How I Lost (was 30) 60 Pounds Without Exercising | My Trim Healthy Mama Story

My Trim Healthy Mama Success Story

I started Trim Healthy Mama three and a half years ago, so my story is long overdue. 

*After 7 years on plan, I had a total loss of 60 pounds ~ please see my update below. 

I'm not going to share my original "before and after" picture because it is one of the reasons I keep putting this post off. But, I will describe it for you...

In my before picture, I am wearing yoga pants that flair at the end. They a woman's size large and are snug around my waist and thighs, and the bottom hems are at ankle length, well off the ground from my body holding the pants up. My face is rounded, and my bosom is full and large. (I do not miss that).  I probably weighed 185 pounds on my new scale, but I had an old scale that said I weighed 180 pounds. 

In my after photo, my pants are sagging. I remember when I had to untie the double knot to cinch them up after I started losing weight. The pants are loose all around and hanging on the floor. In fact, I washed them in hot water and dried them on high to make sure they weren't stretched out. My waist and bosom is noticeably smaller and my face is thinner. I now weighed 155 pounds on the new digital scale and 150 on the old. (I hated to use the new scale at first.) 

I just wished I hadn't taken such a grungy shot for my before and after picture, but I had no idea that I would be sharing this story. I never thought I'd be able to lose any weight, let alone 30 pounds. 

I got a shot of me wearing jeans and found an old photo that I was too embarrassed to post on my blog when I took our annual fall photos back in 2013. I posted the photos of the kids, but not of me because I was ashamed of how I looked.  

Before | October 2013

Look how self conscious I was - I have my sweater pulled in front of me to hide myself from the camera. 

After | October 2014

And there I am after in the fall of 2014. So the photos are about one year apart. My after photo is 9 months after I started THM. I am wearing a size 14 in the first photo and a size 10 in the second photo. 

I did not lose anymore weight after that last photo was taken, but I dropped another pants size so I was then wearing a size 8. I still wear a size 8, but I have gained and lost weight since then. Let me explain. 

In May of 2015, I miscarried at the end of my first trimester after 6 weeks of morning sickness. I craved carbs during that time and instead of turning to healthy carbs, I couldn't stay away from Papa John's garlic knots. Eating fats and healthy carbs separately is how I lost weight, so eating fats and unhealthy carbs together is a sure way to gain weight (and gain it fast). I figured that the morning sickness would pass, I would get back on plan for the rest of my pregnancy, and then I'd lose the weight after the baby was born. After I miscarried, I was devastated to not only lose the baby, but I now had 10 pounds to lose, too.

Initially, I was desperate to lose the weight so I did the master cleanse. I lasted 8 days and lost of few pounds, but it took me a whole year before I was at a place that I was ready (emotionally and mentally) to lose all of it. I did not gain any more weight during that time, but I was not on plan 100%. I don't think I could ever go back to how I ate before, so I stayed on plan about 50% of the time and maintained my current weight while still enjoying crossovers, occasional cheats (such as a weekly treat), and sometimes not so occasional cheats (such as eating a whole tub of dark chocolate salted caramels in one week).

A year later, at the end of May of 2016, I was ready to lose that 10 pounds. I got back on plan 100%. I joined the THM Membership Site for support and encouragement, but it was the meal plans and recipes that kept me popping in over the next six months. 

I lost 10 pounds my first month back on plan 100%. I was strict. I did a Fuel Cycle, two weeks of Stubborn Losers, and then a week or so of free cycling. I will not lie - I was hungry every single day. Not only was I eating smaller portions, but I was strict in staying on plan. I did not follow the menus exactly, but I made substitutions using the same fuel source (either S, E, or FP). 

At this point, I was back down to my goal weight of 155 pounds on the new scale (150 on the old, hehe). But, I was not happy. My face was thin, I looked older, and I had saggy jowls if I wasn't smiling. Looking back, I think I lost the weight too quickly and not in the places I wanted to lose it. 

