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One More Little Thing

Dreaming of an easy way to be SUPER Mom

Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Two-Week Fuel Cycle Menu

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Trim healthy mama logo

Are you feeling stuck?  Lost in your weight “loss” journey?  Looking for direction but not sure where to turn? Trim Healthy Mama (THM) has been an amazing answer to so much for me but after being dedicated to this plan for over 3 years I sometimes get stuck in a rut and need to switch things up.  This is a good time to do a fuel cycle.

What is a fuel cycle?

Basically, a fuel cycle cycles your body through the different fuel sources (low fat, low carbs, and low of both)  for a whole day.  This has been awesome for me! I recently finished a two-week cycle and lost 5 pounds after being stalled for 3-4 months.  I did a fuel cycle about a year ago and lost 9 pounds in two weeks.  If you are looking for more direction than THM normally likes to give you, this is also a great thing to do.  I have found that sometimes I just need more of a plan and the fuel cycle gets me back on track.

How to do it

You can do a fuel cycle for one week or two weeks.  It’s a great option when you have a dress you need to fit into or just need some structure to the way you eat.  The important thing as always is to center your meals around protein. Only add in one fuel source at a time (carbs OR fats, not both).  I personally like to do the two-week fuel cycle but even a one-week cycle is great to get you going.

My Two-Week Fuel Cycle Menu

Two-week Fuel Cycle Menu

To make this menu I tried to use the foods I love the MOST because I know I will fall off the bandwagon if it’s something that is too much work.  Not to mention something that I don’t like! If you see something on here that you won’t eat or don’t want to make then sub it for something you do like.  It will be worth it but this is a great way to get started with planning.

First, to clarify, Deep S days are fat and protein days but you are to exclude nuts and dairy. This makes the S days the hardest days in the cycle for me but yet I know it’s good for me.

I’m sure that my menu is not perfect.  I know there are many different rules and variations you can follow so please take that to heart and if you have advice please share! I learn from all of you every day.

Deep S Days

Breakfast Options (The numbers below stand for the day in the cycle)

  • One: Eggs and sausage with butter
  • Two: Fat Stripping Frappa (cookbook pg 240) and hard boiled egg
  • Seven and optional Eight: Eggs and sausage with butter (if you are doing a two week cycle you are supposed to start the next week with an e breakfast but I’m putting this s option also)
  • Nine: Eggs with Bacon
  • Fourteen: Omelette with sausage and peppers

Deep S Snacks

  • Hard Boiled, Protein shakes from the cookbook, Brownie in a mug, Veggies and berries

Lunch Options

  • One: BLT Jar Salad I try to stay away from mayo during a fuel cycle so for the dressing I did MCT oil (2T) and Apple Cider Vinegar (SCV 1/4 cup), 1 doonk Stevia, and some salt and pepper instead.
  • Two: BLT Jar Salad
  • Seven: BLT Jar Salad
  • Eight: Deep S Jar Salad (Cookbook pg 189)
  • Nine: Deep S Jar Salad (Cookbook pg 189)
  • Fourteen: Deep S Jar Salad (Cookbook pg 189)

Dinner Options

  • One: Bunless grill burger with lots of lettuce and pickles and mustard, Green fries or Roasted Cauliflower
  • Two: Grilled Chicken in olive oil and frozen mixed vegetables
  • Seven: Pork chops and butter covered broccoli
  • Eight: Taco Salad (I served it in shells for my family, tacos for them, Salad for me)
  • Nine: Cab and Sauce Skillet (Cookbook Pg. 58)
  • Fourteen: Bacon Wrapped Chicken on top of Fresh Kale

E Days

Breakfast options

  • Three: Oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce, doonk of stevia and a 1t cinnamon
  • Four: Bust a Myth Banana Cake (Cookbook pg. 298)
  • Eight: Oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce, doonk of stevia and a 1t cinnamon (This is supposed to just be an E breakfast if you are doing atwo-weekk cycle but I also listed a day 8 deep S breakfast)
  • Ten: Mango Protein shake
  • Eleven: Oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce, doonk of stevia and a 1t cinnamon

E Day Snack Options

  • Just Peachy muffins (cookbook pg. 286, I make these in a pan and cut them up instead of as muffins), BAM cake (cookbook pg. 298), mango protein shake, Apple, Wasa Crackers with laughing cow cheese, Fruit and 000 greek yogurt

Lunch Options

  • Three: E Jar Salad from the cookbook
  • Four: E Jar Salad from the cookbook
  • Ten: Sweet potato pizza (sweet potato cooked and cut up, top with spaghetti sauce, and your favorite pizza toppings.  I like to use turkey bacon and veggies)
  • Eleven: Cherry Waldorf Salad with BAM cake (Cookbook pg.90 use cherries instead of apples if you desire, BAM cake is cookbook pg.)

Dinner Options

Fuel Pull Days

Breakfast Options

  • Five: Big Boy Smoothie (Cookbook Pg 243)
  • Six: Big Boy Smoothie (Cookbook Pg 243)
  • Twelve: Fat Stripping Frappa (Cookbook Pg 240)
  • Thirteen: Fat Stripping Frappa (Cookbook Pg 240)

FP Snack Options

  • Praline bars (cookbook pg. 391), Superfood chews (cookbook pg.382), Big boy Smoothie, Fat Stripping Frappa, LOTS OF BERRIES

Lunch Options

  • Five: FP Jar Salad (cookbook Pg. 188)
  • Six: Trim Train Taco Soup Leftovers
  • Twelve: FP Jar Salad
  • Thirteen: FP Jar Salad or TTT Soup leftovers

Dinner Options

You Can do it!

Now you’ve got your list of foods all ready to go.  Make your grocery list and get going.  You can jump start your weight loss.  RUN now!  I’m yelling!

Turkey and Spinach Quinoa- THM E

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Freezer Meal logo

Good MORNING insta-pot lovers!  This post is for you!  If you do not have an insta-pot, otherwise known as an electric pressure cooker, I HIGHLY recommend saving up for one. Mine has saved me so much time and energy. For those of you that have been following me you know, that is VERY important in my household.  I will prove just how quick as easy they can make meal time but even more wonderful is how they can save us in our freezer meal prepping.

Today’s meal is quick and easy and you can have four of them made up in 15 minutes in the pot.  They take about 40 mins of pressure cooking (plus the time it takes to get up to pressure). It’s about 10 minutes to put everything in and 5 minutes to take it out and spoon into the pans. Another bonus for this meal is it is a Trim Healthy Mama (THM) E (Energizing) meal which I don’t always share a lot of E dinners.

Turkey and Spinach Quinoa- THM E

Turkey and Spinach Quinoa

This Recipe was done in my pressure cooker but it is DEFINITELY something you can do without.  I based my recipe off this recipe online so if you do not have a pressure cooker but would still love to try this recipe here it is for you!  I also changed a few other things to keep this as a THM E meal.

Start by layering the ingredients into the pressure cooker.  I always like to have some liquid in first so things don’t burn on the bottom. I also spray the bottom with butter spray or coconut oil to help with sticking.

First I put in the tomato sauce, then the onion, garlic, 4 cups of water, and seasonings. Next, I put in the uncooked ground turkey and spinach but I try to break them up as much as I can by hand. Last I top it off with the uncooked quinoa.  It helps if you try to mix it up slightly to make sure the quinoa gets cooked. I set the machine for soup and did it for 40 minutes then I let it go!

Finish it off

This fills my 8qt pot but it makes two (sometimes 3) 9×13 pans. When the pot is done I use my chopper to mix it all together and then put it into my pans. I love some extra flavor so I also top each pan with another 14oz tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatoes.  You can then allow this to cool and freeze it.  Once frozen to serve it just thaw and cook at 350 for 25-35 minutes.

Printable Recipe

Turkey and Spinach Quinoa
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Turkey and Spinach Quinoa- THM E

Make 2-3 9x13 pans

Ingredients

  • 28 oz Tomato Sauce I also like to top mine with another 14oz can of tomato sauce and some diced tomatoes.
  • 4 cups Water
  • 2 T minced Garlic
  • 2 Onions Chopped
  • 2 11oz Frozen Spinach Thawed
  • 4 T Italian Seasoning
  • 1 t Salt
  • 3-4 lbs Ground Turkey Uncooked
  • 1 16oz Bag of Quinoa Uncooked

Instructions

  1. Layer in this order starting with the tomato sauce.

  2. When you put in the spinach and turkey break it up with your hands to help with clumping when it's done.

  3. Mix it all up a little so that the water can be soaked by the quinoa but the pot also creates steam so it doesn't have to be perfectly covered.

