THM beginners tips- List 1

1. Not all sweeteners are the same. AND not all stevias are the same. The new stevia and Sweet Blend from the THM website are the best! Try them! Give yourself time to like them, while NOT eating sugar.  Of course it is gonna taste bad after eating sugar.  Maybe even wait to try it after been OFF sugar for a while. YOU KNOW you can change your taste for certain things if you give it time. Keep it real, y'all!
Here are what my two favorite sweeteners look like on their website:

2. Don't quit. I have loved this plan from day 1, but there are lots of people tempted to quit very early into this plan as it is hard at first.  Let me encourage you to hang in there. It will be worth it and I really believe the plan will work if you do it as described and you give your body time! The learning curve is steep but shorter than you think.

3. Be patient. Healthy weight loss takes time.  LEARNING this plan takes time. Remember, it's not magic. AND you should know that not following this plan 100% will affect the rate at which you lose weight on the plan in small or large ways depending on the things you let slide.  Some things are not such a big deal and some things are.  You will have to try it to find out! I did not start on the plan 100% and it has worked for me, but I am trying to do things all the time to follow the plan more closely as I see the great results in my body! I started out following it about 75%, now I am at about 90% I would guess. It is okay to start the plan slowly just don't expect the results to be as clear.

4. THM doesn't "cure everything".  While a healthy diet may cure some health problems, even a lot of health problems, don't put huge expectations on the plan that may be unfair. My worst back pain is from scar tissue "post two back surgeries". I don't expect weight loss or healthy eating to fix that.  Does it help? I am sure that the significant amount of weight I have lost takes pressure off my back, but it is not going to fix the core issue. AND this diet is said to help inflammation in the body.  I cannot attest to that at this point.  But I know people often do say it helps once on this plan.  There are TONS of testimonials in the facebook group and on you tube of how this has helped various health problems and challenges for many many health issues. I have personal friends who have done great on this plan. You can listen and judge for yourself!

5. You can eat the same or more than on other plans and you will be less hungry than on other plans.  I like that.  I didn't realize until starting this plan that I was previously going from one sugar craving to another and THINKING I was going from one hungry moment to another.  NOT true. I ALSO don't obsess about food and/or my weight on this plan like I have in the past. It is good for control freaks! I don't walk in the kitchen and go, "ugh, what am I gonna eat that is healthy!?!!?" I walk in excited to see what yummy thing I can make to eat! Food is no longer the enemy!

6. This plan works well for me because my body was over reacting to the carbs in my diet by producing too much insulin. (If you feel cranky or jittery or sleepy after a carby kind of meal, you are possibly having the same reaction, and producing too much insulin which causes your blood sugar to spike and then plummet and cause these reactions.) Now I thought I had this under control because I was eating enough protein with the carbs to prevent the massive low blood sugar crashes from WAY too much insulin,  but I was only minimizing the reaction rather than preventing it.
THM is about not even CREATING these spikes AT ALL in your blood sugar.  This means no lows, and a much healthier way of processing food.  That is why Splenda, honey, and some other sweeteners that may or may not be healthy are not on this plan.  They spike your blood sugar which affects weight and water retention. Did you know that carbs can cause water retention?!

7. You will need to throw out some of the myths you have believed about weight loss, weight management, healthy eating, etc. I have found many things that just were not true or were just not sustainable long term for me.  With this plan I feel I can sustain this way of eating for the rest of my life and be much healthier and at a better weight than ever in my life.

8. This plan may appear to have some CRAZY ingredients required.  First, they are not required but they make the plan easier.  AND they are likely much more natural and healthier alternatives to the stuff you are eating now. And sometimes they are often just "old school" stuff people stopped using when bleached flour came along. I am working to add products to my pinterest boards so you know which website offer which products.  I don't have this done yet.

9. Start reading labels.  Or if you are like me -google some. We know we should think about what is in our food.  But we often avoid looking at it and trust the maker of the foods we buy.  You will be surprised what you see and you will learn what to avoid that could be sabotaging your weight. Yes, at first it looks like a foreign language but you will learn key ingredients to avoid on this plan that are just plane fillers and/or  BAD for you.  Start off just looking for sugar or forms of sugar on labels. CLICK HERE for a list of the various names used but are all best if you avoid them.
Did you know that table salt is full of fillers?! Yep! That is why you are seeing all these sea salts, himalayan salts and others on store shelves.  AND salt is not necessarily bad either! Pure salt has some great benefits to our bodies! WE NEED SALT!

10. Get on pinterest, here is my page:http://www.pinterest.com/digimoma/  Or even you tube and type in THM or Trim Healthy Mama.  
On pinterest you may be like me and want to unfollow any specific boards your friends have on pinterest that are about sweets or food that are not THM versions or close to it (some low carb or paleo boards are worth following and tweaking to fit THM once you get the hang of it).   I love seeing recipes that work, NOT ones that are "off plan" for me.  All you have to do is unfollow that one board, not unfollow that friend completely. Find more THM pinners!

That's 10 for today! Enjoy!

MORE SMALL PRINT: After writing this list, I wondered if the first tip should have been to BUY THE BOOK! That seems obvious to me, but I know some people try to do it without the book.  Think of the cost of the book as one less co-pay to the drs office once you get to a healthier place in your pursuit of health.  I love to rationalize! *wink* Really in the long run $20-35 for the book is sooooooooo worth it. Here is another good rationalization, you will spend less on eating out and other snacks and sweets after you learn the awesome recipes in the book! Really! You buy all kinds of overpriced over processed foods for the ease and speed of grabbing a snack. This book has EASY and QUICK recipes for you! Lots of them.  ok, I am done arguing about you needing to buy the book! *smile* 

This is me smiling at you today: