Thoughts on the "potato diet"?

Options
jeniswonge2
jeniswonge2 Posts: 8 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've seen several accounts of people who are on the "potato diet" as a short term tactic and how it helped them lose a lot of weight and that it helped them kick food addiction and cravings... this diet is exactly as it sounds: you eat nothing but plain potatos (no butter, salt, etc.) Everyone varies on length of time from 4 days a week to a month straight with their plans...

Just curious if anyone has tried it or have their own opinions about it.....
«134567…10

Replies

  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    Options
    I just eat whatever I want while maintaining a caloric deficit and can easily get to and maintain a single digit body fat percentage. Fad diets are unpractical and a waste of time, they're simply creating a massive deficit and starving their bodies of key macro nutrients. Eat the way you want to eat, just set your calories to suite your goals. Simple as that.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    Options
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Just another silly fad diet.

    Happy New Year...

    Yep.
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,330 Member
    Options
    MonkeyMel21 wrote: »
    I watched The Martian. No thanks.

    The book is much better...but I'll agree on the no thanks.
  • AdamAthletic
    AdamAthletic Posts: 2,985 Member
    Options
    I'm not sure who comes up with these diets but I would encourage anybody to look closely at the nutritional profile of a potato then try explain to me how eating those alone would have any benefit to their health.
    Really and truly, these are a recipe for long term yoyo dieting and general bad-health as a result of a poor diet.#

    I would recommend finding meals that work with your calorie and macro allowance and enjoying food along the way!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I don't see the point...I eat a lot of potatoes, but an all potato diet...especially plain potatoes would make me want to shoot myself...also, not particularly sound from an overall nutritional standpoint.

    This.

    I'm a fan of potatoes and think they have a place in a good diet if you enjoy them and aren't doing very low carb, but think a diet based only on potatoes is a terrible idea and not nutritionally sound. It also doesn't do a thing to help people learn how to eat properly or in a sustainable way.

    I suspect the attraction is "FAST weight loss" -- that depends on calories, but sure if I only ate potatoes I'd not eat much either, but short-term programs are not going to lead to as much weight loss as something sustainable that you will be able to keep up.

    Also -- and we are going to see this with the New Year -- the idea that there's some magic "detox" or "kick start" that will automatically make all desire to overeat or to eat so-called "bad" foods go away, without having to think about it or plan or do work or learn to cook vegetables.

    IMO, cut calories, count and log if it appeals to you (I found it interesting), and eat a sensible, balanced, nutrition-conscious diet. Potatoes are tasty and can easily be part of that. I enjoy them roasted with some protein (fish is a great accompaniment, IMO) and non-starchy vegetables.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
    Options
    I think these diets are not only nutritionally unsound (duh) and completely unsustainable, but have a really negative effect on self-esteem and mental/emotional well-being. Clearly, people can lose weight by sticking to the diet but in my (sadly personal) experience people can't usually stick it out for the required time, and experience the double-whammy of failure and more weight gain. It can really make a person just give up on themselves, especially if they've tried a restrictive diet more than once. :(
  • marm1962
    marm1962 Posts: 950 Member
    Options
    http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/news/a39697/penn-jillette-weight-loss-potato-diet/

    Penn Jillette can make just about anything disappear, but this time the famous illusionist performed a dramatic vanishing act on himself. The taller half of Penn & Teller dropped over 100 pounds by eating only two things and skipping exercise altogether.

    The 6-foot, 7-inch magician weighed 322 pounds over a year ago, when doctors discovered a 90% blockage in his heart. The father of two then decided to take drastic measures to see his young kids grow up. Under medical supervision, Jillette embarked on the "potato diet," eating only plain potatoes for two whole weeks. After subsisting on spuds alone, he started phasing in vegetable stews for added nutrients.

    But the potato diet won't work magic for everyone. "While there's no doubt that potatoes — just like all vegetables— are supremely nutritious, eliminating almost all other food groups in totality is not only dangerous, but can really backfire," says Jaclyn London, R.D., Nutrition Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute. The dramatic changes usually slow down your body's metabolism and result in binging later on, she explains. "While veggie stews and potatoes can be amazing weight-loss allies, it's never good advice to completely eliminate food groups in order to lose weight for the long-term."
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    Options
    Please don't. This is just another example of how people think you need to suffer in order to lose weight. Read the stickies posted at the top of each forum. You don't have have to do anything extreme.

Categories