7 Members Find Success With Meal Replacements

We asked our own SparkPeople members to try HMR's Healthy Solutions at Home program, which is a weight loss and lifestyle change program designed to help you lose weight quickly while learning new skills to help keep it. Below are the SparkPeople member responses after three weeks on the diet, with most participating in weekly phone coaching throughout.

Did you lose any weight? How much? (weight-loss results are self-reported)

"I lost 18 pounds in three weeks.* ** After nearly four weeks, I'm down 22."* ** — SparkPeople member M68499 (joined two weeks of coaching).

"Yes—7.2 pounds." — SparkPeople member MONICA2052 (joined three weeks of coaching).

"Yes, I have lost 5.5 pounds so far." — SparkPeople member GINGERB13 (joined three weeks of coaching).

"Yes—5.2 pounds." — SparkPeople member LINCOLN_FORD (joined three weeks of coaching).

"This is my third week on the program and I have lost 5 pounds." SparkPeople member LCMELOW (joined two weeks of coaching).

"At this time, I have lost 4.5 pounds." — SparkPeople member DGUAJAR

Yes—4 pounds." — GIBSONTV — SparkPeople member GIBSONTV (joined three weeks of coaching).

*Average weight loss for the Healthy Solutions at Home program with phone coaching is 23 lbs. at 12 weeks. Donnelly JE et al. Int J Obes 2007;31:1270-1276. Average weight loss without coaching is 13 lbs. at 12 weeks. Obes Clin Pract 2009:3:149-157

**Results not typical

What was the best part of the diet plan?

"Not having to figure out what to make to eat. As a single person, it's no fun to cook for myself and I get tired of eating leftovers." — DGUAJAR

"The best part is that meal preparation is very easy! The entrees and cereals are premeasured. You basically just heat and eat! Grocery shopping is a breeze too. I only have to shop for fruits and vegetables." — LCMELOW

"The fact that it is simple to follow." — MONICA2052

"The best part of the diet plan was that I always felt full and had no cravings. It also taught me to eat correctly and not skip meals." — LINCOLN_FORD

"The food tasted good." — GINGERB13

"The weekly phone meetings." — GIBSONTV

Compared to other diets you may have tried, was it an easy plan to follow?

"Yes, it was fairly easy. Only once did I have issues eating all the entrees, and that was when I was unexpectedly gone for far longer than I had planned. I had my fruits and veggies with me, but could not eat two entrees after 7 p.m. when I got home. I had an entree with me too, but no opportunity to eat it." — DGUAJAR

"This plan is easy to follow but very hard to stay 'in the box.' I like to chew my calories, so drinking the shakes three times per day just does not satisfy me the way a small portion of food would if the calories were comparable. One very easy thing to use is their app for tracking. The check boxes immediately show what you have left on the plan for the day and make it easy!" — LCMELOW

"Very easy. The food was delicious and you can add any fruits and veggies you want. They have a variety of recipes for the prepared meals they send you, so it isn't the same old thing." — LINCOLN_FORD

"Personally I think the diet is excellent—no calorie counting, just eat what you're told and the weight disappears. Extremely happy [and] we have much so more spending money [now] since we're not eating out." — M68499

How did you feel while on the plan? Were you more in control of your eating choices?

"I feel pretty good—not having the option to eat a lot of things besides fruits and vegetables made it easy to choose." — DGUAJAR

"I feel good! Yes, following the plan exactly puts me in control, but with my social life and with the Thanksgiving holiday, I chose not to follow the plan exactly. They recommended taking my food with me and eating it on Thanksgiving instead of the traditional holiday fare, but many times I meet friends at restaurants for lunch or dinner. I made the choice to eat salads and small portions instead of the HMR meals. I was able to lose weight during the week, so I felt like I made good choices." — LCMELOW

"I felt like I had tons of energy. The weekly coaching sessions gave positive feedback and kept me focused. With the variety of food options, I definitely was in more control." — LINCOLN_FORD

"I felt empowered. [With] family, once I told them I was on this program, [they] did not try to coerce me to eat their food." — MONICA205

Did you like the taste of the shakes and entrees?

