Trim Healthy Mama- Above Rubies

[Anonymousguest]

My best friend tried the diet and had me read the book.  It's not all that complicated.  You eat every three hours,  and don't combine fat and carbs.  So for one meal you have no (or few, vegetables are ok) and then 3hrs later you can have a meal with cans,  like sweet potatoes,  but no fat. You can have low calorie protein bared foods as free food.  What is weird about the diet is the use of substitutions to make something similar to what you can't have,  like a cake made with pureed beans and stevia, or pancakes made with flax seed meal and psyllium husk (sold add a fiber supplement)

 

I know several people who have done the diet, but no one who had lost any significant weight. 

I don't think the information about the adoptions is well known, even among above rubies followers. I have never heard anything fromSerene about what actually happened. Did they ever address it publically? 

 

 

[defraudingjezebel]

I don't know anybody in real life who practices THM. I thought it was fundie too. I think a diet whose name targets only women, and specifically mothers is just odd anyway. If I did follow it I would never admit it, so maybe nobody wants to talk about it because of the name. It is a silly name and sounds so gimmicky, and I kind of am bored about hearing peoples diets.

    I don't really know much about the rules anyway.

I agree, and it adds weight (no pun intended) to the argument that women's bodies are more scrutinized than men's. I don't see why a general diet would need to be gendered....

Though I do see an opportunity for Steve Maxwell to write his own diet book, since he's the only fundie man who seems to be very concerned with weight maintenance. His book would be rather short and simple, since it'd basically tell you to alternate between fasting for 10 days straight then eat bean burritos. 

[AuLait]

I agree, and it adds weight (no pun intended) to the argument that women's bodies are more scrutinized than men's. I don't see why a general diet would need to be gendered....

IIRC, there was/is a lot of delicate language in the articles about health written by Serene and sometimes Pearl in Above Rubies that always came across to me as covert fat shaming. Trim = skinny. A Mama (hate that term unless its a kid saying it to their mom) that is right with God is thin, radiant with health, always up for getting down, never tired or sick, and happy to birth her bajillionth baby at home without those nasty doctors.

[foreign fundie]

Is it not necessary to have a Home Study by a social worker prior to adoption? I can't see how these people would have passed a normal home study inspection. If there is no such study, is it easily possible for anyone, even paedophiles, to adopt from overseas, if the rules in that country are somewhat lax? I cannot understand the acquisition of children entailing less background checking than the better animal shelters require from prospective new owners!

Actually there was an example in the book of a paedophile who got a pre-teen Russian girl for adoption. He was single and was able to specify preferences like age and blond hair. I don't think there was any fundie connection. But that this was possible was telling.

[GenerationCedarchip]

that's odd that cross-promotion only goes one way, though i suppose they probably want to be exposed to the widest readership possible. still...kinda smacks a bit of hypocrisy, no? i mean, if they are devoted fundies, wouldn't they want to share their faith-based stuff in every way they can?

I can't speak to the latest books, but I do have the first THM book.  In that one, they're up front about the fact that they are dedicated Christians, but make it clear that anyone can follow the plan in the book to improve their health.

[Palimpsest]

Hi everyone.  I've been a longtime member (mostly lurker) but I'm guessing my old account got deleted with one of the big changes so I have started a new one.  

I'm posting here because I am so curious why (seemingly) no one is talking about the connection with Trim Healthy Mama, Above Rubies, and Serene Allison's failed international adoptions and child abuse.  

I was considering ordering the book but stumbled upon all of the icky info about Serene's adoptions (http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/christian-evangelical-adoption-liberia?page=1).  

Am I just confused or are these the same people?  How did an abusive family like this rise to being so popular as authors without their past coming to light?

 

I'm fairly sure all this was discussed in detail back in 2013 when this article came out.  We are big fans on FJ of Kathryn Joyce and her exposes of the pitfalls and potential abuse in evangelical international adoptions.  It is a minefield.

There is absolutely no reason why it can't all be discussed again.  Actually, I would like it to be discussed again because it is very important.  A look at the FJ archives might be useful for quick and handy info and not having to reinvent the independent research wheel, so to speak.

[dianapavelovna]

Actually there was an example in the book of a paedophile who got a pre-teen Russian girl for adoption. He was single and was able to specify preferences like age and blond hair. I don't think there was any fundie connection. But that this was possible was telling.

Masha Allen. Her story is awful. I sometimes think of her and wonder how she's doing now. I think she's in her early 20s. She was adopted again by a completely incompetent woman and is, unfortunately, a living example of the problems in international AND domestic adoption.

Lots of info about her here: http://poundpuplegacy.org/masha_allen

/hijack

Edited November 6, 2015 by dianapavelovna

[MissBitters]

I just looked up THM and it looks like they just complicated the fuck out of clean eating. I think the attraction of clean eating was not counting, weighing, or measuring, and being able to eat fruit and other healthy carbs without guilt. It seems to mbine the worst of the two main diet plans. you either count weigh and measure, or you stick to whole foods. Here you stick to the whole foods but have to still worry about fat and carbs.

I followed the Facebook group for awhile because I was considering trying out the diet (before I realized the Above Rubies connection). Not only are the rules complicated but the followers are cultish. They jump on anyone who questions the plan. Also, while the sisters advertise "food freedom," a lot of the women beat themselves up if they have a piece of holiday candy or start panicking about the possibility of eating outside their home. It's not healthy behavior. One other thing that bothers me is how they all crow about being able to eat dessert on this diet. There are tons recipes posted using the plan-approved sweeteners of xyitol, erythritol, and stevia. I know those sweeteners can be good substitutes for diabetics and I am trying to reduce sugar in my own diet, but I am not comfortable with the amount used by these women. I'd rather occasionally enjoy a small piece of something made with real sugar. I do have to give Serene and Pearl props for developing a lucrative business, but, despite claims it's not a fad, it is totally a fad diet.

[umsami]

I agree, and it adds weight (no pun intended) to the argument that women's bodies are more scrutinized than men's. I don't see why a general diet would need to be gendered....

Though I do see an opportunity for Steve Maxwell to write his own diet book, since he's the only fundie man who seems to be very concerned with weight maintenance. His book would be rather short and simple, since it'd basically tell you to alternate between fasting for 10 days straight then eat bean burritos. 

"Steve's Amazing Fundie Fast and Flatulance Diet" in stores and online now! 

My unmarried children are just waiting to take your orders!

It's 100% Teri and Titus 2 Approved!

 

[older than allosaurs]

Sawasdee asked:

Is it not necessary to have a Home Study by a social worker prior to adoption?

Home studies are a requirement for all legal adoptions as far as I know, but the requirements for the home studies and for those who provide them vary widely from state to state and sometimes county to county. Some counties in my state have really minimal requirements for who can get on the approved list to do them. 

And not all adoptions are legal. If I remember from the Joyce book, some fundie adopters and agencies basically trolled for countries in chaos and rushed in to save grab kids before local authorities could get ahead of the game.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 7, 2015 by older than allosaurs
Edited because I got the book author wrong, one of many, many screwups today in various areas of life.

[chaotic life]

I am the Jo mentioned in The Child Catchers both in the acknowledgements and in my son's story which Kathryn Joyce had to withhold some of the details because we were directly in the midst of the legal battle to protect my son when the book went to the publisher.

I am well familiar with the Sisters Grimm and their links to Above Rubies, the Liberian adoption scandals, and even THM. I am also of the opinion that I hold NO respect for two homeschool graduates whose biggest claim to fame prior to THM was that they were the CCM group Considering Lily, not exactly the training to be qualified dieticians imo

[Jessa's Feet]

Oh, this is interesting. Very interesting. 

I've seen this diet pop up on my Facebook friends list here and there from friends. Mainly from an old friend. Which happens to be quite the conservative Christian. If there's a step right before fundie lite, she'd be there. But beside that, I never knew that this book had any Christian background whatsoever. I was just intrigued after hearing about it for so long on Facebook and all over Pinterest here and there. 

So I mistakenly bought said book without knowing anything about anything on it. Well, I did read the very tiny blurb *without expanding the rest of the blurb* on Amazon. Which didn't say anything about religion. It sounded good enough based on what I had seen else where and, really, I enjoy reading books on stuff like this. It has a good rating! Can't be all that bad, right? (I purchased it on my Kindle Paperwhite so expanding it is a pain in the ass so, eh.)

So I started to read it. No. Just no. No. No. No. 

There's "I'm writing this in a way to feel connected to my readers!" and "I sound as intelligent as a dumbass being fed a few basic facts that can be found everywhere and sticking them into this turd pile of a book." The book is written for those cultish fans of it. The style reminded me of so many fundie blogs. If you like that style of over the top for Jesus, this is the way God wants us to eat, and all that jazz....oh, and basic diet stuff you can get from EATING CLEAN but with a couple of rules, then this diet is for you!

