Mayo Clinic Diet

By Weight Loss Consultant • Related • Filed Under

There has been a bit of confusion about the true Mayo Clinic Diet. Unfortunately there have been some imitators that have claimed that their diet is the same as the actual Mayo Clinic’s advice on weight loss, but that just isn’t the case. When it comes to the weight loss advice of the real Mayo Clinic, it is all based on a lot of common sense really. What you eat has calories and all those calories add up and either burn off or turn into fat. The truth is that the foods we are consuming today have a lot of added calories that we just are not aware of. From the latte you get on the way to work to the after dinner cravings while relaxing on the couch, we are consuming more calories than we realize.

Obviously our bodies need calories to survive but it’s about fueling your body with just enough calories to maintain a healthy weight instead of overdosing on high calorie foods so that our bodies are forced to turn the excess into body fat. If you are trying to lose weight, more than likely you are not burning more calories daily that you are consuming. It is not about giving up carbs or sugars or any other particular foods that you enjoy. It is just about lessoning the amount of each of those items on a daily basis to lower your overall caloric intake.

There are plenty of better choices to be made. Eating lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are low in calories can fill you up while providing lots of nutrition. It really can be easy to make a few adjustments in your eating. Start by taking note of how many calories are in your food. Read labels. You will be amazed at how many calories you are consuming without even realizing it. The serving size is very tricky. A lot of time what you may be eating would be considered two or even three serving sizes. Make simple substitutions throughout your day and I bet you will lessen the amount of calories you are digesting. Also watch your beverages. A lot of people do not realize how many calories are in what they drink. Calories are very high in sodas, juices and milk. If you are used to drinking a lot of soda, try cutting out one or two of those drinks a day for some water. Little adjustments can make a big difference.

Exercise is the key to burning the extra calories that our bodies have. Be sure to exercise in order to burn those extra calories before they get turned into fat. Burning some of those calories daily will help you lose the weight faster than just watching what you eat. Exercise, used in combination with diet changes, will result in permanent weight loss results.

The fad “Mayo Clinic Diet” has nothing to do with this plan at all. Basically with the fad diet you would cut out all complex carbs and eat as much proteins and fats as you want. This includes using butter generously and eating greasy bacon without alarm. Although, there may be some that are losing weight, they are ultimately causing a lot of harm to their bodies. It just does not make sense to ever put foods that are that bad for you into your body even for the sake of quick weight loss. Unfortunately with the fad diet you also have to give up several foods that include potatoes, breads, noodles, pasta and even some fruits and vegetables. That just doesn’t make any sense and will result in you losing interest in the diet and gaining the weight back as soon as you start to include these foods back into your routine.

The Mayo Clinic Diet is one of the well known fad type diets that has been around for many years. It is not associated with the Mayo Clinic and is not endorsed by them. However, it is a very popular diet plan and has been used by many people in order to start a quick weight loss plan. This diet works by eliminating totally all starches and most carbohydrates that are considered to be the foods that are used to produce fat in the body. It is designed to be followed for 12 days in a row then go off the diet for 2 days. This diet can be repeated after the 2 day hiatus. The Mayo Clinic Diet was one of the first diets that completely eliminated starches and sugars, while encouraging foods that will when combined together will jump start the body’s metabolism and to burn fats. Below is the daily diet regimen to be followed for 12 days in a row.

Breakfast

  • 2 eggs prepared in any way
  • 2 slices bacon
  • ½ grapefruit or
  • 4 ounces grapefruit juice

Lunch

  • Meat (unlimited amounts)
  • Salad (unlimited amounts)
  • No restriction on salad dressing (any type accepted)
  • ½ Grapefruit or
  • 4 ounces grapefruit juice

Dinner

  • Meat or Fish (unlimited amounts)
  • Cooked or raw vegetables (any red, yellow, or green vegetable) cooked as desired
  • ½ grapefruit or
  • 4 ounces grapefruit juice

Bedtime snack

  • 1 glass tomato juice or
  • 1 glass skim milk

Vegetables that are allowed:

Tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, green or red onions, lettuce, cucumbers, green beans, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, carrots, green peas, squash both yellow and zucchini

Vegetables to avoid:

White potatoes, sweet, potatoes, yellow corn, white onions, celery

The diet instructions to follow:

  • Eat as much as you would like of the allowed foods at all three meals.
  • Do not eat in between meals, you should consume enough during the three meals so that you are not hungry.
  • Avoid caffeine if at all possible. If you must consume caffeine try to limit it to one cup with each meal. Caffeine can cut down on the body’s enzymes that work to burn off fats and can slow down your weight loss. It also makes the body retain fluids which is considered water weight.
  • Eat all foods that are included in the diet as prescribed. Do not skip any meals or any of the foods. These are prescribed so they work together to promote the burning of fat by the body’s natural enzymes.
  • It is very important to eat the grapefruit as instructed as it works as a catalyst in order to start the fat burning process.
  • As stated above, this diet eliminates starches and sugars. These turn to fat and slow down the body’s process in burning fat as energy.
  • Keep to the diet, refraining from eating any bread, desserts, or white vegetables. You can eat as much as you can hold of the allowed foods. The more that you eat of the foods in the correct combinations, the more weight you will lose.
  • Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day to help the body detoxify and to rid the body of the waste that is produced from the fats that the body is burning and does not use.

This diet as stated above is designed to be used for twelve days straight and then eat as you would regularly for 2 days. If you find yourself cheating, do not give up on the diet, start the diet again the next day and try to follow it to the letter. If you eat as much as you can hold at mealtime, you should not be hungry or tempted to eat things that you should not have. By following this diet, you should see quick weight loss results in a very short period of time.

In order to maintain a healthy weight loss plan, you should stick to the real advice of the Mayo Clinic and you will be much happier with your overall success.

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