"The shakes are very good, and most of the entrees are fine. Some I did not like, but that was personal preference and not the fault of the food." — DGUAJAR

"I'm impressed with the taste. Everything is good." — LCMELOW

"The shakes were delicious. [The] chicken enchiladas are my favorite. [My] second favorite is the chicken alfredo." — GINGERB13

"Yes they all tasted very good." — GIBSONTV

"The shakes are great. They are sweet and no big aftertaste. The vegetarian entrees vary in tastiness—the best vegetarian entree was the mushroom risotto." — MONICA2052

Was it helpful not having to count calories?

"It was very helpful." — DGUAJAR

"I haven't really counted calories; I was weighing my food, which seemed to be working. I was stuck at a plateau and HMR helped me get past that." — GINGERB13

"It was extremely helpful not to count calories while I am learning healthy eating habits." — LINCOLN_FORD

Did you feel full on the plan?

"Yes, for the most part, when I timed my meals properly." — DGUAJAR

"I feel very full. At times it is hard to get everything in that I need for the day because I feel so full." — LINCOLN_FORD

"I felt too full on the plan, [and] had a hard time eating all that was required." — GIBSONTV

"I did. I felt very little hunger. This was, perhaps, one of the most important things I learned on the program—the 'more is better' concept." — MONICA2052

Did you add fruits and veggies to make your meals even more filling?

"I have never in my life eaten so many fruits and vegetables. So yes, I have added fruits to the shakes and veggies to the entrees." — DGUAJAR

"Yes, I had to add fruits and veggies to try to stay full! The fresh fruits and veggies are my favorite part since they are the only freshly prepared part of the program." — LCMELOW

"I have always tried to add veggies to my meals. I usually had fruit as a snack or added to a shake." — GINGERB13

"Yes but it was hard to do it on top of all the other required foods and shakes." — GIBSONTV

"Yes, of course! Although there were no restrictions on which vegetables, I was careful with the starchier vegetables. I ate a lot of veggies and fruit. The 'more is better' concept is great!" — MONICA2052

Were you able to "stay in the box"/stay on the diet plan over the first three weeks?

"I have stayed 'in the box' every day except Thanksgiving. Even then, I chose my foods carefully and stayed away from the really high-calorie foods, and gained only half a pound." — DGUAJAR

"No, it's really hard for me to stay 'in the box.' I am able to follow the 3-2-5 daily guidelines most days. That is three shakes, two entrees and five servings of fruits and vegetables." — LCMELOW

"Yes, I even stayed on it on Thanksgiving Day. The pumpkin pie recipe was the best!" — MONICA2052

"The first couple of days were hard but like all things you get used to it. I find all the foods to be very good—can't get enough of the shakes, they're great." — M68499

Do you think you could continue on the plan for more weeks to reach your goal weight?

"Yes, I think I will continue." — GINGERB13"

"Maybe. The biggest issue I have is that there are only five vegetarian options for the entrees. And I only order four of them because the fifth one I really don't like. I don't think I can eat only four entrees repeatedly for the next six months or so." — MONICA2052

I plan to give it the whole nine weeks. Because I committed myself to this plan, I was able to resist a lot of high-calorie or high-sugar food when I hosted a gathering. I have stayed away from most situations where I might be tempted, but I am proud that last night I stood in front of a bowl of M&Ms and had no compulsion to eat a handful as I would have in the past." — DGUAJAR

HMR Weight Management is an intensive lifestyle program for long-term weight management that’s been offered in hospitals and medical centers for 34 years. Once available exclusively through these medical setting, HMR program is also now available for at home use. With HMR's simple, proven plan, you don’t have to rely on willpower. You can eat as much of the plan’s foods, plus fruits and vegetables as you need to stay full—and still lose weight! Every time you use an HMR shake instead of a higher-calorie meal or snack, you can save calories and get closer to your goal.

For a limited time, get free shipping on your first order of any HMR food. Use code SPARKFREE at checkout.

Disclosure: The reviewer received HMR foods at a discounted price.

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