Down Another 5.2 lbs!

Thursday's weigh-in was much more positive than last week's!  I was down another 5.2 pounds in the week, for a total of 9.9 lbs in 17 days.  Nothing succeeds like success!  It sure helps to see the scale moving in the right direction!

I am starting Day #20 and have been religiously journaling my number of shakes/oatmeal packets and entrees consumed, as well as physical activity (PA) calories burned.  I am staying "in the box" daily, meaning NO cheating by eating foods outside of the program.  That is really important during Phase I, even during the holidays.  There is a zero tolerance for cheating.  If you want the program to work, you will live by the rules.  It really is that simple.

Weekly Meeting: During Thursday's clinic visit, the nurse took labs and blood pressure readings.  (Mine was 110/70 sitting and 108/84 standing; so much better than my pre-atenolol BP.)  The interactive meeting portion was fairly short as participants did not have a whole lot to process.  I glanced at the wipe board in the front of the room, where everyone had entered their statistics, and noticed the weight losses for the week, which was anywhere over one pound, to over 5 pounds; total weight losses ranged from about 10 to over 70 pounds.  Nobody at the meeting was maintaining or gaining.  Everyone was finding success on this program.  That alone was encouraging!  We sampled a thick chocolate peanut butter shake, which was quite tasty.

Phase II:  At Thursday's meeting, we also watched a short video about clients who were in Phase II of the program.  One woman from the dvd was participating in the diet for the second time, as she decided not to enter into Phase II the first time through.  She felt by that time she had lost the weight she wanted and could do this on her own.  She lost about 40 lbs during Phase I but gained about 20 back after she quit.  Those that agreed to enter the gradual step-down of Phase II were much more successful.  In fact, our educator advised, "research shows that if you don't gain for at least 2 months after Phase I ends", you are much less likely to gain a substantial portion of the weight back.  Phase II was considered to be even more important than Phase I.  It's not to say that losing the substantial portion of weight in Phase I isn't important.  However, gradually adding in regular, healthy foods over the course of the next year, along with utilizing meal replacements really served to help anchor in the habits necessary to maintain long-term behavioral and lifestyle changes.    

I have enjoyed a few more recipes this week:

Last night I tried the Pistachio Mousse!  That was a refreshing dessert!

The night before, I added some Bourbon Vanilla extract, along with cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice for a thick holiday shake.  This one was also very tasty!  Although one of the benefits of the HMR's Decision Free Diet Program is that you don't have to think much about the menu choices, preparation, or options during the first phase.  At the same time, it leaves room for being creative with the shakes and entrees if you so choose.

Recap on the HMR Program: The HMR Program offers several options for people.  There are the Clinic Programs, for people who live nearby one of the hospitals or clinics that offer this program.  Through the clinic programs, the programs offered are the Decision Free option, such as what I am participating in.  This option is for people who are trying to lose a significant amount of weight.  The average weight loss on this program is about 50-60 pounds, but many people lose over 100 pounds.  If you choose this option, you must be near one of the participating medical hospitals or clinics, as weekly monitoring is required.  The HMR Healthy Solutions Diet is another option for people who want to lose a significant amount of weight without the need for medical supervision.  (Medical monitoring may still be required for people with serious medical conditions or for those taking medications for diabetes.)  This program is fairly similar with the exception of adding fruits and vegetables during Phase I.  Participants of this program lose an average of 35-40 pounds.       

If you do not live anywhere near one of the participating clinics but still want to participate in an HMR weight loss program, don't fret!  HMR offers an At Home program.  The diet kit and food get delivered to your door, every other week.  I am not sure what the statistics of weight loss are for the At Home program.  However, I do know that no matter what program people choose (HMR Clinic Program, At Home Program, Weight Watchers, etc.), if you are so motivated, you CAN and WILL lose weight!  I highly encourage anyone who participates in the At Home program to take advantage of the supports and behavioral components.

That is about all I have for now, as I have to move on with my day's agenda.  In a future blog, I will discuss some of the research out there about the importance of social and behavioral supports.    

Enjoy your Saturday! 

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