General Diet Plans and Questions - Anybody wanna try this with me?

Hey guys,

I just read the diet and it sounds interesting! I'm 18 and willing to try anything to lose weight quickly for prom, graduation, summer, and just life in general. I'm thinking that if we all start on say...next Monday, April 8, then we can all like share what's happening, what we're eating, any questions, advice, motivation, support, etc. Anyone interested? So the rest of this week can be devoted to getting the groceries, answering the rest of our questions bout the diet, and getting our morale boosted in preparation. So I have a couple questions...well the first one's already been asked but yah I wanna know how much exercise should be done as well. And how can it guarantee the same weight loss for EVERY person? Cos I'm not seriously overweight so I don't lose as much weight as other diets I've tried have guaranteed. So should I assume that I will only lose, say, half of whatever everyone else loses? What happens when you "reach your desired weight"? Do you go back to eating normally and, if you do, will you not gain back all the weight? Sorry for the overload of questions but I figure if I'm gonna devote at least 12 days to this I might as well know if it's worth it right? :D Thanks!!!!

Hello Neiko:wave:

I asked the question in the other thread about the exercise because I absolutely hate doing it, but I guess I have no choice. Anyway, I would love to start the diet with you on Monday. My mother and a friend from her job is doing it too. I thought it was a funny coincidence that I was thinking about doing it and then my mother called me and said that she got a copy of the same program so we could start together. Maybe it's a sign that this one will actually work:)
Well, my mother also wanted to start on Monday so that we could have every other weekend off. She "plans" to go walking occasionally with her friend from work, and I will try to do my Tae-BO tapes as often as possible.
I figure that we might as well try the diet until the fifth day to see if 5 pounds will really come off, then we will know if it will really work. I have no problem investing five days for a hopeful diet.
Oh yeah, I forgot to say, my mother's friend has a friend who lost 15 pounds with this diet in 2 weeks. So it has to be true. And I am like you, I'm 19 and have about 30-40 ponds to lose (I'm only 4'9" and weigh 140) so I 'm not looking for one of those 100 pound weight loss diets. How much do you have to lose?
Sorry for the long response, but I'm really excited and hopeful about this one.

Hope to hear from you soon!
Quteky

Hey guys...your post have interested me!...but what exactly is the diet called and how/where can you find out the details of it? Maybe I just missed something in your post, that is entirely possible, but please respond and let me know because I might be interested in joining you guys! Thanks!

Lynnbirds,
If you go to the thread in this forum titled "atkins diet, cabbage diet, and slim-fast" there is a member who describes the entire program. It's called the Mayo Clinic diet, but the Mayo Clinic doesn't really support or sponsor it, so I don't know how it got that name. Well, besides that point, it sounds really motivating!

Good luck and I hope you join us!

Quteky

Yah I really meant to post a reply last time and accidentally did a new thread so :o hehe it's all good cos now we have our own lil spot to start this diet together. So here's the info copied/pasted from the other thread - it was originally written by Kalypso:

New Mayo Clinic Diet (not really from Mayo Clinic)
In 2 1/2 Months you should lose 52 pounds

BREAKFAST:
1/2 Grapefruit or juice (unsweetened)
2 eggs, any style
2 slices of bacon

LUNCH:
1/2 Grapefruit or juice (unsweetened)
salad with any dressing
meat, any style, any amount

DINNER:
1/2 Grapefruit or juice (unsweetened)
meat, any style, any amount (fish may be substituted)
vegetable, any green or red (cooked in butter or any seasoning)

BEDTIME SNACK:
glass of tomato juice or skim milk

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. At any meal, you may eat until you are full.
2. Don't skip bacon at breakfast or omit salad; it is the combination of foods that burn fat.
3. The grapefruit is important because it acts as a catalyst that starts the burning process.
4. Cut down on coffee; it affects the insulin balance that hinders the burning process. Limit 3 cups per day.
5. Don't eat between meals. If you eat the combination of foods suggested, you will not get hungry.
6. Do not eat dessert, breads, white vegetables or sweet potatoes. You may double or triple helpings of meat, salad or vegetables. Eat as much as you want. The more you eat of the proper combination of foods, the more you will lose.

NOTES:
1. This diet completely eliminates sugar and starches which are lipids and form fat. Fat does not form fat. You can fry foods in butter and use butter generously on vegetables.
2. You can lose 10 pounds in 10 days. There will be no loss the first 4 days, but you will lose 5 pounds on the 5th day. There-after, you will lose 1 1/2 pounds every 2 days until you are at your desired weight.
3. All soft drinks need to be diet and caffeine free.
4. You may not have white onions, potatoes or celery.
5. You MAY have: red onions, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, green onions, cabbage, radishes, spinach, and carrots.

IMPORTANT:
Stay on the diet for 12 days. The stop dieting for 2 days. This diet is given to heart patients who need to lose weight quickly for by-pass surgery.

