The Mayo Clinic Diet: A Lifestyle Not A Diet
Are you tired of fad diets that promise you will drop a dress size in a week? Are you wary of yo-yo dieting and ending up larger than before you started? Are you confused by the sheer numbers of weight loss programs available? Are you over counting carbs, calories, or fat grams? Do you have a love hate relationship with your bathroom scales? Are you concerned about the long term health impacts of low carb diets, fat free diets, and diets named after people and places? Well perhaps you are ready for the Mayo Clinic Diet.
As we all know, the Mayo Clinic is a highly regarded medical clinic and research institute located in the United States. After years of research, the Mayo Clinic has compiled their own program for weight loss. However, this is more than a fad or crash diet, this is a total lifestyle program encompassing all facets of weight management. This weight loss program is perfect for those who have been on numerous diets and watched their weight see saw over the years. The Mayo Clinic Diet will not damage your health or leave you heavier as a result.
Here’s a video displaying the services of the Mayo Clinic
Unlike many other diets, the Mayo Clinic Diet Plan does not just concentrate on the number of pounds you are wanting to lose, or your dress or waist size. The Mayo Clinic Diet is successful because it targets 4 equally important factors in weight loss and weight management:
1. Motivation.
Becoming motivated, and more importantly, staying motivated, is the secret to success for any weight loss program or lifestyle change. To start, your body and your mind may be reluctant to embrace your new changes. Try some of these simple motivational tips:
- Timing. If you are distracted by other serious matters, you will not have the energy or dedication necessary to succeed with your new lifestyle. Select a time when you will be able to give this new lifestyle your 100%. If you find that there is never a good time to start, then you may need to take a serious look at your stress levels and day to day life.
- Be realistic. We all want to lose 10 pounds in a week. Realize that this is not going to happen. Sustainable and healthy weight loss takes time. Remember, the longer you take to lose those excess pounds, the less likely they are to bounce straight back on.
- No weight loss pills or gimmick diets. None of these are good for your health, and indeed most will only result in those lost pounds rebounding when you eventually stop the diet or consuming the product.
- Find a buddy. It is much easier and much more pleasant to workout with a friend. It is also harder to try and get out of a scheduled workout. Celebrating your goals is always so much more exciting when you can share your joys with someone else.
- Positive thinking. Keep reminding yourself that this is a lifestyle commitment towards good health. How much better are you looking and feeing? If you fall off and have a bad patch, pick yourself up and keep going. Don’t let a little fall off the path allow you to slip back into bad habits permanently.
2. Start moving.
* If you haven’t worked out in a while, start slow and work up. Begin with 5-10 minutes daily if that is all you can manage initially, and build up to 30-60 minutes daily, 7 times a week.
* Regular exercise speeds the metabolism, reduces 
stress levels, and burns up calories.
* All forms of movement help. Get your butt off the couch. Walking the dog, housework, and yardwork (sadly perhaps) will all burn up extra calories.
* Once you have yourself in a workout routine you will be able to concentrate on increasing your heart rate, and working up a sweat.
* Regular exercise for better fitness and weight loss should be thought upon as a structured regime to be performed on a daily basis.
* Medical clearance from a doctor should be sought by anyone who is overweight, has a health condition, or hasn’t worked out in a while before starting any exercise.
3. Realistic goals.
* Set realistic goals. Break weight loss down into small manageable pounds. Think in time periods of a week or a month to begin.
* Goals can be exercise or food related, or both. Do you want to increase your number of workouts? Eat smaller meals? Skip the ice cream after dinner? Cut down on the alcohol? Play with the kids or walk the dog more often? Set these goals for the week or month.
* Setting goals gives you a better focus for both the foods that you have eaten and the calories that you have burned in activity.
* Start a food and exercise journal. Keep track of your exercise levels and food consumption for the week and the month. By eating more healthy foods and upping your level of exercise you will definitely have also managed to lose some weight.
4. The Mayo Clinic Food Pyramid.
Most importantly, for both health purposes and long term ease of eating, the Mayo Clinic diet does not employ deprivation or starvation.
* Fresh vegetables and fruits will make up the largest part of the daily diet. These healthy foods are to be found at the base of the food pyramid.
* Calorie dense and unhealthy foods are found at the very top of the food pyramid. These will be eaten in very small amounts.
* High quality lean proteins, think chicken and fish, as well as unrefined carbohydrates, grains, beans, legumes,etc, are in the middle of the food pyramid and should be eaten moderately.
* Correct portion sizes and the correct amounts of the appropriate foods, along with adequate exercising will result in the average person losing 1 or 2 pounds weekly.
* Want more information on the Mayo Clinic food pyramid? Use this url:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mayo-clinic-diet/WT00016
Conclusion.
The Mayo Clinic diet is not just about food control. This is a healthy lifestyle program that will improve fitness as well as reducing the waist line. The Mayo Clinic diet is a healthy option for those wanting to lose a few pounds without endangering their health or suffering from rebound weight gain when they cease their fad diet.
