Trim Healthy Mama - The Good and the Bad

For the past year I have been endeavoring to lose weight with Trim Healthy Mama. Here's a link to my earlier blog posts about THM. I was inspired by another blogger that was having success with it and decided it was the life for me.  In reality, it's not.  In fact, I have gained almost 20 pounds while trying to follow it.  I'm not blaming the program, I'm sure all the blame sits with me and my approach to it.  Here's my review:

The Good 
I always like to hear the good news first.  There is a lot to like about this diet.  It is biblically based, it has the absolute best online community ever and it comes with yummy recipes. Many people have lost and maintained their weight with this program and you don't have to count calories.  You get to eat lots of good fats and even carbs.  There are some amazing recipes that I will enjoy for the rest of my life.

The Bad
The authors claim the diet gives you food freedom, but I found the opposite to be true.  Sure, you don't count calories but now you count the hours between your meals, keep aware of the carb and fat counts in the foods you are eating and making sure you keep a strict separation of fats and carbs.  It also makes you a slave to the kitchen.  There are not many shortcuts  when it comes to preparing your foods.  There are some "fraken foods" they allow but only recommend once a week.  So not only do you get to make your bread and cookies, but you also get to make the flour (baking blend) and sweeteners (gentle sweet) you put in them.  You can buy their products but they are expensive, often out of stock, and sold in tiny bags so that it's used up in just a few recipes.  I found that I was never free of the kitchen and became obsessed with food.  Finally, it's expensive!  Likely, most of the food in your kitchen will be off plan so you get to replace it.  All the fun recipes require "speciality" items that your have to order online.  

What Now? Freedom!
I still will incorporate much of the THM plan into my diet.  I will try to separate my fuels (fats and carbs) but not obsess over them.  I love that I can count on all their recipes to be friendly on blood sugars.  I will enjoy drinking the sippers and shakes.  I won't set my timer for every 3 hours but eat when I am hungry.  I won't feel like a failure if I eat off plan.  Now, that sounds more like freedom to me.

Stay tuned for how I think I can eat so far off plan and still lose weight!