I thought, when I figured out that God was about to become involved with my diet, maybe it would be subtle. Maybe I could just gloss over those parts. But it was to the point of "here's an interesting point" and immediately afterwards God was tied into it. Here's some sound medical advice....oh wait, that's not medical advice, God said so. I'll also point out that they give inaccurate information here and there. 

Some of my favorite parts are when they push their agenda (religious). They'll then say things like "but you don't have to follow that rule." For example, the point out eating bacon. But are quick to point out that they use Turkey Bacon because of their religious beliefs and point on where in the bible it says to do so. It wasn't meant to be eaten. It's unclean. After all of that, they then say "but you can have regular bacon if you want!" --------This kind of stuff is everywhere throughout the book. I can just imagine the way it's said. If it was completely fine to chose either turkey or regular bacon, you'd leave it at that. So don't piss in my hand and tell me it's raining. This is how you try to convince others that they're not Christian enough. 

Or when they say anyone can eat on this plan! Even vegetarians and vegans! But, guys.....WWJD....really? He would eat meat. Don't kid yourself. Matter of fact here's ALLLLLLL of the places in the bible where everyone was feasting on delicious beasts. Not the unclean animals. Just the delicious beasts. Hold on, where was I at? Oh yeah, as I was saying, all can follow this plan! Even vegetarians and vegans! I'm not trying to make you feel guilty (even though I mention in the book that I tried to be vegetarian once out of fear and implied that those that are also do it out of fear)! 

(I'm not a vegetarian, btw. This is seriously the way this group is handled throughout the stupid ass book. I tolerate all foodies. I don't tolerate foodie haters.)

 

Nah, I don't hate this book. Not at all.       

 

Edited November 10, 2015 by Jessa's Feet
To fix an error

[Ennui]

THM is featured in the latest issue of Woman's World. I would never have known what it was if I hadn't seen it on FJ.

[SoybeanQueen]

I didn't feel that the homestudy process was very rigorous. Tedious, sure. Lots of paperwork, lots of waiting. If you have enough income to meet whatever standard the agency has set on their paperwork, and you're not actually a felon or accused child molester, you can most likely pass a homestudy. As far as I know, the primary abuser, who was the reason my kids entered foster care in the first place, was never charged with child abuse or domestic violence. He's never been arrested for other things. If he has a job and a relatively clean home, I'm betting he could pass a homestudy.

As for adoption as a ministry or religious calling, I cannot stand that line of thinking. What kid wants to feel like they're a charity case in their own home?

THM - no. I refuse to feel guilty for eating delicious things.

[neuroticcat]

Super old topic here, but a bit of a rant. Above Rubies&co were my gateway fundies, and I followed the Trim Healthy Mama evolution with interest as they tried to become “normal” and still check in.

A few weeks ago Pearl Barrett (one of the Nancy Campbell daughters who founded THM) posted a pro-spanking post on her public/personal-but-not-professional facebook profile and linked to an article Michael Pearl’s (of TTUAC infamy) website. Of course she got many swoons and a few pushbacks - some against whether spanking is “biblical” and some strong pushback against TTUAC, quotes from the book, requests for her to clarify, etc.

She deleted the post and posted a new woe-is-me-I’m-persecuted post about how she’s just suggesting spanking is a fine tool - never mentioned TTUAC and the fact that’s why she got negative replies - and saying she doesn’t like the gentle parenting trend. Got 500+ (!!!) we-love-you-Pearl and thanks for taking one for the team and “I spanked my kids and they were fine.” Admittedly, many of these women probably aren’t using TTUAC and are doing the more “normal” - spank my kids, pray with them, mess them up spiritually approach - but many of the women defended Michael and Debi Pearl and raved about the approach. How is this even possible?!? A few people pointed out the original article was the problem and eventually got blocked.

And Pearl herself, when pushed to clarify, refused to say anything negative about Michael and Debi Pearl saying people could “take the good and spit out the bad.” She also sort of claimed ignorance about the toxic TTUAC - how is that even possible? They are both fundie empires in the same state! - and said they’ve been maligned.

Anyway, I guess it shouldn’t be surprising - hello, fundieland - but WHY is hitting children the fundie hill of choice to die on?!?!? And how can people who pitch this on one side end up successful at all in the non-fundie world?