If you want to follow an effective yet safe and healthy weight-loss diet, look no further. The Mayo Clinic Program is one of the best and healthiest systems on the market. Behind the entire concept, there are actual doctors and nutrition specialists who will help you change your entire life for the better.
Let’s find out more about this long-term wellness and weight-loss plan. Below, you will discover useful details regarding the diet’s stages, pricing options, level of effectiveness, and many other interesting aspects.
Topic Contents
Mayo Clinic Diet Overview – What It Is
First of all, Mayo Clinic is a popular and reputable US hospital. Their doctors came up with the idea of new revolutionary health and well-being program that can be a healthy alternative to all those fad diets out there. Not only will this system help you slim down some pounds but it will also teach you the way to change your entire lifestyle and lead a healthier and more balanced existence, in terms of eating and exercising habits.
The clinic works as a non-profit organization and has several medical campuses in many locations all over the United States such as Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, etc. Mayo Clinic has been launched more than 100 years ago and it has thousands of experienced, skilled, and dedicated employees in both healthcare and research fields.
However, despite the clinic’s long history, the Mayo diet plan wasn’t born until 2010. The program is backed up by science, a lot of research years, and clinical experience. The approach is quite simple: you must buy a weekly online subscription that comes in the form of an e-book.
Mayo Clinic Diet – Primary Phases
- Phase One (Lose It Stage) – according to the company, the first phase of the Mayo Clinic Diet is supposed to help you kick-start your weight loss journey by encouraging you to replace old bad habits with new healthier ones. The company’s representatives say that, during this first stage, dieters can shed up to ten pounds in only two weeks, but everything occurs in a safe and controlled manner. As a member, you will gain access to Mayo’s fitness tips, customized workouts, running guides, and many other useful materials. Everything that you learn during this phase, you must implement and follow to continue losing weight (and keeping it off) even after the program ends
- Phase Two (Live It Stage) – after the first phase is completed, you will enter phase two during which you will continue shedding a couple of pounds per week or at least that’s what the company claims. Once you achieve your weight goal, you will keep getting expert guidance from the program’s specialists to help you maintain your newly achieved weight
- You need to focus on consuming real or whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Besides these, you can also eat fish, grains, and legumes, similar to low-fat diets. As a Mayo Clinic dieter, you must also exercise on a regular or even daily basis. Daily workouts are crucial to a healthy long-term lifestyle. According to the clinic, you should exercise at least 30 minutes every day
What Do You Get as a Mayo Clinic Dieter?
- Meal plans and recipes – this diet provides hundreds of different meal plans that can be easily customized to suit your unique needs. You will browse through guides that teach you how to portion your meals and how to make lifestyle-related changes. The company also offers motivational tips to keep you on the right track
- Fitness plans – these come with personalized workouts. In fact, the program provides a solid exercise database. No matter how experienced you are, you will benefit from useful and practical fitness tips to get you started with your regular physical activity
- Interactive tools – this program comes with an app that can be downloaded on iPhone devices. With this app, you will be able to track your progress easily. You will also use a healthy habit tracker, a weight tracker, and a fitness and food journal
What Foods Should You Expect to Consume During This Diet?
During the Mayo Clinic diet, you will eat a wide variety of healthy and nutritious foods such as lean protein, vegetables, dairy products, fruits, healthy fats, and lots of spices:
- At breakfast – you will find several egg dishes and recipes for a high-protein diet. Eggs are excellent in the morning as long as you properly prepare them (without oil). The company also offers other alternatives like yogurt parfaits, fruits, and coffee cakes;
- During lunchtime – Mayo Clinic lunch recipes are created to give dieters all the essential nutrients and energy boost they need. Their meal plans include salads, soups, and even sandwiches;
- At dinner – dinners are also based on variety and nutrient balance. You will be able to consume stir-fries, plenty of veggies, whole wheat pasta, fat-free broth, and vegetable purees as side dishes.
Who Should Become a Mayo Clinic Dieter?
This weight-loss program is ideal for the following groups of people:
- Individuals who are eager to learn new things about fitness and proper nutrition;
- Those who want to lose weight and are mentally prepared to commit to a long-term process;
- People who are searching for a lifetime method to maintain a slimmer figure and want to eat healthier.
What Differentiates the Mayo Clinic Diet from Other Similar Programs?
It is true that this diet is safe, well-balanced, and healthy. Also, it works as a lifetime weight-management solution. Nevertheless, it is not a miracle worker, and you will still have to do your grocery shopping and prepare your own meals. Still, clients receive plenty of useful advice, tips, and recipe ideas so you will never get bored with eating healthy foods.
The system supports you into making smarter nutrition and fitness decisions. So, you will not receive pre-cooked dishes at home, but you will gain access to ongoing guidance and support, a real community created by individuals who have the same goal as you, and weekly newsletters.
The entire system is a trustworthy one because it is based on clinically-tested techniques. So, you will benefit from the support of doctors, nutritionists, weight-management experts, and psychologists. This diet is not a standard solution. Instead, it can be adjusted and tailored to match each client’s needs and preferences. Therefore, if you truly want to make a difference and change your lifestyle, this program might help you.
The Mayo Clinic Diet’s Food Pyramid
According to Mayo’s experts, in order to lose weight, you must consume a lot of fruits and vegetables. Then, in the second place should come carbohydrates but only the good type of carbs and in moderation (generally cosidered a low-carbohydrate diet). Dairy products, as well as proteins, must be eaten in small amounts. Dieters should also eat only the healthy kind of fats such as the ones sourced from seeds, nuts, avocado, extra-virgin olive oil, fish, etc. Sweets should come last. In fact, if you can, you must avoid eating sweets on a daily basis.
