HMR Shakes Can Make Your Weight Loss Plan Easier and More Delicious!
Posted by Alicia Leeds on Wed, Feb 18, 2009 @ 10:23 AM
Ask the Expert
Question of the Day
Can you just use the shakes as meal replacements, for instance, a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and a healthy dinner?
The simple answer is yes. HMR shakes are nutritious and delicious and are a great way to be full and healthy while losing weight. It is also important to understand the basics as far as creating the healthy meal of the day, making sure that you use the shakes as part of a nutritionally complete diet plan.
We offer the HMR Healthy Shakes Diet Kit on our website. This kit comes complete with two weeks of shakes, a full instruction guide and other tools to help you succeed.
The Healthy Shakes Diet Plan is -
3 HMR Shakes + 5 Veggies and Fruit + 1 Healthy Meal
Taking in enough food is essential for long term success on the plan. Shakes provide protein and nutrients, lots of veggies and fruit add volume and fiber and the healthy meal should include one lean protein and one whole grain.
When using HMR shakes, I highly recommend adding fruit for extra nutrition and variety. Many of my clients make double shakes - having a total of 4 shakes a day for additional nutrition and to stay full. If you have to clean out the blender anyway it makes sense to make two shakes at once! You can always save half in the fridge or freezer for later. Using more than 3 shakes will not slow down your weight loss, but will give you extra momentum to stay on the plan because you won't be hungry. Do not use less than the 3 shakes. Not getting adequate nutrition and being hungry are proven diet busters.
Fill up on a variety of fruits and vegetables. Again, MORE is BETTER! The minumum number of servings you should have is 5 full cups (or pieces) per day. Try to incorporate a wide variety of colors and use fresh, frozen or canned - whatever you need to use to make sure you get them in! It is important to watch out for high calorie condiments often found with prepared veggies and fruits. Make sure that dressings are either calorie free or non fat, don't cook in oil (olive oil is healthy but has 125 calories per tablespoon!) and read the labels on prepared fruits - they are often loaded with extra added sugar. The cleaner and fresher your veggies and fruits, the better they will be for your weight loss plan. Have as many fruits and veggies as you need on any given day to stay on your plan. Believe me, no one has ever gained weight by eating too many fruits and veggies!
Your healthy meal should include 1 lean protein, 1 whole grain and 2 cups of veggies. Planning this correctly can be tricky - and you will need to know your portion sizes. In general, a lean protein should be about 4 ounces, about the size and thickness of a deck of cards. A serving of whole grains is 1 cup. Add volume by adding more veggies if 2 cups is not enough to fill you up.
Using an HMR Entree is a great way to structure your healthy meal - just add vegggies and you're done.
A nutritious diet is only half of the solution; doing physical activity is a must for long term success with weight and health management. Start with ten minutes a day. Consistancy is more important than duration - so commit to doing something every day.
If you need more help, our coaches are available to support you. A Healthy Lifestyle is Within Your Reach!
As with any diet plan, make sure to check with your physician before starting.