Heart Smart Australia

thanks for the reviews. I didnt even get to start the 45 minute zoom, late start, tech issues, salesperson decided to reschedule, hung up without even a good bye. Refused to tell me the cost: cant tell you that until you have the information and decide whether the program is for you. Well I need the cost to make that decision. Having read the… Read more

reviews, its too expensive. She did tell me that places in the program are very limited , thats the start of the pressure sales pitch i guess. Feeling very badly after this interaction. Definitely not for me based on this, and it was just the initial attempt to find out about it. So far, so bad.

i am truly gullible and yes overweight. I was conned big time. I had 6 Dietician online visits for 15 mins and she was lovely but i cannot say i learned anything i didnt already know about me losing weight. With all the downloading and uploading information i did not see or get any feedback about my health concerns apart from EAT HEALTHIER and eat… Read more

less. Well it didn't work and i am still down $5000. because it is a third party that collects the money. You are in an agreement with them. I am not happy at all. :(

[Content Removed]- Would not recommend to anybody. Attended my free consultation with a consultant named [Name Removed]. I found the whole consultation process really awful. She showed little understanding and pretty much gaslit me when I disclosed how bereavement or other stressful life events impact on my health (I had a week off my usual… Read more

training because a family member died, I was attending job interviews and my partner had surgery). She didn’t listen to what I was saying in terms of my health (I do both strength training and walk/ run 4 times a week) and just did the full car sales pitch. It was pretty shameless really. But the clencher came when she quoted me $73 per week to join up for 18months (even though ‘you’re not joining a program’). I said I would need to consult my partner about a financial commitment like that and she became extremely defensive and rude. I told her she was putting pressure on me and was not prepared to pay that money. She questioned my commitment and said that I wasn’t serious about my health because I wouldn’t pay that type of money. She said because I wouldn’t pay I’d end up 30kg’s heavier post menopause. So disgusting and unethical.

A wonderful and worthwhile experience – I had experienced a gradual increase in my weight over a period of 20+ years. A kilo here, another there... I still walked on a semi regular basis, but I wasn't intentional in my exercise and my snacking had become a way of dealing with stress. A couple of incidents had made it clear that my health was suffering due to my lifestyle choices and my… Read more ·  1

doctor told me it was time to get serious before heart disease and diabetes became my reality rather than a likely prospect.

At that point, I stumbled upon the Heart Smart Australia program. It was a life changing experience for me. The combination of coaching, education and sustainable lifestyle balance appealed to me and even the price, which is a commitment, helped me to take my health goals seriously.

My fortnightly dietitian appointments were highlights, assisting me greatly in setting goal, adopting new diet and exercise choices that suited me, and providing regular encouragement and accountability. The website, app, podcasts and FB groups were also very beneficial.

I have completed the 6 month program and am very happy with the progress I made. I lost 15kg from my peak weight, over 10cm from my waist and can fit into clothes that have felt too tight for years. My goals are reset and I have continued with my good habits since then. My blood pressure and cholesterol levels have improved and, most importantly, my fitness is back to what it was when I was much younger. This gives me the energy to keep up with my very active young grandchildren.

Thanks for reading my reflections on the program and I wish you every success as you look to regain control of your health goals.

The more you do the more you succeed! – I recently completed a six-month program with Heart Smart Australia, which had some benefits and problems. The best part for me was having a weekly phone call with my dietitian, Munpreet, who was lovely and helpful. How much you get from the programme's features depends on how much interaction you have with the website and app. I could have used… Read more ·  1

the website more and put posts on the Facebook group, but I didn't, so I cannot complain about not getting everything out of the programme I could have. When I started, there needed to be more guidance on how to start the programme. There is a start-up program now, so new people should do this. Once I got the hang of having weekly goals to achieve and working out my weekly menu, which Munpreet gave me feedback from, I was successful with my personal goals. I dropped 2 dress sizes and have a much healthier approach to food, cooking, eating, exercise and meditation. Because I worked out my own meals during the programme, I learned to be my own coach when everything finished. So I can continue the things I learnt. Unfortunately, I developed a gut problem that plagued me through half of the program. I got a wholemeal wheat intolerance due to the recipes on the program, which resulted in me having bad IBS symptoms. Eventually, my GP put me on a restrictive diet to get my gut better, which Munpreet assisted me with. These symptoms spoiled the programme for me a bit, but otherwise, it was good.

Understanding Heart Health and weight loss – I was very impressed with the amount of expertise that this group is able to convey. I have learnt so much from 'Ask the Doc' with Dr. Ross Walker. You have the opportunity to post your questions on the portal and the response from Dr. Ross is amazing! You are never made to feel 'bad' about yourself if you fall off the wagon. Everyone is so… Read more ·  1

kind and friendly making sure you are helped to meet your goals. After 6 months with the group I am feeling confident that I can now continue on my way and continue to set goals for myself.

