Mary Claire Haver Workout and Diet

Physician

Born: 1968

Mary Claire Haver is from Louisiana. The personal tragedy of a sibling dying of leukemia at a young age drove her to want to become a doctor. She attended Louisiana State University for medical school. Haver did her residency at the University of Texas in Galveston, where she stayed on to work as an Ob-Gyn doctor. She became interested in menopause after experiencing it herself in 2015 at age 48. She went back to school to become a culinary medicine specialist, and developed The Galveston Diet which has been downloaded over 100K times. In 2023, The Galveston Diet book became a bestseller. She also advocates for hormone therapy. Haver opened the Mary Claire Haver Wellness Clinic in 2021. She is married and has 2 children. Haver has millions of followers on social media.

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Mary Claire Haver’s Diet

Diet Summary

Haver developed her Galveston Diet after gaining 20 unwanted pounds during menopause. First she lost the weight herself, then she began offering the program to patients. After that, she went online, and then the diet came out in book form and became a bestseller. Although a diet for women in menopause seems niche, it is actually practical advice for anyone looking to lose weight and improve health. It has 3 main components: tracking macros, eating anti-inflammatory foods, and practicing intermittent fasting (16:8). It also includes supplements such as fiber, vitamin D and collagen. Water is also an essential component of this diet, 10-12 glasses a day is recommended.

Estimated Macros

Medium Fat

Low-Medium Carb

Medium-High Protein

Diet Details

In Menopause, Carbs Are Not Your Friend

While going through menopause, Haver also the experienced personal trauma of her brother passing away. She became depressed and dealt with it by consuming lots of carbs and wine, and packed on 20 lbs, which stubbornly did not want to go away with standard methods.

No One-Size-Fits-All

Haver came up with her diet for the many people for whom the advice  ‘eat less, move more’ did not work, namely, women in menopause.

Bye-bye Junk Food

As part of her diet, Haver recommends cutting out all processed foods and added sugars.

Combat Inflammation

At the top of Haver’s To Eat list are things like leafy greens, salmon, and olive oil.

Fuel Refocus

Haver calls macro-tracking ‘fuel refocus.’ For weight loss, she recommends eating at least 25 g of fiber each day, and no more than 25 g of added sugar per day, which does not include natural sugar in fruit (but does include sugar from things like honey).

Little Luxuries

Haver’s diet stresses clean eating, but she knows everyone needs a little indulgence, so she says go ahead and have some half-and-half in your coffee or a piece of cheese if that’s what you really want. As for alcohol, if you’re looking to bust belly fat, it has to go.

What to Eat

  • Only in your eating window
  • Anti-inflammatory foods
  • Leafy greens
  • Salmon
  • Olive oil
  • Avocados
  • Flax seed
  • Probiotics
  • Vegetables
  • Healthy fats
  • Lean meat
  • Eggs
  • Legumes
  • High fiber foods
  • Season fruit
  • Nuts
  • Soy
  • Tofu
  • Miso
  • Water

What to Avoid

  • Eating outside your eating window
  • Inflammatory foods
  • Processed foods
  • Added sugar
  • High fructose corn syrup
  • Empty-calorie foods
  • Processed oil
  • Junk food
  • Chemical ingredients
  • Alcohol
  • Dairy (limited)

Haver on The Galveston Diet

‘It was born out of my personal frustration of going through menopause.’

Haver on developing her supplement line

‘[I thought,] I can make a better product that my people who are coming to me for nutrition information will love.’

Haver’s approach to supplements

‘I’m like, as long as you sell products that are tested, that I would give to my children, I’m okay [with that].’

Mary Claire Haver’s Workout Routine

Workout Routine

Get Moving

Haver considers exercise essential for taming menopause symptoms, and that everyone, no matter how busy, must find a way to fit it into the day.

Belly Fat Blast

Haver regularly hosts 28-day challenges to burn belly fat, one of the least favorite side effects of menopause.

