I love to plan menus<\/a> and work with programs<\/a> that help make that easier. Having said that, I do want to give you my review of the Membership site. Even though I have been doing Trim Healthy Mama since the beginning, and feel I fully understand the program, I still gain some benefits from the Membership, but to find out my bottom line<\/strong> you'll have to read this review in its<\/span> ENTIRETY.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n First, for making menus<\/strong> I want to say that I personally find it easier to write them out on pen and paper. On the membership site, you must first search for a recipe then drag and drop it to your Menu, search for another recipe, drag, and drop, etc. However, the one thing that DOES<\/strong> make doing the menu on the membership site worth it<\/strong>, is that it includes a PRINTABLE and alterable grocery list<\/strong> based on the recipes you choose. That does save time for creating your shopping list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don't actually use the menu planning site as much as some people might<\/em> because I use a lot of single-serving recipes from the book and I have a large family full of people who have really fast metabolisms! They all eat a lot of crossovers, so I have to add that all to the menu and grocery list. Which you CAN do on the website! It is actually fairly easy to add other items that you want to add to your grocery list. I just have systems already in place for doing that, so I don't take advantage of it on the THM site. I'm a little bit stuck in my ways in menu planning and I use my own method, so I feel like I may be judging this part through a filter. Several of my friends who have purchased the membership LOVE the menu planning because they have never done menu planning before!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our menus, my menus, community-submitted menus, and video menus<\/strong>. There are plenty of menus planned out and ready to just print and go from the website. This could be very valuable for anyone who doesn't enjoy the process of making their own menu plans. I haven't used these yet either as I am always doing my own thing, but I have looked a few of them over and they look really great. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to Fuel Cycle menus, Stubborn Loser Menus, and Freestyling Menus they have also included a Pregnancy and Nursing menu! I see so many ladies asking questions about how to do this plan while pregnant or nursing, I think it would be great to be able to just print and use that plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Videos<\/strong>. These are worth every penny you might spend on the membership. The video series that the sisters have made available on the site are full of valuable information, great tips, new recipes, how-to and so so much more. Serene and Pearl DO have a few videos on YouTube<\/a>, but nothing like the collection made available on the membership site. I actually watch these videos while I'm soaking in the tub sometimes…seems that's the only time I'm free from distractions!<\/p>\n\n\n\n One menu plan I'm sure everyone has heard about is the Stubborn Loser's plan. Pearl does share her tips and insights included with her plan and many women have seen a boost in their weight loss using her plan. I created a similar plan using ONLY recipes from the books in print that my local group and I plan to use next week. Don't worry, I'll definitely share our results and if they're good, I'll share my menu with my readers! So make sure you are signed up to receive my emails or either subscribe to my RSS Feed so you won't miss out on that menu!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also plan to get into the 7 Day Video Menu<\/strong> this summer, after I finish up this year of homeschool<\/a>. Like I said, I just haven't had the time to take full advantage of all there is to offer from the membership site and honestly, there is just so much content on the site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This brings me to one point I want to cover. Having a blog costs money, having a website costs money, having a full-blown membership site with a ton of content and tech support, moderators, professional photographers, videographers, a store, etc. costs a LOT OF MONEY. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I see comments where people are angry that the membership costs money I'm really surprised. I know of no other weight loss plan that offers more freebies than Trim Healthy Mama. I certainly know of no other “famous<\/em>” authors who just get in there and respond to readers on a daily basis the way Pearl does. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So please, even if you really can't afford the membership, don't complain! I think most of us have been right there where you are, in that tight spot, where you are wondering how you are going to keep the lights on. However, just know that running a membership site this big takes a lot of money, and for what you pay, there is a TON of value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bonus Recipes<\/strong> I haven't yet worked my way through all the recipes in the books, even though I have been doing THM on and off since before the book came out. I haven't really had a chance to get to all the recipes on the membership site! I love that they are there and I know that eventually, I'm going to get to them. I have printed out a couple, maybe tried one or two, but there are SO many fabulous recipes in the book that I have still yet to try! One friend of mine says she prints them out and puts them in a binder, how clever!