The Carb Lovers Diet: Resistant Starch
The Carb Lovers Diet was created by Ellen Kunes and Frances Largeman-Roth, editors of “Health” Magazine.
This book dispels the myth that carbs are the enemy when it comes to losing weight and if you select them carefully they can actually help you to release extra pounds.
The authors reveal breakthrough research that shows that certain high carbohydrate foods can boost your metabolism because they contain an ingredient called resistant starch.
Eating these foods can act as an appetite suppressant and also produce an increase in the rate of fat burning, a reduction in body fat (especially abdominal fat), an increase in lean muscle mass and a suppression in appetite.
Carb Lovers Diet Basics
According to Largeman-Roth, “We are brainwashed against carbs. But it is the wrong message. Carbs are good for you if you choose the right ones and control the portions – carbs rich in resistant starch may be the magic bullet in weight loss.” These foods can help us to feel more energetic, reduce hunger and boost our ability to burn fat.
The carb Lovers Diet commences with the strict 7-day “Carb Lovers Kickstart Plan” where you limit your intake of calories to 1200 per day and consume four small meals. This plan will eliminate bloating and allow you to lose six pounds in one week.
Following this is the 21-day “Carb Immersion Plan” where you are allowed five small meals a day with 1600 calories and greater flexibility regarding food choices. Once a week, you are allowed to have a treat of chocolate, apple pie, 2 light beers, or 2 glasses of wine.
The Carb Lovers Diet has five rules:
- Eat at least one resistant starch food (called CarbStars) at every meal.
- 25 percent of the calories from each meal should consist of resistant starch with the remainder from lean protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables.
- Pay attention to portion sizes.
- Avoid deprivation by including your favorite foods in moderation.
- Create a power pantry (stock up on resistant starch foods).
The foundation of this program is the emphasis on resistant starches, which are specific types of starches, similar to fiber, that pass through the body without being digested. By following the suggested meal plan you will increase your intake of resistant starches from the daily average of 4.8 grams up to 10 to 15 grams.
The Carb Lovers Diet also includes a collection of 85 recipes with a colorful photograph of each meal.
Recommended Resistant Starch and Other Foods
Whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, whole grain cereals, granola bars, brown rice, oatmeal, potatoes, bananas, beans, peas, peanuts, apples, broccoli, cucumbers, Greek yogurt, steak, salmon, eggs, chicken, cheese, chocolate, green tea.
Sample Carb Lovers Diet Plan
| Breakfast Kashi TLC chewy granola bar |
| Lunch Chicken Pita Sandwich |
| Afternoon Snack ¾ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt |
| Dinner Skillet salmon and parmesan potatoes |
Strength Training Recommended
Exercise is an important part of The Carb Lovers Diet because it allows you to get quicker results with losing weight. The book includes a body toning workout involving the use of dumbbells that should you perform two to three times a week. On the days that you don’t do weight training it is recommended to do some form of aerobic exercise such as walking or cycling.
Costs and Expenses
The Carb Lovers Diet: Eat What You Love, Get Slim For Life retails at $24.95.
Pros
- Good for dieters who like eating carbohydrate foods.
- Debunks some of the myths about carbs and weight loss.
- Discourages the use of artificial sweeteners.
- Includes a meal plan and recipes with colorful photos of every meal.
- Can be followed by vegetarian dieters.
- Encourages regular exercise as part of a weight loss plan.
Cons
- Title is somewhat misleading because the plan eliminates some carb foods that many dieters love such as bagels, donuts, pizza and cookies.
- The 1,200-calorie introductory week may be too restrictive, especially for physically active dieters.
- Recommends eating green bananas as a resistant starch, which may cause digestive upset.
- Some of the recipes include ingredients that may be difficult to find.
- Endorses the use of some processed foods such as corn flakes and potato chips.
Resistant Starch Equals More Fiber
The Carb Lovers Diet promises dieters that they can lose up to eight pounds in 30 days by emphasizing resistant starch foods. Unfortunately for dieters who love carb foods such as ice cream, cookies and donuts, they will be disappointed because these foods are not a part of the diet.
Most dieters will lose weight on this plan, however this is likely to be related to the restriction of calories and increase in physical activity, rather than due to any special qualities that have been attributed to resistant starch.
Click to vote!
Loading ...
