In Awe of YOU: Kudos to All in the HMR Success Story Contest!
When HMR decided to run this online contest, we had no idea what kind of response we’d get. We know people are extremely busy, and we wondered if many people would take the time to write and submit a story about their personal weight-loss journey. We never expected to see so many stories that were so well written… and inspiring… and hopeful. The winner was chosen at random (hand picked out of a giant envelope “with eyes closed”) by HMR Founder and President, Dr. Larry Stifler. We set the contest up this way so we didn’t have to choose one “best” story, because that would have been simply impossible. We are pleased to announce a special “Congratulations!” to Guy Clark from Kansas, who lost 102 lbs., and was selected as the winner in our first Success Story Contest!
Stories were submitted from all over the country and from patients in Phase 1, Phase 2, Decision-Free, Healthy Solutions, and HMR at Home. All were honest, real, poignant stories of triumph and inspiration. Your submissions were so wonderful we’ve included links to all of them here at the bottom of the article so everyone can celebrate your success with you!
Here are a just few excerpts from some of the stories you shared:
- “I can now make eye contact with the person in the mirror...” (lost 80 lbs.)
- “My doctor told me if I didn’t make drastic changes, I was going to die a slow and very painful death...” (lost 164 lbs.)
- “For the first time in 15 years, I can run, jump, and do anything I can imagine, because now the sky is the limit...” (lost 82 lbs.)
- “I still surprise myself with what I’m able to do and how much bigger my life has gotten since I’ve gotten smaller...” (lost 83 lbs.)
- “Most people think life begins at 40 or 50. For me, it starts at 33. I am so excited to experience life, not just watch it go by from the sidelines...”(lost 177 lbs.)
Every single Success Story on this site is a home run. So even if you didn’t win the gift certificate as a prize, you’ve done something you may not have even considered. By sharing your story, you’re helping countless others who want to lose weight but may have simply given up on trying. Your story may inspire another person just like you to have the courage to take that first step that could alter his or her life forever…just as your life has been changed.
So to all who have submitted a Success Story and to those who plan to in the future, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS! And thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey. YOU, and every other member of this online community, inspire all of us at HMR every day to do our jobs. Your perseverance and commitment to your better health is truly awe-inspiring. You are all winners in our book!
Malcolm Hession
Joe Malinowski
Greg Lemke
loissu
nickee2
ChrisWillette
Joni Johnson
Nicole Ducharme
Rich Bryars
grilljw
HMRdietDave
Ty Franzen
Duane Cooper
Jim Sanders
pianokam
HalfPint
sevab20
Jerry Foster
Mary McOmber
nikvet
Tammy Hayes
FormerlyBigJohn
Carolyn Smith
Bill Lawson
Wafflemama
Janice Powers
hmrsuccess
Sally Kinnaird
Martha Littlefield
paulrob
Penny Huisman
Paul Barrios
SkinnierMary
Sharonthewinner8
Mike Roddin
AnnaMaria
goinse
Shrinkingsue
aprilHMR
ebonysd
About the Author
The HMRdiet site was launched in the summer of 2011 as a support resource for HMR dieters, friends, and family. HMR staff from across the country, along with thousands of dieters, past, present, and future, visit the site every month to connect and share ideas, recipes, hope, and inspiration.
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2013 (43)
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May
(7)
What Do You Do When Plans Are Up in the Air, but You Are In the Box?! Shake up the Afternoon to Stay Full and Satisfied Oh Hey! I Just Ran My First 5k! BBQ Survival Guide: Cookouts with a Healthy Kick Eat More 1s, 2s, and 3s To Keep Calories Low and Health High Top 5 from the Trenches: High Volume Fruit and Veggies Weight Loss Slowing Down? Watch Out For Those BLTs (Bites, Licks, and Tastes)
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April
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Top 5 from the Trenches: Environmental Control The Amazing Disappearing Appetizer Introducing the 2013 HMR Triple Imperative Challenge Going Nuts for PB2 I Eat Whole Cantaloupes Take Control of Your Food Environment Girl about Town: Every Little Bit Counts My Child Might Be Overweight How Our Home Environment Can Make Us or Break Us
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March
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The Vacation Question: To Eat (Junk) or Not to Eat (Junk) Moo Goo Gai Pan: In the Box Take-Out Food How Asking “How?” Can Help You Succeed Health Outlook: Physical Activity On the Road Again: Top Tips for Healthy Travels Navigating a Restaurant Menu Girl about Town: Hot Drinks for Cold Days Cook Your Way to Long-Term Weight Maintenance
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January
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The #1 Killer of American Women Has US Seeing RED Eight Ways to Get Off the Couch and into the Stretch Zone The Super Bowl: Who’s Going to Win? How to Boost Your Family’s Veggies and Fruits The Social Network for Health Kitchen Essentials for Your Healthy New Year Myth Buster: Why Eating After 8:00 Doesn’t Matter Ready-to-Go Snacks: A Good Offense is the Best Defense New Year, New You: Change YOUR World PA Your Way Out of a Hard Day! Make Healthy Eating a Family Affair this New Year
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May
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2012 (112)
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December
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Top 5 Ways to KEEP Your Fitness Resolution in the New Year Health Outlook: Keep Your Fruit Close and Your Veggies Closer How to Have a Healthy Holiday Season Holiday Gatherings: A Survival Guide Top 5 from the Trenches: Holiday Strategies The Cookie Swap Disaster Averted Every Day is a Holiday Healthy Hanukkah Helpings Cold Weather Weight Loss: Heating Things Up With Entrees
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November
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Cold Weather Weight Loss: Heating Things Up With Shakes This Holiday Season Make a Commitment to Yourself! Have a BLAST the Day after Thanksgiving Crazy for Caramel Apple Are You Planning to Stay “In the Box” on Thanksgiving? The Phase 1 Thanksgiving Challenge Eat More Sweets! (Potatoes, that is!) Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Holiday Travel Top 5 Ways to Stick to Your Holiday Diet Plan Health Outlook: The Role of BMI
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October
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The Great Pumpkin Be Different this Holiday Season, and Get a Different Result Tricks to Make Halloween Less Scary Top 5 Ways to Manage Your Calorie Budget Challenging Yourself How to Turn a Bad Day into a Good Week Potatoes Debunked Can’t Afford to Lose Weight? Or Can’t Afford Not To? Leeks: An Ally in the Fight for Better Health
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September
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Are You Waiting for a Weight-Loss Miracle? Top Ten Ways to Add More Fruits and Veggies to Your Day Avocad-OH! So Delicious! How to Avoid “The Freshman 15” Fruits and Veggies – More is Better! Top 5 from the Trenches: PA Strategies for a Busy Day This Fall, RESTART Your Weight Loss The Sweet Facts about “Artificial” Sweeteners
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August
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5 Steps to Create a Personalized Plan for Long-Term Success The Workout Program that Everyone’s Talking About Labor Day Reboot – HMR-Style Time to Rewrite Your Weight-Loss Story What Does it Mean to Be “In the Box”? Health Outlook: The Effects of Smoking Cigarettes Sleep Your Way to Weight Loss? Easy Meals Even My 5-Year-Old Can Make In Awe of YOU: Kudos to All in the HMR Success Story Contest!
