Losing Weight On 20 Potatoes A Day

Remember Chris Voight? The man who is eating 20 potatoes a day for 60 days? He lost 8 pounds in 11 days. His blood glucose levels are lower than before he started the high-carb diet.

"10/11/2010 08:01:49 ~ Chris Voigt

So one thing people keep asking about is, "What about my weight?"

I've been hesitant to talk about this because I don't want people to think of this as a weight loss diet. It is not, and it's not something I want people to replicate. While I think that the potato is probably the best food item you could choose if you were going to eat just one thing for 60 days, its still not 100% complete nutrition.

My intent of this diet is just to showcase that potatoes contain no fat, no sodium, no cholesterol, have more potassium than a banana, fiber equal to brown rice, an inexpensive source of vitamin C, and also contain an array of other vitamins and minerals your body needs.

So let me step down from my nutrition soap box and talk about weight. I started this diet at 197 pounds. I'm six foot one and a half so according to my BMI, I was a little over weight. I should be in the 175-185 range. Right now, I'm at 189 pounds. Most of that weigh loss happened early, only because I was struggling to eat enough potatoes. I seemed full the whole time so it was hard to keep eating. But now, my weight loss has become more stable. I'm making sure I eat my 20 potatoes a day by using a timer to remind me to eat. I still expect to drop into that healthy zone between 175-185 pounds, but I'm hoping it will take a few more weeks. "

Gary Taubes, advocate of low-carb Atkins-type diets, in his book, Good Calories, Bad Calories said:

"Carbohydrates make us fat and ultimately cause obesity. The fewer carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be."

"Refined carbohydrates, starches, and sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease and diabetes."

"Obesity is a disorder of excess fat accumulation, not overeating, and not sedentary behavior."

"Consuming excess calories does not cause [Taubes' emphasis] us to grow fatter, any more than it causes a child to grow taller. Expending more energy than we consume does not lead to long-term weight loss; it leads to hunger."

If I apply Taubes' claims, Mr. Voight should be growing fatter, not losing weight, not lowering his blood sugars. What do you think?

I think a person's overall diet, or dietary pattern, is a stronger predictor of health than is the contribution of any one nutrient, such as carbohydrates.

Related posts:
High-Fat High-Sugar Dietary Pattern ("Meat & Potatoes") Linked To Colon Cancer, Diabetes
"Meat And Potatoes" Dietary Pattern And Risk For Colon Cancer
Colon Cancer, Its Link To Diabetes, And Dietary Pattern

Here's Chris answering the question, "What have your bowel movements been like eating 20 potatoes a day?" I can't believe he did this.


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