Recently, my mom started reading the Trim Healthy Mama (THM) plan. She recommended it to me (because I want to lose weight), which is why I ended up reading it.
The THM Lifestyle
Starting in the introduction, Trim Healthy Mama makes us a promise: “We guarantee zero pounds lost in the first month!” (pg. xv). After that unusual guarantee, THM further clarifies that while most do lose weight the first month, the number isn’t important. This is a lifestyle, not a diet.
Further in the introduction, I was shocked to read that Trim Healthy Mama was based on “biblical truths” (pg. xviii). That was a first! I have never before heard of a plan for weight loss that was based on the Bible. THM explains this best, though, when they state “Who could know better than our Creator?” (pg. xviii).
The THM plan was already off to a pretty good start. Barrett and Allison stated their foundation, and we’re already letting readers know that this was for the long haul. They also added a snippet to let readers know – if you’re not a mama, you’re still not left out: “… welcome to the THM sisterhood, where the word mama applies to women of all ages and stages” (pg. 3).
Difference of Interpretation
Earlier in the THM plan, we read that the plan was based on “biblical truths”. That did raise questions in my mind at the time – but I read on to learn what they meant for myself. Further questions are raised later on, however, at the mention of the THM sisters eating turkey bacon. Sounds innocent enough, right? Except for their reasoning on why.
According to the THM sisters, “We enjoy bacon, too, but use the turkey variety due to our biblical beliefs. The choice to eat real pork bacon and other meats deemed not clean in Leviticus and Deuteronomy in the Bible is completely up to you. We can’t help but squeeze in the point that God surely knew what He was talking about when he suggested in the scriptures which meats were made for our bodies to eat and which weren’t” (pg. 29).
Everyone has the right to believe as they wish, however, I would like to point out that claiming that the meats considered unclean in Leviticus and Deuteronomy are still inaccessible to people who believe in the Bible shows a certain misunderstanding or ignorance of the Bible. In Acts 10:13 Peter clearly has a vision in which he is told to “… kill and eat”. When Peter refuses, he is told “What God has made clean, do not call common” (Acts 10:15). You can read Peter’s vision in Acts 10:9-16. I highly recommend you read it for yourself, so you can come to your own conclusions.
Final Conclusions
The THM plan was very interesting reading. Barrett and Allison provide plenty of scientific backing for their various claims about healthy foods and results in addition to their biblical stance. Much of what they said made a lot of sense, and doesn’t seem like it would be too crazy difficult to incorporate into a lifestyle. So many lifestyle changes out there insist that we cut out food groups or our favorite foods, but this plan is not one of them. All in all, the THM plan seems very doable, even on a budget. You don’t have to count calories, or be really restrictive, or go hungry. This plan seems worth a try.
Christian, wife, “hybrid” mama, I run the site All Behind A Smile to help others like me.
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