Grapefruit (New Mayo Clinic) Diet

deedeehenderson
deedeehenderson Posts: 8 Member
edited November 7 in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone had any success with this diet? A coworker, who is a nurse, recommended it to me, but the reported results sound too good to be true (lose up to 50 pounds in 12 weeks.) I realize it's a fad diet, that once one goes off it, the pounds will come back. Well, obviously, weight gain has happened with me after EVERY diet, even the good ones. I'm just wondering what the results were of anyone who has tried it.
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Replies

  • btc1987
    btc1987 Posts: 94 Member
    Grapefruit diet is not new, it's been around since 1930. I guess there's a recent resurgence?

    Here are some threads that might help answer your question:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/672071-grapefruit-diet
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1200471-steady-weight-loss-grapefruit-diet-1-week
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/312353-egg-and-grapefruit-diet-week-2
  • Thank you for the links. The first link is what I was looking for. The other two links seem to be similar to this diet, but not exactly. The grapefruit diet lasts 12 days, then off 2, and repeat if desired. Bread, and other "white" foods, are not allowed.
    And, yes, the diet has been around for years. I understand it was once called the Hollywood Diet. It's now called the New Mayo Clinic Diet (that's not endorsed by the Mayo Clinic.)
    Again, thank you for your help.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    And as best I understand it it's NOT affiliated with the Mayo clinic in any way.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    I realize it's a fad diet, that once one goes off it, the pounds will come back. Well, obviously, weight gain has happened with me after EVERY diet, even the good ones.

    So, what's the point then if you have no plans to maintain? Why not just eat regular food, eat at a deficit, then eat a bit more when you reach your goal and actually keep the pounds off? :huh:
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
    I'm on the Cabana Banana Diet!
    I haven't lost any weight, but boy, can I climb trees now.
  • cheripugh1
    cheripugh1 Posts: 357 Member
    And as best I understand it it's NOT affiliated with the Mayo clinic in any way.

    ^^^THIS^^^ the grapefruit diet is a fad diet that has been around for a LONG time and it is NOT the Mayo Clinic Diet, they have one complete with a book. The Mayo Clinic is a REAL medical clinic of top quality not a fad diet creator like Atkins and others.
  • JenniDaisy
    JenniDaisy Posts: 526 Member
    I think a good general rule is to ignore anything called the "something" diet.
  • JustFindingMe
    JustFindingMe Posts: 390 Member
    I think a good general rule is to ignore anything called the "something" diet.

    Words to live by :flowerforyou:
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    And as best I understand it it's NOT affiliated with the Mayo clinic in any way.

    ^^^THIS^^^ the grapefruit diet is a fad diet that has been around for a LONG time and it is NOT the Mayo Clinic Diet, they have one complete with a book. The Mayo Clinic is a REAL medical clinic of top quality not a fad diet creator like Atkins and others.
    The atkins diet was created by a cardiologist....as was the South Beach Diet. I guess I wouldn't call either of those fad diets either. Formal diets, yes. To me fad diets are more like the cabbage soup diet, and the grapefruit diet, and, yes, even the Daniel Plan, which isn't based in much of any science.
    I've read many formal diet books (I'm a geek). I guess I just distinguish some of those (Including DASH), from silly internet fads.
    That said, I bet 1/2 to 2/3 of the folks who've DONE a formal diet just learned the basics from google or an office mate and never read the actual book or reasoning behind the particular approach. I've seen that often here.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Give it a try and come back when you wnat to do MFP.

    The Grapefruit Diet: What the experts say

    Dr Áine O'Connor a nutrition scientist with The British Nutrition Foundation told us via e-mail: "The grapefruit diet is a very low calorie, low carbohydrate, high protein diet. Initial weight loss is due to loss of the body's carbohydrate stores and fluid losses, as well as reducing your overall calorie intake and not due to the purported 'fat-burning' ability of grapefruit."

