Eat well. Enjoy life. Lose weight.

This completely revised and updated edition of the popular Mayo Clinic Diet is a practical, no-nonsense approach to weight loss designed to help individuals lose weight and, most importantly, keep it off. The book includes to step-by-step advice on key behavior changes to promote weight loss, plus four weeks of daily menus and all-new recipes.

The Mayo Clinic Diet is based on years of experience with literally thousands of individuals trying to lose weight. We've identified leading habits of people who maintain a healthy weight and the unhealthy habits of those who don't. Based on this information, we've established five habits to include in your daily routine, five habits to break, and five bonus habits to increase your chances of lasting success.

The Mayo Clinic Diet is composed of three sections to get you started, to keep you on track, and to give you the knowledge and tools you need to stay the course.

1. Lose It! is a two week quick-start program designed to help you lose 6 to 10 pounds in a safe and healthy way.

2. Live It! is a long-term maintenance plan in which you continue to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week until you reach your goal. In the process, you learn how to maintain a healthy weight for life.

3. All the extra stuff includes meal plans, recipes, food lists, tips on overcoming challenges, and much more. Best of all, the program is enjoyable.

Eating is one of the great joys in life. What you eat on this diet has to taste good, or you won't do it. The Mayo Clinic Diet emphasizes foods that are healthy and taste good. Plus, you don't have to worry about starving yourself. When you're hungry, you can eat. What works is a diet that's easy and simple—a diet you can live with for life!

Donald D. Hensrud, M.D.