The Mayo Clinic Diet Journal: A handy companion journal

I've used this journal for three weeks now, in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic Diet book. It is very closely keyed to the diet outlined in the main book and is not much use without that (with one big exception, under "Pros" below). It contains no information about the diet itself - you'll need the book for that.Pros: 1. It does exactly follow the outlined two weeks "Lose It!" and eight weeks "Live It!" plan of the main book, with charts and tables that make it easy to track how you are doing with the diet, habit changes, and physical activity recommendations. 2. It has review pages at the end of the first two weeks and each week thereafter that enable you to evaluate your progress frequently. 3. The most useful feature is a graphic on each day's pages for the "Live It!" section that allows you to track your consumption of food from each category in the diet by simply checking off circles in a pyramid-shaped graph, that also visually reminds you of the diet's emphasis on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. This is the easiest way I have ever seen of tracking so-called "exchanges" and this feature would also be very helpful to a diabetic trying to track a prescribed exchange-based diet for the first time. The line-by-line entries for the food log in the "Live It!" section have columns for each exchange as well, showing you item by item what you're eating. This is my favorite thing about the journal.Cons: 1. It only has ten weeks worth of entries, and two weeks of those are for the initial very restricted "Lose It!" program, without the helpful tracking graphics for the exchanges. For many people, it's going to take longer, sometimes a lot longer, than ten weeks to reach a weight loss goal. 2. The initial two week period has limited space for recording food eaten, forcing simplification or even just leaving out some things - which defeats the purpose of a food journal. 3. There are some recipes included during the eight week detailed section, but, very puzzlingly, they simply list the recipe without telling you the number of portions it makes! Some are clearly one portion recipes while others are at least four, maybe even six or eight. While it's possible to figure out what a portion would be, a diet journal that tries to help you track what you eat should certainly give number of portions in its recipes. 4. The binding opens easily but can't be turned back on itself, so it's a bit annoying to use. You can lay it flat, but you can't fold it around, and for many of the pages that would have helped.This does help you follow the diet plan recommended in the main book, but if you buy it, realize that you may be able to do about as well tracking things on your own with an inexpensive spiral bound notebook from the dollar store. And if you plan to stay on this diet for a while that's what you'll have to do when this one runs out. Don't plan on photocopying it - like many proprietary, copyrighted journals of this nature, it is printed in green ink that photocopies very poorly, if at all. If you want to simplify your record keeping for the main Mayo Clinic Diet book, this will help you do that - at least for the first ten weeks. But it gives you very little that you couldn't come up with yourself, with the exception of a few recipes that, unfortunately, because of their lack of a listing for number of portions each recipe makes, are more confusing than helpufl.

Personally this journal has made the difference for me between following an eating plan and sticking to an eating plan. I bought it with the Mayo Clinic Diet book and am glad I did. I made the commitment to myself to use the entire journal and am now 2 months into the journal and have lost 10 pounds. As stated by the authors, I lost the majority of my weight the first 2 weeks and it has been a slow but gradual loss since. Probably more gradual because I'm not a severe adherent to the plan, but trying to live within it. For example, I tend to go over the # of recommended servings/day, but because I see on a weekly basis how I trend w/ my # of servings, I find I make an effort to modify my diet to include more veggies and to decrease fats when needed. Also, the 2-week 'lose it' portion of this plan really broke my sugar habit. I hardly ever have sugar these days and find that when I do, I often find things TOO sweet.Here's what I like about the journal and why I find it more helpful than a blank notebook to keep notes: Each day there are blank spaces to prompt me to write my goal and thoughts on how the day went. There are well designed columns for recording servings each day, as well as a daily space for exercise. There is a motivational tip each day and they have nudged my decisions when I have read them. The weekly synopsis is a nice way for me to see what I've decided over the week, to see what's worked and what hasn't. I think of this journal as a personal nutritional coach who nudges me but doesn't annoy me.What I haven't used - the weekly meal planner. This could be handy if used, but nope, I'm not THAT obsessive.What I don't like - the green printing is difficult for me to read easily (I'm in the stage of needing reading glasses). Okay, so they don't want people to photocopy the pages, but come on Mayo, think about everyone with less than stellar eyesight! Doesn't meet accessibility standards for reading, that's for sure.I like a deal, so I scoured the used books to find one of these w/out writing in it. Not easy, but it is possible.Lastly - I intend to lose another 10# so am going to buy a second journal and stick with thiis till I get to my target. I am starting to experiment w/ not recording on some days to see how that goes. After all, I don't plan to do the recording forever.

Unlike so many diet books I have ordered, this one actually helps focus on the aspects of weight loss that so many others ignore. It helps address bad habits by helping you create new ones, and it focuses on real, nutritious food that is easy to find in any grocery store and on any budget. When I first received it I happened to have a doctor appointment that day and brought it with to read. As soon as my family doctor saw it she indicated how impressed she is with it, and was very pleased that I am moving forward with it. She has been talking to me about losing weight as I have primary hypertension, PCOS and a lot of weight to lose. This diet really helps you start out in steps and gives a plan that anyone can follow as a real lifestyle without doing anything radical or unrealistic.

If you buy the main Mayo Clinic Diet book buy this book to help you. It gives you a place to track what you are doing

Wasnt keen on this. Hard to work out. Never mind may read it again one day. Got the other book to go with it

Really interesting...

Helped me a lot

I think the methods used in this diet have been seriously worked out and developed with one's safety and health in mind. It isn't an extreme diet but the idea is to eat generously from the fruits and vegetables group from the food pyramid , keeping stricter control on carbohydrates, protein from dairy and meats, fats and keeping sweets at a bare minimum. The journal helps with keeping track on a daily basis, a person's caloric intake. I have read that by doing this a person is more likely to be successful with their weight loss objectives. Personally, I forget more often than not to record my caloric intake, which may be the reason why I am not seeing the results as quickly as I would like to.