Welcome back for another evening here in Carol's Corner. I have lots of cool pics from our time at the Pentagon today. They let you take pictures in the waiting area, but only there. Love this one. My husband was able to get the whole eagle in the picture this time. Isn't it just fabulous? Before I show the rest of my picture stash from today, gonna tell you what I named this outfit. It's become kind of a contest with myself to be able to come up with something. Today's is “Simple Elegance”.

Someone in my Facebook group pointed out that our mission statement kind of mirror's that in a way, and I am always saying above all, don't ever ever quit.

I liked how I came out in this picture. I remember when I hated any pictures of me. Funny how things can change. I think I like them really for the first time in my life actually. I find it hard to understand how I find I look scads better than say, when I was in my twenties. But love it, that's for sure. That's something I want other senior's to feel too, and they can. I am living proof.

Now this is the one that everyone loves. I had one like this last month, but this one is better. It really does look like I'm getting ready to speak. And people who know me know I am not shy and can talk to strangers as essily as people I know. I've become a much more extraverted person as I've aged.

Last picture, then down to business. This is my gorgeous FitBit bracelet . I love when I get to wear this. No one would ever guess I have an exercise tracker on.

Ok, the next diet we will cover is the HMR Diet, one I am not familiar with at all . I won't attempt to cover this in one sitting and it will probably take at least two, maybe three days. Time will tell. So let's get started . We'll start with the scorecard.

SCORECARD

Overall-3.2 out of 5 stars

Weight Loss short-term-4.1 out of 5 stars

Weight Loss long-term-3 out of 5 stars

Easy to follow-2.9 out of 5 stars

Nutrition-3.4 out of 5 stars

Safety-3.4 out of 5 stars

For Diabetes-3 out of 5 stars

For Heart Health-2.9 out of 5 stars

OVERVIEW

The Aim: Lose weight and keep it off by reducing calories via meal replacement with added fruits and vegetables, learning healthy lifestyle strategies and increasing physical activity and personal accountability.

The Claim: Any diet may help you lose weight , but people who change their lifestyle through the Health Management Resources program maintain significant weight loss through either the medically supervised in-clinic or at-home options.

The Theory: Three times as much weight is lost and kept off using meal replacements, compared to traditional diets, experts say. HMR meal replacements -low calorie shakes, meals, nutrition bars and multi grain hot cereal-are eaten in place of other meals and snacks. In addition, eating fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low in calories, helps displace higher-calorie foods from a diet. By mixing vegetables and fruits with HMR meal replacements, you have filling, nutritious meals. Physical activity is essential for long-term weight management, and a little exercise, just 10-20 minutes of walking a day-will help you attain weight loss goals.

How does the HMR Diet work?

The HMR diet was developed 30 years ago by Lawrence Stiffler, a behavioral psychologist and President of HMR. The HMR at Home Program-also referred to as the Healthy Solutions Diet-involves two phases. Phase 1 is the quick start phase, when the goal is to lose weight as quickly as possible. The Quick Start diet kit includes all the HMR foods you need for the first three weeks except for the fruits and vegetables, which you provide yourself. Automatic food shipments will then arrive every two weeks. Home delivery ensures you'll never run out of food, which could interrupt your weight loss. You'll also start learning healthy lifestyle strategies. You then transition to phase 2 once you reach your goal weight, or you're ready for less structure in your diet. While the time in phase 1 depends on your individual weight-loss goal, expected weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week, with an average weight loss of 23 pounds over the first 12 weeks.

In phase 2, you'll receive HMR food monthly, work in other healthy food options and focus more on lifestyle changes while either maintaining your Phase 1 weight loss or continuing to lose weight at your own pace.

Do's and Dont's

Do: Eat a lot of fruit and veggies.

During Phase 1, you'll need five 1-cup servings a day.

Don't: eat out.

You'll want to avoid restaurants altogether in Phase 1.

Do: Exercise.

The goal is to burn at least 2,000 calories or more with physical activity each week , building up as quickly as possible.

Will you lose weight?