A healthy habit – The program helps you set up a positive approach to healthier eating and drinking, being mindful of balanced consumption. With the assistance of dieticians, and very informative support documents and health professionals, was able to reorganise my eating patterns which already contributed to weight loss (3kg) in the first 3 months. The mindset… Read more ·  1

habits encouraged me to seek out other forms of activity, like boxercise and Tai Chi - things that are good for mental health and also help you sleep better! Their idea is to build up the new habit bit by bit so it becomes your new 'normal' healthy lifestyle.

Unparalleled knowledge and support network – Thanks to Dr Ross and his fantastic team at Myagi, they've been a valuable asset in being able to achieve my new weight and health goals, with their expert guidance, knowledge and tutoring me with all the facts required. I now have proper eating and drinking habits that will undoubtley help me to achieve a healthier lifestyle and longer life ahead. Show reply

After I made an online enquiry, I never imagined this company would be so pushy. There were pushy text messages being sent to me on a Saturday night, which I thought was inappropriate. On top of that, I kept receiving pushy phone calls (all from them but on different numbers), which I had to block them all. When I did answer the final call, it… Read more

just proved to me how desperate they were to make money. And after reading all the other negative reviews on here, I'm glad I did not proceed. Any business who is constantly harassing you or being very pushy is a big red flag.

Wow! I’m glad I looked up the reviews on Heart Smart Australia. I nearly got pulled in to a 45 min zoom call. Until I read all the very bad experiences others have had with this company. Many thousands of dollars later and for what??? A Copy of the Mediterranean Diet which you can get for free on google or YouTube Warning it’s a money grabbing SCAM!!! Don’t do it. Don’t do it !!!

Wow. So glad I looked up this review site while I was listening to my partner of a call with a lady I think called Kimberly... She was so pushy and was shaming him into signing up without giving details of what the costs were. Asking all these rhetorical questions like - how much is your life worth??? You don't want to die young do you?? Wow. Now… Read more

I've seen all the people they've ripped off I'm in shock! The moment my partner asked about money her whole persona changed and I decided to quickly look up reviews. What an absolute CON! Hope these stop anyone else vunerable and wanting to change their life from being ripped off!!!!

This program sounds great but you have to get through the full 45min consultation to discover that it is a 5k investment which is a lot of money for a 26 week program it would be great to have more transparency around this upfront so not to waste the consultants and your time these are the types of initiatives that should be fully supported by your expensive private health cover looks good but expensive that’s 300 per kg Show details

What a CON!! I received 18 direct messages, 5 emails and 1 (very pushy) phone call from different people within an hour of sending off an expression of interest. I was given 2 different appointment times with the same American marketer (45 mins on Zoom) on different days. No professional health advisors/coaches were involved. It may legitimately be Australian marketing … or it may not! Buyer beware with this one.

I found the woman Kymberley to be pushy, aggressive and rude. When I said I wanted to talk to my husband about the cost and questioned it, she wanted me to get my credit / debit card details straight away. When I asked to ring back later she wasn't happy and has rung me at least 4 times today since then.

Since I made an inquiry I have been harassed to join. Asked several times to stop but still getting asked questions about my health my goals what my focus is. It is never ending.8 calls in one day.

Absolute scam! Do not pay $6500 to basically follow the Mediterranean diet. Everything you have to read and find for yourself somewhere across their multiple clunky platforms. They sell you a personalised tailored plan and at no stage provide this. And when you complain especially after receiving nothing for the first 6 weeks they are rude and accuse you of being the problem. Do not even take a call from them as they shame you into signing up.

If this review stops one person from making the mistake of signing with this company then it is worth it. The program is not what they sell you, by the time you find that out you are locked in. A company who is offering a product to people at their most vulnerable time & believes in their product would not take absolute advantage as this company… Read more

does. This 26 week program works out to $230 a week I got to week 7 & still had not spoken to a dietitian their hours are just not practical for a full time worker. They give you access to a bunch of literature you can get anywhere & videos to watch & access to a fitness ap I can access at the gym their is no personalisation to this program. Look up their ABN they have several different companies under their umbrella but in the end they are all unethical & should be shut down

I did not even start the program as the women Kimberley was rude and judgemental worse than a car sales person. Got rather annoyed that I asked about price on the first instance when I asked was given spiel second instance call ended

Biggest waste of money, unless you are a stay-at-home person with no obligations, then you can listen to their blogs/videos etc ( be aware these are usually at the most inaccessible times for normal working people)- Dietican calls were like a psychology app, and all they did was ask what I ate the previous week; the closing advice I got was to… Read more

change doctors - Got one 1 week meal plan that was so complex I needed a chef to prepare the food! I eventually started missing the dietician appointments as I didn't see their purpose. on completion, I didn't even get a call to round it off etc or explain that payments carried on for a further 6 months while you got no service. - nothing. My first red flag (which I ignored to my cost) If you have to talk to your husband about joining, then this isn't the program for you.

