Five years ago Elizabeth Kelly struggled with an unexpected death of her husband.

In the summer of 2016 Kelly decided to prioritize her own health and lost 115 pounds over the course of about a year and a half by following a diet program offered by NYU Winthrop Hospital, according to a Winthrop press release.

“This year, this program, this success, gave me the hope I needed to get on a path to a new life – one that is filled with the belief that the future will be rich with enjoyment, pleasure and continued success,” Kelly, a Hicksville resident, said in the release. “I am forever grateful to NYU Winthrop’s Weight Management Program, its supportive and knowledgeable staff, and to the caring and empathetic members of the program. Without them I would not be here today.”

Kelly followed the HMR Weight Management Services program, which was named a number one best Fast Weight-Loss Diet for 2018 by U.S. News and World Report for the third consecutive year.

NYU Winthrop is the only hospital in the New York metro area to offer the medically supervised program.

Dr. Raymond Lau, an endocrinologist and medical director of the program at NYU Winthrop, said that a key difference between this program and other diets is that the hospital provides medical management.

Lau said this is particularly important for patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other weight-related conditions that need to be monitored during weight loss.

The program specializes in helping patients who have a lot of weight to lose, according to the release.

Members of the program are supported by a personal coach, and a team that includes endocrinologists, registered dietitians and nurse practitioners that are trained in treating and supporting overweight and obese patients, according to the release.

“There is a strong need in our community for effective weight-loss options so we also offer an HMR plan that is a self-guided option, and people can follow that plan at home with online support,” Lau said in a release.”

Those following the program with in-person medical guidance lost an average of 28-37 pounds based on studies involving participants who completed between 12 and 26 weeks on the plan, according to the release.

Those following the plan with phone coaching, lost an average of 23 pounds at 12 weeks and 28 pounds at 26 weeks, according to the release.

The program is designed to simplify food decisions, according to the release. Patients following the program only eat HMR foods, which include shakes, entrees, cereal and nutrition bars, with the option to eat unlimited fruits vegetables on some plans.

The most popular plan includes patients consuming at east three shakes, two entrees, and five servings of fruits and vegetables, according to the release.

The program also encourages people on the plan to start developing skills in three areas: eating more produce, increasing physical activity and making healthier food choices, according to the release.

“Successful weight loss is about creating changes around eating and physical activity that can be sustained over the long term,” Lau said. “By keeping the plan simple, people can lose weight quickly while building the skills they need for long-term weight management.”