Potatoes - Good Or Bad For Weight Loss?

lukeout007

I always hear conflicting information...are potatoes bad for losing weight? Will they have any real effect? And does it matter what type of potato? I know there are a million sweet potato fans on here...I really don't like them anymore so that's kind of out for me. But a bag of russets or even red potatoes is relatively cheap and I would think healthy. But I don't want to sabotage myself.

Thoughts?

DeanneLea

I think you're being a bit paranoid. There are health benefits to potatoes...it is after all, a veggie. It comes down to HOW you are preparing it and how much you are eating. I eat potatoes 3-5 times a week because it's my favorite food. I just have found healthier alternatives to the ways that I used to prepare them. (I eat yukon gold)

rrgrove

supposedly sweet potatoes have more nutrients than regular most people are against them because of they are kind of high in carb and calories i still eat them and i havent had a problem with them prepare them in a healthy way and eat them in moderation

lukeout007

I think you're being a bit paranoid. There are health benefits to potatoes...it is after all, a veggie. It comes down to HOW you are preparing it and how much you are eating. I eat potatoes 3-5 times a week because it's my favorite food. I just have found healthier alternatives to the ways that I used to prepare them. (I eat yukon gold)

Well...as far as preparing I always bake them and then just use a little butter...and usually I eat 2 small red potatoes or 1 good sized yukon gold. I can't really finish a full russet.

cmriverside

Potatoes are good nutritionally. Eat what you like, and fit them into your daily macros. Nothing needs to be eliminated to lose weight. It's all personal preference.

The way you are preparing them is great. Eat the skins for more nutritional value.

DeanneLea

I think you're being a bit paranoid. There are health benefits to potatoes...it is after all, a veggie. It comes down to HOW you are preparing it and how much you are eating. I eat potatoes 3-5 times a week because it's my favorite food. I just have found healthier alternatives to the ways that I used to prepare them. (I eat yukon gold)

Well...as far as preparing I always bake them and then just use a little butter...and usually I eat 2 small red potatoes or 1 good sized yukon gold. I can't really finish a full russet.

I think that sounds great! I like to cut them up into round slices and throw in a ziplock baggie with olive oil and whatever seasonings I'm in the mood for, then bake. Healthier french fries and super easy.

lukeout007

I think you're being a bit paranoid. There are health benefits to potatoes...it is after all, a veggie. It comes down to HOW you are preparing it and how much you are eating. I eat potatoes 3-5 times a week because it's my favorite food. I just have found healthier alternatives to the ways that I used to prepare them. (I eat yukon gold)

Well...as far as preparing I always bake them and then just use a little butter...and usually I eat 2 small red potatoes or 1 good sized yukon gold. I can't really finish a full russet.

I think that sounds great! I like to cut them up into round slices and throw in a ziplock baggie with olive oil and whatever seasonings I'm in the mood for, then bake. Healthier french fries and super easy.

That's a great idea! I might try that this week actually. Thank you!

Btw what temperature do you bake them on when you prepare them this way?

Spanaval

I think there was a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year that linked potatoes with weight gain.

monty619

moderation is the key. ur carbohydrates can pretty much come from anything and potatoes are fine because they are nutritionally dense..

do i eat white potatoes? no i dont because i prefer other carbohydrate sources that i like to eat earlier in the day when i weight train

blandwriter

If I'm going to eat potatoes, I try to also include protein and some healthy fat along side. Generally I think potatoes get a bum rap. In researching South Beach (I do a modified version) I found most of the carb-hostility aimed at rice, which I've eaten four or five times since late January. I would choose a sweet potato over a white potato, but any kind of potato over rice. But that's just me.

auntygill

I dont think you should deny yourelf anything as long its within your allowance , i love my potaoes and wont be giving them up , its just a amller portion for me now

UponThisRock

I think there was a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year that linked potatoes with weight gain.

Wonder how much money they spent to conclude that people that eat a lot of french fries tend to be fatter?

Spanaval

Wonder how much money they spent to conclude that people that eat a lot of french fries tend to be fatter?

IIRC, they concluded that french fries and potato chips led to the highest gain in weight (DUH!!!), but that healthier forms of eating it (baked, for instance), also contributed to weight gain.