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June
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Common Phase 1 Challenges: I’m Too Full to Finish All My Shakes/Entrees/Vegetables-Fruits Being "That" Mom When Faced with The Gap Scrumptious Health Food More is More! Pump up the Volume for Better Weight Management. Must-See Documentary: The Weight of the Nation My Gym Dilemma Continues 5-2-1-0: Jump Rope for Heart Top 5 from the Trenches: A Taste of the Exotic
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April
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Is it Really More Expensive to Eat Healthy? No Longer Black and White! The Guinea Pig Diet Really Simple Soup: Garden Chicken and Rice Common Phase 1 Challenges: Family Pizza Night Jackson’s Drawing Top 5 from the Trenches: Entrees with Veggies Healthy Families: Bringing Vegetables and Fruits into Meal Times
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March
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Dixie Dog and My Workout Rut Teach Your Children Well Sneaky Chef: The Purees Edition My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets (and how I use them to make my life easier): The Blender Edition 5-2-1-0 Let’s Go! The Mileage Club Hacking Your HMR Shakes Eating Healthy Fats Gluten-Free Diets – A Closer Look Hacking Your HMR Entrees My Gym Dilemma March is National Nutrition Month Top 5 from the Trenches: High Volume Shakes The Importance of Good Hydration All Year Long
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January
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5-2-1-0 Let’s Go! After-School Snack of Champions BBQ that’s PDQ and ITB A Blast from My Past: The Counter-top Blender The Childhood Obesity Dilemma The Secret Life of a Five-Bean Entrée No Time for Morning Exercise? How to Pick a Diet Soup: The Weight-Loss Secret That Comes in a Bowl The DVR is my Secret Weapon So You Made a New Year’s Resolution to Lose Weight. Now What? The Rehabilitation of Brussels Sprouts
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December
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2011 (66)
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December
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Suffering from Holiday Diet Fatigue? Pump up the Volume! Demo-licious! To Snack or Not To Snack? Sneaking in Physical Activity during the Busiest Time of the Year Healthy Hanukkah Helpings The Phase 1 ‘Stay In the Box through Year End’ Challenge Banishing the Baking Blues Training for White Rock Girl about Town: The Well-Stocked Pantry Pesto Change-o Turkey Chili with Beans: Three Ways
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November
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The Kids are Back in Town Are You Planning to Stay “In the Box” on Thanksgiving? Un-learning Theory The Phase 1 Thanksgiving Challenge Wondering How to Make Sense Out of Health Information on the Internet? Autumn Chili Taking a Bite out of Holiday Weight Gain My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets (and how I use them to make my life easier): The Food Processor Edition Raise the BeneFit Bar Starting Over: How an Injury Brought My Exercise to a Whole New Level On the Road… and on the Decision-Free Diet Lettuce Play With Our Food
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October
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Empty Nest – Empty Fridge! Can You Reset Your Metabolism? Yoga with Irene On the Road: How to Take Your Exercise with You Picnic Beans Girl about Town: Party Down at the Pot Luck My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets (and how I use them to make my life easier): The Crockpot Edition Freeze, Frappe or Float A Train, A Plane, and A Hotel Room Dips Without Chips Sneaky Chef: The Zucchini Edition
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September
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A Conversation with Jason Fast Food for a Family of Five Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Extracts Dynamic Entree Duos Are School Lunches Getting Healthier? Farm Fresh, Any Time of Year Girl About Town: The Lost Weekend Misleading Labels: How ‘Zero’ Calorie Foods Contain Hidden Calories Just Like Mom Used to Make Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Sugar-Free Pudding or Jell-o Yo-yo Dieting: Harmful or Harmless? Kids and Kabobs
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August
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Recipe Substitutions: Great Taste, Less Calories! Benefits of Weight Loss that Your Doctor Won’t Tell You Yikes! The Gym! Veggies Undercover No-Bake Entree Recipes, Part 1 Looking for Straight Talk about Nutrition? The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly… of working out with kids in tow Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Sugar-free Syrups Girl About Town: Putting Your Best Foot Forward CSA Share, How Do I Love Thee? Diary of a Demo The 4 O’clock Shake Make a Shake, Make it Great: Use Diet Soda or Sugar-free Flavored Water What’s on the Menu? Lots of Calories!
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December
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