# The old Mayo Clinic diet of the 60's that really works



## Irene texas

FOOD - The old mayo clinic diet of the 60's that really works
Just for the heck of it, I thought I would put this diet here, I have done this diet for 12 days and it really starts the weight to come off, Then I modify it somewhat and I continue to lose. Just stay away from anything white. In the 60 when I was young I would sneak in a almost frozen pepsi and the diet still worked.
Irene Texas


Here's the old mayo clinic diet,
12 days on - 2 days off

Breakfast
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)
2 Eggs (any style)
2 Slices Bacon

Lunch
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)
Meat (any style, any amount)
Salad (any kind of dressing)

Dinner
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)
Meat (any style, any amount) (fish may be substituted for meat)
Vegetables (any green, yellow, or red vegetables cooked in butter or any seasoning)

Bed Time Snack
1 glass tomato juice or 1 glass Skim milk

Vegetables Allowed
Red onions, green onions, bell peppers, radishes, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, peas.

Vegetables to Avoid
White onions, potatoes, celery.

Instructions

1. At any meal you may eat until you are full - until you can't eat any more.
2. Don't eliminate anything from the diet, especially don't skip bacon at breakfast or omit salads. It is the combination of foods that burn fat.
3. The grapefruit is important because it acts as a catalyst that starts the burning process.
4. Cut down on caffeine - it affects the insulin balance that hinders the burning process. Try to limit to 1 cup per meal at mealtime.
5. Don't eat between meals. If you eat the combination of food suggested you will not be hungry.
6. Note that the diet completely eliminates sugar and starches, which are lipids and form fat. Fat doesn't form fat; it helps burn it. You can fry food in butter and use butter generously on vegetables.
7. Do not eat desserts, bread, and white vegetables or sweet potatoes. You may double or triple helpings of meat, salad, or vegetables. Eat until you are stuffed. The more you eat of the proper combination of food, the more you lose.


----------



## AngieM2

just a note, grapefruit and grapefruit juice can make some prescriptions inactive, so check before using this ....

information from my aunt the RN, nursing home admin, and state of mo nursing home inspector, now retired.

Angie


----------



## Ardie/WI

It's interesting that white onions and celery are not allowed. I can understand potatoes but I wonder about the two others.


----------



## Guest

Ardie/WI said:


> It's interesting that white onions and celery are not allowed. I can understand potatoes but I wonder about the two others.


 That is strange about the celery. Celery has negative calories (i.e., it takes more calories to digest it than you get out of it).


----------



## fellini123

Hubby and I are both on some of those meds you cannot use grapefruit juice with. Is there any subsitution?? I guess it is part of the acid in the juice. Too much of any acid based fruit gives me sores on my mouth. too bad I love oranges, and grapefruit and tomatoes!!!!


Alice in Virginia


----------



## MomOf4

I am wondering if anyone knows if you can sub oranges or clementines, etc., for grapefruit. I can't stand grapefruit.


----------



## maidservant

MomOf4 said:


> I am wondering if anyone knows if you can sub oranges or clementines, etc., for grapefruit. I can't stand grapefruit.


I second that! We have about 20 lbs of tangerines and clementines sitting on our bar right now....

My mother elimintate all white breads, potatoes, and sugar (white anyway) from her diet about a year ago. So far, she has lost 75 lbs! I've finally weaned myself completely off of caffiene, and I'm drinking about 12-14 cups of water a day (I do still like koolaid, but I use splenda and a bit of brown sugar instead of white sugar). I like the idea of this diet because you can actually eat until you feel full. The problem with it is that for us who can't afford real food (aka, not pasta) and don't have enough space to grow enough of our own it gets expensive! 

Since I've gotten the sugar gliders, I've been noticing more things about diet. I'm learning about calcium to phosphorous ratios, I will not eat anything with aspartame in it, and I'm eating way more fruits and veggies (they are in the house for the gliders and beardies, but they can't eat all of them before they go bad, so I help them, lol).