What I enjoy about this system is the fact that you don’t need to waste time or get frustrated because of the tedious calorie-counting process. Instead of focusing on counting calories, the Mayo diet teaches you how to make healthy lifestyle decisions. The foods placed at the pyramid’s bottom can be consumed in more significant portions while the items found at the top of the pyramid must be eaten in smaller portions.
How Easy Is This Program and Is It Effective?
Sticking to a diet isn’t that easy, I know. There are a lot of temptations out there; from candies and cakes to salty snacks and fast food, everything seems to mess up your efforts of becoming slimmer and healthier. However, once you become determined to stick to a certain diet and are motivated enough to achieve your goals, eating healthy becomes easier.
Inside the clinic’s weekly book, dieters will find graphics, tips, photos, artworks, and many other user-friendly features that will help them understand how to lose those extra pounds and manage their weight. All the instructions that the program provides are easy to follow, and they can be adjusted according to the type of goals you’ve established. Whether your objectives are short-term or long-term ones, this eating plan can definitely assist you in making smart and healthy lifestyle decisions.
The first stage of the program which is also called the Lose It phase might be a bit difficult to follow and complete, especially for individuals who have never experienced a weight-loss process before. However, this first stage lasts just a few weeks and, if you can accomplish that, you will shed most of your extra pounds in no time. From what I’ve heard, the first two weeks are the hardest. After that, your eating habits will already start to change.
*Suggestion! No matter what type of diet you’re about to start, I advise you always to seek your health care provider’s opinion first, especially if you suffer from a serious health condition.
Pros and Cons
Advantages
- The diet is developed by medical specialists
- It doesn’t work miracles but it is an effective eating plan that helps you avoid frustrations
- You will gain access to lifelong tools to achieve your long-term weight-loss goals
- The company provides guides that are easy to follow
- All dieters receive 24/7 professional support
- The system encourages dieters to engage in regular exercise
- Clients receive advice related to mindfulness eating – for instance, watching TV while eating is not recommended
- The Mayo Clinic Diet focuses on changing your eating habits in the long term. It is not a fad diet
- The diet is made of a flexible and versatile system due to the fact that they don’t completely exclude any food groups
- It will help you increase your fruit and veggie intake
- The clinic is a reputable and well-trusted company
Disadvantages
- Some of the program’s tools are outdated or unnecessary;
- There are no shortcuts. You must follow the entire program and apply all their guidelines;
- You won’t receive any pre-cooked meals;
- There is a subscription cost you must pay if you want to become a Mayo dieter;
- Although it is a flexible program, it is also pretty restrictive and might not suit everyone.
Mayo Clinic Diet Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What do you eat on the Mayo Clinic Diet? The Mayo Clinic takes a balanced approach to eating healthy, but generally focuses on eating fruits, vegetables, complex grains, lean proteins (lots of fish), nuts and olive oil. You are allowed a small amount of sweets, but these are generally limited
- Is the Mayo Clinic Diet the same as the Mediterranean Diet? There are some similarities, specifically the emphasis on fish, vegetables and olive oil, but the Mayo Clinic Diet has some differences. Namely, red wine is not encouraged in moderation and the specific guidelines have more of an emphasis on lean protein. It’s also worth noting that the Mayo Clinic program specifically has coaching and expert consultations build in, so it offers more support than the Mediterranean diet.
- Does the Mayo Clinic Diet really work? I get this question a lot, but it’s obviously very personal. I DO know that if you follow the program there is no reason why you cannot acheive your weight-loss goals. It’s based on solid science, backed by a preminent medical instutition, and doesn’t “hype” the sales process. This puts it as one of my top recommended diets.
Pricing Plans
Each new client receives a 7-day trial period. So, the first week of every new membership is free of charge. After that short period, Mayo will charge $5 per week. However, you will pay quarterly bills (one per every 13 weeks). Therefore, Mayo diet costs $65 per quarter but you can also make annual payments if it is a more convenient solution for you.
If for any reason, you decide to end your membership, you will continue to have access to the program’s website until the renewed quarter has ended. I wasn’t able to find any details regarding a potential refund in case of a mid-term cancellation.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
This weight-loss program is usually safe for the majority of adult people. It encourages you to eat more veggies and fruits so that it will support your health and general well-being. On the other hand, people who are used to eating unhealthy foods and not so many fruits and vegetables might experience mild digestive changes but these effects are only temporary, and they will disappear once your organism gets used to the new way of eating.
Also, people with diabetes should focus more on snacking on veggies instead of too many fruits to keep their sugar blood levels balanced.
Mayo Clinic Diet Review – Bottom Line
The Mayo Clinic weight-loss program is safe, effective, and has a pretty simple approach. There are a few easy-to-follow guidelines that you must apply if you want to succeed and obtain your desired fitness and health objectives:
- Always follow the clinic’s healthy weight pyramid that clearly shows you should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables while also consuming protein and carbs in a moderate amount (low-carb diet);
- Eat healthy and whole foods and make sure to control your portion sizes – when it comes to portion control, small is always a good idea;
- Include physical activities in your daily program. The ideal situation is working out at least 30 minutes each day. Even the smallest things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator can help you burn fat and lose some weight.
Bottom Line: To conclude with, the Mayo Clinic diet is a long-term life-changing solution. It will forever change the way you live and eat, but is also SUSTAINABLE for long-term weight loss. Don’t forget to take advantage of the 7-day trial period here.
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