The HMR Diet

The HMR Diet is getting a lot of positive press lately. The reason? Well, it is easy to follow, stays within the FDA's minimum daily calorie guidelines, and includes a "rest of your life" eating plan to avoid packing those pounds back on after the diet is over. Does this sound too good to be true? Here is what you need to know.

The HMR Diet is from Health Management Resources, a Boston-based company providing weight-loss services to individuals, companies and hospitals. The concept is simple: change your lifestyle to change your body. That translates to a sensible diet, moderate exercise and in-person or remote follow-up and encouragement to keep dieters on track.

The HMR Diet has two phases. The startup phase, called Quick Start, lasts three weeks. This is when old eating habits are replaced with healthier ones. High calorie meals and snacks are traded out in favor of lower calorie substitutes. The focus is on lo-cal shakes, power bards and hot cereal. For 'best' results, HMR will sell you the food. Otherwise, the meal plans are well documented so you can visit your local grocery store and still be successful.

Once the Quick Start phase is over, the dieter is expected to be at their goal weight. If not, the Quick Start can be extended, or the goal can be revised. Your choice, there's no pressure.

Once at the goal weight, the HMR Diet has suggestions for slowly adding more foods to your recipe list, while avoiding high-calorie foods that would make you backslide. There is an online community to give you advice and support whenever you need it. Obviously, having a diet buddy is a good idea, too!

Given the breadth and depth of the HMR Diet program, it is no wonder that it was a winner in the U.S. News and World Report Best Diets of 2015. It is well worth considering.

Have a success story with the HMR Diet? Let us know!