Mayo Clinic is well known nationwide, so it's no surprise its diet receives rave reviews by many. This diet is a long-term program developed by Mayo Clinic medical professionals designed to help you create lifelong healthy eating habits to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Overview
When choosing the diet from the Mayo Clinic, you'll begin with phase 1, called Lose It. During this 2-week rapid weight loss phase, you can expect to shed 6 to 10 pounds by focusing on lifestyle changes. Phase 2 of the Mayo Clinic diet is called Live It and is a lifelong approach to improved diet and health. You'll learn about healthy eating habits, physical activity, menu planning, and portion sizes. Plan to shed 1 to 2 pounds per week during phase 2 until you reach your goal weight. Once you do so, use the same phase 2 concepts to keep lost weight off for good.
What to Eat
When planning meals and menus using the Mayo Clinic diet, you'll follow Mayo Clinic's healthy weight food pyramid. You won't have to count calories. You'll eat large amounts of fruits and vegetables, add in whole grain complex carbs (such as brown rice and quinoa), lean protein foods like chicken, fish, low-fat dairy and legumes, and healthy fats (oils, nuts, olive and avocados). Sweet are allowed, but in moderation; you're allotted 75 calories per day from sweets. The total number of calories you'll eat daily is highly individualized, and Mayo Clinic meal plans are available at different calorie levels to meet your needs.
What About Exercise?
Regular exercise is encouraged when following the diet. You'll aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise daily with even more for weight loss and increased health benefits.
Added Perks
When you sign up for the Mayo Clinic diet, you'll receive a variety of healthy weight loss tools to keep you on track with your diet and exercise regimen. For example, you'll have access to personalized meal plans, portion control guides, delicious recipes, motivational lifestyle tips, workout programs, fitness tips, the Mayo Clinic diet iPhone app, food and fitness journals, and weight loss and healthy habit trackers to help you meet weight goals.
Reviews
Chances are, if you're following the plan correctly you'll achieve your goal weight. Research conducted by Mayo Clinic staff shows the diet averaged weight losses of 8 pounds (most participants lost between 6 and 10 pounds), says the U.S. News and World Report. The same source gives the Mayo Clinic plan 3.7 out of 5 stars and ranks the diet accordingly:
- #3 in best diabetes diets
- #5 in best diets for healthy eating
- #7 in easiest diets to follow
- #8 in best overall diets
- #10 in best heart healthy diets
- #11 in best weight loss diets
- #18 in best fast weight loss diets
Cost
You'll pay $52 per quarter, or $4 per week when you sign up for the Mayo Clinic plan. You need to create an account and can cancel at any time.
Pros and Cons
There are many pros and when choosing the diet. This healthy eating plan is designed for long-term maintenance (it's not a quick fix). It's well balanced and designed for losing weight at a healthy pace. It even allows you to eat sweets in moderation. The diet is affordable for many people, which is yet another perk. However, if you're seeking rapid weight loss, the Mayo Clinic plan may not be what you're looking for.
Should I Follow the Mayo Clinic Plan?
You really can't go wrong when choosing the Mayo Clinic's diet, as it's based on healthy eating strategies and developed by medical experts. Since you can cancel your membership at any time, it might be worth a try.
