100 Days on the HMR Diet
I keep wanting to write posts but as per usual, I can barely keep my head above water during the competition season. And I have been taking all my spare time and spending it earning PA (HMR Speak for exercise or Physical Activity calories).
However Friday, February 21, marked a special day. I have been on the HMR Decision-Free diet and “In The Box” for 100 days straight. I feel like being able to stick with anything for 100 days is gosh darn near impossible and worth a mini-celebration and reflection.
First, the question you want answered if you are anything like I was before this diet… How much weight have I lost?
When I weighed in on the first night, I was 280 pounds. My height is approximately 5’4″ which would be a BMI of 48.1, which according to the calculator on the Stanford Hospital site made me “morbidly obese.”
Fourteen weeks later (or 98 days), my weight at the clinic was 220 pounds. While my BMI is still an unhealthy 37.8, it dropped me down to the “obese” category and is a loss of 60 pounds (an average of just over 4 pounds a week).
So I lost weight. Which is ultimately expected when you don’t veer off a medically-supervised diet. But what else?
I feel so much better about myself. I feel like I can do anything I set out to do, including lose the rest of this weight. I have more energy and actually crave physical activity (really? did I just write that?).
After 100 days, the selection of 14 or so entrees, oatmeal, soup, and shakes may seem old. Yes, if I have to eat another cold five-bean casserole at a competition soon I may throw it at someone. However for the most part, I have been enjoying trying new seasonings and preparation methods as well as rediscovering some of my favorites from the first couple of weeks.
Also, and this is so foreign to me, life isn’t always about food. Lately I have been primarily focused on food as fuel to get me through the new activities I am discovering. I don’t revolve my life around what my next meal will be, I just eat when it’s the appropriate time before or after a workout or when I am hungry. And I am learning a ton about what size meal I actually need to stay full as opposed to what I used to pile and clean off my massive plates.
I still have a long journey ahead and I know there will be bumps along the way. However after 100 days, I feel like I am over the mental hurdle of “can I do this?” and have moved on to “what else can I achieve?” And that may be the best takeaway from these past 100 days.
HMR Diet “Chips & Dip” Recipe
I have been missing snacks foods, especially chips & dip. While this isn’t an exact replica, it totally gets the job done!
Ingredients
HMR Enchilada Entree
Flakey Salt
Hot Sauce
Lay a silpat mat on a toaster over cookie sheet. I find this is much easier to clean than other methods.
Clean the enchilada “tortillas” from the sauce and filling, reserve those for the dip. Be careful when unraveling the enchiladas as the tortillas tend to break along where they’ve been folded.
Lay tortillas on silpat and sprinkle lightly with sea salt (optional).
Bake at 325 in toaster oven for approximately 30 minutes, turning over halfway through. The chips will not get fully crispy before they start to brown. They will harden a bit more after removing from oven so don’t let them burn waiting for them to get crispy in the oven.
When removed, use pizza cutter to cut “chips” into smaller pieces. They may harden more while resting.
Meanwhile, mix enchilada sauce and filling with hot sauce (heat varies by user). Heat for 30-45 seconds in microwave.
Some of my chips have not been strong enough to scoop but then I just spoon dip onto them to enjoy.
It’s definitely a different way to enjoy this entree and a great meal to have when hanging around with friends watching a sports game or a movie. Enjoy!
My HMR entree “fix”
I have been in a delicious rut and it’s not going anywhere any time soon.
Savory chicken entrees are some of the most versatile of the HMR line and let me share my recent staple fix.
Pan “fry” the rice in a nonstick pan. I spritz the rice “cake” with two spritzes of Bragg Liquid Aminos to flavor it but sometimes do it plain. Often I can “cut” the cake like pictures into three but often it just ends up a delicious mess of rice.
Chop up the chicken tenders and pan “fry” until brown and then drizzle Frank’s Red Hot Wings Sauce (the one that’s zero calories – thank me later).
Finally, pan “fry” the veggies with a dash of low sodium soy sauce and a very light sprinkle of Chinese five spice.
Seriously the best fix ever!
The Healthy Academic 