***********
Notes & tips from me & my bf from our experiences:
1. If you start on a Monday, you'll have every other weekend off!
2. My bf doesn't like eggs so he had 4 peices of bacon instead of eggs & bacon. That didn't stop or slow his weight loss.
3. Don't snack between meals! I know it says that above, but I just want to mention that even when I ate jerky & veggies between meals it slowed my weight loss.
4. This is a great diet if you like meat... if you can afford lots of meat... and if you're ready to be strick with yourself.
5. Eat whatever you like on the 2 days off! I never gained a pound on my every-other weekend that I had off & I stuffed my face with everything I was tempted by!
6. Good luck!

Well, I am game to try anything I guess. But I also have the same question about exercise -- how much? I guess I will just keep up my routine i have now (Walk one day, aerobics the next). When is everyone going to start? Monday the 8th?

Courtney

Hey, thanks for the replies! The only problem I have with doing that diet right now is that I'm a college kid living in a dorm, so I really don't prepare any of my meals like that. But it does sound interesting, and I would really like to see if it works, so I think I'll try it once summer hits! Thanks again!

Count me in!

Hey guys found this on ************.com, a site that has several several reviews of diets and the truth behind them. This is what I found for the "new mayo clinic diet"

Con: The following article was written by Dr. Dean Ornish. It appears at www.webmd.com. It is an excellent review.

Question: I have been on the New Mayo Clinic diet for three weeks and lost 10 pounds. Breakfast is two slices of bacon, two eggs any style and half a grapefruit or unsweetened grapefruit juice. Lunch and dinner are half a grapefruit or unsweetened grapefruit juice, any amount of meat and any amount of vegetables with any kind of salad dressing. You stay on this diet for 12 days and go off for two days and then start over again. I have 70 pounds to lose and my primary doctor has OK'd it, but I was wondering if this will raise my cholesterol levels, triglycerides, etc. I am supposed to have blood work done in about two weeks. Is this a real diet that I can stay on, or just a fad?

Answer: The New Mayo Clinic Diet is a myth. To quote from the Mayo Clinic, "For more than 30 years the so-called 'Mayo Clinic diet' has surfaced in many forms and many places. Various versions push grapefruit or eggs or meat and promise to peel off pounds magically. We can offer you clear and official advice: Don't believe any of these diets. They did not originate at Mayo Clinic and are not approved by Mayo Clinic. These diets may promote temporary quick weight loss, however, they are not nutritionally balanced or a safe method of weight loss for long-term success. Such diets can be dangerous for some individuals."

When you think about it, it doesn't sound like much of a diet at all. Any diet that says you can eat any amount of meat and any amount of vegetables with any kind of salad dressing would include just about any amount of any type of food. How would you expect to lose weight eating that way?

Grapefruit is a wonderful food, but it does not cause your body to lose calories. This diet is a measure of how desperate people are to lose weight, so desperate that others can prey on their ignorance. As I have often written, the most successful way to lose weight is to eat a whole foods vegetarian or near-vegetarian diet that is much lower in fat than what most Americans consume -- ideally, around 10-15% of calories if you're trying to lose weight. Fat has 9 calories per gram, whereas protein and carbohydrates have only four calories per gram. If you change the type of food -- reduce the fat significantly -- you don't have to be as concerned about the amount of food.

You can eat whenever you're hungry until you're satisfied and still lose weight. Avoid simple carbohydrates like sugar, white flour, and alcohol.

So what do you guys think? I'm thinking...no thanks, moving on to finding another diet.... :?:

Neiko

neiko,

I read the same article , but I won't let it hold me down since i know that peole have actually lost weight on it. It doesn't bother me that some doctors may not approve of it. THey usually don't approve of anything but salads and yogurt anyway.:lol:
Plus, even though the responder didn't aprove of the diet, the lady DID lose weight on it also, and that's what matters to me because I am tired of "counting calories and exercising" and getting no where. Well, I hope you stay with us since we have a lot of people together here, but I understand if you don't. SO good luck!

And hello to everyone else willing to try this together!
We only have a few more days to stuff our faces until Monday!:lol:
Later!
Quteky

Quteky~ Hey! I'm glad your still in on this too! It's so great to have support! There's NO way I'd try this diet on my own! My backbone isn't strong enough... I'd give in if not for this thread. (i'm so excited!!!) I can't hardly wait for monday to arrive. :D

Neiko~ I just wanted to respond quickly to some of what you posted last...
I know many doctors don't approve of this... it's definately not a way to eat for life! That would be very unhealthy... but I'm at the point that I can't stand to keep this weight on for another week! Ya know? There are healthier ways to lose... but this is an efficeint way; that's for sure. I know it works.

And it doesn't allow you to eat any amount of ANY food. Meat & veggies diets make for a VERY limited variety of foods. This wipes out all sugar and all carbs! This is the simple way it was explained to me...
***Fatty foods can not stick to your body without the combination of sugar***
These are some good little facts to know & understand~
~ fat + sugar = weight gain.
~ sugar alone turns to fat, which leaves the combo of fat + sugar = weight gain.
~ fat alone cannot make you gain weight!
~ fat alone passes through your body... sugar is like the glue that keeps it around!

Doctors, like the ones working for the mayo clinic have to cover their butts legally by not supporting these types of diets. Because the truth is that these diets do not make for healthy lifestyles... If a patient of their's were to go on one of these diets, with the concent of the doctor... And if that patient were to suffer a heatattache, or stroke, the patient could sue the doctor!!! (that's just the way America works! ~ you've always got to cover your butt legally or someone can & will sue!)

