What is the Mayo Clinic Diet?

The Mayo Clinic Diet was developed by weight loss experts at the Mayo Clinic, one of the top hospital systems in the United States. It’s based on the original Mayo Clinic Diet book, which was first published in 1949 and was most recently updated in 2017.

The Mayo Clinic Diet is a membership-based program that uses a pyramid illustration to guide people on the diet through diet and exercise.

The program includes preapproved meals and recipes, with a range of diet plans to choose from, such as Mediterranean, keto, vegetarian, and high protein.

It also provides access to educational content, virtual group sessions with Mayo Clinic doctors, a digital platform with a food tracker and other tools to help reinforce health-promoting habits, and practical at-home, equipment-free workouts.

How does it work?

The first phase, which lasts for 2 weeks, is designed to result in weight loss of 6�0 pounds (2.7�.5 kg).

Afterward, you transition to the “Live it!” phase, during which you follow the same rules â€?but you’re allowed occasional breaks.

While the diet’s advocates claim that you do not have to count calories, the Mayo Clinic Diet still restricts calories. Your calorie needs are determined based on your starting weight and range from 1,200â€?,600 calories per day for women and 1,400â€?,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.

For example, on a 1,400-calorie plan, you’re allowed 4 or more servings each of vegetables and fruits, 5 servings of carbs, 4 servings of protein or dairy, and 3 servings of fats.

The Mayo Clinic Diet defines a serving of fruit as the size of a tennis ball and a serving of protein as the size of a deck of cards, or approximately 3 ounces (85 grams).

The diet is designed to reduce intake by 500�,000 calories per day during the second phase so that you lose 1� pounds (0.5� kg) per week. If you are losing weight too quickly, you can add more calories.

As you reach your desired weight, you should eat the number of calories that allows you to maintain your weight.