Trim Healthy Mama Fuel Pull Guide

I’ve been a fan of the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating for a while now.  Trim Healthy Mama really revolutionized the way I looked at food and the way I put together my meals. The fuel pull guide is no exception.

Trim Healthy Mama Fuel Pull Guide

I’ve explained previously how I meal plan using Trim Healthy Mama, what you need to know about cutting sugar and using stevia instead, and given you some of my favorite Trim Healthy Mama recipes.  One aspect of THM I haven’t gone into much is how (and why) you need to use Fuel Pulls in your diet.

The Basics

Let’s start with the basics of the Trim Healthy Mama plan. Every time you eat, you need to decide if your meal will be a Satisfying (S) Meal or Energizing (E) Meal. What do I mean by that? It’s all about the fuel the meal is built on.

Satisfying (S) Meals are meals based around protein and fats but have little or no carbohydrates. This is where you can have your steak, guacamole, butter, and cheese – YUM! While there is no technical limit to the amount of fat you can have in the meal, use your judgment and listen to your body for signs of fullness. However, the carbs for an S meal need to be kept under 10 grams.

Energizing (E) Meals are meals based around protein and carbohydrates but have little or no fat. This is a great place to eat lean meats, brown rice, beans, and sweet potatoes. You’re allowed a little fat with an E meal (up to 2 teaspoons). Unlike the unlimited fat in an S meal, for an E meal, you need to keep the carbs under 45 grams to keep your blood sugar from spiking.

The key to Trim Healthy Mama is that S Meals (fats) and E Meals (carbs) should never mix. You need to make sure you have at least 3 hours between switching from an S Meal to and E Meal.

Ok…But What is a Fuel Pull?

While S-Meals and E-Meals are basically the opposite of each other, Fuel Pulls are the opposite of both. A Fuel Pull is both low in fat (5 grams or less) and carbohydrates (10 grams or less).

Eating a Fuel Pull meal with very little fat or carbs forces your body to burn stored fat. Now, before you get excited and try to make every meal a Fuel Pull, know that it’s not recommended to use them as meals too often, as it can make your body go into “starvation mode” and slow down your metabolism.

When Should I Eat a Fuel Pull?

Remember how I mentioned the key to Trim Healthy Mama being waiting 3 hours when switching meal types? What happens when you have an S lunch at 1:00, plan to have an E dinner at 5:30, but its 3:30 and your starving?

This is the perfect situation to eat a Fuel Pull! Anytime you’re switching from one fuel type to another, you can rely on a Fuel Pull snack to get you through the time in between.

You can also use a Fuel Pull as a meal occasionally. Like I said before, these aren’t the meals you want to rely on long term. But if you’ve hit a plateau or still have a ways to go to your healthy weight, adding in some Fuel Pull meals can help boost you in the right direction.

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Quick & Easy Fuel Pull Guide

Especially for those new to the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating, Fuel Pulls are probably the most intimidating because they’re the most restrictive. Here is a list of great Fuel Pull ideas to get you started!

• Egg whites scrambled + a diced tomato with spinach
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese with strawberries
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 7 almonds + a low-fat cheese stick
• roast cauliflower seasoned with cumin (no oil)
• Celery + light Laughing Cow cheese
• Overnight oats
• Green beans + hummus
• Celery + hummus
• Deli meat (1 semi-thick slice) + dill pickle

11 Fuel Pull recipes from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook

• Egg white omelet, pg 217
• FP salad, p 301
• Easy Yogurt Chicken Bake, pg 322
• Light Baked Custard, pg 218
• Sweet & Spicy Asian Stir-fry, pg 341
• Chai Tapioca Pudding, pg 234
• Southwest Chicken, pg 285
• Loaded Fotato Soup, pg 293
• Big Boy Smoothie, pg 242
• Light Tomato Soup, pg 293
• Cottage Berry Whip, pg 379

Y’all. That is just scratching the surface. Remember, there are literally hundreds of possible fuel pulls, and as long as you follow the 5 grams of fat or less and 10 grams of carbohydrates or less, you’re good!

What’s your favorite fuel pull?