Having said all that; I'm almost done...
I personally think that unless your already at risk of a heart attache this diet is not a health risk.
Also, I think it's healthier to lose quickly on an unhealthy diet & keep the weight off than it is to live a lifetime of eating unhealthy in a way that keeps you overweight for years. You know what I mean?

I don't mean to sound preachy or defensive... I just didn't like the idea that people who support these diets are "preying on ingnorance" What would the motivation be? Nothing is being sold here; it's not an expensive machine... or a costly eating plan that you pay for before seeing... and you don't even have to buy specialty foods from one source. So why would anyone lie about the effects & results that they've seen.

~kaly

hey... I just wanted to mention that there were a whole bunch of Q's about this diet on that other thread and I typed up a bunch of A's there before I realized that everyone is now on this thread!

So you may want to check that out... the main point was that exercise is NOT a part of this weight loss plan.

Of course, I should say 'exercise is ALWAYS good for your body.' It's just not always a must in a weight loss plan. The right combo of foods will do the trick!

~kaly

So...if 'fatty foods cannot stick to your body without sugar' then I can eat a cup of butter every day and those 1,627 extra calories will just go right through me, correct? Hm...I don't think so!

And actually it is NOT a good idea to go on these kind of 'quick weight loss diets'. Here's a proven fact.

That 10 pounds you lose in a week consists of water, LEAN BODY MASS, and a little bit of fat (maybe 1/2 - 2 pounds at the most). Lean body mass (i.e. muscle) is something you DON'T want to lose, because unlike fat, muscle BURNS fat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Fat just sits there for the most part.

And by putting your body in 'starvation mode' you're turning the switch on in your body that says 'hey, I'm starving...in a famine situation...so I'd better hold onto the fat and burn muscle instead'. You see, in a famine state, your body will pick lean body mass as its first source of food, saving the fat for worse times.

Then, when you start to eat normally (or binge, which is usually the case after one of these 'quick weight loss diets' for many people) your body isn't going to use those extra calories to build new muscle - nope - it's going to save those extra calories as ugly FAT. What's worse, is that the fat is going to be even harder to get rid of next time you decide to try one of these diets because your body metabolism will be even more efficient in going into its 'famine mode'.

I've said it before...I'll say it again...the only way to lose weight PERMANENTLY (which is what I assume we all want rather than yo-yoing up and down) is to make permanent, lifelong, healthy lifestyle changes in both nutrition AND exercise...take it from me, I've learned through personal experience...

I'm very skeptical about the science involved. Personally, I'm following the Body Rx plan which has been very easy to stick to. The author is a doctor who did extensive studies on wasting syndrome in cancer patients. What he found was that there's more to it all than many of the simplified plans would suggest. I'd highly recommend it. I took pics at week 3 and week 10 of the plan and saw changes.

This may be my last post. I'm getting very frustrated having to constantly defend this plan in a place that i come for support! I know that everyone has their own views on every weight loss plan, and that quick weight loss plans are not typically recommended... but the fact is that as unhealthy as some of them may be... many of them work!

As I have stated MANY times already... I KNOW this is not a HEALTHY way to eat for life! But I also KNOW that it works! From my own experience and that of my friends! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

In the past this forum has been so wonderful for me... but with everyone arguring about something I know is true I think I'd rather just try weight loss alone!

And I also want to repeat.... Yes, it's TRUE that if your body does not get sugar & carbs, then fatty foods do not stick!!! And to use an example already mentioned... you can pour loads of butter on every meal with this diet & YES you will still lose weight fast. Fat is not the enemy with this diet; sugar is. Many 'unhealthy' diets are based on that FACT! I know it SOUNDS ridiculous, but unless you've tried it, or you know of a case where this plan failed... then you can't really say, can you?

Sorry if I sound like a grouch... but it's very frustrating for me to have so many people stating that what I know to be true cannot actually be true.

I've notices that a lot of people who have lost weight or are losing weight by healthier methods often state that the quick weight loss plans simply do not work. I'm not sure why people state that as fact, when it's just not true. Please open your eyes... just because it's not the healthiest way... or your chosen method, doesn't mean it's terrible or it simply doesn't work.

I personaly think that if it didn't work then it wouldn't be as common as it is. This is basically the same as atkin's - they are based on the same theory = fatty foods need sugars to stick. (that's extremely simplified... but it's the jist)

I think I'm done. goodbye. ~kaly

ok... just one more thing & then I'll shut up.

This is not a starvation diet. You eat pleanty of food & never have to feel hungry.

And when I did it I actually gain muscle, so did my bf & his partents. That has to do with the TONS of meat & veggies that your putting in you body! I wasn't even working out when I first started it but I immediatly started to feel very energized & strengthened! As I lost 5 lbs consistently every week, I also gained a noticable amount of muscle; and my exercise routine was random... it mostly consisted of daily chores like cleaning & walking to work.

