Surviving Camp on a THM Diet! 10+ THM KETO Camping Meals

It's time to get ready for our annual camping trip!

     We can't wait to get back and make some more memories! Swimming, fishing, boating, 4-wheeling, and lots of relaxing and EATING!

Since starting Trim Healthy Mama back in March both my son and I have lost 20 pounds each! Yep, that's 40 lbs of flab gone! (All with minimal "exercising" mind you. Just THM'ing life)

     It's been an interesting THM journey to say the least! I've learned what GGMS, MIM, CIB, gluccie, and "doonk" mean. Learning how to make all the foods we love so my kids are growing and satisfied while my son and I lose weight has been more than a challenge. There were days I would stand in front of the open fridge and cry, "I can't eat anything in here! Ugh!"

     But I've learned to come up with some of my favorite "go to" meals and snacks.

My favorite "go to" snacks are:

cheese sticks

mixed nuts

Greek yogurt

cottage cheese

eggs

skinny chocolate

protein shakes

But this blog entry is going to be about getting ready for CAMPING!

How do I take all the delicious THM recipes on the road and still make the week FUN and YUMMY? Here are some meal ideas I have put together to get me through our week of camp eating! 

Who knows, maybe our other kids will want to join in on our THM meals too?!

For our camping trip, we have access to modern conveniences such as fry pans, stove, and even an oven! We have a small refrigerator and coolers to keep food cold. We have a camp fire for cooking too.

Breakfasts!

1. Campfire Breakfast Burgers

jellytoastblog.com has a great recipe for morning breakfast. I will take this recipe and sub out the regular biscuit for the two on the THM diet and use THM Muffin in a Mug for the biscuit. Almond meal and coconut flour biscuits with whole egg and sausage patty will make this a very satisfying camp breakfast, S style! Yum! 

  2. Walking In Light has a great recipe called Raspberry Cheescake Rollups with Cinnamon and Sweetener. I will use Joseph's Lavash wraps and this will stay in S territory thanks to the yummy fat in the cream cheese. Just warm the wrap and spread some cream cheese and roll and cut then roll in truvia blend sweetener with cinnamon!

3. Sausage Roll Bites

24/7 Low Carb Diner has a fun recipe for mini sausage bites.  I'll buy precooked sausage links and bake these up in our camp oven. Serve these with some scrambled eggs and spinach, a yummy S breakfast!

 4. Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs Speaking of scrambled eggs, this is a really yummy recipe with lots of extra protein thanks to the cottage cheese. Easy too! I'll serve these with fried French Style green beans maybe some bacon or sausage. Yum!

Lunches!

Lunches for us at camp often have to be portable because we are usually boating or out on the ATV's. When not having leftovers, these will be great go to lunches!

5.  Low Carb Chicken Wraps These look really yummy. I can make these with Joseph's Lavish Wraps. Serve with some pork rinds and celery while everyone else eats Doritos and I will be a happy camper! Taste and crunch needs satisfied!

6. Taco Salad Three Ways This is s a great recipe for making a taco salad three different ways, S, E, or FP. Î will probably eat this a couple times and try it in the different versions to keep my body guessing while on vacation! I sure would love to come back from vacation and have lost weight, not gained. This recipe will be a great way to shake things up. The kids will eat taco meat in flour tortillas. I may even enjoy this salad filling inside a Joseph's Lavish as a taco wrap one day! Lunch anyone?!

7. I couldn't find the link to this gorgeous wrap, but it looks pretty straight forward. Turkey, bacon, cheese, and lettuce all on a low carb wrap equals one yummy S lunch!

 

Dinner!

 8. BURGERS! We will most likely eat burgers several nights while at camp. While everyone eats theirs on white buns, I'll be eating mine inside a Joseph's Pita. So good! Low-carb deliciousness, keeping a burger, even with bacon and avacado in S territory for a slimming meal!

 9. PIZZA! These are a great go to meal I use at home and can easily make while at camp.

 10. Jalepeno Poppers! These will make a fun appetizer staying in the S zone. I will probably leave out the little sausages.

 11. Fall off the bone RIBS!!! I'll make these when our company comes for dinner! I. CAN. NOT. WAIT!!! Camp Dobsee here we come!

For more KETO Ideas grab your FREE book "Bacon and Butter"
Click Here!

