Brenda Khan
The Mayo Clinic Diet is a weight-loss program that is designed to fit around your life. The diet is science-backed and created by experts at the Mayo Clinic. It is not a one-size-fits-all approach, so you can eat foods you like and still see results. The diet focuses on eating in moderation and encourages eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, which can help prevent heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It also includes an exercise routine, which is key to avoiding chronic diseases.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cost | $20 to $50 per month |
| Goal | Weight loss and overall health |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
| Phases | "Lose It!" and "Live It!" |
| Food | Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats like olive oil and avocado, smaller amounts of meat, cheese and eggs |
| Food to avoid | Added sugar, full-fat dairy, processed food |
| Exercise | 30 minutes or more of walking or exercise per day |
| Support | Facebook group, group coaching sessions, 1-on-1 coaching with a registered dietitian |
| Tools | Journals, trackers, meal plans, recipes, fitness routines, books, blog |
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What You'll Learn
The Mayo Clinic Diet is not a fad diet
The Mayo Clinic Diet is not about banning certain foods or cutting calories. Instead, it focuses on replacing unhealthy behaviours with healthier ones that are more likely to support weight loss. The diet emphasizes eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado, while limiting saturated fats and avoiding trans fats and added sugars. It also includes smaller amounts of meat, cheese, and eggs. The Mayo Clinic Diet is flexible and can be individualized to fit different individuals' needs with the help of a medical professional.
The Mayo Clinic Diet is backed by science and designed by Mayo Clinic experts to fit your life. It is consistently ranked as one of the best diets by U.S. News and World Report, and it offers a variety of tools and support to help members succeed, including expert coaching, recipes, trackers, and a private Facebook group. The program also includes regular group coaching sessions, giving you direct access to Mayo Clinic specialists for guidance and support.
The Mayo Clinic Diet is not a quick fix or a restrictive fad diet. It is a balanced and flexible plan that teaches you how to make healthy choices and build new habits for long-term weight loss and overall health. The diet is designed to inspire hope and promote lasting, life-long health.
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It's a lifestyle overhaul
The Mayo Clinic Diet is a lifestyle overhaul that aims to help you adopt healthier habits and behaviours. It is not a "diet" in the traditional sense of the word, as it does not involve calorie counting or food elimination. Instead, it encourages a balanced meal plan that focuses on healthy foods and regular exercise.
The diet is divided into two parts: "Lose It!" and "Live It!". The first phase, "Lose It!", lasts for two weeks and focuses on 15 habits, five of which are unhealthy habits that you should break, five are new healthy habits that you should form, and the last five are "bonus" habits to optimise your results. Some examples of habits to break are avoiding added sugar, refraining from snacking (except for fruits and vegetables), and not eating too much meat and full-fat dairy. Bonus habits include keeping food and activity journals, exercising for 60 minutes or more per day, and avoiding processed foods.
After the initial two-week period, you transition to the "Live It!" phase, where you follow the same rules but are allowed occasional breaks. This phase is more relaxed, as it is understood that by this point, you would have developed healthier habits and behaviours. The diet is designed to be flexible and adaptable to different individuals' needs, with the help of a medical professional.
The Mayo Clinic Diet is not restrictive and does not involve any major dietary restrictions or overemphasis on particular nutritional groups. It is also customisable, with meal plans that include keto-friendly, high-protein, vegetarian, and Mediterranean options. The diet emphasises eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado, while limiting saturated fats and avoiding trans fats. It also recommends smaller portions than other food proportion tools.
The Mayo Clinic Diet is designed to be a sustainable plan that you can follow for life, with the ultimate goal of improving your overall health and well-being, rather than just focusing on weight loss.
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It's flexible and adaptable
The Mayo Clinic Diet is flexible and adaptable. It is not a "diet" in the traditional sense, but rather a lifestyle overhaul that can be tailored to different individuals' needs with the help of a medical professional. It is designed to fit your life and can be adapted for those with conditions such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
The diet has two phases, "Lose It!" and "Live It!", with slightly different instructions for each. The first phase, which lasts for two weeks, is designed to result in weight loss of 6-10 pounds. During this time, you focus on 15 habits that Mayo Clinic researchers have identified as key to safe and healthy weight loss. The goal is to add five healthy habits, break five unhealthy habits, and adopt five bonus habits. The bonus habits include keeping food and activity journals, exercising for 60 minutes or more per day, and avoiding processed foods.
The second phase, "Live It!", is more flexible and allows for occasional breaks. While the diet still restricts calories, there is no strict calorie counting required. The diet suggests how many servings of vegetables, fruits, carbs, protein, dairy, and fats you should eat based on your calorie goals. The Mayo Clinic Diet also offers a variety of meal plans, including keto-friendly, high protein, vegetarian, and Mediterranean, so you can choose the one that best suits your tastes and lifestyle.
The diet is also flexible in that it can be followed using the book or by registering for an online membership. The membership includes additional tools like journals and trackers to measure progress on nutrition, fitness, and healthy habits. The Mayo Clinic Diet is designed to be a sustainable plan that you can follow for life, and its flexible and adaptable nature makes it easier to stick to in the long term.
