Cutting out starches and eating just fruit, veg and protein?

Question

I've heard of people losing weight by cutting out all starches temporarily and just eating fruit, vegetables and protein, but I'm wondering if it's healthy and how you would feel while you're doing it. Fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates, so is that enough in the short term? Has anybody tried this?

Answer 1

Here's the deal. You need I believe its 149mg of carbs a day for your brain to function correctly. Starches are full of carbs. Non-starchy vegetables hardly have any. Fruits are loaded with carbs though. The thing is that you need other things from say like a potato.(potassium)and certain other vitabmins. You get riboflavin from breads. Here's your best diet and it's healthy and approved by The American Diabetes Association.

3 meals a day with 45mg of carbs each meal
3 snacks a day with 15 mg of carbs each snack

Can have as much meat as you want.
get a carb counter of foods and read labels so you can count them.

This diet gives you alot of freedom and lets u eat your favorite foods. They may be limited but hey you get to eat them.
Example instead of 6 oreo cookies you can only eat two.
On my sandwiches I get to slather the mayo on.
When I eat a salad I get to use my favorite dressing and about as much as I like.

Answer 2

You do not want to cut out carbohydrates (starches) completely. They are ESSENTIAL sources of energy...what you want to make sure is you dont eat too many starches (too many caloriesare what causes you to gain weight). Carbohydrates need to be 55-65% of your total caloric intake for the day. A good idea is to get the majority of your carbs (starches) in at a breakfast and lunch, then for dinner eat a lean source of meat (chicken, turkey, fish, etc) and eat that with vegetables, fruits etc.

Here is my recommendation, go to www.apexfitness.com , click tools, click daily caloric needs, enter the appropriate information it asks for. From there you can determine roughly how many calories your metabolism needs to run efficiently. Keeping a steady metabolism will increase energy levels, metabolize more fat and help you feel better. When you get your daily caloric needs, figure about 55-65% of those calories should come from carbs, split your daily calorie needs into 5-6 meals and you have a recipe for nutritional success, fat loss and feeling good!

Answer 3

Just do the low cal, more exercise diet. It's a DIY type diet and those always work the best.

I'm doing the fruits and veggies thing right now and although I've lost 12 pounds over 2 months, it's really boring and I don't enjoy my meals anymore.

Remember, you do need starches and carbs (even complex ones like bread + pasta) sometime in your diet, just as long as you do it in MODERATION.

Answer 4

I've lost weight this way. It's very good for you I think. Fruits and veggies have lots of vitamins and minerals. They do have carbs, but they're healthier, with fiber. And protein is good, just make sure it's lean and prepared healthy.

If you do go back to starches eventually, just be reasonable with the amounts. Avoid processed foods, junk foods, white flour.

Answer 5

I'm doing the optifast diet which are kinda like protien shakes and you're only allowed to eat fruit, veges and salad while you're on it but its pretty good, it's a low energy thing so you feel a bit tired some days but other than that, all good

Answer 6

Good Idea! Now be careful to only eat colored veggies, Potatoes and cabbage are ok if you eat only a tablespoon full.per day. Only thing I see wrong is the cost. fresh fruit is expensive and canned fruit is full of sugar(carbs),For snacks try celery. Limit your carbs to 20 per day!!!

Answer 7

Well dear, fruits, and vegetables are starches. Sorry. Maybe you mean cut out snack foods like chips? I call them empty caloire starches.

Answer 8

MY DAUGHTER AND HER HUSBAND HAVE EATEN THIS WA;Y FOR OVER 2 YEARS. I'VE ALSO TRIED IT. NO PROBLEMS. YOU REALLY DON'T GET HUNGER. HAVE A PROTEIN SNACK BETWEEN MEALS.