Remember the Mayo Clinic Diet?

The Mayo Clinic Diet was also called the TWA Stewardess Diet sometimes, and was popular fad diet during the 1990’s. Many people have asked about what was in it, and the other day I came across a copy of it while looking through some old papers. Even though it was called The Mayo Clinic Diet, they never endorsed it. The diet was based around grapefruit, lots of salad and protein, and a few carbohydrates. Weight loss was supposed to be in the region of 50-55 pounds in 10 weeks.

I remember trying to lose some weight using this but it wasn’t easy because I hate grapefruit. I didn’t follow it like I was supposed to but after a month I did lose about 12 pounds. Personally I did OK for the first two weeks, and then I fell off the wagon and substituted for the grapefruit portions.

Like anything else you have to use some common sense with this type of diet. This principle was that it is a chemical breakdown, so do not substitute any of the meals. You can use salt and pepper, but no other seasonings. No bread on the four diet days. Only stay on the diet for 4 days at a time. The other 3 days of the week you can eat what you want in moderation.

Breakfast all 4 days ½ Grapefruit (No Sugar), Coffee (Black)

Day One
Lunch 4 oz Steak, Lettuce & Tomato Salad, 1 apple
Dinner 2 Hardboiled Eggs, 1 cup Green Beans, ½ Grapefruit

Day Two
Lunch 1 Breast of Chicken, Lettuce Salad, 6 oz. Tomato Juice
Dinner 1 cup each, Green Beans, Cauliflower, Squash, Applesauce

Day Three
Lunch 1 Hamburger Patty, Lettuce Salad, 1 apple
Dinner 1 Brest of Chicken, Lettuce Salad, 6 oz. Prune Juice

Day Four
Lunch 2 Scrambled Eggs, 1 cup Green Beans, 6 oz. Tomato Juice
Dinner 4 oz Steak, Lettuce Salad, 6 oz. Pineapple Juice

Today there are many more options available for going on a diet and weight loss has become a prominent issue in our culture. Keeping healthy is a balance between, proper nutrition, diet and exercise. Diet alone will not get you where you want to go.