A 7-Day HMR Diet Plan for Beginners

What is an HMR Program and Diet?

The Health Management Resources Program (HMR) is a calorie-reduction and lifestyle-change program that uses fruits and vegetables to substitute meals, resulting in satisfying, healthy, and low-calorie meals.

The goal of this program includes group counselling and online support to teach participants healthy, long-term lifestyle strategies like engaging in regular physical activity and accepting healthier eating habits.

Dr. Lawerance Stifler (Ph.D.) developed this program nearly 30 years ago. He is a behavioral psychologist and founder of the HMR program.

According to US News and World Report, HMR is given 2nd spot as the best diet for quick weight loss. Experts say that meal replacements offer 3 times better weight loss results than other diets.

HMR diet is a 1200-1400 calorie diet per day. You need to eat low-calorie portion-controlled shakes, bars, and multigrain cereals following this diet. These low-calorie entrees enable the body to burn more energy than the energy consumed. Adding fruits and vegetables to HMR replacements give a filling and nutritious meal. Also, exercise is a must for sustainable weight loss and improved overall health.

Phases of HMR Diet

According to Adam Schafer from OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center (RDN, Lead Dietician), there are two phases of the HMR diet.

Phase One - Weight Loss

It emphasizes eating meal replacements, including shakes, bars and cereals, and fruits and vegetables. As this phase works on a three-two-five rule, you should take 3 HMR Shakes, 2 HMR entrees, and 5 (one-cup serving) fruits and vegetables.

If you feel hungry, you can eat more of these. Try mixing and matching other HMR foods like canned or frozen items, but don’t include any other meal option. This phase lasts for 8 weeks, but it can vary from person to person. In phase one, the expected weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week.

Phase Two - Maintenance

It is a 4-week phase, where you go back to the regular foods by slowly cutting-off meal replacements. The phase is more focused on a lifestyle change so that you get to maintain your lost weight.

The main goal is to eliminate the replacement foods and adopt a healthy lifestyle completely. According to HMR, transitioning to a Mediterranean or DASH-style diet gives effective results. Besides physical activities, balancing low and high-calorie days is also a part of this phase.

You can incorporate baked, broiled or steamed lean proteins, such as fish, vegetable burgers, and skinless chicken breasts. Plus, including rice, oatmeal, and pasta is a good option.

Which Foods You Can Eat in the HMR Program?

• HMR entrees, shakes and snacks
• Fruits: Apples, apricots, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, peaches, blackberries
• Vegetables: Asparagus, bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, potatoes
• Red Meat: Beef, pork, lamb (In phase 2)
• Poultry: Skinless chicken, turkey (In phase 2)
• Fish: Salmon, codfish, tuna, flounder, pollock (In phase 2)
• Whole Grains: Oats, barley, quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice (In phase 2)
• Legumes: Beans, chickpeas, peas, and lentils (In phase 2)

Which Food to Avoid During the HMR Diet?

• Red Meat Products : Hamburger, Pork, Bacon, Sausage, Cold Cuts
• Full-Fat Dairy: Sweetened yogurt, Ice Cream, Cheese, frozen yogurt
• Beverages: Alcohol, fruit juice, soda
• Condiments: Sugar, peanut butter, salad dressing, cream cheese, high-fat gravy, Butter, Mayonnaise
• Prepared Foods: Fried foods, french fries, pizza, chips, pretzels, fast food, baked goods

What are the Advantages of the HMR Diet?

HMR diet offers multiple benefits. Some of these benefits are listed down below:

Easy to Follow

HMR diet is easy to follow. There is no need to cook separate low-calorie meals because the meal replacements are mostly pre-packed and canned foods. Even if you have shakes, you are not turning on your stoves.

Meets Nutritional Needs

As the food you are taking in the HMR diet is pre-portioned and calorie-restricted, you get a chance to fill gaps in your nutritional deficiencies by taking more minerals and vitamins. Both these micronutrients are abundantly present in fruits.

Facilitates Weight Loss Process

According to a 40 weeks study, 90 individuals were divided into two groups. One was assigned a meal replacement plan followed by a maintenance plan, whereas the other group was assigned a food-based diet. The results suggested that those who underwent meal replacement showed improved weight loss results than the rest.

Related Article: Quick Weight Loss Tips You Should Try

Promotes Fruit Eating

This diet promotes taking fruit and vegetables which are high micronutrient-rich. They are low-calorie but provide different minerals, vitamins, and fiber, that make you full for a longer time.

Other Health Benefits

Apart from weight loss, meal replacement programs offer other health benefits. According to a study, meal replacement helps in improving blood sugar, HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure.

Related Article: Vitamins and Minerals: What are They & Why Should I Care?

What are the Drawbacks of the HMR Diet?

You should also take into account some drawbacks of the HMR diet, such as

It’s Repetitive

When you are following the HMR diet, you get to eat limited options of entrees, shakes, fruits, and vegetables, which becomes repetitive, and may get boring for some people.

Risk of Overeating

As there are limited low-calorie food options in the HMR diet, you may end up overeating to fulfill your cravings and hunger pangs.

Hard to Sustain

It is a relatively expensive diet to follow for a long time. The canned, pre-processed, packed foods are pretty costly and if you are tight on the pockets, it can cause problems for you.

Negative Health Impact

The HMR is a low-calorie diet and even very low-calorie for some people who usually have a high-calorie intake. According to different studies, very-low-calorie diets can cause bone loss, infertility issues, and immune system problems, among other things.

7-Day HMR Diet Meal Plan

HMR diet plan is easy to follow. Below are the details of the HMR diet meals from breakfast to dinner, including snacks:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

How Much Exercise is Good in the HMR Program?

According to US News and World Report, the aim of HMR dieting is to burn 2,000 calories every week through physical activity. You can incorporate short activities throughout the day, such as walking, dancing, using a treadmill, and swimming. The program includes monitoring your own physical activity and dietary intake using the HMR mobile application.

Physical activity reduces your chances of heart disease and diabetes, aids weight loss, and boosts your vitality. Most doctors recommend obtaining at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each day, such as brisk walking.

Related Article: Can Walking Help You Lose Weight?

The Bottom Line

The HMR diet emphasizes consuming HMR entrees, shakes, fruits, and vegetables besides moderate-pace physical activity. It reintroduces regular food items in its second phase where your goal is to maintain the lost weight.

It is an easy-to-follow diet plan giving you quick weight loss results besides other benefits like increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and helping you to meet the nutritional requirements. However, the HMR diet is restrictive and pricey with some negative health effects. Also, you may end up overeating HMR products to satisfy your calorie intake.

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