Jennifer Mason: Featured Coach Testimony
I have lost 30+ pounds on THM – twice!
I originally found the Trim Healthy Mama book in Above Rubies magazine, when the first edition was published – and the timing could not have been better.
I was several months out from a Hyperemesis Gravidarum pregnancy with baby number four. I was so severely sick during my pregnancy that I would go weeks without eating solid food and survived with the help of IV fluids. At one point I lost 12 pounds in 9 days. I’m sharing all of this to explain that when my daughter was born, I had a very unhealthy relationship with food. I felt well enough to eat, so I ate EVERYTHING. And I gained more weight postpartum than I’d ever gained during a pregnancy.
I didn’t care too much about the weight gain – I had nearly daily migraines, back pain, irregular hormones, and my clothes didn’t fit – but I could EAT! I ate sugar with nearly every meal, and I was pretty happy to be doing it! But I avoided cameras, and sadly, there are hardly any pictures of me with my sweet little baby girl during that time.
I remember my turning point – I saw a photo of myself from Christmas (it’s actually the “before” photo!). I couldn’t believe it. I had always been on the smaller side, and I remember thinking, “That can’t be me!”
Shortly after that, I saw the advertisement for Trim Healthy Mama and I knew I needed to make a change. I started the plan very slowly, only alternating S and E breakfasts while I figured out how the plan worked. I could only afford to buy stevia, unsweetened almond milk, and protein powder, so I had very few meals with special ingredients.
Most of my meals were of the Drive-Thru-Sue variety because I was so busy! I made a lot of mistakes (accidental crossovers happened regularly until I figured out what I was doing), but I didn’t give up!
I lost thirty pounds in under 4 months and kept it off easily. I started blogging my THM meals and Serene and Pearl very kindly included the name of my website in their Trim Healthy Mama Plan book as a resource for meal plans.
I was able to lose the same amount of weight again four years ago, after a Trim Healthy pregnancy with baby #5, only the weight didn’t melt right off like it did the first time. I had a weight loss stall that lasted one full year – and kicked myself when I realized that if I’d only had the hormone testing recommended by Serene and Pearl in the Trim Healthy Mama Plan book, I could have figured out the problem much sooner!
I’m a single mom, homeschooling my five kids, and after living this plan for so many years it has truly become my passion to help other women on their THM journeys, both through my website (thewellplannedkitchen.com) and through my full-time coaching services. I’ve had lots of experience with THM on-the-go, THM-when-I’m-too-tired-to-cook, THM-when-the-fridge-is-almost-empty, and finding a way to make THM work in difficult circumstances.
I specialize in helping busy women make THM doable – I believe that when we are in stressful situations we default to whatever is quickest and easiest – so my goal for my clients is to make Trim Healthy Mama foods the quickest, easiest options available! When we start defaulting to THM in our busiest times, I think we really find the food freedom that makes the plan so enjoyable!
I offer a Bootcamp for Busy Moms every six weeks that includes weekly video coaching sessions, daily support through Facebook, and one-on-one calls to make sure youíre getting what you need. We encourage each other, I answer all of your THM questions, and we have a pretty great time while we’re working on reaching our goals together.
My Website:
thewellplannedkitchen.com (formerly workingathomeschool.com)
My Facebook Page:
Here’s my E recipe:
Black Bean Chicken Salad (E)
This is a great salad to take to any pot luck, picnic, or BBQ. It also makes a great main dish at home anytime. Eaten with some baked corn chips or spooned onto a couple of Light Rye Wasa crackers, you have a fresh and tasty, filling meal. If you want more veggies in this salad, finely diced cucumber beefs it up so well and mixes beautifully with the textures and flavors.
Serving Size:
Feeds 6 to 8 people
Ingredients:
– Mineral Salt and black pepper
– 2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
– 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
– 1 Tablespoon water
– 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
– 1/2 cup chopped fresh green onions
– 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
– About 2 heaping cups of cooked, chopped or cubed chicken breasts
– Juice of 1 lime
– 1 Tablespoon dried basil
Instructions:
1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken then combine it with black beans, green onions, and cilantro in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Combine vinegar, olive oil, water, basil, and lime juice in a small bowl and whisk.
3. Toss dressing with salad and combine well.