Happy Tuesday, everyone! I am officially ready for our little Caleb to come! It feels like I have absolutely no room left! I’ve been having lots of really hard, strong contractions….so hopefully he’s going to want to come out soon! Ha!
Today I am super excited to share with you why I love the THM plan….and why it’s the perfect plan for a pregnant woman, too.
First, a little about my pregnancy so far….
*When I got pregnant I was a little “fluffy”- not skinny any more, but not chunky yet. I could still fit into some of my 4’s, but I was wearing mostly 6’s by that point. (My lowest was a 0/2). Here’s a picture of me at 12 weeks…..
At 14 weeks I got hit with a terrible bout of morning sickness….that lasted until 20ish weeks. I couldn’t keep anything in me, so I just started eating….well, anything that would stay in me. That led to a weight gain of ~16lbs by week 28. That’s not terrible, I know, but I’m 5’1″ and have a thick build- that extra weight was not exactly in my stomach.
So, I started the THM plan. It basically has you eating carbs and fats…separately. An “E-nergizing” meal has protein and carbs, and a “S-atisfying” meal has fat and proteins. There are also “Fuel Pull” meals that focus on just protein and low carbs & fats or there are “Cross-over” meals that have both good carbs and fats together.
From weeks 28 to 36, I was eating either “S” or “E” meals, with a “FP” snack every hour. That kept me full without gaining extra (un-needed) weight. Since 36 weeks I can’t keep a lot of food down, or eat a lot at one time, so I’ve been eating all “CO”s to help keep me full. At 38 weeks and 2 days, I have only gained 17lbs this whole pregnancy and feel SO good.
By eating more “Cross-over” meals for pregnant/nursing mothers, it helps keep (or give) you more energy to get through the day….and we all know we can always use more energy!
Being pregnant in the South….in the Summer….has had it’s difficulties, but having lots of smoothies and swimming a lot has helped keep me in shape, cooled off, and feeling good this whole time. Here are two of my favorite smoothie recipes:
What else has helped me feeling good is working out….even if it’s just for a short time, or just stretching. It feels so good on my growing body, and it’s helping me stay trim and in shape for after Caleb comes! (I wrote some blog posts on just that: 5 Favorite Pregnancy Workout DVDs and Favorite Workout DVDs for the Third Trimester).
The Trim Healthy Mama plan is definitely not just for women! My husband does it with me, even though he doesn’t have an ounce of fat on his body. I give him just cross-over meals….but he says he has a lot more energy and feels better over-all eating this way.
My “little” brother and also my brother in law are semi-doing this plan along with exercising (they’re both seniors in HS), and my brother has lost around 20lbs and my brother in law has lost over 35lbs. I’m so proud of them both!
If you are thinking about trying out the plan, I would suggest reading the book- at least twice! Then join some of the official Facebook groups for accountability and tons of recipe ideas.
Have you tried the Trim Healthy Mama plan? Did you follow any plan while you were pregnant?
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Good job, Hannah!! Can’t wait to hear of Caleb’s arrival! Love you all, Aunt Jan
Loved reading this. My sister is doing THM and LOVES it also. I am wanting to look into it and buying the book is on top of my list. Look forward to hearing more and would love to hear some favorite food recipes you love.
I am also living Trim Healthy Mama for my pregnancy. And I can’t believe how staying on plan makes a difference to energy and weight gain. My body literally can’t handle one single off plan meal or else I’m battling the three pound weight gain for the next couple days! But it always feels so good to have a complete day of THM. I really like hearing these kind of stores. Thanks for sharing!
I think you just saved my sanity! I hadn’t thought to try a FP snack every hour between meals. Very smart! I had lost all my baby weight from my first two pregnancies (plus some!) right before I got pregnant this time… but first trimester morning sickness required me to basically eat whatever didn’t make me sick, and that kicked me back into old, bad habits. I know THM works, it’s just hard to jump back into the swing of it sometimes. I’m definitely going to try your “method”! 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing this story! This is my first Trim Healthy Pregnancy as well, and I am definitely noticing the difference. Like you, I wasn’t able to be on plan during the first trimester (due to morning sickness). But now that I have started my second trimester, I am finally back to eating healthy again. I look forward to reading your blog and trying some of your recipes, because I am DEFINITELY feeling the smoothie craze with my pregnancy too. 🙂
Making healthy choices is even more important when eating for two and being healthy is always a good idea.
I have been hearing a lot about the Trim Healthy Mama plan lately. I need to check it out! The fact that there’s a Facebook group to help with accountability is a plus. I have a hard time sticking to a diet/exercise plan without it!
I love using THM during pregnancy! I am hoping to start using it again more strictly as this pregnancy progresses. 😉 Right now I kinda follow most of the points, but I do eat more potatoes than they say is okay…because fried potatoes. 😉