Losing Weight on Potatoes and Junk Food
Potato Diet
As someone who loves hearing good news about my bad habits, I was excited to read about Chris Voigt, the Executive Director of the Washington State Potato Commission, who is eating nothing but 20 potatoes per day for 60 days (link). Potatoes have been linked to diabetes and the theory is that it’s because of their high glycemic index (see here).
After 30 days Voigt’s health markers changed drastically:
Weight – 197 to 189 lbs
Total cholesterol – 214 to 162 mg/dl
HDL (good) – 45 to 46 mg/dl
Triglycerides – 135 to 100 mg/dl
Blood Glucose – 104 to 92 mg/dl
It only takes 11 potatoes to meet the RDA for all amino acids, and 13 to meet the RDA for protein (calculated using a white, baked potato and with a 10% buffer for vegetable protein).
It appears that he isn’t eating sweet potatoes or yams (especially since his vitamin A intake is very low), but I wasn’t able to verify that.
To be clear, I’m not recommending this diet.
Junk Food Diet
And here is another article, Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds, about Professor Mark Haub from Kansas State University. Professor Haub lost 27 lbs in two months of eating nothing but junk food. He says that this shows you can lose weight eating anything, as long as you eat less calories than you use.
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November 10th, 2010 at 5:46 am
The potato diet reminds me of this short clip. Potatoes for victory!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlWw7Z1XhaI&feature=player_embedded
November 10th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
While you can lose weight eating anything you want, it is not always the healthiest thing to do. We all know you need to consume less calories than you expend. However, if I went on a Dr. Pepper diet, I would could lose weight but suffer from malnutrition. You must eat the right foods to lose weight AND feel great.
November 12th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
I LOVE this.
Potatoes rock!
November 12th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Also,
It should be noted that the twinkie guy didn’t eat only twinkies whereas the potato guy ate only potatoes. The twinkie guy’s article says:
“Two-thirds of his total intake came from junk food. He also took a multivitamin pill and drank a protein shake daily. And he ate vegetables, typically a can of green beans or three to four celery stalks.”
November 12th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
[…] Norris commented on Voigt’s successes so far: “After 30 days Voigt’s health markers changed […]
November 17th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
The Irish living in the pre-Famine countryside ate something on the order of 12 pounds of potatoes each day. Then the crop failed and the rest is history.
November 24th, 2010 at 8:14 am
Referring to the junk food diet.
DUH! Everyone knows you can lose weight buy consuming less calories. But weight loss and healthy weight loss are not the same thing.