Within the 1st week my boyfriend was thrilled to find that he could lift quite a bit heavier weights at the gym when he stuck to this plan. Plus... he's a big guy (not overweight, but big & tall) and he also never went hungry or felt unsatisfied on this diet.

ps~ please stay open minded. just because you don't agree with something doesn't mean it's wrong. there are many solutions to every problem.

~kaly

I guess I just don't get the "do this diet until you lose the weight" concept.

Why not find a way of eating that works for you for LIFE? It makes no sense to eat a certain way til you knock off 20 lbs or whatever your goal is, then go right back to your old ways and gain it all back and more. And this is exactly what happens when people use a "quick fix" diet, or any way of eating where they feel deprived or cut out entire food groups.

You said "(Exercise) is just not always a must in a weight loss plan. The right combo of foods will do the trick! " I don't believe this, personally. There are no magic pills, and no magic foods.

Laura

If simply 'losing weight' is all you are trying to achieve.

I have done this diet before and yes, I lost quite a bit of a 'weight' on it, I think what people are trying to say is that you will most likely be losing muscle and water and not so much FAT on this plan - and its FAT that we all want to lose.

Losing 'Weight' is easy, losing fat and keeping muscle takes a bit more work. Losing 'weight' can make you feel better in the short term, losing muscle will bring regrets later.

Although I was very happy with the results at the time I followed this diet, I was not able to maintain the weight loss, and I believe I stuffed up my metabolism for future weight loss efforts.
You are right about this diet being unhealthy for the long term and not only that but it is impossible to follow for very long.

As someone who has found another way I can understand those who just want to say "you don't have to go to these extreme's to get the results you want" It may take a little longer - but it will be permanent - and healthy. You've only got one body aye - you have to look after it.

Carps

p.s. I must also add though, that I have never heard of fat needing sugar to stick - and I would certainly want some scientific research and proof before I believed it. As I understand it, the body stores ANY excess as fat. - but I could be wrong.

Kalypso,

I hope you come back to this forum so you can read this message. I don't have the desire to argue with any of these people and their negative comments. We both personally know people who used this diet with success and I would love for us to do it together. We could create a thread for us in this forum, but my temper would eventually get the best of me from all of the negative comments we would receive everyday. But the funny thing is that I really believe that if we DID create a thread and lost a significant amount of weight on this diet together, there would suddenly be a whole lot of people in the supermarket buying meat and veggies...if you know what i mean:s:
Anyway, i want us to do this together via e-mail, so we won't have to put up with negativity. I don't want to put my personal e-mail address on here for obvious reasons, but i'll give you my school e-mail address since i don't care who writes there anyway.so, here it is: Kyra.Richards@marist.edu
I hope you write me so we can be on OUR OWN PLAN OF WEIGHT LOSS TOGETHER!

Hope to hear from you soon in another place:smug: ,
Kyra

kalyspso,

if for some reason that address does not work, write me back in this forum (as much as it pains you to) and let me know...i guess then i would have no other choice but to take the chance of releasing my personal e-mail address( or you could turn your private messages on since they are off).

Okay, ttyl
Kyra

quteky~
Hey it's me! I got banned for leaving messages about controversial diets! I left you a personal message. Go to your profile then check your messages!

Hope to hear from you soon!

I have a question. While being on a diet like this (short term), would including cardio exercise and weightlifting/strengthening help NOT to lose as much lean muscle mass or what?

Sorry to add to the controversy here, but I'm just curious. It doesn't seem to me that this diet is one of starvation. If one were to keep up with excercise, water intake, vitamins, and limit the amount of meat (even though it says however much you want, I'm not all that crazy about a lot of meat), wouldn't it still be somewhat healthy?

I don't know. Sorry, but I'm no experet and was just curious and interested about this diet.

I have a question. While being on a diet like this (short term), would including cardio exercise and weightlifting/strengthening help NOT to lose as much lean muscle mass or what?

Sorry to add to the controversy here, but I'm just curious. It doesn't seem to me that this diet is one of starvation. If one were to keep up with excercise, water intake, vitamins, and limit the amount of meat (even though it says however much you want, I'm not all that crazy about a lot of meat), wouldn't it still be somewhat healthy?

I don't know. Sorry, but I'm no experet and was just curious and interested about this diet.

Hello, everyone. Please forgive me for buttin in, but I have to agree with Kalypso. Although the diet might not work for you, it doesn't mean it wouldn't work for someone else. Carps used the diet, lost weight, and gained it back because she went back to her old eating habits. It doesn't matter which diet you go on, if you go back to your old eating habits than you're going to go back to your old size.

Now, MsJim, I know you mean well, but I could not help, but to comment about this very statement you made--"in 'starvation mode' you're turning the switch on in your body that says 'hey, I'm starving...in a famine situation...so I'd better hold onto the fat and burn muscle instead'. You see, in a famine state, your body will pick lean body mass as its first source of food, saving the fat for worse times."
Not to pin point you out, but in your previous forums, you stated that you lost majority of your weight on a liquid diet consisting of 800 calories a day for a period of 12 weeks. Now if that isn't starvation mode, than I don't know what is. In my opinion this Mayo diet seems alot more fulfilling than a liquid diet. Now I know you might say that it was doctor supervised, but either way you look at it, you was still just putting 800 calories in your body a day. So whose to say what diet is right for whom. We are all different and its up to us to find out what will work in our own best interest.