DONT DO IT! – DONT DO IT!! Great sales people who say all the right things to make you feel like you don't want to miss out on this scheme! It's a money grabbing scam! You don't lose weight, you get to watch videos that are FREE on YouTube. All they do is push the Mediterranean diet which you can do free on YouTube/Google/social media etc. You end up in debt & very disappointed! $3500 could have been spent in other ways. It's not worth it!!

Thanks for your reviews – Thanks to reviewers I stopped going any further with this. It always annoys me when not clear about costs etc so rather than book the zoom call, I came here. I am sad about the impacts some of you have had and thank you for commenting here, directly helping others ❤️

A rort of the highest order – So, they promise the world and then sign you up for an exorbitant amount. Then you wait for a Zoom call with someone, then your inbox is bombarded with [Content Removed], then you have to download a completely useless app, then you have to watch and/or read a huge amount of more [Content Removed], then you wait for a phone consultation with a… Read more

dietician... Meanwhile, they've deducted $600 bucks from your bank account for NOTHING! Then you find out that you can't cancel, can't get a refund, and can't cancel the payments. I closed my bank account and had to reopen another one. What a bunch of lying, cheating, thieving [Content Removed]. DO NOT SIGN UP!!!!!

First session left me with a few red flags – I had my initial assessment a few days ago and, in-line with other reviews posted here, found the consultant pushy and very vague on costs. Initially I was told is was $60 pr week, but only found out when I pressed that there were additional fees and the $60 related to an 18 month repayment plan for a 6-month program. The actual cost quoted to me… Read more

was $250 per week, which seems rather expensive for a weekly (or possibly fortnightly, this was unclear) consultation session. Have no doubts that this is a good program, but the marketing leaves a little to be desired. If it is as good as they say, then they should not need to use the pushy approach.

Preying on vulnerable individuals – I was told that they could help lower my LPa protein, after consultation with my cardiologist it was explained that this is a predetermined cholesterol thru genetics. Caught me at a vulnerable moment, signed up and now I have been trying to remove myself from the program and they are telling me it's a 25% payment to get out, even though they lied… Read more

and made false and misleading claims. If they really wanted to help they wouldn't charge you what they do

DON'T DO IT! I've forgiven myself and I'm moving on – $4,000 DOWN THE DRAIN. Six kilos down in six months. I'm locked into a contract that is incredibly expensive for what is offered and I'm ashamed that I've fallen for such as scam. The program is completely online, so if you aren't comfortable with this type of interaction alone DON'T DO IT! Being online is work for most of us; it's not health,… Read more

it's not recreation, it's not fun, it's just more time on a screen with strangers. THAT'S WHAT HEARTSMART IS. Spend the $161.11 a fortnight for twelve months on a gym membership with a personal trainer and small groups to keep you motivated. Join a youtube group or buy a book about batch cooking. Read about the Mediterranean diet, follow it and swap experiences with a friend or family member that has your back. Drink two litres of water a day. There, I've just delivered the HeartSmart program! Would you pay me $161.11 a fortnight for that? Of course you wouldn't.

Not Rich Enough – Obnoxious recruiting agent (Siobhan) actually apologized for coming across as rude when she was pushing for an answer. Then when she was made aware of my circumstances (after I was made to give personal details in order to proceed), pulled the rug right out from under me. To say I was upset is an understatement. I couldn't imagine my financial… Read more

stature would have any bearing on my ability to lose weight. But apparently, it's the weight of my wallet that counts. As I stated to her, it takes a huge amount of guts for overweight people to even ask for help, so to be unceremoniously dumped because I had voiced the amount was a lot & would be a strain (but I would handle it) was distressing. In hindsight, I think I dodged a bullet. I've since blocked them from any further contact. I really thought it was a reputable company.

*Update* I started Weight Watchers 8 weeks ago & I've lost 4.4 kgs. $17 mth, first mth was free. Gotta be happy with that.

[Content Removed] sales tactics, beware – Really [Content Removed] sales tactics and evasive response to how much it costs. Glad I dodged the bullet, I'd advise everyone to be really careful when dealing with these people. The laugh emoji tells you all you need to know, they don't care, they just want sales.

Pushy Sales Tactics – To start I never signed up. I couldn’t get a clear outlay of costs associated with the program without having to be a part of a sales call. Apparently it’s all “personally tailored” so everyone’s cost is different. The sales person sorry health consultant tried every trick in the book to get me to sign up. I’m very glad I read these reviews.… Read more

Seems to be priced anywhere from $125 to $250 a fortnight.

Rather go through the GP and see a dietician & cardiologist directly.

