How I lost over 20 pounds and kept it off (so far)

The one thing that really helped me lose weight?  THIS!!!

That is a chocolate muffin in a mug with strawberries and whipped topping.  That's my appetite depressant.  Yes, really!  But most mornings I eat it plain without the berries and cream because I'm in a hurry on work day mornings.  The berries and cream are usually reserved for weekends.  This muffin is healthy, low carb and sugar free.  Its sweetened with Stevia.

I can't promise that this will have the same effect on everybody though!  

I've been struggling with some extra weight for a while and I seemed to be gaining and losing the same 15 or 20 pounds regularly.  As January 1, 2015 dawned, I was at my heaviest and was barely fitting into my clothes.  I was really needing to go to a bigger size, a size I've never worn!

I knew that with diabetes and high blood pressure running in my family, it was very important that I get this under control.  My blood pressure was elevated and most of the weight I was gaining was accumulating in my abdomen area.

So in January I started counting calories and pretty much stayed hungry all the time.  I mean really hungry.  Nonetheless I stuck with it for about 4 months and did manage to lose 13 pounds.  At that point, I began to eat what I wanted again and quickly gained back 4 or 5 pounds and I knew I was going around that weight gain mountain once again.

I had heard a little about a diet plan called Trim Healthy Mama, but didn't really pay too much attention.  I decided to check into it further and to try it. The original book is a big, thick book and costs $32.00 and I didn't want to spend that much money for something I knew nothing about, so I found it at my local public library and renewed it up to the limited number of times.

By that time I was ready to invest in my own copy and bought it from Amazon. I used Amazon gift cards I earned with Swagbucks!   That may seem like a lot of money, but the book is full of all kinds of information, including lots of recipes and health information that included things besides diet including sex (for the married woman).  Yes I said it.  I don't think I've ever used that word on my blog before!  

HERE is a link to the original Trim Healthy Mama book and the two new books are HERE and HERE.

Links to these books can also be found on my side bar, if you are interested.  But, you may be able to find them at the library.

The authors of the book have recently released a new Trim Healthy Mama book and a new cookbook.  But, I haven't even scratched the surface of the original book, so I'm sticking to that.  I did order the cookbook, but still prefer my original big, thick book.

A simple description of Trim Healthy Mama is that it is a carb conscious plan.  Its not low carb but I really have cut down on them.  Also a big part of the diet is to separate fuels.  A meal is typically either mostly carbs or mostly fats.  The foods are very healthy.

I started following the plan in May, very loosely.   I've never been very strict about it.   But, I pretty much changed the way I eat, I hope forever.  I lost weight very slowly, but steadily.  I got down to my goal weight and not only fit into the too tight clothes from January, but I dropped a size.

Since I only follow the plan loosely, I have to tell you the things I do that have resulted in my weight loss:

1.  As I said up above, the thing that was the very most help to me in losing weight was the chocolate muffin in a mug.  I can't post the recipe because of copyright laws, but some of the ingredients are coconut oil, golden flax seed meal, an egg, cocoa powder, and stevia for the sweetener.  It only takes a minute in the microwave. I make one of these every single work day and lots of weekend mornings for breakfast.

There are also brownies in a mug and many other variations.  Here is a Pinterest link with lots of them!!!! HERE

This is the plain chocolate muffin in a mug that I bring to work every day.  I cook it for a minute and 5 seconds right before I go out the door and when I get to work its still warm.  Its easy to eat at my desk while I'm getting the computer going and getting my day started.

The thing about this muffin, and pretty much anything that contains coconut oil, is that it satisfies my appetite for quite a while!  I DO NOT get hungry until lunch time, whereas before I'd be hungry within 1 to 2 hours of eating breakfast, and then I would eat constantly the rest of the day.

So I don't know if coconut oil is an appetite suppressant for other people like it is for me.  But as opposed to diet pills, coconut oil is healthy and good for you. This has been a life changer for me.

I was able to find all the ingredients locally except for the golden flax seed meal, which I found on Amazon through the Subscribe and Save program found HERE.

I keep a little muffin in a mug supply area on the kitchen counter with the different size measuring spoons that I need and the ingredients.  I have planned to make little baggies with the dry ingredients already measured out, but I never seem to get around to it.

2.  Skinny Chocolate and other treats that are on the plan.  Skinny chocolate has coconut oil in it so it helps with my appetite.  The peanut butter fudge is so good too.  There are many, many dessert recipes that are on the plan.

3.  I stopped using store bought flavored coffee creamers altogether.   I slowly switched over to half and half and the Walmart brand stevia that is their brand of Truvia.  The Walmart brand is not strictly on plan, but it has worked well for me.  I have used it in the chocolate muffin in a mug and the skinny chocolate with no problems as well.

4.  I eat little to no bread. That's a miracle for me, but I really do not miss it that much.  I take the bun off any fast food sandwiches and avoid it in other situations.  I will occasionally have some, but its not on my daily menu any more.

This is a typical fast food lunch that I enjoy on work days and have lost weight eating.  A large chili from Wendy's and a Cheeseburger Deluxe from the value menu.  When I throw away the bread and cut up the contents of the burger, its like eating a mini hamburger salad.  This meal also is a good one for keeping my appetite under control.

5.  The Trim Healthy Mama Facebook Group.  This gives me so much motivation seeing before and after pictures, recipes and other information.  There are the NSVs (non scale victories) and Trimaversaries (1 year, 2 year or 6 month anniversary of starting the diet with before and after pictures).  You can join the group HERE.  You could lurk on there for a while to learn more about the plan.

6.  Good Girl Moonshine!  I make my own version of this with a True Lemon Peach Lemonade powder stick on crushed ice with a teaspoon of vinegar in it.  The real recipe is ok, but mine works for me and is easy to throw together to take to work.  HERE is a link to the original recipe. 

7.  I rarely eat potatoes, pasta or white rice.  I do eat more brown rice and beans. I also like California Blend frozen vegetables in the microwave steam bag.  Just cook them, pour in a bowl and sprinkle some cheese on top.

8.  I carry packets of stevia sweetener in my purse to use for sweetening tea in restaurants or from the drive through.  I really love my southern sweet tea and with the stevia packets, I can still partake.  I just order it unsweetened and then put a packet or two of the sweetener in it.

For anyone who wants to go on the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan, please know that you can do it without spending money on strange ingredients.  On the other hand, you can spend a lot of money buying some of them.  I think for someone who needs to lose weight, it might be worth it to them to buy some of the more unusual and expensive ingredients, especially if their health is on the line.

The ingredients I buy that I've never bought before are coconut oil, golden flax seed meal and stevia.  You can buy all kinds of other things that the Trim Healthy Mama authors sell on their website, like their baking blend, sweet blend and more.  I haven't done that, but I may in the future.

Finally, in closing, I'd like to report that all of my lab work and my blood pressure were great at my last check up about a month ago.  My blood pressure went from being on the verge of my needing to go on medication to being perfect.   AND when I weighed this morning I had lost another pound and have now lost a total of 23 pounds.  I love wearing my clothes now because they are not tight any more.

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