How many fruits and vegetables should I eat every day and why?
The minimum number of servings per day is five. Fruits and vegetables are low in fat and calories, but high in nutrition. The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the more nutrition you get and it helps to crowd out other high fat high calorie foods.

Are potatoes okay to have as a vegetable?
Yes, potatoes are considered a vegetable.

Why is it important to keep food records?
Food records help you to keep track of what you are eating. It is very difficult to remember what you had, or what you did not have. They keep us accountable.

How much water should I drink?
You should get a minimum of 64 ounces of fluid every day. The best bet is to make sure most of this comes from water. There are instances when you may need more. For example, when you are physically active you may need to replenish what you have lost during activity. It is important to check with your doctor regarding the correct amount for you if you have medical conditions that cause water retention.

How much caffeine can I consume without it having an impact on my weight loss?
After consuming the minimum recommended 64 oz of water daily, it's okay to have some caffeine. The amount varies by the individual.

What are the best fruits and vegetables to eat?
Your best bet is to make sure that you get a good variety. Think in terms of colors. Fruits and vegetables are divided into four color groups: orange, red, green, and yellow/white. Set a goal to get in all four color groups.

How often and for how long do I need to exercise?
We recommend getting physical activity every day. The idea is to create a lifestyle that includes regular activity. Some days you will have more time to dedicate to this and some days you may only have 10 minutes. With the busy lifestyle of today, it is not always easy to find that 30-60 minutes, so be sure to do 3-6 ten minute periods.

What types of physical activity should I do?
Anything that gets you moving! Variety is the key. It is easy to get burned out if you do not have a variety of activities. You also need variety in order to use all of the muscles. Think of physical activity as simply moving your body through space. It can be walking, weight training, exercise equipment, riding a bike, or even playing in the yard with the kids. Make it fun.

What makes the HMR entrees shelf stable?
The answer is retort packaging. Think in terms of the canning process - only the entrees are done in plastic trays.

What do you mix HMR shakes with?
Just water. The preferred method seems to be mixing it with water and ice in a blender to make a milkshake. You can also stir it with a spoon to make a pudding, or just shake it in a shaker cup. There is also a recipe book for the product that will give you many more ideas such as adding fruit or flavorings.

What if I feel hungry?
Then you need to just simply have more of what is on your program. Because the items are all low in calorie and high in nutrition, you can just have more. Most people are used to limiting themselves when trying to lose weight, but that is not our method. We encourage you to have another shake, or eat another fruit or vegetable. If you are hungry, then that means that your body needs more fuel. You should never have to be hungry and feel that you cannot eat.

Is there a lactose-free shake?
The HMR 70+ shake has no milk, so it is lactose free. It uses an egg white base instead.

What sweeteners are used in HRM shakes?
The HMR 120 contains Aspartame, but the other shakes (HMR 500, HMR 800, and HMR 70+) have Saccharin.

Is it possible to lose weight by replacing two meals a day with the shakes and then having a low calorie meal for the third?
Yes you can lose weight by replacing two meals with shakes and entrees plus one sensible meal per day. Look to fruits and vegetables for between-meal snacks and be sure to use them as part of your sensible meal.

Is the HMR program effective and successful for those who have Hypo-Thyroid? When I attempt to utilize some diet products on the market I find they send my metabolism in the opposite direction.
We have many patients with thyroid problems and they do very well on the program.

Is it ok to drink shakes five times a day and combine it with vegetables and fruits only? I would like to follow this plan for about two months.
Try doing what we call 3+2+5 - that would be three shakes, two entrees and a combination of five fruits and vegetables per day. These would be minimums. So if you are still hungry then have more shakes, entrees, or fruits and vegetables. You just want to be sure to keep your calories high enough if you are not medically supervised. By doing the 3+2+5, then you will be consuming 1,000 - 1,200 calories per day.

I have been following the HMR 800 plan (full fast) and just found out I was pregnant. Can I continue the shakes?
No, actually you should discontinue your diet right away. Pregnancy is one of the contraindications to doing a Very Low calorie diet. Now is a time that you should not be cutting your calories back to so few. You will still want to make sensible food choices, such as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean cuts of meat, and making good food prep choices. You should also consult with the medical director and your own physician so they can give you a good meal plan.

Would I lose weight faster on the HMR 500 instead?
The 800 product has 160 calories per serving and the 500 has 100 calories per serving. So you would save about 240 calories per day by switching. In one week’s time that would be a calorie savings of 1,680 or 1/2 pound. Keep in mind that for some people the 800 keeps them fuller longer because it does have more calories and is richer.

What is the right way to count calories of a can of fruit or vegetables?
The can says there is x amount of cal per serving, but a calorie book will show a lot less per cup than what it is on the can.
My suggestion would be to take the calorie count off of the can. Books very often will estimate the serving size (one medium piece), but on the can it will give you exactly what a serving size is (1/2 cup). You may also want to check your canned fruit to make sure that you are getting the fruit in its natural juice. Many of them have syrup in them that drastically raises the calories; get the fruit in its natural juice. Also, by draining the juice off, you can decrease your calories.

What is considered a serving of fruit and vegetables?
We measure a fruit serving as six ounces and a vegetable serving as one full cup.

I have done the program before and would like to go back on the shakes, can I order them online?
Just call our clinic at 503.982.5192 and we can ship the products out to you ASAP.

How do I count the calories on fresh fruit? One book will say one thing and another will say something else.
The nice thing about fruits and vegetables are that they are low in calories to begin with, so if you miscalculate a little it will not be off by much. One way to calculate would be to look at a few of the books and take the average of them. You should also check to see what is considered a serving size - that may be why some of them are different.

I am on the Healthy Solutions plan. Can I substitute fresh fruit juice for any of the water in my shakes and still equal 1 shake and 1 fruit serving?
In the Healthy Solution program fruit juices and vegetable juices do not count as a serving. You can put the whole fruit in the blender with your shake and count it as a serving. The fruit can be frozen, fresh or canned.

What problems/complications have you encountered with the diet, especially in reference to small bowel obstruction?
We do see changes in bowels movements with the VLCD. This is due to the change in diet. Generally the problems are diarrhea or constipation and occur within the first 7-10 days. There are ways to minimize and end these side effects. I wish that I could help you more in relation to small bowel obstruction, but it is generally not something that we see.

Are there some fruits that are more "HMR" friendly than others?
The great thing about the program is that you can have any fruit that you like. Having said that, you do want to try to get a good variety. This is good for a couple of reasons. One reason is that you will get a better variety of antioxidants. The other reason is to make sure you are not eating all of the highest calorie fruits. This is only a factor if your daily calories are slowing down your weight loss or making it difficult to maintain weight. Remember though it is important to look at the "other" foods you are eating also.

Can I pre-mix one or more shakes and then portion them out during the day? Would they need refrigeration?
We have a lot of patients with your same situation. It is fine to mix shakes ahead of time. They will need to be refrigerated until you drink them, or you can make them up ahead of time and freeze them. You then can leave them out to thaw and drink them when you are ready. If it is too frozen to drink when you want it, you can put it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds at a time. I have many patients that will make and freeze several at a time.

Is it OK to have wine on the HMR program?
If you are in either of the weight loss phases (medically supervised or Healthy Solutions) there is no alcohol allowed. As far as beverages go, the programs only allow for non-caloric beverages. Such as diet soda, WATER, crystal light, etc.

Other than the low calories and the maintenance program.... I don’t see any other thing in the food that would cause weight loss than less calories is this correct?
You are correct. There are not appetite suppressants, or stimulants. The food is all low in calorie, so it helps you to eat enough to stay full without a lot of calories.

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