Bust That Stress

Stress management is also an important component of menopause management. Haver recommends things like yoga, tai chi, breath work, and also journaling, whatever works best.

Daily Dose

Haver says exercise is non-negotiable when it comes to dealing with menopause. Find a way to fit some movement into your daily schedule.

Get in the Zone

Haver recommends consistent exercise that gets your heart pumping for 30-45 minutes at a clip, and at least 150 min per week. To calculate your Zone 2 range, subtract your age from 220 to find your maximum heart rate and multiply by 0.6 and 0.7. Alternatively, try the ‘talk test’: if you are slightly out of breath but can still hold a conversation, that is probably zone 2.

Build Up to It

Haver says for sedentary folks, start with 5-10 minutes per day for 4 weeks to build stamina.

Stay Strong

Haver lifts weights to keep her bones strong and preserve muscle mass, both of which help mature women stay vital after menopause

Exercise Style

A Mary Claire Haver 28-Day Fat Busting Routine

  • Cardio: 30-45 min daily in your fat-burning zone (220-your age x .6 & .7), for a total of at least 150 min/week.

  • Manage stress through yoga, meditation, tai chi, breathing exercises, etc. for at least 5 minutes per day.

  • Eat anti-inflammatory foods & fiber & drink plenty of water.

  • Avoid sugar & alcohol.

Haver on weight gain and menopause

‘Inflammation and aging and hormones are really the key to weight gain that women are suddenly experiencing at menopause, way more than being lazy.’

Haver on lifting weights

‘I’m not thinking about what I’m going to look like in a bikini. I’m thinking about what I’m going to look like at 80.’

Haver on her Belly Fat Blast challenge

‘It’s a terrible name, I know.’

Mary Claire Haver’s Supplements

fiber removebg preview

Fiber

One of Haver’s top recommendations for weight management is sufficient fiber intake. Fiber also helps with digestion, energy, and mood.

pause life omega 3, vitamin d and k

Omega-3s + Vitamin D & K2

Haver offers a combo of several dietary essentials: anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins D & K to support the immune system, the cardiovascular system, cognition, and vision.

pause life creatine

Creatine

Haver takes creatine because it has been proven to build muscle and boost energy.

pause life collagen

Collagen

Haver takes collagen daily to support healthy bones, as well as skin, hair, and nails. Her line also has a collagen supplement with vitamin C to combat fine lines and wrinkles.

turmeric removebg preview

Turmeric

Also in Haver’s line of supplements is the anti-inflammatory spice turmeric.

Mary Claire Haver’s Lifestyle

Sleep Matters

Haver considers sleep to be an essential part of stress management, and thus weight management.

Practice What You Preach

Haver follows all of her own advice when it comes to diet and exercise. She also takes her own supplements, as well as hormones.

Minimal Instruction

Haver says she got about an hour of instruction on menopause in medical school, and maybe another 6 hours while doing her medical residency. Only about 30% of Ob-Gyn residencies offer a course of study on menopause.

Filling a Void

About 6,000 American women hit menopause every day. Haver is one of only about 2,300 US doctors certified in the treatment of menopause

Controversial Advice

Although Haver has been praised for getting the word out about ways to reduce menopause suffering, she has also been attacked for advocating for hormone therapy for reasons that are not in official medical manuals.

The Menoposse

Haver has assembled a few dozen doctors influencers who call themselves the ‘Menoposse’ and who share information and support online.

Top-Drawer Consults

An appointment with Haver runs $1,500 an hour. She does not take insurance

Haver on the typical doctor’s response to menopause

‘I can’t tell you how many times I was told — or I’ve told patients — “This is just what happens.”’

Haver on mature women

‘If women are proactive, they aren’t destined to slowly decline after their reproductive years.’

Haver on her career

‘I don’t know why God woke up and said, “I’m going to give you a megaphone”…but here we are.’

Haver on menopause

‘Menopause is inevitable; suffering through it is not.’

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