WHAT IS THE MAYO CLINIC DIET, EXACTLY?
The Mayo Clinic Diet is more of a philosophy than a strict diet like the Atkins diet or the Paleo diet. It encourages people to eat whole, unprocessed foods while incorporating exercise into their daily routines.
Ditching the processed ingredients that are so common in western cuisine is the best way to get your body closer to your ideal weight while also reducing all sorts of other health risks and conditions. Think diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease just to name a few.
HOW DOES THE DIET WORK?
The diet is divided into two phases:
- the Lose It! phase
- the Live It! phase
The different phases are designed to make the diet more sustainable and something you can do long term.
Remember how I mentioned that it was more of a philosophy? That’s because it’s designed to help you reach your goals and keep them for years. It’s not a diet that will stop working once you take a break from following it for too long.
THE LOSE IT! PHASE
During the Lose It! phase, you’re essentially making the transition from your previous diet into the Mayo Clinic diet. This is the strictest part of the diet during which you can expect to lose between 6 and 10 pounds over the course of two weeks.
During this period, you’ll learn how to make healthier choices and incorporate better habits to help you lose weight and keep it off in the long term. This includes learning what to eat, how much to eat, and incorporating more exercise into your daily life.
Once you establish those habits, you’ll be able to make the switch to a healthier you without feeling like you’re giving things up.
It can feel intense, but that’s why the phase is just two weeks long. You can do anything for two weeks, especially if it helps you reach your ideal weight more easily.
THE LIVE IT! PHASE
After completing the Lose It! phase, you’ll enter the Live It! phase. During this time, you’ll continue to lose weight at a slower, but more sustainable rate. Think 1 to 2 pounds a week.
Once you reach your ideal weight, you’ll be able to maintain that weight as long as you continue the healthy habits you developed during this phase.
That means continuing to make smart food choices, cutting back on alcohol consumption, and staying active each week.
WHAT YOU CAN EAT ON THE MAYO CLINIC DIET
There are no truly off-limit foods on the Mayo Clinic Diet. Instead, you’re encouraged to eat whole, unprocessed foods. This means incorporating tons of lean proteins like chicken, fish, and turkey alongside plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.
The diet encourages you to eat smaller amounts of complex carbohydrates to help keep you full. But it does allow you to eat an unlimited amount of fresh fruits and veg. That means snacking is officially allowed as long as you’re munching on fruit or vegetables.
A typical day might include these meals:
- ¾ cup of oatmeal with diced apple and cinnamon on top
- 1 cup of steamed asparagus, collard greens, or spinach with 3 ounces of grilled or baked chicken, ¾ cup of low-fat yogurt (sweetened is okay), and some fresh berries.
- A small filet of tilapia cooked with olive oil, roasted potatoes, and broccoli
As you can see, the diet is relatively simple and super flexible. The important thing is to cut out all processed foods and to cut back on sugary treats whenever you can.
WHAT YOU CAN’T EAT ON THE MAYO CLINIC DIET
The list of what you can’t eat on the diet is surprisingly minimal. According to the Mayo Clinic Diet book, nothing is expressly forbidden outside of the Lose It! phase.
During that phase, you should avoid all sugar except the amount found naturally in fruits and vegetables. You’ll also need to cut out all alcohol for those first two weeks.
Once you reach the Live It! phase, the diet becomes a bit more flexible. It’s all about moderation and consuming fewer calories than you burn each day.
If you decide to try the diet, I strongly suggest you avoid eating processed sugar and processed foods. These are the foods that are making your weight loss harder.
SHOULD YOU TRY IT?
So, should you try the Mayo Clinic Diet? It largely depends on your personal preferences.
It’s goal is to teach you how to make smart and healthy choices for the rest of your life. But it doesn’t offer tons of ongoing support or a network of women that you can share your experience with.
If you’re not comfortable coming up with recipes or finding ways to stay motivated on your own, sticking to the plan long-term can be tough.
As long as you are eating healthy most of the time and at a slight calorie deficit, you should be able to see a change in weight.
FINDING THE BEST DIET FOR YOU CAN TAKE TIME
The Mayo Clinic Diet is just one of many diets to choose from. As you can see from this Mayo Clinic Diet review, I’m comfortable saying that many women can see great results from the plan as long as they can stick to it.
However, there is no “right” diet. What works for you, may not work for someone else. What’s important is that you’re enjoying the diet and can stick to it long term! :)
If you have any previous health issues, consult your doctor before starting a new diet.