ETA: I don't like fries or chips, but I love, love, love potatoes, and I'm not going to stop eating it. Just so my bias is known.

DeanneLea

I bake them at 400...time varies but anywhere from 25-40 minutes depending on the amount. Just keep an eye on them and turn over once. I like to use seasonings like Old Bay, garlic salt, garlic powder, chili powder, truffle salt, greek seasoning, just salt and pepper, italian seasoning, etc. Seriously, the possibilities are endless lol. I may eat them more than the average person but they are to me what dessert is to others.

LorinaLynn

Love the spud! I have baked potatoes or baked curly fries a couple times a week.

auroranflash

I think there was a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year that linked potatoes with weight gain.

Wonder how much money they spent to conclude that people that eat a lot of french fries tend to be fatter?

I believe that actually was the conclusion. If I recall correctly, potatoes are the #1 veggie consumed in the US, and it was because of french fries.

yogsvr4

There is nothing wrong with including potatoes in your diet plans. Like everything else, you're better off if they're not deep fried or smothered in butter and sour cream.

myfitnessnmhoy

I always hear conflicting information...are potatoes bad for losing weight? Will they have any real effect? And does it matter what type of potato? I know there are a million sweet potato fans on here...I really don't like them anymore so that's kind of out for me. But a bag of russets or even red potatoes is relatively cheap and I would think healthy. But I don't want to sabotage myself.

Thoughts?

Potatoes are not inherently unhealthy. They are starchy, and if you eat too many starches and don't keep a balanced diet then you'll sabotage your diet. But the same could be said of a diet too high (or low) in any of the Calorie Trinity: Carbs, Fats, Proteins.

But as part of a balanced diet that includes good portions of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, potatoes have nothing to be ashamed of as a part of your plate. They're delicious, nutrient-rich (especially if you eat the skin), and cheap!

Potato CHIPS, on the other hand, are best enjoyed in small quantities.

LorinaLynn

I think there was a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year that linked potatoes with weight gain.

This one? http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/23/health/la-he-diet-obesity-20110623

Consuming an extra helping of potatoes each day — French fried, baked or otherwise — can add an average of 0.8 of a pound to body weight per year, researchers find. Over time, that can result in substantial weight gain.

So an extra serving of potatoes each day may make you gain almost, but not quite, one pound over the course of a year. Or about one ounce a month. Somehow... that doesn't really scare me. :laugh:

JessWolf1002

My husband bikes 30 miles a day and he eats potatoes a lot because they have double the amount of potassium than bananas and help with his cramping. Baked potatoes arent bad for you as long as you only use a small amount of butter or light sour cream maybe. At least they are better than fries or tots!

malins2

When trying to lose weight I def stay away from potatoes, their nutritional value is excellent, but I wouldn't confuse that with good for eating when wanting to lose weight. Try sweet potatoes instead.

sherripaxton

My Dr. put me on a restricted diet and potatoes are out, as are most starches. But potato skins are fine because they are high in fiber. I'm not really heartbroken, I'm not a huge potato fan to begin with but cutting out rice is killing me.

myfitnessnmhoy

I think that sounds great! I like to cut them up into round slices and throw in a ziplock baggie with olive oil and whatever seasonings I'm in the mood for, then bake. Healthier french fries and super easy.

That's a great idea! I might try that this week actually. Thank you!

Btw what temperature do you bake them on when you prepare them this way?

Potatoes are usually cooked at a fairly high temperature, about 400 would be good.

However, allow me to offer some hopefully-unnecessary advice - you don't bake them IN the zip-loc. That's just to make sure the olive oil thoroughly coats the taters and give them some marinade time. Dump them out of the zip-loc into a baking pan before cooking.

You can also skip the zip-loc, I just put potatoes in a baking pan, spray a little olive oil over them with one of those hand-pump sprayers like Pampered Chef sells, then shake the seasoning on and bake. My favorite seasonings are garlic and oregano, but there are some fantastic curries that work really well if you want to spice it up a little.

wackyfunster

I always hear conflicting information...are potatoes bad for losing weight? Will they have any real effect? And does it matter what type of potato? I know there are a million sweet potato fans on here...I really don't like them anymore so that's kind of out for me. But a bag of russets or even red potatoes is relatively cheap and I would think healthy. But I don't want to sabotage myself.