Learn more about sustainable energy sources for your camp below.

Click Here!

Week Two On My Trim Healthy Mama Journey

So here I am drinking my Bulletproof Coffee diving head first into week two. This is still very much a learning process for me as I basically deconstruct my diet on this path toward wellness and hopefully lose some weight! If you missed my Week One post you can click below and read why I started this book and what I learned in Week One.

WEEK ONE

On to week two!

The things I'm learning this week have to do with how the food I eat breaks down at the cellular level. I noticed the first time I drank a full can of coconut milk as a shake (yes, I really drank the full can!) I started feeling tingly all over my body. It felt like I had just stepped into a warm milky bath, except on the inside. The can reads that it contains five servings at 22 Fat Grams per serving. Now obviously I need to drink this in a better moderation but my body actually is craving this healthy fat! In the first few chapters of THM the authors talk about how eating fat does NOT make you fat. Carbs and sugar make you fat! Our bodies need fat, therefore if we don't eat enough fat our bodies will convert our excess carbs and sugars INTO fat.  THM also addresses vitamins and supplements toward the end of the book. I'm not ready to dive into all that but I am gathering information while I still try to get a handle on "S" and "E" meals versus a Fuel Pull or a Crossover meal. PHEW!

I found this interesting article on Natural News about iodine.

Iodine is essential in producing thyroid hormones. Unbalanced thyroid hormones lead to weight gain, infertility, and many other issues. I have suffered many years with infertility even though I now have seven children!

I'm planning to add some Himilayan Salt to my next shopping trip! Now I'm not looking to necessarily improve my fertility (ha ha), but I am looking at how to heal my body so my hormones are more stable.

This week I am loving all the extra advice in following this diet I have found through Facebook. I've joined three different THM Facebook groups and my newsfeed is constantly buzzing with ladies asking questions very similar to what I am asking myself! The THM for beginners and the Nursing and Pregnant THM groups have been wonderful resources. They have places where people upload their own documents like menus or recipes. I've "met" some great women in these groups and been really encouraged by them and their testimonies of their own THM journey. Who knew buying a book would open so many doors to information of how to live this THM lifestyle?!

For week two however, I did go "off plan" twice. We had chinese food one night which was so nice so I didn't have to cook. A few days later, we celebrated my son's 16th birthday out to the movies with burgers and sweet potato fries! Other than those two meals however I have tried to stay "on plan" as far as I can tell. I tried to think of my two eating out meals as "crossovers" and not beat myself up too badly over them. I'm still nursing a baby so I don't want to lose weight too quickly and hurt my milk supply.

My favorite recipes I tried and loved this week were the Bread in a Mug recipe, Oven Flax crackers, Ultimate Chocolate Cake and chocolate frosting, Chocolate Cake in a Mug (that one is seriously amazing!), Lemon Fat Bombs, Berry Cottage Whip, and Berry Waffles with bacon! Am I on a diet? Seriously, look at this amazing breakfast I made this morning!

(This is an "S" meal, I think, still learning! ;)  Two slices of bacon, one bread in a mug recipe cooked in my waffle maker, cottage cheese, berries sweetened with Truvia, small dollop of Redi-Whip. I even get to put real butter on my waffle! Yum!)

 Overall I am feeling great and while I would love to say I lost 10 lbs on this diet in the first two weeks, I have not. I have lost about 2 lbs though. Chapter 12 in the THM book was a great reminder, slow and steady is a much healthier way to lose weight. I wish I had taken measurements though because I did notice a difference in how my clothes feel at the end of week two. My stomach feels less flabby and my pants fit better. Here are my two week changes, subtle, but changes to say the least. I noticed that my shirt hangs lower on me now there is less gut! I also noticed when I went to put my hand on my waist like I did in last week's photo, I actually had a waist!

On to Week Three!

NuNaturals Stevia A Review and Give Away!

I was thrilled to learn I was accepted to take part in an NuNaturals sampling as part of Christian Women Affiliates! I have used stevia products in the past but I was excited to learn more about this particular company and why their products are superior to others on the market. I thought I was going to to be sampling lemon, orange, and vanilla NuStevia, but I was given so much more to try than that!

Just look at all the wonderful products I was sent!

