I had to go through a series of tests which included blood work, a physical, and EKG. The results were reviewed by my doctor and the medical staff at the Weightloss Clinic. Overall, I was deemed an ideal candidate for the program and as long as I "stayed in the box", I would be successful.
The Plan
The program required me to commit to the following:
- Phase 1 - 12 weeks: 3 hours each week at the clinic - this included meeting w/ the medical staff to check my progress, draw blood and weigh in and 90 minutes of nutritional instruction.
- Mid-week phone check-in with the clinic for support.
- Phase 2 - If you don't hit your goal weight at the end of Phase 1 (most people don't), you move into Phase 2 and continue the medically supervised weight loss until you've reached your goal.
- Phase 3 - Maintenance - commit to 1 hour per week for a year. Provides support to transition from weight loss to weight maintenance.
The Food
The program uses HMR shakes and meal replacements. The doctors determine which program you use (800 or 500 or other) based on your medical needs. I am on the 800 Plan which is a minimum of 5 shakes per day. There is no maximum. As long as you use the HMR shakes and meal replacements, you are "in the box". Fruits/vegetables are not typically included in the medically supervised plan until you transition to Phase 3.
Physical Activity (aka PA)No matter what meal plan you're prescribed, you are asked to work up to burning a minimum of 2000 calories in physical activity each week. The counselors encourage moderate exercise for long term success and reduced risk of injury. Don't rush it. Build on your small successes. For long term health and weight maintenance, you need to exercise an hour every day.
My Toolkit
Here are the tools I've used as part of my weight loss plan:
- Magic Bullet Blender (21+ piece set)
- Davinci Gourmet Syrups w/ pumps
- Recumbent Exercise Bike
- Pedometer (good) or Heart Rate Monitor (better)
- Good running / walking shoes
- CalorieKing.com to track my calories and exercise
- LiquidDietDiscussion.com for peer support
- Most importantly: supportive husband, kids, family and friends
My weight loss strategies that have worked for me so far:
#1 Get organized. To be successful, you need to figure out a plan to get your shakes, water, vitamins and exercise in. This also includes journaling your food intake. If you plan on winging it, you will not build life long habits. Habits are formed by repetition.
#2 Drink all your water. Take your current weight and divide by 2. That is how much water (oz.) you should be drinking daily. Chances are, it's A LOT!! For me, I have scheduled my shakes throughout the day. To easily track my water, every time I make a shake, I take my water bottle (if it's not empty, I stand there and chug it) and refill it. So 5 shakes = 5 refills of water. If I have more water, great. But at least I know I'm getting my minimums in.
#3 Fiber - I add 2 tsp of Benefiber to my second water refill (usually at 10am). You don't want to take fiber the same time you take your meds or vitamins. Fiber will clump to anything in your stomach and it may prevent you from fully absorbing your pills. If you need more, you can add another 2 tsp to your dinner water.
#4 Add variety for your shakes. Let's face it, we can only drink chocolate and vanilla for so long before we go crazy with boredom. To avoid that, invest in adding some flavor extracts, sugar free syrups and fat free/sugar free pudding powders, sugar free Jello powders, strong teas to your shakes. Get creative. You are in this for the long haul.
#5 Keep meal replacements (MR) handy. Most of us on the medically supervised plan want to lose as much weight as fast as possible so many of us fear that MR just adds extra calories. They don't replace the shakes but they do serve a purpose. There will be days where you want savory food. There is no avoiding that. So why torture yourself (and be tempted to cheat) when you have a tool at your fingertips to cope with those moments? I usually have 2 MR each week. Normally Friday and Saturday. I also substitute the cereal for one shake (which you can do). I eat oatmeal everyday for dinner so that I feel full at night. In my normal day, I have 4 shakes / 1 cereal. On days with a savory I have 5 shakes/ 1 MR.
#6 Get moving and sweat! I keep it simple. My goal for starters is lots of cardio. That way I'm burning my fat off, getting lighter, and I'm not heavy breathing when I walk to/from the car. My cardio of choice is my recumbent stationary bike. It's comfortable; I can really get my heart rate up and keep it there for a good 75 mins (yes you read that right) without feeling any pain in my legs, joints or anywhere else. I burn about 709 calories in 75 minutes using the Interval program. Yes, when I started, I cranked the intensity level down to the bottom, but over the last few weeks, I've been able to bring it up slowly. That's the goal right? Work out, get a good sweat, don't have a heart attack in the process. :-D Let me say that no one expected me to start off doing a 75 min cardio --- the expectation was for me to do 10 mins, then 20, then 30...But the ultimate goal of the HMR program is 1 hour a day EVERY DAY. FOREVER. If you want long term health, you have to eat right and exercise. Personally I want this to be the last diet I ever do. Once I reach my goal weight and am in maintenance, that will be my new lifestyle.
#7 Build a support network. This could be your family, friends, a diet buddy, a support group. You will need support and you don't have to do this alone.
#6 Get moving and sweat! I keep it simple. My goal for starters is lots of cardio. That way I'm burning my fat off, getting lighter, and I'm not heavy breathing when I walk to/from the car. My cardio of choice is my recumbent stationary bike. It's comfortable; I can really get my heart rate up and keep it there for a good 75 mins (yes you read that right) without feeling any pain in my legs, joints or anywhere else. I burn about 709 calories in 75 minutes using the Interval program. Yes, when I started, I cranked the intensity level down to the bottom, but over the last few weeks, I've been able to bring it up slowly. That's the goal right? Work out, get a good sweat, don't have a heart attack in the process. :-D Let me say that no one expected me to start off doing a 75 min cardio --- the expectation was for me to do 10 mins, then 20, then 30...But the ultimate goal of the HMR program is 1 hour a day EVERY DAY. FOREVER. If you want long term health, you have to eat right and exercise. Personally I want this to be the last diet I ever do. Once I reach my goal weight and am in maintenance, that will be my new lifestyle.
#7 Build a support network. This could be your family, friends, a diet buddy, a support group. You will need support and you don't have to do this alone.
I hope this is helpful and good luck on your journey.