<\/p>\n\n\n\n THM TV and THM Radio<\/strong>\u00a0I love listening to Podcasts and Soundcloud, so I have actually listened to quite a few, maybe all, of the Radio broadcasts. It's easy to do while traveling or just driving around town running errands. I don't like to listen to actual radio so I always listen to something I have on my phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The THM TV includes stuff like “In the Kitchen” or “Coffee and Questions” where you basically have Serene and Pearl chatting you up about various topics. It's a goldmine really if you want to dig deeper into the THM lifestyle and really get a good grasp on the plan. I'm always finding new stuff on here. I think they add to it on a pretty regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of my favorites is the THM on a Tight Budget video<\/strong>. They talk about how it was when they started and how they had very few special ingredients and were on a super tight budget. It's a reality for most people and lets people see where they started from. Very good. On a side note, I recently did a Tight Budget Blogger Roundup Post<\/a>, so if you ARE on a tight budget, you might want to go check that out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They have a huge community<\/strong> on there with chat groups and all the goodies you get with a Forum. I really don't have time to get into the chat area as much as I would like to, but I wish I did. Every now and then I hop on there and see what people are talking about, but for the most part, I'm too busy helping people in real life, homeschooling my kids, growing my little garden, etc. Plus I already spend so much time in front of my computer! I try not to add anything extra that I do on mine. I DO know that if you have a question it will usually get answered ASAP on there. Pearl is very active on there and I don't know how she does it, but seems like she responds to all the posts! If you are a very social person, you will absolutely love this section of the membership site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OH, and if you ARE already a member, or if you become a member, you can go to the Member Directory and add me as your friend. My profile is under Rebecca Huff ThatOrganicMom. When you comment you can add little emojis – I love that part \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n Members can submit recipes, menus,<\/strong> etc. and one of our favorite bloggers Working At Homeschool<\/em> submitted a 15 Freezer Meals in 90 minutes<\/strong> which is available on the website. I haven't had a chance to try this one yet, but I am thinking I may give it a try before the new school year gets started later this fall. \u00a0I love checking out new recipes because I LOVE TO EAT<\/strong>! Don't you? <\/p>\n\n\n\n I think that is part of why we all love Trim Healthy Mama so much! Because we love food and we can EAT food on this plan without too much restriction. Real Food<\/strong>. Tasty Food<\/em>. \u00a0Normal Food! \u00a0Foods like the recipes from Mrs. Criddle's Kitchen, Briana Thomas, and so many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Binder Kit<\/strong> is also available on the site with so many goodies included. A link to the store is included on there but you can also find that elsewhere. Also, there is a lot of encouragement, education, research, doctor videos, answering questions, and other goodies. The tech crew is always working hard to improve, update and create new aspects of the membership site. If you have any problems, you can also contact the tech crew. Of course, the membership site has the regular sections a search bar, FAQ, Info Library, Printables (OH- if you like to print stuff out you will love this section… you can create a journal here even a place for before and after pics), e-Zine archives (you can get this free by clicking the link and scrolling to the bottom of the page—lots more to read!), Scoop Archive (one copy at this point) and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bottom line from my point of view<\/strong>: The membership is definitely worth it for the “extras” you get. I started out saying that if you haven't read the book then you might actually want to start there, but then I realized a lot of people just don't like to read. Other people just don't have TIME to read. Even more still (many of my friends) have tried to read it and just couldn't understand the concept and have LOTS of questions still. For these people, getting a membership might be a good place to start if you are more apt to try to understand the plan sitting in front of your computer watching videos and chatting with members than sitting alone reading the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you NEED the membership to do the plan<\/strong>? Absolutely not. Can it enhance your journey? Definitely<\/em>. This is your journey<\/a>, be happy and enjoy it. Don't compare your progress<\/a>, your place in life, your body, or anything else to me or anyone else. If you cannot afford the Membership right now, don't worry about it! There are\u00a0truly so many FREE menus (in the Plan book, on websites, even my own two months menu plans\u00a0are available in a downloadable book from this site), lots of FREE recipes, and such out there to be explored, like those on Pinterest<\/a>. You can always ask for a membership\u00a0for a birthday or Christmas present, and hey, Mother's Day<\/a> is coming up! Make sure your loved ones know you would like to try it out! There are several options available to try it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also can't say enough about getting together with other people in your community who share your goals. Are you surrounding yourself with like-minded people who want to lose weight and get healthy? I have met some of the nicest and most wonderful ladies<\/strong> in my community who are willing to work together to reach all of our goals, we call ourselves the THM Ninjas<\/strong>. To me that group support is Priceless, I know that this group will be helping me to stay on track this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do have the membership, here's a great tip for how to add a shortcut to your iPhone so you will have access to the recipes wherever you are. You can also add an icon for all your favorite bloggers and websites this way so you have them at your fingertips while you are away from your computer. I love using my phone in the kitchen rather than printing out all the recipes, I simply keep them at my fingertips this way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"menu](\"https:\/\/www.thatorganicmom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/menu-chalkboard.jpg\")
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