The mayo diet was trendy in the 1980s. But be forewarned: This diet method is only suitable for the die-hard. Because to eat (almost) only eggs for 14 days, you need iron self-discipline.
Don’t worry. The mayo diet doesn’t bear its name because you should eat so much mayonnaise with it. The weight loss regimen is very rich in protein, but more on that later. The name comes from the origin of the diet, which was developed in the Mayo Clinic.
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How Does The Mayo Diet Work?
The Mayo Diet is a weight loss regimen that is divided into two phases. The first phase is an extreme, rigorous, low-calorie weight loss program. The first phase of the Mayo diet is designed for two weeks and provides for an average food intake of a maximum of 1000 calories per day.
Many foods are banned in phase 1 of the Mayo diet:
Fat, sugar, starchy vegetables, legumes, dairy products, and almost all fruits (except grapefruit).
This is what happens in the second phase of the mayo diet:
The original diet was revised so that a second phase was introduced in the clinic. It teaches patients who are willing to lose weight a healthy lifestyle. In doing so, they learn to shed bad habits to replace them with new, better ones.
In addition to a feeling for a healthy, balanced diet, exercise also plays an important role. Daily physical exercise of at least 30 minutes is the goal. It doesn’t always have to be a hard workout, a walk counts as exercise.
Also Read: Burn More Calories At Last: That Helps You Lose Weight
Main Ingredients Of The Mayo Diet
In the mayo diet, grapefruit is an essential component of the first phase of the weight loss program. Allegedly, the citrus fruit helps burn fat.
The same goes for the eggs: the mayo diet recommends eating 6 eggs a day. Because they provide essential nutrients and are particularly rich in protein, but they are low in calories and fill you up nicely.
A little helper for boiling eggs: the Piepei cooks in hot water and plays different melodies depending on the degree of hardness
Mayo Diet: A Typical Phase 1 Menu Of The Day
- Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit, two hard-boiled eggs, unsweetened tea or coffee, 1 rusk
- Lunch: 2 eggs (cooked fat-free) or alternating 100 g of meat, any number of tomatoes, ½ grapefruit, unsweetened tea, or coffee
- Dinner: 2 eggs, green salad, celery, any amount of cucumber, 1 rusk, unsweetened tea, or coffee.
Mayo Diet: How Much Can You Lose Weight?
If you follow the diet plan closely, you can lose between 3 to 5 kilos within two weeks. That is an enormous amount! As a rule, you lose weight much more slowly and weight loss regimens that provide more weight loss than 500 g per week are questionable. By slowly losing weight with a diet, the dreaded yo-yo effect can be counteracted, among other things.
Benefits Of The Mayo Diet
The diet is easy to use, inexpensive and does not require any culinary cooking skills. Since the calorie rate is meager, you lose a lot.
Also Read: 7 Low Carb Alternatives You Should Know About
Cons Of The Mayo Diet
The first diet phase is only intended for two weeks: a more extended period would endanger the metabolism, as the calorie intake is not sufficient for the organism. Deficiency symptoms of calcium, potassium, other minerals, and vitamins are inevitable.
It is not uncommon for this diet to show signs of fatigue and exhaustion because the organism has to obtain the necessary energy from its fat cells and muscle or bone mass.
A one-sided diet with lots of eggs can have adverse effects on cholesterol in some people and put a long-term strain on the cardiovascular system. Excessive protein intake can also negatively affect the kidneys in some people.
After the diet, the painfully lost pounds (or even more) usually find their way back to the hips quickly if phase two is not emphasized. Also, the diet can lead to a long-term aversion to eggs.
Do Not Carry Out The Mayo Diet Without Medical Attention!
Very important: The Mayo diet is very extreme and can have serious health consequences without medical advice. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you have your diet monitored by a doctor or nutritionist.
A balanced and healthy diet is always better than such diets – this also spares you the dreaded yo-yo effect. If you still want to lose weight and eat consciously, clean eating could be the correct method.
Also Read: Myths Surrounding The Keto Diet