The Mayo Experience

Mayo diet is perhaps one of the most happening subject since last year. Thanks to social media, the exposure on the issue has been very intense that everybody’s trying it. Everyone’s also buzzing about how it can help you to lose weight in only 13 days. At the same time, people praise it as an effective way to do detoxification, as the diet minimizes carbo and salt intake, whereas requires the person who does it to drink lots of water.

In the past months I’ve seen friends posted their healthy lunch and dinner menu on social media and put #mayodiet hashtag on it. I’ve also noticed specially that there’s been exponential growth of caterers that specialized in healthy meals, including serving the mayo diet. Being a curious person, I have to admit that all those things got me. Besides, I’ve got one fundamental thing that eventually made me give the diet a go: my snacking habit.

You see, I’ve always been a heavy snacker. I snack throughout the days. My favorite bites are M&Ms, Cha Cha, Astor, peanuts, and chips coated with artificial flavoring and MSG. Additionally, I drink coffee every day, I’m into anything sweet and salty, and can never say no to french fries. Sounds that I need to ease down a bit don’t I?

So when my friend told me about this healthy food caterer called Little Joy Kitchen in Makassar, I immediately stalked their Instagram, followed, and befriended with the owner, Mba Dian. I corresponded with her and she sent me an introductory email containing the mayo diet rules and the menu.

As mentioned, the thirteen-day diet is devised to forbid the use of salt. Carbo is still allowed though the portion is cut. The person who’s dieting is also required to keep hydrated by drinking 2 litres of water per day. Cold water is a big no. Breakfast is only a cup of tea/coffee, sometimes with whole wheat bread toast.  Lunch must be eaten on time, and dinner has to be consumed at the latest at 6 p.m. Yet if you’re still badly famished, you can just drink water and [if necessary] nibble on fruits. So basically the diet cuts some stuff back and disciplines you to eat only at the designated hours.

When I told my friends that I’m going to do the diet, I’ve received mixed response. Some thought it was unnecessary coz’ I’m [already] in normal size. Some were supportive. Well I told them that my goal is basically to fix my eating behavior. I don’t expect to lose weight, really. However if that happens, then it’s a bonus.

The day before my diet started, I got anxious and excited at the same time.

I spent the night snacking on chocolate chip cookies and M&Ms. I was savoring the moment.  

On the next thirteen days, I’d have a cup of coffee/tea in the morning, then consumed nothing but water until lunch time. The caterer had the lunch and dinner pack delivered before 12 p.m. and every day when it arrived, I’d be so excited and snoop on the package, curious of how the food would look like.

The menu

The first five days were the toughest for me. I totally had no problem with eating veggies and fruits coz I love them, but as a person who’s keen on salty flavor, every menu just fell flat. My taste buds craved for salty food SO MUCH like never before. It was depressing. There were times when I think I can feel the taste of Lays Classic in my mouth. Crisp and pungent chips, o how my buds long for you.

Drinking copious amounts of water is okay for me too, but then I got bored with the taste of it [even though it has no taste, I know]. Again, my buds have long been exposed with excessive and strong taste that it got addicted to it. So when everything made milder, it objected.

However after five days, I got used to it.

Besides, I’ve no complaint when in day three, my tummy felt so good. No more bloated and gassy tummy!

The colorful meals

Yet still, mayo diet wasn’t an easy thing to do. During the diet, another biggest challenge comes when I hang out with friends. We went to watch films, we went to café and all I ordered was water. It was hard. It was in fact, desperately tough to restrict yourself from ordering, when the smell of butter popcorn and coffee brewing were just tickling and stimulating your nose! All I usually did was took a big gulp of water to distract my senses. You see my friend, the hardest battle you fight is against yourself.  

Throughout the diet, I also I did my usual exercises: yoga and swimming a couple of times a week, and it was okay. I didn’t feel light-headed at all.

Days slipped by and on the thirteenth day, I felt great.

I lost 2.5 kg from the diet, and I didn’t bother to measure the before-after waistline, nor hip nor arm line. What’s more important for me is that I felt all freshen up. My tummy felt good and I felt great, and I was proud of myself.

Doing the mayo diet got me impressed of how important creativity is in cooking. I was impressed how my caterer managed to create such menu by mixing ingredients. I believe that we should explore, mix and match fruits and veggies because it can result into something really delicious. On top of that, following the diet, I’ve started the habit of drinking minimum 1.5 litres of water per day, which even though it makes me a regular visitor of the loo, gets my body so fresh. Furthermore I’ve gradually grown fond of the leafy greens, that it would be strange not to have them in the menu. And what makes me proud even more is that I am now able to eat salad without dressing! [I consider this as my biggest achievement].

So in the end, I do still snack regularly. I still munch on chips, sweets, fried food, but I am glad that now I try to balance it with eating more greens and drink more water. I am delighted that I’ve developed healthy habits owing to the mayo. The habits that I hope will stick.