In addition to vanilla, orange, and lemon NuStevia,

I was sent a box of 50 packets of NuStevia Powder,

Peppermint NuStevia,

Alcohol Free NuStevia,

and a 3 oz. container of NuStevia Prebiotic Blend!

My daughters and I set to work right away taste testing each of the NuStevia Pure Liquid products.

The orange and lemon were FANTASTIC! So bold and flavorful, so true to their names, they tasted just like orange and lemon!

The vanilla was wonderful, but it was the peppermint that got me excited! We put drops of NuStevia Peppermint our tongues and it was like we were in in one of those York Peppermint Patty commercials being whisked away to a winter wonderland! Our taste buds soared with the fresh taste of peppermint and sweetness of stevia minus a bitter aftertaste that can come with other stevia products.

My sample products also came with a pack full of recipes to try out our new NuNaturals pure liquids.

I found so many wonderful recipes, particularly if you have a gluten-free allergy or if you are diabetic. We have none of these in my family, so why would I want to use stevia products in my home and in my cooking? Well, the number one reason I love NuNaturals products is to cut back on the amount of sugar we all consume in our home. These NuNaturals stevia products do not raise your blood sugar levels like when we use real sugar.

Here is a little bit about blood sugar levels and how they can effect your health:

"Blood sugar levels are one of the most discussed aspects of health with regards to diabetes but proper maintenance of blood sugar levels is also an important part of maintaining overall health. This article will give you blood sugar management tips as well as explaining just what blood sugar levels are and how they affect our health. First lets begin by explaining what blood sugar is. Glucose or sugar is the primary energy source for mammals and other animals, lipids (i.e. fats and oils) are another source but they are primarily a compact energy store. Blood sugar or blood glucose level is a measurement of glucose present in an animal, in mammals this level usually stays in a closely controlled range called the reference range and it is tightly regulated as part of metabolic homeostasis. Changes in blood sugar levels either increases or decreases from within the reference range do not usually have many negative consequences but chronically being outside this range can lead to many serious health conditions."

You can read the rest of the article here.

Orange NuNaturals Stevia and Blueberry Scones

(Here is a photo of my scones made for my family of 8!)

These were delicious! I used packets of powdered stevia for the scone batter and orange NuStevia to flavor the batter and the glaze. The recipe I used said it was for two people. I have 8 in my family so I octupled the recipe! The recipe called for two packets of stevia with 1/4 cup of flour. I used 2 cups of flour and 16 packets of stevia. Obviously I would have to buy the stevia in cans to cook this recipe frequently but for two people, two packets of stevia would be easy on my wallet.

Here is the original recipe:

Blueberry-Orange Scones For Two

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 TB oats

2 packets NuNaturals NuStevia White Stevia Powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp dairy-free butter

3 TB dairy-free milk (unsweetened So Delicious Coconut Milk)

20 drops of NuNaturals Orange Liquid Stevia

1/4 cup blueberries

(Optional Glaze)

2 TB powdered sugar

Few drops of water or dairy-free milk

Add drops of NuNaturals Orange Liquid Stevia to taste

Stir until you attain the consistency you desire

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In small bowl, mix together flour, oats, stevia packets powder, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into the mixture, and mix until combined.

Add milk and Orange Liquid Stevia to the dry ingredients.

Fold in blueberries, don't over-mix.

Flatten dough into a 3 X 3 inch square. Cut diagonally to form 2 triangles.

Bake for 17-20 minutes on a greased pan.

Drizzle with glaze and enjoy!

While I am blogging this I am enjoying this lovely cup of raspberry tea flavored with Lemon NuStevia. I was looking at their website and one of their suggestions was to add a few drops of vanilla too. What a delicious taste! I never would have thought of that! The raspberry tea is flavorful, the lemon is bold, but the vanilla is oh so soothing and sweet! The flavors blend and my tongue is just bursting with happiness in so many areas with the mix of flavors!

I've also been adding the NuNaturals  NuStevia Prebiotic Blend to my tea.

This is what the company has to say about the Prebiotic Blend.

"NuStevia™ PreBiotic Blend™ uses Tagatose a natural sweetener that is produced from milk. NuStevia™ Prebiotic Blend™ will have absolutely no effect on blood sugar levels and is safe for both Type I and II diabetics. It is very low on the glycemic index as well.

The Tagatose used in NuStevia™ PreBiotic Blend™ helps feed the good bacteria in your digestive system.

