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Mayo Clinic Diet
The Mayo Clinic Diet continues to cause considerable confusion. This is not an “official” Mayo Clinic Diet. The Mayo Clinic health center (based in Rochester, USA) categorically states that it had never endorsed any diet plan until December 2005, when it was announced that the official Mayo Clinic Plan was available via the Internet.
The clinic does however provide a number of guidelines for healthy eating – including the new Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid (aka Mayo Clinic Food Pyramid).
What is the unofficial “Mayo Clinic Diet”?
What was supposedly the Mayo Clinic Diet is a fad or crash diet. It is based around grapefruit, lots of salad and protein, and little carbohydrates. Weight loss was supposed to be in the region of 50-55 pounds in 10 weeks.
Mayo Clinic Diet – Meal Plan
This is a copy of the fad diet – and it IS NOT RECOMMENDED. Representives from the Mayo Clinic have disavowed this diet. From the Medical Edge Newsletter July 2005:
“Versions of a Mayo Clinic Diet have been circulating for decades. Most push grapefruit, eggs, cabbage soup or meat and promise dramatic weight loss. None of these diets is associated with or has been endorsed by Mayo Clinic.”
12 days on – 2 days off
| Breakfast 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened) 2 Eggs (any style) 2 Slices Bacon |
| Lunch 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened) Meat (any style, any amount) Salad (any kind of dressing) |
| Dinner 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened) Meat (any style, any amount) (fish may be substituted for meat) Vegetables (any green, yellow, or red vegetables cooked in butter or any seasoning) |
| Bed Time Snack 1 glass tomato juice or 1 glass Skim milk |
Vegetables Allowed
Red onions, green onions, bell peppers, radishes, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, peas.
Vegetables to Avoid
White onions, potatoes, celery.
Find other high protein meal ideas here.
Instructions
- At any meal you may eat until you are full – until you can’t eat any more.
- Don’t eliminate anything from the diet, especially don’t skip bacon at breakfast or omit salads. It is the combination of foods that burn fat.
- The grapefruit is important because it acts as a catalyst that starts the burning process.
- Cut down on caffeine – it affects the insulin balance that hinders the burning process. Try to limit to 1 cup per meal at mealtime.
- Don’t eat between meals. If you eat the combination of food suggested you will not be hungry.
- Note that the diet completely eliminates sugar and starches, which are lipids and form fat. Fat doesn’t form fat; it helps burn it. You can fry food in butter and use butter generously on vegetables.
- Do not eat desserts, bread, and white vegetables or sweet potatoes. You may double or triple helpings of meat, salad, or vegetables. Eat until you are stuffed. The more you eat of the proper combination of food, the more you lose.
See Also
The Mayo Client has just released their Official Diet developed by their own staff.
The Mayo Clinic Plan
MayoClinic.com – Health information from the Official Mayo Clinic.
MayoClinic.org – Official site of the actual Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minneapolis, USA.
Fad Diets – Article about Fad or Crash Diets.
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Started 9/1/08 weighing 285 and hoping to lose 40-50 pounds. heard it works great from a coworker who lost 40 in 2 months
good luck KG!
Congrats SUPER MOM! I have a question for u do have to drink skin milk at night or can i skip it the diet says it is optional??? Also for breakfast is it ok just to eat 2 egg whites or the whole egg?? What do I eat on my 2 days off?? Help Supermom!
Good luck KH i am trying to drop 20 lbs ahh
Sarah, I believe the reason they say to eat the whole egg is that the fat and nutrition in the yolks will keep you more satisfied. I am wondering the same thing about the milk at night. One website says it’s optional another says not. I would like to use it in my morning coffee, but not sure.
Sana-the plan says to eat what you want but don’t go crazy if you want the best results. I plan to add back in WINE and 1/2 & 1/2 in my coffee then just eat LC the rest of the day.
Keep us posted KG!
I started this diet 9 days ago and so far I have gone from 13 stone (182lbs) to 12stone 5lbs (173lbs) definately worth it because it does work and isn’t that hard to follow. I plan to do this for about a month and see if it still produces such huge results. I had headaches the first few days because I tried to kick caffeine completely, but I let myself have peppermint tea and earl grey now and have no milk. I’ve also naughtily had some cheese now and then. I don’t know what to eat on my days off but I will probably stick to porridge for breakfast soup for lunch and semi healthy suppers! Good luck to everyone starting or doing it again or in the middle.
started 8/7/08 15 pounds and counting. good luck everyone!!!
This diet really works. Have been exercising and strictly following diet. Am pleased to announce I have lost 14lbs. I don’t believe it’s all just fluid. I can see my body shrinking!It was a challenge up to about day 5 and then things seemed easier. Am going to eat lots of fruit in the next two days before beginning again. This really does work. Stick with it!
I am 5’2 and weigh 148lbs. I am wanting opinions on the average weight loss for 2 months. Could I lose 25lbs???
I have started just about every diet in the world and have not been able to finish due to lack of discipline. I am 26 years old with a little girl who will be 2 in a few months, so I have no excuse for the excess weight anymore. My weakness is food, but i am at the point where I am tired of people asking me if I am pregnant. I plan to start this diet with the goal of losing 50 lbs. Wish me luck!! I think the most exciting part of the whole experience with the be the support of my husband. I am curious about drinks. I am not a coffee or soda drinker, but what about diet drinks? Oh and flavored water? Can you use egg beaters? I need every bit of encouragement that I can get. Thank you all for you post!!!!