I really hope I didn't offend anyone. I was only being honest. Good luck to all.

I am sorry that you are feeling attacked. I think that the feedback you are getting are from older women who have done everything to crash diet and have gained not only experience but weight. I don't think MrsJim was ever advocating a liquid diet. That is just her experience of what desperation to lose weight quickly will bring you to. Her posts about her experiences is to help others avoid some of those crazy experiences. She never advocated that a liquid diet is healthy.

The "Mayo" diet is a low carb diet with some nonsense about grapefruit being a fat burner thrown in. I was on this "diet" when I was about 16. It worked, as do all low carb diets. They work for a time and then they do start to burn lean muscle instead of fat. Even body builders who go the low carb route supplement with carbs from 1-3 meals a week. It is done in a very systematic way. The food plan to do that is called the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (or CKD). Body builders know that even if they low carb it, they can't do it for longer than 4-5 days without cutting into their muscle. So a long term low carb diet will eat lean muscle and that is a fact, not anecdotal evidence. To burn fat and build muscle that will burn fat, you must eat a balanced diet. If your diet is not balanced, you must balance it at least once a week. Again, systematic and not willy nilly.

Another reason why you're getting flak I believe is because years of yo yo dieting make it very difficult to lose when you are older. While it is very very hard to envision what it will be like at 40 when you are 18, I can only tell you that these crash diets will not work any longer after years of being on them. You can go to any Atkins site and there will be people in their 40s who lost a ton of weight on Atkins when it first came out (in the 70s) who cannot lose anything on it. It's because the body is resisting after years of yo yo dieting and things change when you get older.

I know that you are feeling besieged by "negative" people but I think that getting into crash diets now and starting the yo yo syndrome is something you will regret later.

My suggestion would be to really research what you are doing. The lack of sugar is not what causes the weight loss. Sugar doesn't make fat "stick" to you. The reason low carb diets work is because carbs are the body's firstline energy source and it goes to carbs first. Hence the initial loss. However, after a while, when the diet continues to be unbalanced the body does, as MrsJim says, suspect that it is being starved, and it stops using its fat supply (the body hordes fat when it thinks it is being starved and even though it is getting 'food' the lack of balance leads it to think starvation) and starts burning lean muscle. That is WHY people who really know this stuff and choose periods of low carb will supplement with carbs every few days. Or a plan like Sugar Busters also includes carbs every day I think (I read it once but don't remember how often you get carbs).

If you research Atkins, Protein Power, et al. and then look at the ways in which athletes and body builders work with carbs, you will see the difference. There is more of a zig zag in the athletic form of carb intake.

Being well informed will keep you from being susceptible to the latest crazy diet. I am not insulting you with that. I spent years spending a lot of money on a lot of really dumb things. I try to help others avoid that.

I wish you luck in whatever you do. If you choose low carb, 3fc has low carb WW and also Atkins boards and other low carb forums where you can find support. However, don't be fooled by claims that grapefruit (or anything else) is a "fat burning" food because there is no such thing.

Good luck!
Susan

Originally posted by kaly got banned
quteky~
Hey it's me! I got banned for leaving messages about controversial diets!

Really?

You weren't banned from here. I checked your other account and the status shows "awaiting email confirmation". What you did was change your email address on your account. The program auto-generates an email to your new address which you have to validate before you can get back into your account. You didn't do that, and that account is on hold until you do. As long as the email address was real, you can validate it and get back in.

That's not quite the same thing as a "ban".

Sometimes a little research can help prevent long-term mistakes.

Luv u all, I COMPLETELY agree with you. If we go back to eating McDOnald's after this diet, of course we will end up fat again! DUH! And i hope they realized that kaly said that she was the only one who gained her weight back, and that was after eating badly for a YEAR! Well, a few of us, (including kaly) are all doing this together via e-mail, so we don;t have to hear the negative comments. It's going to feel so good to come back here in a month and let everyone know that we lost 30 pounds..and then in a year and say that we kept it off. You can e-mail me if you are interested too...and that goes for anyone!
To each his own...,
Quteky

Quteky, forgive me for butting in, but if this diet was that perfect, that it not only worked for short term loss (i.e. water, muscle) but also for long term fat loss, don't you think the Mayo Clinic would actually endorse it? They'd make a killing off it! Not only that, but every doctor in the world would be pushing it and it would be broadcast on the evening news. Instead, it's passed around as freely as the infamous Neiman Marcus $250 Bogus Cookie Recipe.

If you are really determined to do this diet and then show up later with your results, make it accurate. Go to your doctor now and ask for your body fat percentage to be measured via bioelectrical impedance then do it again every month while following the diet.

You will indeed lose weight on this diet. No one said otherwise. Anyone that cuts nutritional intake that drastically WILL lose weight. And it's not just a matter of not going back to eating McDonalds to keep the weight off.. Any normal healthy diet is still going to be much higher in fat and calories than the Mayo Clinic diet, and if your body has lowered your metabolism to survive in starvation mode, then a "normal" diet will cause weight gain.

