Make sure to follow the legitimate version of the diet to stay healthy

Considering the Mayo Clinic Diet for Weight Loss? If so, you need to be careful. There are different versions of this diet plan available online and some of the weight loss tips are bogus. Before starting any weight loss plan, make sure you get expert advice that is healthy and medically correct.

Mayo’s (fake) diet
There is a Mayo Clinic diet offered online that is not recommended or approved by the actual Mayo Clinic and is not considered nutritionally sound by experts.

This bogus version of the Mayo Clinic diet has been around for around 30 years and was originally shared via spam, word of mouth, and bulletin boards. Now, thanks to the Internet and email, the diet has reached more people than ever.

The Mayo Clinic (bogus) diet tells you to eat meals for three to seven days, high in protein and fat, per day. There are several different versions of this plan out there, each with different foods included in the plan.

Almost all versions of this diet suggest that you eat unlimited amounts of high-fat, high-cholesterol foods. All versions greatly limit the amount of vegetables you can eat. The most unusual part of the plan is that you are required to eat a lot of grapefruits and eggs. The plan claims that eating grapefruit burns fat.

The Mayo Clinic Bogus Diet promises that you can lose up to 52 pounds in just a couple of months if you follow the plan perfectly.

This statement should send warning notices to any savvy consumer. Weight loss at this rate is generally not possible and is generally not safe. Dietitians, nutritionists, and media staff at the Royal Mayo Clinic have attempted to inform the public that this diet is not, and has never been, affiliated with the medical organization.

The (real) Mayo Clinic diet
In 2006, the Mayo Clinic developed the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, which provides healthy eating recommendations, but in no way resembles the diet plan that has falsely used the clinic’s name for all these years. The organization also offers an online program for dieters who want a healthy approach to weight loss. There is also a Mayo Clinic diet book available for purchase as well.

So what does the actual Mayo Clinic diet look like? If you want to lose weight on the plan, you can expect a slow, steady, and reasonable approach to losing weight. Women consume between 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day on the plan and men consume between 1,400 and 1,800 per day. The diet promotes healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Dieters avoid added sugars, unhealthy fats, and habits that lead to overeating.

The Mayo Clinic Diet states that you can lose 6 to 10 pounds during the first few weeks of the plan (the Lose It! Phase) AND 1 to 2 pounds per week in the following weeks (the Live It! Phase). Expert evaluations of the diet have been positive and many nutritionists have promoted the diet as healthy and nutritious.

How to spot a fad diet
The (bogus) Mayo Clinic diet is a fad diet, one that promises quick results and is neither healthy nor nutritious.

But if you’re like many dieters, you have a hard time distinguishing the fakes from the real offerings, especially when the fake diet uses a recognizable name like The Mayo Clinic.

As a general rule of thumb, any diet that promises rapid and massive weight loss is likely to be a fake. If you are unsure about the health or safety of a weight loss program, check with your doctor or consult a certified health coach or personal trainer. You can also use this guide: