Posted by Monica Bautista on Mon, Mar 29, 2010 @ 03:20 PM
The weather is getting warmer and you may have the urge to swap your afternoon coffee or tea with a frozen treat. This Mocha Shake recipe is sure to please and will give you that great mocha taste you crave without all the extra calories and fat!
You will need:
- 1 scoop HMR 120 Shake
- 6 - 8 oz cold water
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
- 1 tsp granulated instant coffee
- 1 - 2 packets non-calorie sweetener
- ice, cubes or crushed, as desired for added thickness
Directions:
Put water in blender, add all ingredients and blend. Add ice and blend for desired thickness. If you want to make extra for later or to share, double all ingredients!
Bon Apetit!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Nov 10, 2009 @ 08:50 PM
Part of the reason people are successful losing weight with Full Life's HMR at Home Program is the fact that HMR diets are relatively decision free. (The other part of the reason is our expert personal coaching and support.) With permission to have "more is better" servings of HMR Meal Replacements (plus fruits and veggies) - the only question you need to ask yourself is what flavor?
And if you are like me - sometimes you don't even want to make that decision.
Today's HMR Shake of the Week Recipe solves an age old ice cream question - chocolate or vanilla? Can't decide - Have BOTH. Full Life's Zebra Soft Serve Ice Cream takes a little more effort than a single flavor - but the results are delicious. This recipe is more than enough to share with your family member of friend - so invite someone over and introduce them to the delicious and nutritious world of HMR shakes.
HMR Shake of the Week Recipe - Zebra Soft Serve Ice Cream
You will need:
1 Scoop HMR 120 Vanilla
1 Packet HMR 800 Vanilla
1 Scoop HMR 120 Chocolate
1t baking cocoa
12 oz water
3 to 4 cups ice
Pour 8 oz water in blender, add HMR 120 Vanilla and HMR 800 Vanilla shake mix, blend on high ading ice until mixture reaches soft serve consistency. Pour 1/2 mixture into 2 glasses. Add 1 Scoop HMR 120 Chocolate and baking cocoa to blender, add remaining water and more ice blending on high to soft serve consistency. Pour chocolate mixture over vanilla and swirl.
Today's BONUS RECIPE!!! Solves another question - Sweet or Salty?
Check out our recipe for HMR Chicken Chips using the HMR 500 Chicken Soup mix - when you need a shake but want a salty crunchy snack instead.
Bon Apetit!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Mon, Oct 26, 2009 @ 01:00 PM
Halloween is my favorite holiday - spirits and spooks and dressing up like a kid again. But Halloween also marks the beginning of National Eating Season - a time for many which starts with bags of candy and ends with the New Year's resolution to lose the ten pounds that has crept on over the holidays.
Problem is it takes most of us months to lose those 10 pounds - if we can manage it at all. So prevention is the name of the game. Using HMR meal replacements through the holidays can help you save calories while adding structure and nutrition to your diet during this challenging time. Add an additional bout of PA to your daily routine and you could find yourself at your healthiest this New Year's Eve!
Here's a delicious shake that brings you the flavor of the season without the calories. Enjoy this as a smoothie using more water and less ice, as a frosty with less water and more ice, or as a pudding with a little water and no ice at all. You can even make it into a mousse using your food processor - use the HMR 70+ pudding and chop 1/2 cup of ice first, add a couple ounces of water and the dry ingredients last. Flip the switch and let it fluff up for about 5 minutes. Add a dollop of fat free Cool Whip and you have a dessert that rivals pumpkin pie and saves you hundreds of calories, too!
Halloween Pumpkin Pie Shake
You will need:
1+ Cup Water
2 Scoops HMR 120 Vanilla or 2 Packets HMR 800, HMR 500 or HMR 70+ Vanilla Shake
1t Pumpkin Pie Spice
2-3 T Cooked Pumpkin or Canned Pumpkin (optional)
2-3+ C Ice
Put water in blender. Add dry ingredients, canned pumpkin and ice. Blend on low until ice is chopped and then on high until smooth and creamy.
If you want an even thicker, richer shake, add 1T Fat Free Sugar Free Jello Pudding - Cheesecake flavor. Freeze for about 1/2 hour and enjoy HMR pumpkin ice cream!
Don't forget that our coaches have helped hundreds of people just like you navigate the holidays successfully. Reach out to us for extra support and look for the Full Life Holiday Survival Guide online in November.
Bon Apetit!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Mon, Oct 19, 2009 @ 02:54 PM
There's nothing better this time of year than the smell of apples baking in the oven. And just because you are trying to manage your weight doesn't mean you can't enjoy the flavors of fall.
This recipe is great for a Sunday afternoon. Take a trip to the local orchard to pick your own apples and you have a day well spent...
HMR Shake Recipe - Apple Pie A La Mode
You will need:
1-2 Fresh Baking Apples - Chopped
1 Scoop HMR 120 Vanilla Shake
1 Packet HMR 800 Vanilla Shake
1 T Fat Free Sugar Free Jello Pudding - Vanilla
1 Cup Water
1Tray Ice
Cinnamon + Nutmeg or Apple Pie Spice
Sprinkle apples with spices and bake apples in shallow baking dish at 375 until soft. (Add a little water to keep them moist) While they are baking prepare HMR ice cream shake. Add HMR 120, HMR 800 to 1 cup water in blender. Add jello pudding mix. Add ice. Blend on low adding ice to a thick creamy ice cream consistency. Pour shake into freezer safe container and freeze for about 1/2 hour.
Spoon HMR Vanilla Ice Cream Shake on apples while they are still warm. Serves 2.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Oct 13, 2009 @ 11:32 PM
Ever since Steve mixed candy into ice cream in Somerville, MA in the 1980's - America has fallen in love with all things ice creamy and candified. Trouble with all the chocolate chips, snickers, and reeses pieces... is ... not just the 1200-1400 calories... but zero nutrition and more than a day's worth of fat and sugar, too.
Here's a way to enjoy the sweet on sweet of a candy ice cream treat without going completely off track. This is not your breakfast shake... and not really a great substitute for lunch or dinner either - but we all have our days and I won't hold it against you if you're having one of those. Think of this recipe as a great alternative to a Cold Stone Creamery disaster... you'll save some calories and get some nutrition while you are at it.
Try freezing this recipe for 1/2 hour to overnight to achieve just the thickness you crave - and you can even add a little Chocolate Fudge Fat Free Sugar Free Jello Pudding to the mix if you plan to freeze it solid. (The Jello helps it melt creamier)
HMR Shake Recipe: Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard
You will need:
1 C Water
1 Scoop HMR 120 Vanilla Shake
1 Scoop HMR 120 Chocolate Shake
1 HMR Benefit Bar (Peanut Butter) Finely Chopped
1T Baking Cocoa (unsweetened)
2-3 C Ice
Mix water, HMR shake mix, Cocoa and ice in Blender and mix on low until smooth. Add 1/3 chopped HMR Peanut Butter Benefit Bar, blend. Pour into two cups and fold in remaining 1/3 HMR Benefit bar in each. Share one, save one or saturate your sweet tooth and eat the whole thing... You'll still like yourself in the morning.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Mon, Oct 05, 2009 @ 12:00 PM
Happy Monday!
Last week we brought you a yummy Blueberry Shake mixed with a scoop of HMR 120 and packet of HMR 800 as a reminder that you can always mix and match shakes for interesting flavors and textures.
Also, last week we started our new "Friday Fight" featuring wacky and frankly frightening new "foods" from the GAP. These are brazen examples of how challenging it is to manage our weight successfully in a culture that consistantly churns out cheap, heart stopping calories. Natalie is out there fighting the good fight and bringing you the worst of the worst. Be sure to send her your gruesome GAP finds at fulllifecoach@gmail.com.
The shake of the week for October 5, 2009 is perfect for dessert - featuring rich, dark cherries, our HMR 120 Chocolate Shake mix and Fat Free Sugar Free Butterscotch Jello pudding.
