Trim Healthy Mama Challenge!

Ah November, how did you get here so fast?!  This month  is going to be a bit different around our house as we will be making some changes to our diets and menus. During the last two weeks of October I found that I am having a few minor complications with my pregnancy. Nothing major and the baby and I are both fine, but I need to get a better control on my insulin levels and my salt intake. After not gaining any weight my entire pregnancy I have suddenly gained 9lbs in 5 weeks. Not the end of the world but it is showing that there is something going on with my body. I have had gestational diabetes in the past and I REALLY don't want to go back down that road again. I also have underlying hypertension so anything I can do to control my high blood pressure before it becomes a problem would be a good thing.

I do have to say I am ornery when it comes to food. I don't like being told no. If I want salt and carbs then I want salt and carbs and you better watch out! However I do need to make some changes and I know I need to make those changes for my kids if not myself. They deserve a healthy mama.

While doing my research I discovered the book Trim Healthy Mama. The book seems to have been written with me in mind. The book covers a lot of nutritional ground, a lot more than I was expecting. The authors focus on controlling insulin levels while allowing some carbs (low glycemic index foods), and splitting fat and carbs into separate meals. The thought being that when you eat fat and carbs in the same meal you are double fueling your body. Your body is not able to burn both fuel sources so you end up storing one of them and ending up getting fat. The way the authors describe the process really makes sense and was kind of a "duh!" moment.  By splitting the two fuel sources in to different meals you are giving your body a chance to use the one fuel source as well as burn some of your excess fat stores (a win win in my book!).

They break the meals down into two types: Satisfaction (S meals) and Energizing (E meals). The S meals being the ones with fat in them and the E meals being the ones with carbs.

I am more than willing to give this a shot....after all I already made the investment in the book why not? I thought it would be interesting (at least for me) to track my progress (and struggles) for one month on here. Sort of a blog diary of how it is going. How my body is adjusting, how the meals are, that sort of thing.

So here it goes!