The Mayo Clinic is a non-profit medical organization based in the USA. You may have heard of them before, as they publish numerous articles on medical topics that frequently appear on the top of Google. Well, they have their own dietary program. Now, you may be skeptical of the diet plan, as it is not as famous and well talked about as fad diets such as Atkins, but it does in fact have a long history behind it, dating all the way back to 1949. So, is this diet worth giving a try?
Key Features
- Focuses on slow, sustainable weight loss over a long period as opposed to rapid weight loss.
- Multi-stage diet plan. First stage focuses on getting rid of bad habits. Second stage focuses on portion control.
- Heavy emphasis on combining proper diet and exercise in order to lose weight.
Pros
The multiple stages of this diet plan are a really unique and useful concept. The first stage helps you identify bad habits that you may have and helps you replace them with good habits. For example, some of the bad habits in the diet plan include eating while watching television and adding extra sugar to meals.
There are a lot of subconscious behaviors that we do that are bad for our weight, but that we do not think about. This is one of the few diet plans out there that actually helps you identify these subconscious behaviors and stop doing them.
In terms of actual food choice, the Mayo Clinic diet plan is fairly lenient. In the first stage, you are allowed to eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want. But, even once you get to the stage where you have to watch portions and calories, the diet plan is fairly lenient and you do not have to worry about never being able to eat out.
It also offers very slow, but steady progress. Under this diet plan, you will be able to lose a consistent 2-3 pounds per week, which is a healthy range and helps prevent rebound weight gain from depriving yourself too much.
Cons
This is a very demanding diet plan. You are expected to make several lifestyle changes as part of the plan. So, if you like eating while watching television, then you can kiss that goodbye with this diet plan. People who have trouble committing to these lifestyle changes may want to find a less demanding diet plan.
