- With Mayo Clinic preventive medicine specialist
Donald Hensrud, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Donald Hensrud, M.D.
Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.
Dr. Donald D. Hensrud is chair of the Division of Preventive, Occupational and Aerospace Medicine with a joint appointment in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic. He is an associate professor of preventive medicine and nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Hensrud directed the Executive Health Program at Mayo Clinic for more than 10 years.
He received his B.S. from the University of North Dakota, M.D. from the University of Hawaii, M.P.H. from the University of Minnesota and M.S. in nutrition sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed residency training in internal medicine and fellowship training in preventive medicine at Mayo Clinic and completed a clinical nutrition fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Dr. Hensrud is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Preventive Medicine and the American Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, of which he is a past president.
His career interests have combined nutrition, weight management, and prevention. He is the author of many scientific articles and book chapters and was editor of Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody; The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook, which won a 2005 James Beard Foundation award; The Mayo Clinic Plan: 10 Essential Steps to a Better Body & Healthier Life; and The Mayo Clinic Diet, published in January 2010.
Dr. Hensrud says healthy lifestyle habits in diet and physical activity are extremely important as evidenced by a large body of scientific evidence. He also says implementing these lifestyle habits is realistic, sustainable and enjoyable. A primary goal of his work is to help people achieve this.
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The Mayo Clinic Diet blog
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May 6, 2010
Take control of challenges to weight loss plan
By Donald Hensrud, M.D.
In one of the previous blogs, I mentioned we all experience challenges in trying to manage weight. I just returned from a trip away for a couple weeks. Traveling is one of these challenges and can often make it difficult to keep up efforts to eat well and be physically active. And there are many other challenges. Combining this with a tendency to resort to old habits that may promote weight gain, it's no wonder that it's difficult to lose weight and keep it off.
So, how can we deal effectively with these challenges to our weight loss efforts? In "The Mayo Clinic Diet," we discuss being ready to lose weight. This includes not only being ready initially, but also ready to continue efforts long-term. Dealing with these challenges is part of this long-term readiness. One of the most important aspects of effectively managing challenges is to expect them. While individual challenges may vary, virtually everyone will experience them sooner or later.
If you expect them, once they occur you can use problem solving strategies to deal with them in a constructive manner, rather than taking the path of least resistance and reverting back to old habits that promote weight gain.
In "The Mayo Clinic Diet" there is an Action Guide in which we have listed a number of challenges that people face (e.g., not eating breakfast) and strategies on how to deal with them. When I was traveling, I was exposed to increased calorie foods and on occasion a lot of it (buffets!). I knew this would happen, so some of the strategies I used were to:
- Decide ahead of time what I was going to eat at a buffet instead of mindlessly eating.
- Try and make sure I ate plenty of vegetables and fruits to help fill me up, even when there were plenty of high-energy dense tasty foods around.
- Make an extra effort to get physical activity in. Many of the people I was with bemoaned the fact that they had fallen out of their exercise routine. I got up a little earlier some days and on others made exercise a top priority. The payoff was well worth it in terms of feeling better as well as burning more calories.
Don't let circumstances turn your program upside down. Expect challenges, take control when they happen, and stay on your weight loss journey. Please share your tips.
13 comments posted
February 22, 2012 7:25 p.m.
great tips, i beleive you should stop yourself from dreading living healthy and losing weight so you stay motivated. I used to picture what i would look like down the line which kept me motivated.
- borris
October 31, 2010 1:52 p.m.
Brenda, the Live It! phase of The Mayo Clinic Diet is similar to our previous books - if something is safe, effective, and healthy it should withstand the test of time. We've made some minor changes to this phase, but the major change is the Lose It! phase was added - which helps people to jumpstart their weight loss in a healthy way. Janet, you should be able to modify our diet to be vegetarian pretty easily - focus on plant sources of protein such as beans and you'll also get protein from dairy products, if you eat them. The unlimited vegetables and fruits fit right in! Lisa, many people have specific challenges in trying to manage weight and some medications can certainly make it more difficult. Try the program and hopefully this will still help you to manage your weight - and improve your health. Thanks for your kind comments everyone. All the best,
- Don Hensrud, M.D.
September 1, 2010 3:18 p.m.
This is amazing site and i love this site very much, cool site... Diet Plans
- Martina Jones
August 27, 2010 12:11 p.m.
I am 41 and have seizures and I am on medication that makes me gain weight. I have tried just about every diet and exercise video out there. I exercise sometimes to the point that my head starts hurting. I eat healthy and drink lots of water but I can't seem to lose the weight. What do I do?
- Lisa
August 22, 2010 9:42 p.m.
This is a wonderful opinion. The things mentioned are unanimous and needs to be appreciated by everyone. -------- Weight Loss
- symond
July 25, 2010 8:13 a.m.
Is there more help for vegetarians somewhere? Have the book-- have only skimmed thru so far. Fruit/veggie emphasis cetainly helpful, but meals/menus pretty carnivorous!
- Janet
June 7, 2010 1:59 p.m.
Nice blog, thanks!
- gvgv
May 24, 2010 9:04 p.m.
I always believe that "you are what you eat." Thus, I never compromise on delicious but unhealthy foods over not-so-good-taste but healthy and complete diet. Hence, I would like to know more about Mayo Clinic Diet.
- Angel
May 17, 2010 1:52 p.m.
I eat out with friends from time to time. That's when I get off my "diet". It is hard to tell your friends "I can't eat all this". They like once inwhile aint gonna kill ya. But it can. I'm supposed to have a low sodium diet and thats impossible to do when you eat with other people. The only thing I can suggest is do not eat as much as everybody else. I mean, even one hot dog plain is got 600 mg of sodium. Think what is has when you put chile and relish and you eat 3 of 'em. Your sodium go way over the limit of 2,000? Well, just don't go out as often. I went to chinese food in April for my mom's birthday. That was 6 weeks ago. Chinese food got plenty of sodium. But it tastes so good. It is hard. Good luck to everyone who tries to diet in Louisiana.
- Amiee
May 16, 2010 10:12 a.m.
Is the Mayo Clinic Diet, other than the fast start part, the same as the diet plan in the Mayo Clinic Healthy Eaitng book that came out a few years ago? I have that book and the Healthy Aging book,
- Brenda
May 13, 2010 11:03 a.m.
Nee, excellent points about planning and not beating yourself up, very much agree!
- Don Hensrud, M.D.
May 11, 2010 9:33 p.m.
I think planning your meals is the number one guideline for weight loss. I also agree that fruits and vegetables are your best friends. But most of all, don't beat up on yourself if you fall off the challenge. Pick yourself up and just keep going, going, going and you can do it!!
- Nee
May 11, 2010 1:49 p.m.
Thanks
- afaf
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