But the key word here is "weight". Some will be fat, more will be lean mass. The majority of the weight loss during the first 2 weeks will be water weight. Many diets will cause a large water loss at first. Therefore, those results don't mean anything. It's not being "negative", it's being realistic. My own metabolism has been destroyed by years of yo-yo dieting, from trying diets like the Mayo Clinic diet.

I just looked through a few reputable health sites and every reference to the so-called Mayo Clinic diet state the same issues that MrsJim mentioned.

I think the point most people are trying to make here is that we've all been on countless diets and have years of experience gaining, losing, gaining, losing weight. We're tired of miracle diets and quick weight loss schemes. We're tired of losing water and muscle mass. What we want now is long term fat loss with a diet that is healthy, substantially nutritious, doesn't leave us lethargic or losing our hair, and that is safe in the long run.

Jumping on a fad diet bandwagon makes no sense if you think about it long enough. It reminds me of when I was pregnant with my son. I was just 18 and very naive. Someone told me that she knew lots of people that determined the sex of their baby by performing a simple test. (nothing like a bit of second hand knowledge for accuracy) So the next day I peed in a can of Drano. It was supposed to turn blue if it was a boy or pink if it was a girl. That's how my son almost became known as Jessica Marie. In the end, the house stunk like rotten eggs for a week, and when I gave birth, I sat in the hospital for 2 days trying to come up with a name for my surprise baby boy. Everyone has a story to tell, everyone knows someone that a diet or some type of action worked for. But without medical studies and research to back them up, the results mean little to nothing.


Fad Diets... about as reliable as peeing in a can of Drano.

as someone stated before, neither doctors or the mayo clinic will recommend the diet because they have to cover themselves in case of a law suit. They don't want to be held responsible if anyone claims that the diet caused them to have kidney stones, or caused extreme fatigue, or became extremely dehydrated (all of the meat acts as a diuretic..and don't tell me that it doesn't because i was in the bathroom all day during the atkin's diet and i have been already on this one). That's why they don't support it. All of these things are possible, but i would rather take those risks than take the risk of being obese (not that i am incredibly overweight, but some people here are) and having a heart attack. Or, what about the people who are so incredibly overweight that they literally cannot excersice? They have to go on strict caloric diets to begin weight loss without excercise. Why don't you all beat up on the people who ar on the atkins diet on this web-site? THAT is more strict than this diet because you NEVER get to have carbs until your maintainance, and they can't have ANY fruit. At least we get to have a little bit of fruit and we can eat whatever we want (including carbs) every other weekend.
We are using this diet because we have under 100 pounds to lose, so short term is fine with us. But we do know that after we lose the weight, we can watch what we eat and execise without being neurotic about it, to keep the weight off. Kaly and i both know people who kept the weight off without drastic efforts.
Everyone starts out by losing water and muscle, but eventually the fat will leave. Otherwise anorexics would still be fat.
And i don't feel the need to prove my point by going through bmi tests to show you all that the diet actually worked..i made that statement sarcastically. But i guarantee that those of us who succeed with this diet will be happily strutting our shorts and tanks this summer while many of you will still be counting calories, points, and exercising like crazy. What kind of way to live is that?
I think i'm going to follow kalypso's path and not even bother with this web-site anymore.
Good luck to everyone...whatever weight loss method you choose.
Last call for anyone who has any faith and wants to join us and at least TRY IT!
I think the criticizers should try it first, and if you can't do it or keep the weight off, THEN you should have something to say.

Originally posted by quteky
I think the criticizers should try it first, and if you can't do it or keep the weight off, THEN you should have something to say.

I tried it, as did my sisters and my mother and my brother. This is a very famous fad diet, that's all. Most of the members on this site have tried it. We're still here because this diet does not work Long Term.

Doctors don't promote this diet because it's unhealthy, pure and simple. And they WILL give you a balanced diet to follow if you ask them.

Just remember that this diet is not some special magical fix for weight loss. It's just an extreme lowfat/low calorie diet like all other fad diets. You compared this diet to being anorexic? How many anorexic women are actually healthy? Being thin and being healthy are two completely different things.

You are right, most diets do start out with a drop in water weight and sometimes a little muscle too. But fad diets cause more muscle loss because your body is not getting proper nourishment. They also alter the metabolism so weight management will be a lot more difficult after you've lost weight.

If you wish to follow this diet, then go for it :) But please don't come here and complain to everyone for not being gung-ho over something like this. This diet is proven unhealthy, and that's why you won't find many people here promoting it.

Good luck in whatever path you choose, and above all, stay healthy :)

I've already found something that works for me...and it's working great as you can see by my photos (my avatar and you can go to www.leanandstrong.com and check the Transformation Gallery). Basically it's just eating healthy and working out (including bodybuilding and high-intensity cardio sessions).

And if I was working for the Mayo Clinic, I would be insulted by the statement that the possibility of a lawsuit is why they don't recommend it. From what I know of the Mayo Clinic, it has a very high reputation as a trusted source of medical information. Why would they recommend such an unbalanced fad diet, or promote ideas which have been LONG proven to be false like "Fat-burning foods", "reverse calories", etc. etc. much less recommend eating bacon (which has to be one of the UNHEALTHIEST foods around) daily?