Can you substitute for foods you don’t like, such as, yogurt, milk, and is whole wheat bread ok instead of the pumpernickel or rye?
i just started today i am diabetic and would like to know how it works out for people like me i have alot more to read and like this site
This diet is wonderful and very flexible. I am not worried about why you loose weight, ony that you do. It gives you options to eat out, eat frozen meals (for those who do not like to cook), granola bars, etc. You can easily stay on this without people even noticing you are on a diet and the recipes included many things for everyone. Some recipes are a bit labor intensive, but worth making. The spinach quiche made with shredded potatoes has become one of my daughters favorite meals. Would love to find a website or blog where you could ask questions, recommended substitutions (have food allergies), etc.
If you love pasta, potatoes, etc. and bananas (a must), you will love this diet and will loose weight with it.
The reviewer DOES say that salmon, eggs, cheese, are resistant starch foods. I don’t think he/she read the whole book. I feel great on this diet, and can stick to it in the long term.
Actually, they aren’t. I corrected the heading to make it more clear. Those foods are allowed on the diet, but aren’t resistant starch.
Actually, if you flip through the whole book and into the recipes, there are PLENTY of great recipes for carbs this review mentions that dieters “can’t have” such as pizzas, ice cream, and cookies. I have a hard time believing the person who reviewed this book actually read the entire thing or even looked at the cookbook. Also, what is with the gripe about cornflakes and potato chips? The potato chips they suggest are cooked by the dieter from a potato they slice themselves, and organic cornflakes still contain a great nutrition profile although midly processed. It is OK to eat a few processed foods once in a while. Overall, the diet does not include many processed foods, and if cornflakes are one of the only foods they suggest to eat that are processed, I say they did pretty well.
I’m a little surprised by the conclusion of this article. “Unfortunately for dieters who love carb foods such as ice cream, cookies and donuts, they will be disappointed because these foods are not a part of the diet.” It is a “carb lovers” diet, not an “all the processed carbs and high fat foods I want and still lose weight” diet! Logically the only way to eat carbs and still lose weight is to eat smart and healthy. I will take getting skinny with healthy carbs over staying overweight with junk food any day!
I love carbs and will give it a try since, I have to loose way and don’t want to stop eating what I like/
I have lost about 17 pounds on this diet so far in about six weeks. My main problem was snacking at night after the evening meal. The foods in this diet will keep you full longer than other foods, therefore, you will eat much less and still not be hungry. You will hit a plateau now and then, but keep at it and you will keep losing.
I started the Carb Lovers Diet last Tuesday and I’ve lost 7lbs as of today. I have weight induced diabetes and I can say that the science behind RS is true. My blood sugar levels are waaaayyy lower than they were a week ago. I’m never hungry and my energy has increased immensely. I also track what i eat religiously on Calorie Count to see how healthy I am eating. My daily grades are mostly A & B. My lowest was a C+. All of these facts tell me that this diet will work for anyone, especially when you add in the fact that I’m very sedentary due to a lower back injury. This is what caused me to gain the weight in the first place but thankfully with this diet it’s not getting in the way of me losing it.
There are clear errors in this article. Foods such as chicken, steak, salmon do NOT contain any resistant starch. It is totally untrue to say otherwise.
That’s not what the review said. The review simply listed foods allowed including lean protein sources which are recommended on the diet.
I lost 21 lbs in 3.5 weeks on the Carb Lovers Diet. I had plenty of energy also.
please tell me what motivated u
I totally disagree with your conclusion:
“Most dieters will lose weight on this plan, however this is likely to be related to the restriction of calories and increase in physical activity, rather than due to any special qualities that have been attributed to resistant starch.”
I have been on this diet for two weeks and have lost 8 pounds without any increase in physical activity. I was already restricting calories without results. I am convinced that the introduction of resistant starch in my diet is the cause of my weight loss. There is also scientific evidence supporting the role of resistant starch in weight loss.
Marvellous.
Very depressed after checking my BMI at hospital after young son had heart attack last week. I am high risk! I have followed it for 2 days and feel marvellous and have lost 4lb .
You’re missing all the data showing that resistant starch shifts metabolism, increases insulin sensitivity and increases satiety hormones (so you feel less hungry). It doesn’t like wheat fiber, cellulose or any of the other traditional fibers – it changes how your body handles lipid and sugar. If you’re going to review the diet, you at least need to consider the science supporting it.
And if you’re committed to having cookies and other carb-rich foods, you can get natural resistant starch to put into them to make better-for-you versions. I put RS into cookies, pancakes and a morning shake. It gives me options to still eat the foods that I love.