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It's science-backed
The Mayo Clinic Diet is science-backed and designed by Mayo Clinic experts to fit your life. The diet focuses on building new healthy habits and breaking old, less healthy habits to help with weight loss and overall health. It is divided into two parts: "Lose It!" and "Live It!". The first phase, which lasts for 2 weeks, is designed to result in weight loss of 6–10 pounds. During this time, you practice adopting new healthy habits. The Mayo Clinic Diet is not about calorie counting or eliminating foods but focuses on helping people adapt to a healthy lifestyle. It emphasizes eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado, and includes smaller amounts of meat, cheese, and eggs. The diet also encourages moderate portion sizes and physical activity.
The Mayo Clinic Diet is based on extensive research and has been updated over the years to incorporate the latest scientific findings. It is designed to be a sustainable plan that can be followed for life, with the option to continue beyond the initial 12 weeks. The program can be further tailored to fit different individuals' needs with the help of a medical professional. The diet's guidelines mirror those encouraged by organizations such as the American Diabetes Association and the USDA's MyPlate guidelines.
The Mayo Clinic Diet has been recognized by experts and organizations as an effective and safe approach to weight loss and improving overall health. It has consistently been ranked as one of the best diets by U.S. News and World Report, including being rated 4th for the overall best diet in 2022. The diet's effectiveness is also supported by the positive testimonials of its members, who have achieved significant health improvements, such as reduced blood pressure and normal cholesterol levels.
The Mayo Clinic Diet is underpinned by scientific research and has been designed by experts to be a safe and effective approach to weight loss and health improvement. The diet's focus on building healthy habits and making sustainable changes increases the likelihood of long-term success, as supported by studies that suggest that any diet that a person can stick to in the long term will lead to successful weight loss. The Mayo Clinic Diet's adaptability and lack of restrictive practices make it a viable option for those seeking a science-backed approach to improving their health and managing their weight.
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It's about building healthy habits
The Mayo Clinic Diet is about building healthy habits and breaking old, less healthy habits. It is not a "diet" in the traditional sense, but rather a sustainable plan that you can follow for life. The diet focuses on weight loss and overall health and can be easily adapted to individuals' needs with the help of a medical professional. It is designed to be family-friendly, simple, efficient, and less costly.
The Mayo Clinic Diet is divided into two parts: "Lose It!" and "Live It!". The first phase, "Lose It!", lasts for two weeks and is designed to result in weight loss of 6-10 pounds. During this phase, you focus on 15 habits that Mayo Clinic researchers have identified as key to safe and healthy weight loss. The goal is to add five healthy habits, break five unhealthy habits, and adopt five bonus habits. The five unhealthy habits to break are: eating added sugar, snacking (except on fruits and vegetables), eating too much meat and full-fat dairy, eating while watching TV, and eating out (unless the food follows the diet's rules). The five healthy habits to adopt are: eating a healthy breakfast, consuming at least four servings of fruits and vegetables per day, eating whole grains like brown rice and barley, focusing on healthy fats like olive oil and avocado while limiting saturated fats and avoiding trans fats, and walking or exercising for 30 minutes or more every day. The five bonus habits include keeping food and activity journals, exercising for 60 minutes or more per day, and avoiding processed foods.
After the initial two-week "Lose It!" phase, you transition to the "Live It!" phase, during which you follow the same rules but are allowed occasional breaks. The diet recommends smaller portions than you may be used to, and it encourages you to eat moderate portion sizes and plan your meals using its food pyramid. The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid is divided into three sections that provide guidance on food and lifestyle choices. Fruits, vegetables, and physical activity make up the base of the pyramid, meaning these are the fundamentals of your diet and lifestyle. Each layer upward gets smaller, representing less of what you're eating. Carbs are the next layer, followed by protein, fats, and finally, sweets. While the pyramid defines carbs as breads and grains, certain starchy vegetables like corn and potatoes also count as carbs in this diet.
The Mayo Clinic Diet is not about strict calorie counting, but it does restrict calories. Your calorie needs are determined based on your starting weight and range from 1,200-1,600 calories per day for women and 1,400-1,800 for men. The diet then suggests how many servings of vegetables, fruits, carbs, protein, dairy, and fats you should eat based on your calorie goals. The diet also emphasizes including exercise in your daily routine, which has various heart-health benefits and can lead to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
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Frequently asked questions
The Mayo Diet is a balanced meal plan that focuses on healthy foods and regular exercise. It is a membership-based program that uses a pyramid illustration to guide people on diet and exercise. It is divided into two parts: "Lose It!" and "Live It!".
The Mayo Diet focuses on building new healthy habits and breaking old, less healthy ones. It emphasizes eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado, while limiting saturated fats and red meat. It also recommends daily exercise.
The Mayo Diet has two initial phases lasting 12 weeks, with the option to continue for as long as needed. The first phase, "Lose It!", focuses on 15 habits: 5 to add, 5 to break, and 5 "bonus" habits. This phase is designed to jumpstart weight loss. The second phase, "Live It!", follows the same rules but allows for occasional breaks.
The core digital program costs $49.99 per month, but you can save up to 70% by paying upfront ($179.96 a year). The monthly subscription fees range from $20 to $50 a month, depending on the length of commitment.