Really bad, do not go with them – Their website says: No pressure, No stress. No judgment. Their person was stressful, was not reading what I wrote. I said 3 times, that I am busy at the moment so we have to continue another time. They can only book an appointment if I was willing to pay, however, it was never stated of how much it would cost me weekly. The whole discussion was… Read more

really one of the worst I ever had, it was more like a pushy car sales man! I got 6 emails, 3 cancellation of the meeting and 3 meeting invites, even this were never on the time I requested and booked online!

Beware. Terrible legalistic defensive customer relations, not worth the money, – The program is very expensive for what you get, and they won't let you cancel under ANY circumstances. The sign up process is used car sales like. My partner signed up whilst suffering from a condition which affected her judgement, then relapsed and could not continue. They flatly refused a refund and were very legalistic despite strong support… Read more

from her doctor. Half the time they don't answer phone calls.

We have got nothing from them except stubborn resistance and will be pursuing this with consumer affairs and other avenues.

Miyagi - think twice! Then think again – The Miyagi health program is a one-stop-shop idea. However, can be clunky. My initial session never happened with [Name Removed] due to staff illness and was never replaced. I am coachless! I enjoyed participating in other sessions. Communications from the support team are confusing: Facebook, App, Phone, Email?? For example, some of us were… Read more

sitting waiting for a session, never advised it was cancelled or deferred due to a public holiday. It was left up to participants to decide whether it was valid (the session was on the calendar!) and met up anyway.

The program is geared for retirees who can do the 'live' sessions. If you work, you will only get the recorded version. (They've only just changed it in the last week to add a Saturday session.)

I've had numerous issues with uploading documents to the App and was advised to "go to another computer". (Yet I don't experience issues with any other company for similar routines!)

My dieticians have been the MOST proactive with attempting to structure advice based on our sessions.

While I have made progress in a short period, my fiscal situation changed suddenly and if you need to cancel, they refuse - even while they haven't met their contractual obligations. So far, I'm dealing with no-name emails from the support team: unprofessional, unless of course they are automated AI-responses. Who would know?

They flick you off to the debit company, to whom I'd already spoken, and had referred me on to Miyagi about cancellation. Note also: you will automatically be committed to their payment plan after your contract period is expired! (which guarantees an extra 30 days income for them.) They skirt this issue and ensure you are programmed for payments no matter what, with no recourse if they miss activities.

There was no cooling off period in the "quasi -contract" after their hard-sell pitch (they don't provide any preview information or outlines before you commence). Then you discover it's not really tailored to your circumstance. As others have said: a lot of money for info you can get freely elsewhere.

I have NO complaint about the health practitioners' advice - the sales/administrative processing is clunky and legally questionable!

Information provided by the medical (doctor) and allied health clinicians is practical, however, you could pay the same $$ for services found in the wider health community with a continuum of personal follow up and referral from your own GP.

Unprofessional and wasted my time – I attended the free (hook) webinar and was promised a consultant after being selected to attend this program. I was sent reminders and to be prepared for the call. I did as instructed logged in and waited. No call from [Name Removed] After waiting I sent [Name Removed] a message to check. He then responded that he is unable attend and is fully… Read more

booked out the rest of the week. I thanked [Name Removed] for the waste of my time and I am disappointed that he did not have the courtesy to let me know in advance.

Gamechanger – This program I came across was an absolute game changer for me. I started the process with skepticism, wondering if it was just another diet. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I just loved everything about it, so much information on the app to get our mindset right, so much info about food, so many videos to watch, the weekly ask the doc, the… Read more ·  1

recipes and so much more. Best of all was my dietician Bree who was there to help me get all of the above to work for me.

Wonderful Life Changes – I was annoyed with the sign up pressure which gave an ultimatum and for a few days regretted my action. Then I had my first dietitian appointment where it was very clear she had my welfare as a priority. Her encouragement helped me achieve small goals. Each appointment showed how well she has listened to me and was able to help me move forward.… Read more ·  1

Attending online information sessions help you change your way of thinking and to learn how to achieve your goals and have been invaluable so far. Then there is the wealth of information available to read or watch at your leisure- past recorded sessions; recipes; advice from the doctor and numerous other topics. There really is a massive amount. I am so happy with the changes I have made so far and look forward to achieving more.

So much more than diet – My initial objective was to lose weight. And while I've lost some centimetres, I have found the program to be so much more beneficial and beyond just weight loss. I have reprogrammed my relationship with food, having cut out the emotional eating. I have an overall wholesome, healthy and balanced diet. The way I relate to food and speak about foods… Read more ·  1

has shifted. I exercise more regularly. My relationship with my body image and how I feel about myself has improved. All of this leads me to believe in the viability of long term, sustainable healthy living for myself, which is at the core of the heart smart programme. My dietician was lovely, caring, encouraging and knowledgeable.