  4. Set your pot for 40 minutes and let it go.

  5. When it's done stir it up to combine everything and spread evenly into 2-3 pans.

  6. You can allow this to cool and then freeze it.  When you are ready to use it just thaw it and cook at 350 for 25-35 minutes.

  7. I also like to top mine with another 14oz can of tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatoes.

 

 

A New Look for Mason Jar Salads: Vacuum Sealed lids

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Weekly Mason Jar Salad logo

Does lunch time sneak up on you?  You think you have so much time and all of the sudden the hunger pains start.  They start when you are in the middle of something so you brush it off and suddenly the attacks are a category 5.  Before you know it you are in the drive thru at Mcdonalds making a choice you don’t want to make YET AGAIN.  Or maybe you are at home and you find every little crumb from making lunch for you kids.  Little leftover peanut butter, cheese stick, go gurt, cookie crumbs.  You throw things into your mouth as you are getting them fed and before you know it you’ve consumed 500 calories and you haven’t even “eaten” yet.  Let alone feel any sense of FULL. I’m speaking for someone else of course because I NEVER fall into this habit…wink…wink.

Enter the Mason Jar Salad

This was definitely me. I’d get done feeding everyone and I would still be hungry but I would also feel gross and guilty for all I consumed WHILE making everyone else’s lunch. I wanted to eat better but you all know how they say you shouldn’t go to the grocery store hungry. I feel it’s the same thing when making lunch for your kids.  If you are hungry and don’t have a plan you are bound to fail.

Mason jar salads have helped me so much in this area!  Each week I make a different jar salad for the week.  For instance this week I made 5 BLT jar salads, BAM, lunch for the week is just there and ready.  Last week I made 6 taco jar salads and the week before that I was camping and I took along 4 strawberry chicken jar salads.  It’s easier to make all the same kind for the week but each week I change it up so I don’t get sick of them.

Mason jar salads are not rocket science they are nothing to be afraid of but I do have some tips and tricks to share with you.  If you haven’t made them before definitely check out my post about making them. On that note, I also want to share with you some NEW tips on mason jar salads!

NEW Tips and vacuum sealed lids!

Normally my mason jar salads last a good 6-7 days.  Those last two days if the lettuce in the middle is touching anything wet it will start to get soggy but for the most part, they do last that long.  Someone recently tipped me off to the fact that vacuum sealers now offer a mason jar lid sealer.  REVOLUTIONARY!!  She told me they keep the salads good for up to 14 days.  Now I have to say I was VERY intrigued!

I went to Amazon and ordered up the things I would need to try this out. Here is what I got.

You need the items pictured above.  The first item is the jar lid sealer, the next is a handheld vacuum sealer (you do not need this if you have a full-size vacuum sealer), the attachment for the handheld sealer (again you do not need this if you have a full-size sealer), quart size mason jars and lids (no rings are necessary).

Once you have those parts you just make up your salads and make sure the jar lid is clear. I usually just wet my finger and rub it around the edge. I boil my lids just to make sure they are clean and I think it gives a better seal.  Once they are boiled I place them on the jars and cover it with the plastic jar sealer. Then I attach it to my handheld machine and push the button.  Just like magic, the sealer does its thing and the salad is air tight.  This does NOT mean you can keep them out of the refrigerator but just that it will last longer.

Testing it

I, of course, was hesitant on how this would help but I made a bunch of jar salads up and thought I would test it.  I couldn’t wait the full 14 days because I needed my salad but the last one I used was 12 days old and when I popped it open it was just as crispy as the day I made it.  The lettuce was not brown (and I used bagged shredded lettuce) and it was not soggy.  Some pieces that had direct contact with the dressing may get soggy but when you mix it up those get lost in the mix. I’m VERY pleased with this new process!

Recommendation


I would definitely recommend these items to help with keeping salads longer in the fridge. I have found that keeping the dressing from the lettuce also helps a lot and the placement in your actual fridge makes a difference too.  Keeping them in a door or not on the top shelf are best.  Sometimes the lettuce also is wetter than other times which can cause it to go bad faster too.  Please go buy, try it and report back to me!! Hope your salads last a long time too!

Thank you!

Thank you for joining me today I hope my posts are helpful and encouraging.  Come back next week to hear about my Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Fuel Cycle!  I’m in the middle of a two-week cycle and I’m SO pleased with my results so far.  I hope to share my results and also my fuel cycle menu that I followed.  Hope you have a great weekend!