Mayo Clinic Diet

The diet plan often referred to as The Mayo Clinic Diet is actually not recommended or approved by the actual Mayo Clinic in any way and is not considered to be nutritionally-sound by experts.

The Mayo Clinic Diet has been around for about 30 years and was originally shared through junk mail, word-of-mouth, and bulletin boards. Then came fax machines–offices everywhere were inundated with anonymous faxes touting this “miracle diet.” Now, thanks to the Web and e-mail, the diet has reached more people than ever.

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.

Here’s a sample menu.

Breakfast
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (no sugar)
2 Eggs (any style)
2 Slices Bacon

Lunch
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (no sugar)
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 replaced by 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

This quick-fix plan gets one big black ball from our part and we advise you to stay away from such a phony diet. Keep looking for a professional plan that works with your lifestyle and promotes a lifelong approach to weight management.