    The British Dietetic Association warns people to avoid fad diets which recommend the magical fat-burning effects of foods like grapefruit and Connie Diekman, past president of the American Dietetic Association agrees. "There is no evidence that grapefruit has fat-burning enzymes nor is it a magic bullet for weight loss."

    Beyond the nutritious grapefruit, experts agree, the Grapefruit Diet has numerous pitfalls and should not be used for anyone looking for sustainable, long-term weight control. The limited variety of foods is so restrictive it does little to help dieters improve their eating habits or behaviours. It's exactly the formula that causes most dieters to throw in the towel, disgusted with trying to lose weight.

    Dr O'Connor says: "In the long-term avoiding certain food groups or restricting entire food groups will lead to nutrient deficiencies. In order to lose weight you need to make changes to your lifestyle that you can maintain in the long term and that will give your body everything it needs."

    Healthy weight loss is a process not a promise. "If you want long-term success, don't waste your time on the Grapefruit Diet," says Connie Diekman.
  • I had no intention of leaving MFP. I was simply asking if anyone had tried it, and what the results were.

    Regarding the note that grapefruit doesn't affect weight loss, recent research has shown otherwise. Per http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk/diet/grapefruit_diet.htm

    The latest research, carried out by scientists at the Nutrition and Medical Research Centre at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, America, has found that the simple act of adding grapefruit and grapefruit juice to your diet, really can aid weight loss. But unlike the seriously restricted diet of the 80s, you get these results without changing what else you eat!

    Even study leader Dr Fujioka seemed surprised, saying, 'For years, people have talked about the grapefruit diet. Now we have data that grapefruit helps weight loss. Our study participants maintained their daily eating habits and slightly enhanced their exercise routine. The only dietary change was the intake of Florida grapefruit and grapefruit juice.'

    More is written in the article.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    From the same article

    Our study participants maintained their daily eating habits and slightly enhanced their exercise routine.

    Nutrition experts also agree that more research is needed before rushing out to stock up on grapefruit. Most tend to agree with the nutritionalists of the 80s and say it's unlikely that grapefruit has any magical properties in terms of aiding weight loss in the absence of other diet or lifestyle changes. It's perhaps more likely that participants lost weight simply because they were taking part in a study and, as a result, were more focussed on their food intake and exercise habits.

    Try it you wont have anything to lose. It just means eating some grapefruit. 3x a day. Its fruit and fruit is handy for diets. 3.6lbs in 12 weeks.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    The ever-popular grapefruit diet. Never did it. Don't like fad diets. Hate grapefruit, :) (Even when they mix it with OJ and say I won't taste it, I taste it. It's gross.)

    If you ate as many calories of anything as you eat of grapefruit, you'd lose weight doing that, too.
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
    A caution with grapefruit as it is contraindicated with some medications - I believe it makes your body process them more quickly.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    I hear Kai Greene tried this and he certainly was well conditioned at the Olympia... but I wouldn't really recommended it.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Oops - wrong diet. :blushing:
  • RachelAnguiera
    RachelAnguiera Posts: 1 Member
    It's funny because I've been on this diet for exactly 19 days now. I needed to lose 10 pounds for my upcoming wedding in June. I have lost 16 pounds since I've started it. Way more then I wanted to but I'm not complaining. It really does work! I was very skeptical at first but it does. I am never hungry and actually crave the food that I eat on this diet. I stay on for 12 days and then go off for 2 days. I find myself wanting to go back on after my 2 days are done. I also do pilates and yoga and I haven't needed to do any cardio. I don't think I've ever felt so good health wise and mentally about my weight. It's working for me and the 2 days off are a great incentive to stay on knowing I get a break every 12 days! Good luck and stay healthy.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    It's funny because I've been on this diet for exactly 19 days now. I needed to lose 10 pounds for my upcoming wedding in June. I have lost 16 pounds since I've started it. Way more then I wanted to but I'm not complaining. It really does work! I was very skeptical at first but it does. I am never hungry and actually crave the food that I eat on this diet. I stay on for 12 days and then go off for 2 days. I find myself wanting to go back on after my 2 days are done. I also do pilates and yoga and I haven't needed to do any cardio. I don't think I've ever felt so good health wise and mentally about my weight. It's working for me and the 2 days off are a great incentive to stay on knowing I get a break every 12 days! Good luck and stay healthy.