Actually the Mayo Clinic did respond to that here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/findinformation/conditioncenters/invoke.cfm?objectid=8E199485-EB00-418B-B6BF8BED83C675E7 Mayo Clinic diet: No such thing

I have a copy of the "Mayo Clinic Diet." It's a 2-week plan designed to help a person lose 20 pounds. It lists breakfast, lunch and dinner foods that supposedly induce a chemical change in the body. Can you send me the latest version of this diet?
No name / No state given


A number of so-called "Mayo Clinic diets" have surfaced over the years. Don't believe any of these diets, and don't believe that they originated at Mayo Clinic. None of these "magic" diets that push grapefruit or eggs or promise to peel off pounds are approved by Mayo Clinic — and can be dangerous for some individuals.

Instead of relying on so-called miracle diets promising rapid weight loss, take stock of your current eating and exercise habits and compare them with recommendations made by reputable organizations. A healthy diet combined with exercise that results in a 1/2- to 1-pound loss each week is considered safe and effective. Think long-term and work on changes in your food selections and exercise habits that you can maintain for life. If you need help, seek advice from a health care professional such as your doctor or registered dietitian.

You can find the complete Dietary Guidelines for Americans on the Web site for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/ . This is a good starting point for modifying your eating habits.

I really think I'm beating a dead horse here. I was over 100 pounds overweight and I was still able to exercise. In fact, there are quite a few people at Lean & Strong who started out over 100 pounds overweight and were STILL able to do intense weight training and cardio - and make good progress. However, when you're that morbidly obese, you're liable to get an intense workout just walking around the block. As you become fitter, then your capacity for movement increases.

And as far as Optifast. If I knew then what I know now, would I have signed up? When I signed up for the program, Oprah had just lost all that weight and come out on her show in her Calvin Klein jeans pulling a wagon loaded with fat...look at her now...where has all that yo-yo dieting she's done over the years gotten her? Also note that out of the hundreds of women who participated in the Stanford/Optifast study, a whopping 95-97% of them were unable to sustain their losses by the end of the 18 month period of the study. And I'm certain that doing Optifast screwed up my metabolism for years...so I'm reluctant to recommend it to anyone...

Nuff said...over and out...

Hey everyone:

I started off at the beginning of this thread inquiring about this supposed miracle diet. I must admit, anything that says "quick" or "fast" peaks my interest. It's always better to go with easy, isn't it? (Off the subject, it reminds me of one of my favorite Jack Handy quotes "People say it's easy to just sit there and want money. And that's what I like about it...just sitting there, rocking back and forth, wanting that money) ;)

Back on the subject though, I have been thinking about all this controversy that has been going on concerning this diet. Today in my psychology class we were talking about eating disorders and my teacher said something that really made me think about how I want to go about losing my "extra pounds." She said that most doctors say the best diet is no diet. Instead, change your eating habits. Obviously, what is being said here is not that you should eat everything you want all the time, but rather, instead of yo yo dieting, (which the people with years of experience have been telling us again and again on this thread) watch what you eat, watch you portion sizes...etc, etc. I'm a person who is quite weak when it comes to overpowering my urges...so if I am denying myself of something long enough, I will eventually give in..tenfold...and by that I mean I'll eat the whole damn cake instead of just the slice I was craving a week ago! So basically the point I'm trying to make is that while I understand everyone wants quick results and this idea isn't fabulous for all, this is how I'm choosing to go about weight loss/maintaince. I'm changing my life style. Also, I assume that most everyone knows the importance of exercise. On that subject, I find that it is hard to get myself to the gym (I do do it, however) that once I'm there I'll do my workout and when I'm done, I feel a lot better about myself! (I read once where you should always start to exercise, even if you don't think you're up to it...and then if once you've been doing it for a little while you still don't feel like doing it, stop. They say most people will keep going.) And in the end, knowing how hard I've worked to get where I am and how good I feel will be worth the wait of however long it takes to get there!

Anyway, I know that I'm young and this may sound naive and stupid...I'm sure it does. And it's definitely not a new concept!! But I guess I was writing this more for myself than anything...to kind of let myself know where I stand on this day and that I resolve to make a healthy life style change that will be with me throughout my (long, long) life! :)

So, good luck to all on their weight loss journeys! May we all be wearing our thong bikini's by next summer! :lol:

Lynn: I so respect what you said, I basically did the same thing to lose weight, though I did use weight watchers (I am definitely not saying this is the only program out there, it just worked well for me, then again I individualized it for myself), it basically teaches behavior modification. The fact remains, it takes time to lose weight and it takes a lot of patience and learning and making mistakes to keep the fat off too (I am slowly learning, but I have been under goal for a year). A fad diet is like a bandaid on an axe wound, sure it might help in the short term, but it definitely doesn't solve the problems that surround the fact why we gained the weight in the first place.

I also agree about the exercise. I exercise a lot, but at times it takes a lot of effort to drag my butt to the gym, even though I adore the benefits of weight training and stuff, sometimes I just don't feel like going.

