Help! A question about brown rice!

paullywall

Hello everybody,

So, I've recently started going to the gym consistently and making healthier eating choices little by little. I'm trying to make sure to teach my body a new (permanent) way of living, rather than temporarily shocking it for a few months just to lose the weight that I want to lose.

That being said, I'm doing my best to back off of carbs. I used to be in love with any rice dishes and potato dishes as well. They were two of my favorite things, and as we all know, carbs aren't ideal for weight loss, so I'm backing off of them. Here is my question: is brown rice a decent substitute for white rice? I really don't mind the taste, especially when I add some cilantro and lime. I usually bake some chicken with some light seasonings and I'll eat that for either lunch or dinner.

Am I still going to lose weight if I cut potatoes and white rice completely out of my diet, but continue to cook and eat brown rice with chicken?

neanderthin

It's calories that dictate weight loss, if your eating fewer calories than your body requires it will take that energy from your bodies stored energy reserves. In other words it makes no difference if you switch around your foods thinking it somehow going to generate weight loss. If you like brown rice and you can justify leaving white rice and potatoes out of your diet, then do that, it doesn't matter barring any metabolic dysfunction that make carbs less desirable.

bcattoes

Brown rice is a great substitute for white rice because it has more fiber. Carbs are not bad for weight loss unless you are insulin resistant or have an intollerance to the carb you are eating (such as gluten). But carbs with fiber digest slower and you don't get the same "sugar rush" that get from carbs without fiber. Slower digestion usually means you feel full longer.

Plus most calories from fiber are not absorbed.