This one is best made super thick like ice cream - and you can pop it in the freezer for an extra half hour or so to make it even more like your favorite high cal dairy treat. I like to use the HMR 120 Chocolate shake mix to add a little extra in my scoop for thickness - but you can use any HMR shake, HMR 500, HMR 800 or HMR 70+ for this recipe. HMR 800 and HMR 70+ will require a little more water because these shakes thicken up pretty well even before you add the fat free sugar free jello.
Use frozen dark cherries for this shake. You can thaw them out ahead of time, or micro on high for about 45 seconds to melt them a little - pour the juice right in to the blender. If you like a little something to chew in your ice cream - pour in half of the cherries before you blend and chop up the other half and fold in just before eating.
HMR Shake Recipe - Dark Cherry Chocolate Butterscotch
To make this delicious HMR Chocolate dessert shake you will need:
1+ Cup Water
2 scoops HMR 120 chocolate shake mix
(or 2 packets HMR 500 chocolate, HMR 800 chocolate, HMR 70+ chocolate)
1T Fat Free Sugar Free Butterscotch Jello Pudding Mix
1 Cup Frozen Dark Cherries thawed
1 Tray ice (about 3-4 cups)
Mix ingredients in blender in order as above. Start on low until ice is crushed and then flip to high for about 90 seconds.
(I like the Oster beehive blender the best - it's simple - 1 switch - 2 settings - low and high. It has the power to make thick shakes and usually lasts about a year with twice daily use. About $45 at Kmart or TARGET.)
Bon Appetit!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Sep 15, 2009 @ 11:41 AM
For many of us, keeping up our healthy lifestyle routine is easier during the week than on weekends. But whether it's because we want to reward ourselves for a job well done, or because our social occasions center around food, or just because we have more free time on our hands - the weekends can be a weight management disaster.
In 2004 the International Journal of Obesity published an analysis of the lifestyle habits of people from the National Weight Control Registry and found that there was a direct correlation between dieting consistency throughout the week and weight change over a one year period.
In fact, people who maintained consistent health habits throughout the week were 58% more likely to maintain their weight within 5 pounds by the end of the year.
Letting go of your diet and exercise plan on the weekends can result in calories and pounds adding up fast - even though it feels like being "good" 4-5 days a week should cover it.
Let's say your weekday plan results in a 200 calorie deficit each day for M-Th. (-800 calories) On Friday - you don't have the pizza but you do have a couple of glasses of wine. (+ 300 calories). Saturday you go to a birthday party and have a small piece of cake. (+ 400 calories). Sunday, you skip your PA (+ 300 calories) and go out for chinese food with friends (+ 700 calories).
The weekend hasn't been outrageous - but the 800 calorie deficit you worked hard for all week has not only been been wiped out - but you end the week with an extra 900 calories. You'll gain about a pound a month - 12 months a year - and pretty soon the 50 pounds you worked so hard to lose is creeping right back up again.
Balance your weekend calories by adding in more PA, more V/F and more HMR shakes and HMR entrees. By over planning and adding structure - you can actually figure out how to fit the wine, cake and chinese food into your overall plan without weight gain. You may not be able to do them all in one weekend - but by being consistent with your habits and paying closer attention to the little things - you could save yourself a lot of calories (and pounds) over time.
Here are a few easy wins:
Have an HMR shake before you go out to the restaurant (if it saves you from the bread bowl you already come out ahead)
Have a double HMR entree with veggies before a birthday party and bring a fruit plate or veggie platter with you.
Keep HMR 70+ pudding packets in your purse or car for errand days so you don't end up in the food court - all you need is water!
Add in an extra bout of PA on the weekends - make it a fun and healthy way to spend time with family and friends.
Remember, just because it's the weekend for you - doesn't mean the calories don't count. When you let go of the "start over Monday" kind of thinking you are on your way to a healthier lifestyle.
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 @ 05:41 PM
For many of us, HMR shakes are the cornerstone of our weight management plan. A shake for breakfast, lunch, snack or dessert always does the trick for me.
But long term use of the HMR shakes can lose it's luster as time wears on, and unless you can commit to trying new recipes, you may end up putting the same old shake in the ho hum section of your healthy diet plan.