October 2015

This past winter I did GAPS because it was recommended to me for my health concerns. I didn't think I would gain weight from eating the GAPS diet because I eliminated all grains, but I ate what I craved for two months, ate a lot of fat, and ultimately gained 5 pounds.  

Fat is not the bad guy. I ate a lot of fat when I lost my first 30 pounds on THM. Fat is a fuel that if you train your body to burn, it will burn it efficiently. On THM, I only ate one fuel at a time. Your body prefers to burn glucose (carbs), but you can train it to burn fat. So, you have to eat fat to burn fat (just not at the same time you eat carbs). 

In fact, you want to separate your fuels by three hours and eat every three hours. You will want to because you will be hungry. My metabolism was revved up. I used to not be hungry in the mornings, but on THM, I was hangry! Hangry is a THM term that means you're so hungry you're angry. Indeed, I was grumpy if I was too hungry.

But, on GAPS, I mixed my fuels with abandon. I figured if these are the only foods I can eat, I am going to live it up and eat whatever my body wanted. This was really an amazing time of learning about my body because if you eat healthy foods, your body will tell you what it wants.  

I am much happier since gaining back those 5 pounds. Some went to my face, and I look younger. I look prettier and healthier, too. I hover between 155 and 160 now, and I wear a size 8 jeans and a size medium pants. I'm 5'7" and at my last weigh-in, I was 158.* My weight fluctuates during my cycle and I am prone to water weight gain (I take Collinsonia Root from Standard Process and Grapefruit essential oil from Young Living and drink lots of water to help balance my fluids). 

I tried to exercise when I started THM, but I could not keep it up because it made me more hungry, and I didn't want to spend that much time in the kitchen. It was hard enough to prepare meals normally, and I don't like to be hangry. I think if I exercise, I can tone my body more which needs it (and hopefully not lose it in my face). However, I'd rather be a little overweight than look old prematurely. If I could lose 10-15 more pounds and lose it in the right places, I would be happy, but I wouldn't want to be lower than 140. (I was 125 pounds in high school, and 135 pounds when I graduated college, but I've had 6 children and 10 pregnancies since then).

So that's how I lost 30 pounds on THM without exercising.  It stills amazes me that I lost so much weight eating the way I did. I was never hungry when I first started. But, I was pretty strict about staying on plan and had a lot more to lose the first time. I think it gets harder the closer you get to your goal, but I never imagined that I could get back down to 155 which is what I weighed when I married my husband 14 years ago. (That was a goal I set after I reached my first two goals, so I never imagined I would get there.) My next goal is 145 - but only with exercise so I can lose it in the right places (and hopefully not my face). 

December 2016

The nice thing is that now that I have lost the weight and feel better, I don't mind being in more pictures, and I have the energy to exercise. I have started lifting weights to tone a few problem areas (back of my arms and stomach mostly), but I mostly like that I have more energy to homeschool, take my kids on walks, and clean my house (some days, ha). 

This winter, I had a genetic test done and tested homozygous for MTHFR C677T, a condition that affects every system in the body. My symptoms vary but include fatigue, insomnia, mild depression, migraines, and PMS. When I consulted with the chiropractor who did my complete hormone panel to figure out why I had such bad PMS, he said my estrogen levels were peaking at day two of my cycle and staying high throughout my cycle, while my progesterone levels were perfect. He started me on chaste tree and a few other supplements the first week of my cycle to lower estrogen naturally. He also had me start a pituitary supplement because my pituitary is over functioning and producing too much follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which tells my ovaries to produce more estrogen. But, he also wanted me to have the genetic test to make sure I didn't also have MTHFR which affects how my body breaks down estrogen, other hormones, and chemicals in the body, including toxins. When I tested positive and had my consult, he said that following the Trim Healthy Mama diet these past few years probably saved me from a far worse health scenario. 

Today, I'm just thankful that I feel better, look better, and am happier with who I am. 

 On a date with my love - July 2017

What did I eat while losing weight? 