This is my 2nd day, I feel that this diet is very promising! Think about it, you can come up with some awesome combinations of yummy food! Question: Does anyone know if you can have more grapefruit at each meal? Sorry, I know some of you hate it, but I happen to love it. And do you think shrimp in garlic & butter is allowed?
you do have to eat the eggs in the morn. and you can have up to 8oz grapefruit juice (unsweetened)at each meal.
Shrimp in butter is fine also. any kind of meat. except fried in flour.
I plan to start this diet on 9-8-08. I am 30 years old and I weigh 220 pounds. I heard this diet really works and can not wait to get started to see the results. My goal is to lose 75 pounds.
Hey guys I’m going to start this diet tomorrow 9-6-08. I weigh 250 and want to lose 100 lbs. I will come on here to keep everyone posted! With everyones success I’m excited to start! Good luck everyone!
so far five days and 7 pounds lost
Sp-thanks for the encouragement. Great job on the weight loss!
Chrystal-I am 5’2″ and hope to lose 25 lbs. 2 months would be great! Let’s hope this will do it!
BPeet-I think it’s okay to use egg beaters, but the whole egg would probably be more satisfying to get you through to lunch. Also, diet soda/drinks are allowed as long as they are caffeine free.
noblepainter-Not sure if more grapefruit is okay. I love it too! I think that shrimp in garlic and butter is perfectly fine!
I read somewhere that you should have the grapefruit 20-30 minutes before the meal. Anyone doing that or just eating with the meal?
i’m starting this diet with my brother on 9/15/08. My weight now is 190. & i want to lose 50 lbs.
Okay, so I just bought all the stuff I need for this diet. But, I bought grapefruit that is packaged in “Super Light Syrup”. I realize this is not the exact plan, but oh well. The grapefruits at my grocery store looked like crap.
Lunch tomorrow: Thick cut turkey over salad w/ ranch dressing & grapefruit. Yumm.
STARTING: 9/08/08
WEIGHT: 177
Hope I can make this work
How is everyone doing? These comments seem to be slow in getting posted, but let’s keep each other encouraged by showing our results! I started yesterday (restart) on 9/08/08 and this morning am down 2 lbs.!
I started the diet yesterday and have found it easy to stick to so far. I read that a lot of people don’t like the grapefruit juice, I water mine down a little to help dilute it so it doesnt taste as bad. I figure it can’t hurt cause water is good on any diet. Good luck to everyone trying this diet. Hope it works for me as well.
Maddie you cant use grapefruit in light syrup. Syrup is sugar. If you dont like or can’t find grapefruit, get 100% grapfruit juice & read the back of the bottle because sometimes it will say 100% juice and it’s not all grapefruit juice. Dont’t want you to waste your time. GOOD LUCK!
I just finished my first week and lost 13 lbs. I saw results the first day. It is the most effective weight loss I’ve tried, and I’ve tried them all and still ended up at 302#.
MY DAUGHTER AND I ARE JUST STARTING THE DIET. IT SAYS RED GREEN AND YELLOW VEGGIES SO DOES THAT MEAN CORN ON THE COB WHICH IS YELLOW? ALSO THE OLD MAYO CLINIC DIET I WENT ON 35 YEARS AGO STARTED WTIH A TWO DAY CLEANSING DIET AND THEN CLOSE TO THIS DIET BUT IT HAS SPECIFIC FOOD EACH DAY. DOES ANYONE HAVE THAT DIET THAT I COULD SEE> THANKS AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU
I AM NOT SURE IF MY FIRST COMMENT WORKED. CAN WE EAT LUNCH MEATS? AND I THINK I SEEN THAT CHEESE IS OK BUT IT NEVER MENTIONS IT ON THE DIET PLAN. WHAT ABOUT JELLO
WOW! Big S! Great job! 13 lbs. in one week is great.
Laura-many people water down their juice. Good luck to you!
Just to let every one know that the diet or as I call it the “WOL” (Way of Life) DOES infact work. I have been off and on for about 6 months and I have lost 70 LBS. If you stick to it, and I mean really stick to it, the weight will literally fall off. Also, the cheese is a no no, because most people tend to get HAPPY when using cheese, and not realizing that there is quite a few calories in it. The real key is to find a dressing that you really like, and once you do that you really won’t miss the cheese on your salads. Also, try the Ruby Red Light grapefruit juice. It has 1/2 of everything that regular juice has and I LOVE it! Once last FYI, if you just try not to cheat rather your 12 days on or your 2 days off, it won’t be hard to reach whatever goal there is that you may have.
I have been on the diet 3 weeks today… I have lost 10 lbs. and staying at 10 lbs. for the past week. I really have not taken my 2 days off. I just had a few cheats here and there and counted that for the days off. Do you actually need the 2 days off to jump start the diet or why am I at a stand still. Because it was very exciting to see the quick progress when I first started. Any suggestions……
I started this diet on 08-25-08. My weight is 205. I have lost 10 pounds. I noticed that I am loosing fat around my stomach area… I feel so much better. Good luck to all!
I am starting this the Mayo Diet tomorrow. I need to lose at least 40 pounds. I am so miserable at my present weight. Wish me luck, and good luck to all of you.
I just tho. I would let everyone out there like my self know this diet dose work, if it works for me then it realy works! I my stepdad and mother are all on this together an we are all doing well. I started on 9-3-08 an it is 9-12-08 an have lost 8 Lbs an that is alot in that short of time for me. well good luck to everyone this is hard but we can all do this. we will feel good when we meat our gools!