NuStevia™ PreBiotic Blend™ contains 60% more Stevia extract than most other brands on the market. The cost to get the same sweet taste of other brands can be up to 2 1/2 times more expensive compared to NuNaturals. NuNaturals NuStevia™ PreBiotic Blend™ will save you money.

NuStevia™ PreBiotic Blend™ come in a convenient spice jar with a multiple opening cap. This makes it easy to sprinkle or pour the powder."

I'm all for feeding the good bacteria as I have read all about how sugar feeds the bad bacteria in our guts. I also like the added value.  I can use less to get the same sweetness level I crave at a fraction of the cost of other prebiotic brands on the market!

                                               

You can "like" NuNaturals on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

And because you have been such a wonderful follower of my blog and these products are really that fantastic, I am able to offer you 15% off your ENTIRE order when you use the Discount Code: BLG1212

This offer is good through December 31, 2012. Also, all orders placed totaling over $35 will receive FREE shipping to the Continental U.S.

a Rafflecopter giveaway I received NuNaturals products free to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Introducing....ShapelyGirl Fitness! #shapelygirl

Below are all the links to follow my progress!

Week ONE Fitness Friday Check-in

Week TWO Fitness Friday Check-in

Week THREE Fitness Friday Check-in

Week FOUR Fitness Friday Check-in

Final Post and wrap-up!

When I joined Christian Women Affiliate I was really excited about being able to get a few books to review, but I was over the top EXCITED to learn I was chosen to join the special crew to review the ShapelyGirl Fitness DVD! My DVD,  "Let's Get Stepping" just arrived today and I cannot wait to get started! I will be doing this along with 27 other amazing women as a "challenge" using the ShapelyGirl Fitness DVD's for the month of October!



"Debra Mazda’s Shapely Girls focus is…
No Matter what size you are- even if you’ve never worked out before- start moving, breathing and feeling great. Debra is living proof you don’t need to be a size 2 to be Fit & Fabulous! At 315 pounds, Debra decided that diets were not the answer and discovered that exercise can transform your body and your life. Debra & her Shapely Girl Team will work out right along with you and teach you to embrace your curves while getting fit and healthy. She’s now a Healthy and Fit size 10."


But why would I want to be on this crew? Well, I've got at least SIX reasons! My 6 kids!!!
But to be vulnerable, share my struggles openly? Why would I CHOOSE to do that?!
Because I think we all struggle with weight. I want to be open and honest that having 6 kids and staying fit is hard work!

I'm 38 years old and I spend my days homeschooling my kids and driving them to all their co-op and extra-curricular activities. I don't always pay attention to my body's needs for exercise and nutrition. I'm also about 20-25 pounds heavier than I would like to be! Here I am in January of this year after giving birth to my 6th child. (Note the exercise equipment in the background. Available to the entire family, yet barely used!) I think I weigh about 185 lbs. here. I'm still pretty puffy from my c-section too.

Over the sixteen years I have been birthing my kids, my weight has gone up and down. I usually gain about 35-40 pounds per pregnancy. Not a HUGE amount but more than my body should probably gain especially in order to take the weight off quickly. So I figure I've probably gained over 240 lbs in the last 16 years, and taken off all of it except for the last 25-30 lbs. My body likes to hover at a certain weight where my hormones are unstable, placing me in the battle against infertility more than once. (I know, you wouldn't think that looking at me with 6 kids, but it's true! Second time infertility has been a huge part of my life these last 12 years.)

I still love to be active with my kids though. Here I am with my youngest son on a walk last week.

I'm hoping to gain tons of energy and strength while increasing in flexibility and loosing inches over the next month! I will be watching my scale (can't help it!) but I'm focusing more on my energy and inches lost for the month! I used to take a step class about 9 years ago and had a lot of fun, so I'm really looking forward to this DVD!
I hope you will check back each Friday for a Fitness Friday check-in and follow along with me as I accept this ShapelyGirl Fitness challenge!

Here is more info about the DVD I will be using!

Debra Mazda and her ShapelyGirl team are back with Let's Get Stepping!, a step-cardio workout for beginners. Debra Mazda, M.Ed is the leader of the plus-size fitness movement and creator of the ShapelyGirl DVD series. Her philosophy is Fitness Comes in Many Sizes and she will inspire you to get moving with her friendly, energetic style and her personal story of overcoming obesity once and for all through exercise.

