Wow, the amount of protein in this diet is really low. And all those carbs may not be for everyone. This diet may be cheap, but not healthy.
If you are the type of person who puts on weight easily (like me), than I would suggest doing 50% to 60%+ of your calories from protein and 20% or less from carbs. The easiest source of protein are white eggs (in a carton), chicken (pre-cooked), beans (get low sodium), and protein shakes (whey during the day and casein at night). All these foods can be prepared with just the microwave.
Eating carbs is the easiest way to gain extra pounds. Removing carbs also removes any food coma you may experience after eating a meal, allowing you to be more productive.
I lost like 30 lbs without trying that hard by eliminating carbs and focusing on protein. The degree to which I'm in shape one day is correlated to how much carbs I have avoided in the previous few days.
And of course, take vitamin supplements. Throwing in some veggies for the fiber, or take fiber supplements.
Back when our diet was 54% carbs and 12.6% fats & oils, we were a lot thinner than today (43% carbs, 24% fats & oils).
I'd say there's too much fixation on "carbs" and "fats" and too little on the source. Would you agree that eating a fresh apple gives a different effect compared on eating a couple of teaspoonfuls of white sugar, even if the carb and caloric content is equal? I wish there was a breakdown for the source of micronutrients somewhere.
And of course, the total amount of calories and sedentary lifestyles contribute greatly to people being overweight.
But what does contribute to the growth in rates of cancer, diabetes, heart diseas and other "diseases of civilisation"? This is not so easily answered by just breaking down the food by carbs/fats/protein.
That may be so, but being thin dies not equate being healthy. Every body is different though, and such a diet might work for you, while I need a lot more protein and a whole lot less carbs. That being said, whatever works for you or me, does not necessarily mean we're healthy.
I think the daily changes in how "in shape" you are reflect how much water you have in your body from eating carbohydrate. Nobody loses a noticeable amount of fat in one day.
You lost weight by decreasing the amount of energy you were eating. Low-carb diets are an effective way to do this, because they are generally restrictive (less variety means less overeating) and because protein is very satiating. But there are other ways, and yes, some of them involve eating a lot of carbohydrates. The best thing is to choose something you can stick with. In that sense, your advice is not good, since 50-60% protein would make a lot of people want to barf.
I would go so far as to say there is no such thing as a diet that is "healthy" absent particular health goals. If you are overweight, one way to become healthier is to lose weight. In that sense, a low-energy diet is effective, independent of what foods it contains.
>since 50-60% protein would make a lot of people want to barf.
I don't think that's true. I'm currently on a diet that's fairly high in protein (and to go with the theme of the article, comes out to $4-$6 a day I believe). I don't think it's barf-worthy.
Example:
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with a little salsa on top, bacon, mixed veggies
Lunch: Usually salad of romaine, spinach, mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, grilled chicken, and homemade dressing. Sometimes I'll have chili instead of a salad.
Dinner: Usually a pork chop or chicken breast, some spiced lentils, and mixed veggies
I think that's a pretty well balanced high protein diet. I'd estimate it as 60% protein/20% fat/20% carbs. The veggies add relatively few carbs. The only thing it's really "missing" is starchy carbs. Sure, if your high protein plan was 2 pounds of beef a day, I'd go and say it's barf-worthy, but I'd argue most low-carb diets aren't.
A lot of people, not necessarily you :) My main point is that people have different psychological reactions which we shouldn't ignore.
Also, I think your diet is much higher in fat and lower in protein than you are estimating. For example, the protein sources in your breakfast are only around 30% protein, with 70% fat. Dressing and cheese in your salad are also very high in fat. My source for these numbers is nutritiondata.com. Every food has a percentage macronutrient breakdown, as well as vitamins, fats, and amino acids.
As tasty as your diet seems(and I bet it is), being Asian, I will barf within a couple of days if I did not have some rice or starch in the diet. And it has nothing to do with the food, it is just the way I have grown up. To me, a moderate protein diet is more palatable and hence more sustainable in the long run.
Yoy body will adapt if you give it the chance. Your mind, that's different.
Right now I will barf within a couple of days if I don't eat some fatty pork. I never eat rice and potatoes after 30+ years of eating them daily, and I don't miss them at all.
He priced a 50lb bag of brown rice. I wonder, could you eat that much brown rice before it started to go bad? (Brown rice keeps less than a year; a quick web search says about six months.) You'd have to eat over a quarter pound (uncooked dry weight) per day every day to finish a bag in six months.
Maybe he didn't take that into account. I doubt that he's eating that much rice every day. On the other hand, if you are cooking for more than one person you might be able to go through the bag in less that six months.
If you want to go low carb, I would suggest making it up with fat instead of protein. High protein diets can affect the kidney by increasing the load, especially important if you do not have perfect blood pressure. Milk thistle (silymarin) can help alleviate it.
If you are the type of person who puts on weight easily (like me), than I would suggest doing 50% to 60%+ of your calories from protein and 20% or less from carbs. The easiest source of protein are white eggs (in a carton), chicken (pre-cooked), beans (get low sodium), and protein shakes (whey during the day and casein at night). All these foods can be prepared with just the microwave.
Eating carbs is the easiest way to gain extra pounds. Removing carbs also removes any food coma you may experience after eating a meal, allowing you to be more productive.
I lost like 30 lbs without trying that hard by eliminating carbs and focusing on protein. The degree to which I'm in shape one day is correlated to how much carbs I have avoided in the previous few days.
And of course, take vitamin supplements. Throwing in some veggies for the fiber, or take fiber supplements.