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The 'Mayo Clinic' Diet
The 'Mayo Clinic' Diet: What It Is
The "Mayo Clinic" Diet is probably not what you think. In fact, the weight loss plan that many people know as the "Mayo Clinic Diet' was not developed by – and has no connection to -- the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Developed in 1940, the bogus Mayo Clinic Diet continues to circulate online, via fax machines and over the water cooler. This so-called "Mayo Clinic" Diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate fad diet that proclaims the miraculous fat-burning power of grapefruit. There are several variations of the diet, but the basic premise of all is eating all the fat, protein, and cholesterol you want without any complex carbs.
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Dieters go on the plan for 12 days, then off for 2 days, and continue this cycle for 10 weeks with the promise of a 50- to 55-pound weight loss. Unfortunately, following faddish plans like this one does not usually result in permanent weight loss. Almost as soon as the dieter goes off the diet, the weight returns.
Similar to the original Atkins diet plan and the Grapefruit Diet, the phony Mayo Clinic Diet allows you to eat plenty of fat and protein. But instead of filling you up with healthy foods, this plan allows unlimited amounts of any kind of meat, including fatty fried varieties.
Instead of this fad diet that masquerades as a legitimate weight loss plan, dieters would do better to follow the real Mayo Clinic diet.It's called the "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid," and it takes a healthy approach to long-term weight management. (You can find it on the mayoclinic.com website.)
The four keys to the real Mayo Clinic diet are:
- Eating according to the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, which recommends how many servings from each food group you should have to reach your calorie goal.
- Being more physically active.
- Defining realistic goals.
- Staying motivated.
"Our plan is about lifestyle changes and helping people lose weight the healthy way," says Donald Hensrud, MD, associate professor and chair of preventive medicine and nutrition at the Mayo Clinic.
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