Ok, enough rambling from me, lol.


----------



## southrngardngal

Our middle daughter went on this diet when she was about 15 years old. I was concerned that she wasn't eating good so I talked to the nutrition instructer in the nursing program that I was in at the time. She said it was the best diet that she had even seen. The only thing that she would change was for dd to eat one piece of bread a day. Daughter lost 25 pounds on it and never felt hungry.

I have given thought several times to this meal plan but have to check the grapefruit juice against my meds.

sgg-Jan


----------



## Gercarson

This is an excellent diet for diabetics. It's very similar to Atkins - notice it's high protein very low carbohydrates.


----------



## Eminiki

ladycat said:


> That is strange about the celery. Celery has negative calories (i.e., it takes more calories to digest it than you get out of it).


can you have popcorn and I was always told to have 1 cup of grapefruit juice with it.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO

If you have a tendency toward gout, go cautiously.


----------



## Wolf mom

This thread from 2008 really belongs in the Weight Loss forum.....


----------



## bugstabber

I thought Irene from Texas was back!


----------



## Molly girl

Irene texas said:


> FOOD - The old mayo clinic diet of the 60's that really works
> Just for the heck of it, I thought I would put this diet here, I have done this diet for 12 days and it really starts the weight to come off, Then I modify it somewhat and I continue to lose. Just stay away from anything white. In the 60 when I was young I would sneak in a almost frozen pepsi and the diet still worked.
> Irene Texas
> 
> 
> Here's the old mayo clinic diet,
> 12 days on - 2 days off
> 
> Breakfast
> 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)
> 2 Eggs (any style)
> 2 Slices Bacon
> 
> Lunch
> 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)
> Meat (any style, any amount)
> Salad (any kind of dressing)
> 
> Dinner
> 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)
> Meat (any style, any amount) (fish may be substituted for meat)
> Vegetables (any green, yellow, or red vegetables cooked in butter or any seasoning)
> 
> Bed Time Snack
> 1 glass tomato juice or 1 glass Skim milk
> 
> Vegetables Allowed
> Red onions, green onions, bell peppers, radishes, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, peas.
> 
> Vegetables to Avoid
> White onions, potatoes, celery.
> 
> Instructions
> 
> 1. At any meal you may eat until you are full - until you can't eat any more.
> 2. Don't eliminate anything from the diet, especially don't skip bacon at breakfast or omit salads. It is the combination of foods that burn fat.
> 3. The grapefruit is important because it acts as a catalyst that starts the burning process.
> 4. Cut down on caffeine - it affects the insulin balance that hinders the burning process. Try to limit to 1 cup per meal at mealtime.
> 5. Don't eat between meals. If you eat the combination of food suggested you will not be hungry.
> 6. Note that the diet completely eliminates sugar and starches, which are lipids and form fat. Fat doesn't form fat; it helps burn it. You can fry food in butter and use butter generously on vegetables.
> 7. Do not eat desserts, bread, and white vegetables or sweet potatoes. You may double or triple helpings of meat, salad, or vegetables. Eat until you are stuffed. The more you eat of the proper combination of food, the more you lose.


I’ve done this diet at work in the past it’s not a bad diet and I work at doctors office. The entire office did it together and we all lost weight. We prepped the food on an electric frying pan in the lunch room and all put in money for groceries. I was never hungry on it. I liked that you get two chest days to eat anything you want and start again. It’s very similar to any keto or Atkins high protein low carb style diet but I still get to enjoy juice. I did read somewhere you can replace the grapefruit but I forget what with. I am so glad you posted this I am going to start this right away. It really works and you get more food and calories than other popular low calorie diets they have commercials on tv that are celebrity endorsed. You can’t stay on any diet for ever it’s just not possible for me anyway life happens.


----------



## Alice In TX/MO

Except for the fruit juice, it's essentially low carb. The original post is from 2008. I'm not sure Irene is alive now.


----------