Losing weight can be simpler if you outsource meal preperation and limit food decisions and high-calorie temptations. A meta-analysis of six studies, published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2003, concluded that meal replacement strategies can safely and effectively lead to significant and sustainable weight loss. In Phase 1, HMR delivers all your low-calorie, heat-and-eat entrees and add-liquid-and-blend shakes. Sticking with HMR selections plus fresh produce, along with reccomended levels of moderate exercise(About 36 minutes of daily walking at an average pace), should lead to weight loss. The at-home program reports an average loss of 13-20 pounds overall, with higher numbers of those who take part in weekly phone counseling.

Before I continue on, remember there are read more sections all the way through and I will post the link at the end of the two or three days, when I am done and then you can go back through and read the sections you are interested in in.

Does it have cardiovascular benefits?

Possibly. Weight loss has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. A small study of 118 of severely obese people suggests that larger amounts of weight loss with the in-clinic version of the HMR diet were associated with lower levels of chloresterol and other fats in the blood. Significant weight loss was also associated with reduced blood pressure.

Can it prevent or control Diabetes?

Possibly- Remember to read the “more” section when I provide the link at the conclusion of my coverage on the HMR diet.

Are there health risks?

For the most part you do not require medical supervision if you're on an HMR diet of at least 1,200 calories per day,according to the company website;however, some people do need ongoing supervision. Participants on low-and-very low calorie HMR diets of 500-800 calories per day, or people with certain medical conditions like diabetes, should receive medical supervision. Always talk to your physician before losing weight or starting an exercise program.

How well does it conform to dietary guidelines?

I will let you read about the individual nutrients at the link I'll provide at the conclusion of the presentation of the HMR diet, but I will put their supplementation recommendations here.

Supplement recommended? The Healthy Solutions diet plan using vitamin fortified products such as the HMR 120 Shake and the HMR Multigrain Hot Cereal as the basis, do not require vitamin or mineral supplementation. The fortification of the products provides a diet that meets vitamin and mineral needs.

When the diet plan must be a lactose-free plan, the dieter uses the HMR 70 Plus Shake, which has between 280 and 300 mg of calcium and takes the vitamin/mineral tablet included in the kit. Alternative vitamin and mineral tablets are recommended for people with special dietary restrictions; for example, if they can't have iodine or need a low-iron vitamin tablet.

How easy is it to follow?

As with any diet, you may miss fatty foods, especially at first. Snacks made with HMR Shake powders should satisfy your sweet tooth (with added non-caloric sweeteners), although you might get more of your fill of shakes and smoothies during Phase1. Phase 2 involves daily calorie balancing, estimating and tracking physical activity, and learning how to gradually phase in outside food choices,especially lean proteins, including lowfat dairy and grains.

Convenience:

With the meals and shakes delivered right to your door, HMR Phase 1 saves a lot of time at the supermarket, although you'll be frequenting the produce section and picking up,allowed add-ins like diet sodas, vanilla extract,sugar-free gelatin mix, mustard, salsa and spices. Because shakes made in a blender are more filling, you might want to consider bringing a blender to work, or blending shakes at home and using a thermos for transport. Entrees and hot cereals are microwaveable, and packages are shelf-ready (no need to refrigerate).

Fullness:

With six total meal and snack breaks throughout the day, not to mention the ” more is better” option to add additional HMR foods if you're still hungry, you should feel as full as you need to. The Phase 1 booklet says that, depending on someone's weight, a person would have to eat between 8-10 shakes daily to stop losing weight. However,moderation is still a good idea no matter what diet you follow.

Taste:

The HMR food and shakes are edible in and among themselves, and because you mix and match selections-tailoring them with your own favorite fruits, vegetables, spices, low-calorie condiments, sweeteners, sauces and other add-ons-how it all tastes is largely up to you.

Well that is where we are going to end tonight. Tomorrow we'll cover costs,allowances for restrictions and preferences, the role of exercise, links to reviews of the plan, links to recipe sources, and finally the link to the entire article used for this section.

I hope by the time I've finished with this series you'll know a little more about the top rated diet plans and if any of them are something you should consider. As I've said many times before , knowledge is power. So till next time, God Bless.