Mayo Clinic

Full Name: The Mayo Clinic Diet

Origin: Surprisingly, this diet did not originate from the Mayo Clinic - it has been around for over 30 years but no one claims ownership

Description: High-protein, high-fat and low-carb diet plan to be followed for a week

Likes: Red onions, bell peppers, radishes, broccoli, cucumbers, green onions, leaf spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, green beans, lettuce, chili (no beans), mayonnaise, any cheese, hot dogs, coleslaw, regular salad dressing, green vegetables, pickles, nuts, grapefruit

Dislikes: White onions, potatoes, celery, peas, cereal, carrots, corn, starchy vegetables, bread, noodles, rice, potato chips, pretzels, fruit (besides grapefruit) and diet dressing

Looking for: Gullible dieter who is able to follow an extremely restrictive meal plan

Works Well With: Grapefruits

The Mayo Clinic diet is an interesting weight loss plan, to say the least. It has been around for over 30 years and has been passed around via email and word-of-mouth. However, it is not an official Mayo Clinic diet and is not approved or even affiliated with the Mayo Clinic. The plan consists of a high-protein, high-fat and low-carb diet that lasts three to seven days. It is a very restrictive plan that eliminates a lot of food choices, but results in rapid weight loss. Even with dramatic results, however, adhering to the diet might still be quite difficult.

There are many different versions of this diet, but most of them stipulate you can eat unlimited amounts of grapefruit, meat and vegetables. Carbs are completely eliminated from this plan. Dieters can only eat specific foods, but they are encouraged to eat until full. The instructions for this plan stipulate not to eliminate or substitute any food choices; it is the specific combination of foods that cause fat-burning.

Sample meal plan

Breakfast :

½ grapefruit or 8 oz. unsweetened juice

2 eggs and 2 slices of bacon
Black coffee or tea, no sugar

Lunch :

½ grapefruit or 8 oz. unsweetened juice
Salad and / or raw veggies ( any dressing, not low-fat or fat-free)
Meat (Cooked any way)

Dinner :

½ grapefruit or 8 oz. unsweetened juice
Meat (cooked any way), vegetables (any green or red, may be cooked in butter or seasoning, or in a salad as above)

Black coffee or tea, no sugar

Before bed : 8 oz. tomato juice or skim milk

As you've probably guessed, this diet is completely ridiculous, untrue, and not backed by any factual or scientific evidence. If you happen to come across this diet, don't follow it. It can lead to rapid weight loss, but might be dangerous to stay on for any extended period of time.

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