The Mayo diet
If you're not a fan of eggs this just won't work for you, but if you're tempted to lose weight this way, here's what the Mayo diet involves.
How it works
The Mayo diet is a really restrictive 14-day low-calorie diet - you're not allowed more than 1000 calories in a day.
You have to cut out most foods: fat, sugar, starch, pulses, dairy produce and most fruit.
You are allowed to eat grapefruit, though (hence it also being called the grapefruit diet) because according the plan it helps burn fat.
You're allowed to eat eggs too - this diet recommends six a day. That's because they're high in protein, low in calories and filling.
A typical day
Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit, 2 hard-boiled eggs, unsweetened coffee or tea, 1 rusk.
Lunch: 2 eggs (cooked without fat) or 100g of meat alternately, as many tomatoes as you like, 1/2 grapefruit, unsweetened coffee or tea.
Dinner: 2 eggs, green salad, celery, as much cucumber as you like, 1 rusk, unsweetened coffee or tea.
Results
You can lose 5 to 7 kilos in two weeks if you follow the programme properly.
Plus points
It’s cheap, easy-to-follow and doesn't require much cooking! With such a low calorie intake, you lose a fair bit of weight.
Downsides
You can only do this diet for 14 days, after which it puts the metabolic system in danger because the calorie intake doesn't meet your body's needs. Protein, calcium, potassium and vitamin deficiencies are inevitable.
This diet tires you out because your body draws its energy requirements from adipose tissues (fat) but also from muscular and bone tissues.
Eggs are rich in cholesterol which, in the long-term, harms your cardiovascular system.
You will be hungry.
You can soon put the lost weight (or even more) back on at the end of the diet.
It could put you off eggs for a long time!
Note
It’s advisable to consult a doctor or nutritionist before starting this kind of diet.