Starting changing your habits young is the best too. It's ideal to lose weight when you're young, your metabolism is nice and fast (I lost my weight when I was 22-23).

Take care!

Ali

Hello, everyone. I really hate to keep this disagreement going, but I have a few things to say. First, anyone and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but that doesn't mean we have to listen to it. Second, I hear all these scientific studies and all that on this forum, just because one doctor says something about diet doesn't mean it's correct. There are new developments coming out everyday on debates like the low carb diets. Here are a few new facts on the low carb diet research.

1.) You can lose weight eating as many as 2200 calories a day. On ordinary diets, you have to burn off all the calories you eat plus 3500 more to lose a single pound. Since the low carb diet forces the body to use its fat store not by calorie shortage, but by carb shortage, you get to eat alot more.

2.) It speeds up you metabolism.

3.) It targets fat more effectively than any other. On other plans you burn stored fat after everything you've eaten is burned. On low carb you constantly burn stored fat, so you use more slab.

Just little facts for the skeptical ones. Let me say that I commend everyone one of you, if your heart is in the right place.

Mrsjim, you look great. Let me clear up a point I was trying to make to you. I was saying that you lost weight on a non-traditional diet and you kept it off. Which is excellent. You said that now you eat right and excercise regularly. All in all what you did was go on a 800 calorie liquid diet, lost weight, got off of it, and maintained a healthy lifestyle. So that's my point. You went on a starvation diet and still managed to keep the weight off successfully years after. Let me say that Oprah also went on a traditional diet, lost weight and still gained it back. So to me, it's not the diet it's the person. If you can do it than so can others.

Just to give you some personal info. I have been off and on diets since the age of 10. I'm 23 now. I've lost and gain weight and I don't blame anyone or diet for that. It was all me. No one made me eat fast food everyday. I did it willingly. No one else made me lay around all day, I did. I'm responsible for me, no one else is responsible for me or my setbacks. The only thing someone can give me is encouragement, not discouragement. Please keep that in mind.

Hello, everyone. I really hate to keep this disagreement going, but I have a few things to say.

Oh, contraire, I think you are enjoying it. ;)

I know low carb works for a lot of people. But that "Mayo Clinic but not Mayo Clinic" diet was not classic low carb. True low carb diets don't try and sell grapefruit as a magic fat burning food, for one thing. Susanje already posted this a few posts ago, but right now you remind me of a person who has her fingers stuck in her ears, saying "Lalalala I can't hear you!"

Come on back in a year and post your story in the "Success Stories" area; I'm sure everyone will be happy to read all about it.

And I'm sure MrsJim will clear up any discrepancies, but I think you've assumed some things that aren't accurate about how she really lost the weight she is now keeping off.

Good luck!

Laura

I like to eat real food at home, at work and with my friends in restaurants or at their homes. Sugar Busters almost fit the bill for me, but the minute you put sugar or white flour in your mouth the weight comes back. That's why I'm doing Weight Watchers. I'm never hungry and if I am, there is always something to eat that keeps me on track. The Atkins Diet turned me into a raving ***** when I tried it a hundred years ago...or it seems that long! And no one will want to be around you if you eat much of that cabbage soup! Good luck.

To the ladies that are interested in using the Mayo clinic diet:

If you want to start a Mayo thread, feel free to come over to Low Carb (scroll all the way down the main page past WW, to Low Carb!.

Although doing the grapefruit, meat, salad thing gets tiresome, some low carbers find 2 or three days of Mayo helpful to "get back on track" after being off program. It helps cut the cravings for sugar and starches, and reduces your hunger. You can then move on to change the types of fruit you eat, or add different food for more variety, and to make it healthier. Just like using any plan that restricts carbs- you need to make healthy choices, and create a plan you can live with!

You can start your own thread, and no one will bother you, or you can jump on any of the other threads going to join in, or ask questions and get support.

Good luck!

dottie

Hello. Well I'm not sure what mrsjim could clear up. The fact is she started out on a liquid diet and lost weight. Check the previous forums. Another thing is, I'm not really concerned about what anyone else think about a diet I'm trying to go on. All I want and others want is support and "asked" advice. So, if I didn't ask well...you know the rest.

Sorry for that little last statement, I just don't understand why others past judgement and kill others spirit because they think their way is the only way. Good luck, dieters.

Discussions of the diet are welcome in any of the forums, as long as they are civil. The original poster asked for opinions on the diet:

""but I figure if I'm gonna devote at least 12 days to this I might as well know if it's worth it right?""

And so people shared their opinions.

The wonderful thing about this forum is that there are such a large number of people that have tried countless diets, and this is definitely the place to ask for opinions! Sometimes we get the answers we are hoping for. Sometimes we find out that something isn't as good as it seems.

Debates are good and we can all learn from them. But not when they become rude and/or people decide that they will just leave rather than listen to a differing opinion.

The mayo clinic diet is not an off-limits subject. The only off-limit topics are the ones that are pushed and promoted just so someone can make a buck (MLM diet products). If it comes up again, expect an honest opinion, and please understand that the members are sharing their experience to be helpful, not to hurt anyone.

On that note, let's close this thread and move on :)