Thoughts?

Potatoes are great, and very low caloric density (they are <1 calorie per gram, which means you can eat a TON of them and still not intake a large number of calories). The trick is not to smother them in high-fat dairy products (butter, sour cream, etc.). Frying ANYTHING makes it unhealthy.

wackyfunster

I think there was a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year that linked potatoes with weight gain.

This one? http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/23/health/la-he-diet-obesity-20110623

Consuming an extra helping of potatoes each day — French fried, baked or otherwise — can add an average of 0.8 of a pound to body weight per year, researchers find. Over time, that can result in substantial weight gain.

So an extra serving of potatoes each day may make you gain almost, but not quite, one pound over the course of a year. Or about one ounce a month. Somehow... that doesn't really scare me. :laugh:

That's an interesting article. Based upon the numbers they cite, here is what I think is driving the results:
People in study are, on average, already right around their TDEE. Extra servings of food put them over (obviously they are over TDEE or they could not be gaining weight). Potatoes, being a carbohydrate, indicate to the body that it should store dietary fat if there is a caloric surplus, so the fried potatoes, which are high in fat, result in substantially higher weight gain.

I would have to look at the study design, but any time I see a 'BLAH makes you fat' study, I think of the Twinkie diet (nutrition professor at a calorically restricted diet of entirely junk food, lost a bunch of weight and improved on every metric of health assessment). If you do not carry a caloric surplus, you can eat literally whatever you want and you will not gain weight.

tsh0ck

as with ANY FOOD, they aren't bad for weight loss unless you eat too many of them. In other words, if they fit in your calorie bank for the day, eat 'em.

grinch031

There is a claim that potatoes are one of the most satiating foods to eat, which could explain how they may be good for a dieter.

Starting last week I've been putting this to the test, and eating plain baked potatoes in isolation at various times throughout the day to see if they would help curb my hunger. It seems to have little to no satiating effect on me.

DeanneLea

I think that sounds great! I like to cut them up into round slices and throw in a ziplock baggie with olive oil and whatever seasonings I'm in the mood for, then bake. Healthier french fries and super easy.

That's a great idea! I might try that this week actually. Thank you!

Btw what temperature do you bake them on when you prepare them this way?

Potatoes are usually cooked at a fairly high temperature, about 400 would be good.

However, allow me to offer some hopefully-unnecessary advice - you don't bake them IN the zip-loc. That's just to make sure the olive oil thoroughly coats the taters and give them some marinade time. Dump them out of the zip-loc into a baking pan before cooking.

You can also skip the zip-loc, I just put potatoes in a baking pan, spray a little olive oil over them with one of those hand-pump sprayers like Pampered Chef sells, then shake the seasoning on and bake. My favorite seasonings are garlic and oregano, but there are some fantastic curries that work really well if you want to spice it up a little.

I would hope that common sense would come into play regarding the ziplock bag and baking. I use it because it gives an even coat of the oil and seasoning on both sides. Much easier.

malins2

Since potatoes contain a lot of carbs, they will make you feel full quickly but hungry really fast again. They spike your insulin level in your blood. That means you store fat instead of burning it, even if you work out. This spike in insulin level will make you feel hungry again faster. To avoid this and to keep burning fat through out the day it\s good to eat food with a low glycemic index.
Thats why for example why choosing sweet potatoes over regular is a good thing to do.

Chood5

My husband bikes 30 miles a day and he eats potatoes a lot because they have double the amount of potassium than bananas and help with his cramping. Baked potatoes arent bad for you as long as you only use a small amount of butter or light sour cream maybe. At least they are better than fries or tots!

Whats wrong with butter? :-(

ssdivot

I was looking into the glycemic index thing regarding potatoes. I found it interesting and had not previously known that the method of cooking affects the glycemic index of a potato somewhat drastically. Boiled white potatoes had a GI of 56, versus a sweet potato's GI of 54. But baked white potatoes had a GI of 85. These numbers varied somewhat depending on which site I looked at. I've read that it isn't really important to worry about GI unless you have diabetes. I don't worry about it at this time. I generally eat one 150-200 gram yukon gold baked potato a day with salt, pepper, and plain greek yoghurt on it, which tastes to me like sour cream. Yum!