a 45 minute workout or a 10 minute yoga session, they have it. 
 
The Nike Training App really helped him to focus on areas that he wanted to improve and that worked with his busy schedule. 

Mindset – Have you ever started a diet on Monday and fallen off the wagon by lunch? I know I have. When we started this in July both of us had a different mindset. We genuinely set out to improve upon our healthy, not just with the sole goal of losing weight. 

I used to plan to cheat. Follow the diet all week and then blow it at the end of the week. But this time instead of planning to cheat, I planned Trim Healthy Approved splurges. A steak for dinner or an on plan cheesecake were my rewards for sticking to plan. 

Rewarding with food might not be the best but I love food so a special dinner once a week made us happy. 

These are the things that we felt were beneficial in improving my husband’s health over the course of just a few months. 

THM & Type II Resources 

Did you know there is a Trim Healthy Mama Diabetic Facebook group? Well there is! If you are wanting to combine THM and Type 2 Diabetes – Go join it. It is a great group of people.

There are lots of knowledgeable Type II diabetics (and even some Type I) that can give you help if you are struggling with anything in particular. 

There is no medical advice given on the page but it is nice just to bounce ideas off someone else that is in the same boat. I’m a member of the group even though I’m not diabetic. So if you are like me and want to join to help someone in your family, they would love to have you!

Wanna Be Instagram Friends? I can’t wait! Follow my food diary here. 

THM Store Bought On Plan Bread

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A huge list of THM store bought on plan bread options that you can purchase at your local grocery store.

12 THM Store Bought Breads for the Drive Thru Sue

Lots of THM beginners want to know what kind of bread you can have that is on the Trim Healthy Mama plan. 

And with that I mean what kind of store bought bread can you have. I mean, I’m not a drive thru Sue all the time but I’m also not Betty Crocker either. 

You know that saying “the best thing since sliced bread?” It didn’t come about with busy mama’s making bread. 

Nobody wants to have to make and slice their own bread. (OK, I actually want to & it is on my THM bucket list to grow one of those creepy sourdough starters in a mason jar on my counter, feed it and make my own beautiful loaf. But I am a working mama of 2 young kids. No time for now!)

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.

More Store Bought THM product guides:

23 Store Bought THM Desserts
On Plan Jelly
On Plan Peanut Butter
On Plan Tortillas & Wraps

Finding THM Store Bought Sprouted Bread At The Grocery 

If you are looking at breads, the first ingredient should be a sprouted grain and there should be less than 2 grams of sugar (1 is preferred). 

To save you the trouble of reading every bread label, here are some commonly used THM store bought on plan breads.

Need Store Bought On the Go THM snacks? Click Here!

Found at Most Large Grocery Chains (Walmart, Kroger, Target)

You may be able to find these at additional grocery stores but this is where I have found them in my area. 

Ezekiel Sprouted Bread – Look for it in the freezer section (Kroger, Walmart, Target)

Silver Hills Sprouted Bread (Target, Sprouts, Whole Foods)

Pepperidge Farms Soft Sprouted Bread (Target, Kroger, Walmart)

Greenwise Sprouted Multi-Grain Bread (Publix Bakery)

Simple Truth Sprouted Grain & Legume Bread (Kroger)

Found Primarily at Specialty Stores (Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Costco)

Knock Your Sprouts Off Bread (Aldi)

Sly Red Ancient Grains (Aldi)

Trader Joe’s Sprouted Sourdough 

Alvarado St. Bakery Sprouted Bread (Whole Foods, Natural Grocers) 

Angelic Sprouted Bread (Sprouts, Costco, The Fresh Market or order direct from site)

THM On Plan Store Bought Sourdough Bread

Trim Healthy Mama on plan store bought sourdough can be hard to find but it is possible. 

Here is the sourdough criteria: 

  • First Ingredient should be Whole Grain
  • Yeast should NOT be in the ingredients 

Trader Joe’s has an on plan sourdough. You may also find an on plan sourdough at some specialty store bakeries like Sprouts or Whole Foods.

Serving Size & Fuel Type

Bread is a carb source so traditionally it is going to be used in “E” Meals. 

E Meal Bread Serving Size : 2 Slices

But if you want to get crazy, you can also have some bread with “S” foods. Wait, what?!

You mean to tell me I could have a piece of cheese toast? Or I could sop up a nice runny egg with a piece of toast? 

Yes Ma’am! This is called an S Helper. It is when you go over the carb limit for an S meal but don’t add enough carbs to move into XO (crossover) territory. 

S Helper Bread Serving Size: 1 Slice

If you have more than 1 piece of bread with other S foods, you would move into XO territory. 

The Exception To The Rule – S Bread

Zero Net Carb Bread – Aldi

If you have an Aldi near you, they have a relatively new product Zero Net Carb bread. 

Here is a picture of it & a review from the Aldi Reviewer.

I have tried it and I like it. If you get this bread, you can eat it in an S meal and keep it in S territory (no S helper or XO). I like having that option. 

*Note: The THM team calls this one a personal choice. It is not for the purists at heart but I’m definitely not that. 

Keto White

This is another personal choice bread that can be eaten in an S meal. 

I have had the hamburger buns and they taste so much like normal white bread (even my bread loving husband liked them).

Looking for THM Approved Store Bought Wraps and Tortillas? Check out this list of 14 On Plan wrap options.

How to Eat (& Like) Sprouted Bread

If you have not eaten sprouted bread before it does take a little adjusting to. Especially if you are coming from a super soft white bread. 

So what is the key to liking sprouted bread?

I have found that toasting the bread is my favorite way to eat it. I honestly don’t care for ANY of the sprouted breads that I have tried fresh out of the bag (and I have tried a lot). 

But toast it up in the toaster and it is great with on plan peanut butter, Light Laughing Cow Cheese, Polaner’s jelly or sandwich fixins like this THM E tuna salad. 

Need more Trim Healthy Mama Help? Check out this THM A to Z post where all your questions are answered and meal plans and ideas are found!