Here's a simple reminder of the incredible variety you can create with a little daring and a lot of imagination:
To prepare your shakes use a blender with lots of ice or a food processor to make a mousse. Heat up the shakes in the micro or on the stovetop. Freeze shakes for an hour or a day. Combine different HMR shake formulas (HMR 120, HMR 800, HMR 500, HMR 70+) and vanilla shakes with chocolate.
Add in extracts, flavorings, spices, baking cocoa, fat free sugar free jello pudding, or diet soda. Blend shakes with coffee or chai tea iced or hot.
Layer and swirl HMR 70+ puddings using a variety of flavor combinations.
And then there's the fruit... fresh canned, frozen. Blended smooth or folded in. Mixed fruit combos and fruits mixed with any of the add ins mentioned above.
New favorite? HMR 70+ chocolate pudding with butterscotch fat free sugar free jello pudding and thawed frozen dark cherries. WOW!
Get out your aprons and get back to basics with HMR shakes. The possibilities are endless!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Tue, Jul 28, 2009 @ 02:49 PM
What have you learned about yourself from all the diets you have been on in the past? Most people can identify one or two things they took away from a successful weight loss experience. Did meal replacements help you before? Did record keeping make the difference? What about the Physical Activity you were doing faithfully way back when?
The HMR at Home Program has all this and more - exactly what it takes to get weight loss results. Based on years of data and clinical experience, the folks at HMR have brought the basics of successful weight loss right to your doorstep.
Structure. Accountability. Fast, easy weight loss up front.
3 HMR Shakes, 2 HMR Entrees and at least 5 full cup servings of fruits and veggies each day. 300 Calories in Physical Activity. That's it. Our coaches help you learn how to do it. (And provide the accountability you need to make sure you stick with it!)
Approaching weight loss without structure is like planning a European vacation without buying any tickets. Would you just show up at the airport and hope for a flight? Not likely.
Would you board a flight without knowing where you will land? Again, not likely.
But many people take an abstract approach to weight loss - the "just do it" plan - and then wonder why their diet has fallen apart by 4pm.
Give yourself a chance to succeed. Try the HMR at Home Program for 3 weeks and see the results you need to get started on a path to a healthier life.
Join Now!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 @ 02:01 PM
You may be on vacation, but your weight management isn't. Sure, you are out and about with the family, playing, swimming and doing some extra walking. All that PA is great!
Even so, you may find that your work clothes feel a little tight when that dreaded Monday back to the office finally comes. The likelihood that your PA has covered the fish n'chips, ice cream and hamburgers is pretty slim...
Instead of using your vacation time to indulge and pay for it later (kind of like putting the whole trip on your VISA card) why not create an opportunity to expand your healthy lifestyle skills instead. Vacation is a great time to try a new Physical Activity, or renew your interest in an old one. When was the last time you rode your bike around? - Try it - you'll feel like a kid again! Or go hiking, kayaking, roller blading...
Your HMR at Home Program can be taken on the road. Use the fruits of summer in cool low cal HMR recipes. Try some new vegetables from the local farmers' market.
HMR meal replacements are a great addition to any vacation plan. HMR shakes are perfect for a hot summer afternoon. My favorite these days is HMR 800V +HMR 120V plus tons (1-2 cups) of frozen blueberries and ice. I like it super thick like soft serve ice cream. And HMR entrees are portable and delicious at room temp (try HMR 5 Bean Casserole on a salad) so pack them up for a day at the beach - it will save you tons of time and calories.
Always have plenty of cold water - especially if you are running around on a hot summer day. Crystal Light mini flavor straws come in handy for instant ice tea or lemonade.
If you are serious about successful weight management, you have to start by changing your mind. Challenge your assumptions. Start thinking about what is possible instead of reverting to what you think is inevitable. Make a commitment to your weight and health.
If you want to be different, you have to be different.
What are you willing to change on vacation this year? Write down your goals and your plan. You can do it!
Wouldn't it be great to wrap up your vacation feeling energized, healthy, refreshed, and on track with your weight? You bet.
Oh, and - don't forget your sunscreen!