I once went on a potato diet. Now, you would not think that this was such a good idea because many people seem to feel that potatoes are very fattening. Did you know that a medium baked potato contains only about 160 calories? A medium baked potato is considered to be approximately 3 inches in width so that is a pretty good-sized potato. If the thought of eating a potato without any toppings or additives on it puts a lump in your throat, rest easy. You can also put 2 tablespoons of low-fat sour cream on top of it and some black pepper for an additional 30 calories. This makes a very filling meal for less than 200 calories that is also delicious and good for you.
Potatoes are carbohydrate rich, but that is what makes us get that full, satisfying feeling. They are filled with wonderful nutrients and supply us with potassium, fiber, the B vitamins, and vitamin C. It is preferable to bake the potato to get the full nutritional benefits, but because this takes quite a bit of time many people just pop one into the microwave for approximately 5 minutes. Not everyone is crazy about the potato skin, but this actually is where you will get most of your fiber and potassium from and your vitamin C as well.
I have to admit that this was a bit of fad-type dieting for me, but this was one of the many ways that I chose to switch things up a bit when I was losing my weight. When I started to get into a rut with my 1200-calorie a day diet and losing the weight was slowing down I made some changes in my eating and exercise to get things started again. I had to do this several times along the way in order to give myself a “boost” and start losing the weight again.
By the way, since potatoes are healthy, I felt good about this. I combined it with vegetables and stayed on this for about a week. I ate Cream of Wheat for breakfast and potatoes and vegetables for lunch and dinner. I lost 8 pounds that week.
Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, single parenting, and health.