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Home » Long Term Weight Loss » What to Know About the HMR Program for Weight Loss – LIVESTRONG.COM

Intermittent fasting dominated 2019 ranking number one in Google's most-searched diets of the year. But 2020 might be the year of the HMR Program, according to U.S. News & World Report, which ranked the diet first for fast weight loss. We're just not so sure this is a good thing.

The HMR Program features pre-packaged meals and weight-loss shakes that are delivered to your door.

Credit: 5PH/iStock/GettyImages

The Health Management Resources Program, better known as the HMR Program, is a pre-packaged food plan created about 30 years ago by Dr. Lawrence Stifler. It's been tested and continues to be used as a weight-loss approach in clinical settings. Many hospitals like NYU Langone Health, UC San Diego Health and Henry Ford Health System in Detroit use HMR as a weight-loss program at their facilities.

The program touts "easy and convenient meal delivery" while providing you "a break from making any food decisions." There are three plans to choose from; the most basic includes digital support and a starter kit of meals and shakes, and the program claims that it can help you lose 12 pounds in just three weeks. On the higher end, there's a plan with digital support plus in-person support plus all of the HMR weight-loss foods, and that one claims to help you lose between 28 to 38 pounds in just 12 weeks.

The HMR at Home Program plan provides 1,200 to 1,500 calories each day and is broken into two phases.

During the first phase, you're allowed to eat three HMR shakes, two HMR entrees and five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. You stay in phase one until you reach your goal weight or until you're ready to have less structure in your diet. A sample day on phase one might look like:

If you're still hungry at the end of the day, the program recommends having an HMR pudding or bar to satisfy your snack craving.

Phase two, which is supposed to last four to eight weeks, is a transition phase where you begin to eat less HMR-specific foods and begin to incorporate healthy "non-HMR low-calorie foods."

On the HMR program, especially during the first phase, you are encouraged to only eat HMR foods along with fruit and vegetables. The website has a database of recipes, but they all call for specific HMR foods that you then add to. One example is an Italian Tomato Bisque recipe which calls for combining the HMR Lasagna with the HMR 500 Chicken Soup along with canned stewed tomatoes, Molly McButter (yes, you read that right) and fat-free sour cream.

Did you know that keeping a food diary is one of the most effective ways to manage your weight? Download the MyPlate app to easily track calories, stay focused and achieve your goals!

As with anything, there are positives and negatives to this diet. In our opinion, though, the bad outweighs the good. Here's our breakdown.

The Pros:

Any diet that claims you'll "lose weight quickly" while making you 100 percent reliant on their foods to do so is one where you should proceed with caution. Especially when those foods are high in sodium and subpar ingredients and you're encouraged to limit any part of your social life that may center around food.

We understand the desire to lose weight quickly, but what is the point if it's not sustainable? Instead, a slower, more long-term approach that includes focusing on whole foods versus ultra-processed foods and shakes is the healthier route to go.

Indeed, researchers in a study published May 2019 in Cell Metabolism broke a group into two: An ultra-processed group and a less-processed, more whole foods group. Both groups were given the same amount of food to eat each day (matched for calories), but the processed group naturally ate about 500 more calories each day and ended up gaining a pound over the course of two weeks.

Shifting away from relying on ultra-processed foods and eating a healthier, whole foods-based diet may be better for our health and our waistlines in the long run.

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What to Know About the HMR Program for Weight Loss - LIVESTRONG.COM

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Home » Long Term Weight Loss » What to Know About the HMR Program for Weight Loss – LIVESTRONG.COM