    Good for you. But I doubt the grapefruit has anything to do with it. When I look at a sample menu for the diet, it looks similar to what I eat, but it has grapefruit where I might have a banana or a handful of nuts, or a small serving of ice cream. The thing that makes it work is a calorie deficit, not some magical property of grapefruit.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    Any "diet" that cannot be continued long term is a waste of time and is foolishness. Simple calorie reduction will take the weight off and keep it off for life. How many weeks/months can you eat grapefruit?
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    Has anyone had any success with this diet? A coworker, who is a nurse, recommended it to me, but the reported results sound too good to be true (lose up to 50 pounds in 12 weeks.) I realize it's a fad diet, that once one goes off it, the pounds will come back. Well, obviously, weight gain has happened with me after EVERY diet, even the good ones. I'm just wondering what the results were of anyone who has tried it.

    And, what can you learn from the bolded? STOP GOING ON "The _____Diet!" They are ALL useless.

    You are on a website that provides tools to help people keep track of their caloric intake and activity levels in order to lose weight sensibly. Try that for a change, you might find you don't gain the weight back when you aren't "on a diet" but rather changing YOUR diet for a lifetime.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    Thread_NecroRD.jpg
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    Thread_NecroRD.jpg

    D'OH! And it was necromanced by a cheerleader. Is the Grapefruit diet an MLM now?
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    Thread_NecroRD.jpg

    D'OH! And it was necromanced by a cheerleader. Is the Grapefruit diet an MLM now?

    For 3 easy monthly payments of $49.95 I can tell you.
  • astralpictures
    astralpictures Posts: 218 Member
    I'm on Verapamil for Cluster Headaches and can't have grapefruit, but it's a very nutritious fruit! Potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and fiber with lots of water that helps you feel full. Many doctors recommend eating a grapefruit before meals to help reduce appetite. But as a diet? It's almost a VLCD plan and unhealthy: http://www.webmd.com/diet/grapefruit-diet. The 50 lbs in 12 weeks bit will get anyone who is frustrated super excited, because it sounds so easy and quick. It's your health and you can do what you want, but don't get offended that people here won't support it.

  • rocknlotsofrolls
    rocknlotsofrolls Posts: 418 Member
    LeonCX wrote: »
    I'm on the Cabana Banana Diet!
    I haven't lost any weight, but boy, can I climb trees now.
    LMAO! I'm on the raw cabbage diet! I burn 500 calories a day running back and forth to the toilet!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    Thread_NecroRD.jpg

    FTW!
  • DebzNuDa
    DebzNuDa Posts: 252 Member
    Next will be the "Soup Diet". OMG, I lasted about a week (many years ago LOL). It was so ridiculous.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    DebzNuDa wrote: »
    Next will be the "Soup Diet". OMG, I lasted about a week (many years ago LOL). It was so ridiculous.

    Is that the one where you have to eat all bananas one day and all steak one day but you can always have the soup? Or am I combining two stupid diets? :laugh:
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    sjaplo wrote: »
    A caution with grapefruit as it is contraindicated with some medications - I believe it makes your body process them more quickly.

    This is very true! Grapefruit can make levels of many different medications toxic, so please ask your doctor if you take anything. In nursing school, we have a blanket "if 'no grapefruit' is an option, choose it" statement!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,030 Member
    parkscs wrote: »
    I hear Kai Greene tried this and he certainly was well conditioned at the Olympia... but I wouldn't really recommended it.
    Ahahaha! I think only people in the bodybuilding culture will get this post.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

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