The potato hack

[andyswarbs]

For potato lovers A book called the potato hack by tony Steele has just come out and is available on amazon. It goes through the process of eating just potatoes to lose weight and heal IBS issues. Apparently this knowledge has been around since the 1800s.

[Hidden]

Hi Andy, this is an interesting concept and my first thought was what about nutrition, so here's a link that deals with the nutritional aspect and also explains resistant starch from heating and cooling potatoes how the starch resistant increases, which's very interesting.

Please see:

visualimpactfitness.com/pot...

I personally prefer a balanced diet so am adding to this out of interest.

[andyswarbs in reply to Hidden]

Yes, this drives a coach and horses through the low carb movement. And yes I also prefer a good rounded high carb low fat lifestyle. But books like this show that anyone who says carbs make you fat is wearing a large blindfold. I mean this is not in itself a randomised control trial or anything. But it is something anyone could try, following the success of others and see if it helps. Oh, and afaik potatoes are dead cheap.

[Cooper27 Administrator]

I heard about a guy who followed this diet for a year and lost 112lbs, with the odd side effect of not having loose skin (which is typical for someone who loses so much in such a short space of time).

I'm with Jerry though, I can't help wondering if he ultimately lacked in a few key nutrients. I can't see it being a way of life instead of just a short term diet hack.

[Zest]

Hi Andy,

Just wondering if his book contains many recipes with potatoes? I do enjoy potatoes as part of some of my meals, and I do cool and re-heat them (not always, but sometimes) for the resistant starch effect, but I must say I like to have some variation in my meals - i.e. quite a few ingredients.

I love potatoes - especially new potatoes and jacket potatoes. Yum!

Zest

[MTCee]

Wouldn't there be an issue of exposing yourself to high levels of solenine? All potatoes comtain this poisonous compound to some extent....some varieties more than others. If all you ate was potatoes, surely it would be dangerous?

[MTCee]

Sorry I meant to write solanine.

[Praveen55 Star]

POTATOES HACK DIET AND WEIGHT LOSS

1. There is, in fact, no surprise losing weight eating potatoes only, if we do the sum.

One pound of potatoes = 350 calories.

If a person eats 2 lbs of potatoes a day, he will be consuming only 700 calories.

If you take an overweight person with a daily calories requirements of 2500 to maintain the current weight, there will be a huge energy deficit on 2 lbs/day potatoes diet.

If one consumes any diet with such low calories, weight loss is sure to happen.

As you may be aware of NHS rapid weight loss programme for diabetes where energy intake is limited to 800 calories/day for about six weeks.

2. Difference between the various extreme low calories diets will be in terms of nutrients supplied to the body and after-meal feeling. Some may provide more fullness and nutrients than others. But all will remain hacks only and unless there is a proper backup dietary plan to follow afterwords, person is likely to regain the weight.

3. If someone is following low carb approach with energy intake limited to 700 calories ( which is generally not recommended), let us see what he can eat:

A. Non-starchy vegetables and salad greens: 750 gms of properly chosen fresh veg and greens will provide only 100 - 120 calories.

B. 50 gm high quality protein = 200 calories

C. 50 gm healthy dietary fat = 450 calories

Total intake energy = 750 calories approx.

Selection of protein and fat will depend on the dietary preference of the person for example-

Vegetarian -1 (no eggs but dairy allowed)

Vegetarian -2 ( eggs + dairy allowed)

Vegetarian - 3 ( no eggs or dairy)

Non-vegetarian ( meats, eggs, fish etc).

It is possible to have a well-formulated low carb diet to meet the requirements for all the above categories and achieve consistent weight loss.

Once the desired weight is achieved, the calories intake can be gradually increased up to the maintenance level with carb adjusted to one's personal tolerance level.

Therefore, low carb approach is not a hack but a prescription to a healthy eating according to the needs of the individual.

Now one can assess which approach is better.

4. The statement '' Carbs make you fat'' in isolation and giving the example of effect of potatoes diet is just another attempt to twist the original intended meaning.

[Cooper27 Administrator in reply to Praveen55]

Oh interesting, I hadn't thought of the calorie content of the potatoes, so it's approx. 700 calories a day for 3 days a week? Sounds a lot like the 5:2 diet.

Of course the one thing about improving the resistant starch of the potatoes, means you will actually only absorb a proportion of the calories as well. It's fasting by another name I guess!

[Praveen55 Star in reply to Cooper27]

You are right - it is a Partial Fast without much nutrients needed by the body.