The Rice Diet Solution - thoughts?

It's a great diet if you don't exercise and need to drop weight fast. It's hard to find things that fit the guidelines (500-800mg sodium/0-4g fat/no added sugar) but once you do your label reading and start living a pescatarian life, it's easy to follow. It is easy to get creative once you learn to love the taste of food. It is a great kick starter also. I'm doing just that. I adjust as I go. I need the protein and fats so i choose to substitute a plant based protein powder for a starch. After i lose the initial 20 lbs i need to then I'll add it instead of substitute. Plus I'll be muscle building and muscles (including the brain) NEED protein. This is my go to diet and i have no problems adding red meat and pizza after i refamiliarize myself with the strict guidelines. I get carried away with work and stress sometimes and i forget to eat right but when i need the guidance, this works every time. I've lost 50 lbs by using this "dieta" and it is a struggle to keep it off but that is because major weightloss for me isn't easy. I am close to finding the balance i need to maintain the weightloss easily. Over the years I've discovered that building muscle (and adding protein) and staying active is a huge step to maintaining. The rice diet focuses mainly on the food and could improve by helping guide into an active lifestyle as well. I haven't read the newest book though and it looks like they touch base on those topics there. But always always intake protein to build muscle. It also helps curb hunger pangs that other things just can't.

A diet low in calories, fat and protein. What could go wrong?

^^^ this

Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.~Mitch Hedberg

Um concerning diets I would just read and use theses links...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://evidencemag.com/why-calories-count/

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069278-acronyms-and-terms-for-new-mfp-members-v-6


ETA:You really do not have to over-complicate/restrict what and how you eat.

EDIT: NVM just another necro-posted thread.

I'd just like to register a self-righteous 'lifestyle over fad diet' comment in order to boost my perceived online persona profile.

I hope it's received and my collective group 'common sense' approval rating appreciates accordingly.

It is a ridiculous fad that many will fall for. If you do lose weight it will be because you are eating at a deficit and you can do that with any foods. Just make sure to get proper nutrition for your body and eat at a deficit. I am trying to prevent the loss of LBM, so I wouldn't go near this diet.

Well, I think I have to write a diet book with lots of glossy pictures.

Uhhh, where's the bacon?

I've never found longterm success with any plan that consists of a precisely measured out and itemized menu. Before I lost weight, I tried the cabbage soup diet, the apple cider vinegar diet, the 3-day military diet, Xenadrine, Dexatrim, Lipozene, Alli, and any other quick fix I came across. I haven't heard of the rice diet, and maybe there is some validity to it, but I learned the hard way through trial and failure that my only route to success was a lifestyle change. Not a diet. I wish you luck on it, though. Hopefully, your doctor is spot on for what your body needs.

Please, before deciding this is a 'fad' or unhealthy, read the book...not just what one website or article said. I did do the rice diet and stayed on it for a year. I started at over 300 pounds. I couldn't go to the clinic in Durham, so I just did it on my own. At the time, the rice house also ran a forum where you could get advice from Kitty Rosati at the Rice House.

When I saw the diet, I thought for sure I would be hungry all the time...800 calories to start? Low Fat? Ouch. Surprisingly, since I was always hungry on a 1200 calorie weight watchers or even a 1500 calorie Atkins, I was *never* hungry. I always saved one piece of fruit (usually berries or an apple) for a mid-meal and evening snack and the natural fruit sugar really kept my energy level stable.

Unlike others, I found that the lack of choices was a major benefit to me. On low carb, the taste of the fats and meats made me mentally crave more. The starches and natural fruit sugars on the RD satisfied me mentally and physically. I ate Boca burgers in half of a whole wheat pita with alfalfa sprouts on it for lunch, rice with banana and unsweetened almond milk poured over it for breakfast, etc. Some people here questioned the lack of protein. My favorite 'protein' was a bean/rice pot. Beans & rice make a complete protein. Eating 2/3 of a cup of rice & beans (or other allowed choices), along with about 1 and 1/2 cups of vegies and a fruit (for midmeal break) kept me full and happy...and not constantly thinking about food. I will be honest and say I ignored the 'low sodium' part of the diet. I don't have hypertension and didn't care if I held a bit of extra fluid...and actually, I found that cutting out the sodium caused me to have leg cramps.

Did I stick to it 100%? Mostly. On Thanksgiving I had turkey, gravy and potatoes and even a couple bites of pecan pie...but due to eating so little in the months prior, it didn't take much to make me feel full. On my birthday, I had lobster, butter, and a few bites of german chocolate cake...because that's all I could handle. There were a few other instances, but I'd say about 95% of the time, I was on plan.

The first week on plan, I lost 15 pounds (most of it water). Over the next year, I lost a total of 190 lbs which averages out to a little over 3.5 pounds per week. I did not exercise. I hate to exercise...but as I took off the weight I found I wanted to be more active. My husband and I would go out for a walk on nice evenings or we'd go hiking on nature trails when we traveled (which is often). Since losing my weight 10 years ago, I discovered yoga and tai chi and at the age of 60, now teach both at senior citizen centers.

Now I just eat a healthy diet and keep an eye on my weight. I give myself a 5 lb leeway and when it hits that 5 lb mark, I'm back on the RD...and usually back to my appropriate weight in 2 weeks. This is not a fad. Yes it is low fat and low calorie, but it is as varied as you want to make it. There are *lots* more choices than just rice!

Just wanted to add that the most important factor in any diet is what you can live with. Find what you can live with and what works for *you*.