This workout will help you burn calories and increase flexibility and stamina. It includes fun, easy-to-learn moves designed for larger women, but they are great for anyone who is new to Step or hasn't done it for a while. Features of this DVD include Debra's Step Tutorial (where she demonstrates each move), a bonus Cardio track with weights, and a new edition of "Circle Time" where the ShapelyGirls share their thoughts on body image, finding their motivation and working toward their fitness goals.

Level: Beginner

Runtime: approximately 82 minutes

You can check out a sample below of what I'll be doing!!! Woot! Woot! 

I look forward to sharing with you THIS Friday!

I just LOVE this picture, special thanks to Noelle Mena for creating it and allowing us to share it! God bless!

  I received a free copy of this DVD to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.

Road to Fitness- Checking In!

When my doctor gave me the go ahead to start exercising after my 6 week check up, I didn't hesitate to get started. I was anxious to get MOVING again! This was my sixth pregancy though! I didn't even know where to BEGIN! I cried out to God asking Him to help me get motivated to get moving again. His answer came in the most unexpected ways!
I was sitting at my lovely Moms group when this mom I didn't know really well boldy stood up and shared her testimony of this dvd exercise program she had started. It was called Prayfit. I decided to order it at Amazon.

It arrived in about four days and I began the video with my kids!


Here I am before starting the video:

And here is my progress so far:

January 5, 2012 Delivery Day! 196 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh! The biggest I've ever been in my life!!!!!


February 15, 2012 6 week post-partum check-up  174 lbs!!!! Down 22 lbs!!! Just dropping the baby's weight, fluids, and breastfeeding

March 6th, 2012 Started Prayfit

After 3 weeks (around day 21) I began to feel stronger and was getting a little bored with the video, quite honestly. So when my husband invited my son to go along with him running and he refused, I said, "yes". So I began running. You can read my journey here.

I began adding running a mile and a half in between using my ellipitical in addition to keeping up with the Pray fit dvd.

After only 3 weeks I had dropped 6 lbs and was gaining so much energy!

On April 1, 2012 I weighed in at 168.

By the end of April, on April 28th, 2012 I checked in at 163.

At the end of May, on May 27, 2012 I checked in at my lowest weight so far, 158!!! ****

I am pretty well near where I started when I got pregnant with little Super Wy. You can read about his story here

And here I am now! Down 38 lbs!!!!!


My husband and I are working toward doing some sort of physical activity each day, whether it is the PrayFit dvd or going for a run. It is a lot of fun to do this together! By the way, he has also lost about 13 pounds himself!
We give all the praise and glory to God for our health, and our fitness, for the very breath in our lungs!

As Jimmy Pena says, "In Jesus' name, we train!"

Eating Healthier and Trying My Hand At Egg Rolls

So YES, the baby has arrived and he's been keeping us all very busy! I have yet to put my blog post together on his amazing birth but I did want to catch up on the fun I've had on learning to eat healthier and my first attempt at making egg rolls! They're so simple, I can't believe I waited so long to try them!

These are the ingredients I started with! One onion chopped, purple and green cabbage, (shredded -about 2 cups worth), carrots, (shredded-about 1/4 cup), some spinach leaves, (cooked with one pound of our amazing moose sausage!)

Here is what the inside of the egg rolls look like all cooked in a frying pan. No oil used here, only water. The moose sausage is so lean, barely any fat! I also added about a cup of the quinoa/rice/peas dish I was preparing to go alongside the egg rolls.

Here are the egg rolls out of the oven. I brushed them lightly with oil before baking them at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. You can find these great Asian style wraps in the tofu section of your local grocery store. Their website has some great recipes too!

Dinner is served! I served these amazing egg rolls alongside cooked sugar snap peas, a little apple sauce, and tasty cooked quinoa and rice with chicken and peas. A much healthier alternative to ordering Chinese take-out! Only one of my kids didn't like the egg rolls. Too bad for him, oh well, more for the rest of us! I can't wait to make these again! I wonder what lovely foods I might try inside next time? Sure beats frozen egg rolls, and way cheaper too! If only I could explain to my husband they are STILL "egg rolls" even though there are no eggs INSIDE!!!