So many good things!

eggs fried in coconut oil or Kerry Gold butter

Herbal coffee and Peanut Butter Whip

Tuna Salad with Joseph's Crackers 

Homemade gyros on Joseph's pita bread 


THM Big Mac Salad (It does taste just like a Big Mac.)

Pizza on Joseph's Lavish bread 

Fooled-Ya Pizza with turkey pepperoni (cauliflower and cheese crust)

Good Girl Moonshine

Cheesecake with berries and whipped cream (crustless)

Cheesecake with strawberries (almond crust)

Strawberries sprinkled with Truvia (or Gentle Sweet)

Zevia when I craved a soda 

Gyros platter on a date with my husband (no pita for me)

The Shrinker to shrink those fat cells 


Mini Chocolate Cakes for Purist 


With fresh raspberries and whipped cream 

I raided my old IG account to share more... hehe! 




















I should have titled my post "How I lost 30 pounds while eating all this great food!"


There's so much more I could say, such as things I liked/didn't like, but if you have questions, feel free to ask.  

I do not have any affiliate links in my post, and Serene and Pearl have no idea I am writing this post, but if you are inspired and want to buy the books on Amazon using my affiliate link at no cost to you, here you go...


(I used the original book when I lost my original 30 pounds, but I've mostly used the new cook book since. I will definitely order the newest book - I may not always be on plan 100%, but I'm a trim healthy mama for life.)

And here is a referral link to the genetic test I took. 


Thanks for reading my story!

Update:

*7/13/18 I lost 20 more pounds. I weigh 136.4.
*I was down to 125 pounds by February 2019 and lost another 5 pounds that year to put me at 120 pounds.

August 2019



I was happy with that but I dropped another 10 pounds due to stress that year putting me at 110 pounds by August 2020, and I was too thin. 


August 2020

It took me a year of eating crossovers and adding raw milk to my diet to get back up to 130 pounds, August 2021. I am a size small and happy with where I am at now. I'm maintaining eating crossovers but will have to keep an eye on them now that my weight is back up. :-) I still don't exercise regularly, but I stay active and enjoy weekly nature study hikes with my family and working hard on the farm we live on.




I'm still a trim healthy mama, but I have dropped overly processed food products from diet and opt for whole fresh foods and home/low processed foods as much as possible. I use honey and maple syrup to sweeten my foods, but I still go for a donk of THM stevia in my Good Girl Moonshine. :-) 

7 comments

  1. Thanks for this! I have been struggling with health issues for the past couple years. A lot of it is very similar to what you have described. I really need to change my eating habits, but can't seem to get there. I think this might be a good start for me. So glad you are feeling happier with who you are!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You look beautiful. Congrats on the weight loss! (You were beautiful before, too, the outside is just a bonus, but I know you feel better, too.)

    I'm sorry for your m/c loss.

    Those food pictures are so amazing. They make me hungry. You always take the best pictures and make everything look so great.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tara, thank you, that's very kind of you to say. ♥ It means a lot to me.

    Desiree, I know what it's like to not be there - if you start, you will be one step ahead of where you would be if you never start. The one thing I love about THM is that you are only ever three hours from being back on plan. I used to believe that if I cheated once during the day, I was done for the day and had to start over tomorrow. THM helped me change that way of thinking. I don't even want to think how much worse my health would have been if I hadn't stuck to it. Though, it could not have sustained me without the supplements I'm taking now - though there is a chapter on hormones in the original book that got me started eating more coconut oil and other fats to help balance hormones (it helped, but I need therapy thanks to the MTHFR and epigenetics).

    All the best to you! Please email if you need encouragement or want to talk more - delightfullearning@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think you looked fabulous in the before pictures, too! I do have some weight to lose, as well. This is good motivation!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you, Megan! 🌼 The funny thing is I felt good about myself before but was self conscious about pictures, but it's nice to feel better and know I'm healthier too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you so much for sharing your journey through the valleys as well as the mountaintops. You are an inspiration :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for your encouragement my friend! 🌼

    ReplyDelete