The Super Secret Potato Project page 12

[Paleobird]

Maybe it's time to resurrect your 'monster thread' on calorie counting--because you are right! I looked but couldn't find it. I think the only diff between normal calorie restriction and the potato diet is that the potato diet is meant only for 1-2 weeks max and has a high satiety effect.

This was the original one. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread24580.html
And this was the updated one. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread29501.html

With those numbers, assuming you are male, of average height, and between 40 - 60 years of age, you were eating about 1150 kcal. per day, and your BMR requirements are anywhere between 1800 - 2000 kcal. So, you were at 58% - 65% of your BMR. Were you to not lose weight on such a protocol I would be stunned.

If you were eating at those levels and not feeling hungry, that is indeed impressive, but then we would need to discuss satiation vs. satiety, where satiation == your body is fed, and satiety == you are fed up ( with eating so many potatoes ).

I didn't feel hungry on my low calorie diet and yet I was getting all my nutrients in. I was basically eating 6 eggs for breakfast and a hunk of protein + veg for dinner. It was not hard.

If it is a calorie reduced diet ( which it obviously is ), then all equivalent diets that supply the same net energy ( calories ) will work, with the caveat that they need to leave you somewhat sated so you can comply with the protocol.

You could eat yourself blue in the face with cabbage, cauliflower, strawberries, broccoli, or any one of a number of other things that you might actually enjoy. You might even muster the courage to add a pat of butter or throw in additional protein if your understanding of nutrition and experience with your own metabolism would indicate that it was called for.

If you find a high fat calorie restricted diet satiating, then you should eat that. Alternatively, eat a high protein calorie restricted diet, if that also fits the bill with respect to your hunger. Of course, if you attempt to suggest such blasphemy, you get excommunicated from the church of the potato.

I have no problem with folks eating a calorie reduced diet and losing weight. In fact, that is the only way to lose weight, deniers of fundamental thermodynamics notwithstanding. I would and do have a problem with folks eating a diet that is deficient nutritionally. I also have a really big problem with uncritical ritualistic acceptance of anything, whether related to diet or otherwise.
-PK

This. Just this.^^^^

[Atticus]

I think that the most important voices to be heard are those of the dissenters.

We already have an inborn tendency towards confirmation bias ... why fan those flames by excluding contrary viewpoints?

-PK

I think the most important voices are from those who have tried it and have some actual data to show. While I agree with you on the concept of confirmation bias, I also see a lot of "contempt before investigation". Lots of dissent with no actual experience.

I think its great that there is a group of people here that are trying a protocol that was pretty much pronounced "failure proof" by Mr. Ray Cronise. Great, now let's test it! Not with a bunch of theories on human nutrition, but with some data. And before anyone chime in, I understand this is not a double-blind, crossover study in a metabolic ward. Dieter beware.

What I understand the purpose of this thread to be is a place where those of us who are actually trying this can discuss our experiences before, during, and after, and trade tips for success.

What is bothersome, are the people that just follow the thread around and post their negative opinion about how the diet can't be done, how it's too low in this, too high in that, not "Primal", not approved by Mark, blah blah blah. This adds absolutely no value to the experiment or to the thread as a whole. We are already attempting the protocol, get over it. Yes, I understand its a public forum, so its going to be what its going to be. But just because you are being ignored doesn't mean you are excommunicated. Lol.

For my part, I would like to see a few things:

1. How does eating Potatoes for 10 days affect my body composition? (Measured with a BF tool of some sort)
2. How does it affect my blood sugar levels? (Measured with Glucometer)
3. Could I actually eat nothing but Potatoes for 10 days?
4. Will I automatically eat at a caloric deficit?
5. Is it something that is appropriate for me in the future?

It's just a personal experiment, I wouldn't even call it a hack at this point. Even a hack is something that is sorta proven to work. We've already seen it doesn't work for some people (sorry Ray), for others it works great.

On to the next spud . . . haters gotta hate.

[paleo-bunny]

The most valued voices are from those who have a genuine interest in the science, seek the truth and intend to use it to help others.

The dissenters don't automatically qualify for anything.

Well said Atticus.

[InSearchOfAbs]

And the dissenters that are annoyed with yet "another potato thread" are in THIS ONE - AGAIN! cracks me up.

Welp, it's 3pm and I'm only at 439 calories for the day..... been working my ASS OFF rearranging my stupid
son's GD bedroom too. Sweating like a pig and heart rate up higher than I get it in the damn gym! So annoyed!

I'm so totally NOT hungry and the thought of ANY kind of potato tonight seriously makes me salivate
in a vomit type of way. Blargh!

The very curious thing, besides the other things I've stated, is that I don't even have a headache....

You'd think that if one was averaging 600 calories for three days, they'd have that "oh jesus, you need
some super nutrition NOW" headache.

Whatever.

[gopintos]

cracks me up.

I am only doing this and coming here to report because YOU crack me up!! hardyharhar
<giggle>

Okay so anyways, my calories are in the neighborhood of 900. However I may have one more tator with DH later. A later tator. (ok sometimes I crack myself up too)

Yesterday was 925

I am colder today. But it is colder outside, and I was out quite a bit, and the thermostat is on 68, so I don't know if that is contributing.

Oh, just remembered. The other thread we were watching our temps. I havent done that in quite awhile.

[marthat]

I got blindsided by a meeting that I thought was at 9:30 this morning and turned out to be over lunch in a Greek/roadhouse type restaurant (thanks to it being the Christmas season, I guess). My only potato option would have been french fries, with nothing else and nothing on top, and that still wouldn't have met the criteria for the PPD. And the backstory to this situation is that I am a Registered Dietitian, so you can bet that all the others at the Professional Advisory Committee meeting would have something to say if the RD had a side of fries as her only lunch!

So lunch was the home-made burger (no cheese or bacon) with no bun, just the veggie toppings and a pickle slice, plus coleslaw. And it filled me up totally for hours. I had no appetite for supper. But I did sit down to a small baker with hubby.

I could see doing this PPD 2 consecutive days a week as an IF alternative. Longer than 2 days on nothing but taters is hard. At least for me. By boredom, not by hunger or cravings. So interesting that it is having this appetite suppression or satiety effect.

[otzi]

So interesting that it is having this appetite suppression or satiety effect.

Just Google "Satiety Index" and see what is at top of every list...

Potatoes, boiled 323%
Ling fish 225%
Porridge/Oatmeal 209%
Oranges 202%
Apples 197%
Brown pasta 188%
Beef 176%
Baked beans 168%
Grapes 162%
Whole meal bread 157%
Grain bread 154%
Popcorn 154%
Eggs 150%
Cheese 146%
White rice 138%
White bread 100%

[j3nn]

I've had the best glucose readings today that I've had in the past two months, most of which was spent doing lower carb. Not sure if it will continue, but it's nice to see three consecutive readings under 90 again.

It seems I am eating much higher calories than most in this thread. I had over 1900 yesterday, half was dinner. I'm not going to post scale numbers until my 10 day mark to account for fluctuations. Is anyone else doing more than potatoes? Post what you're eating! It helps to collect as many variables as possible.

[InSearchOfAbs]

I am only doing this and coming here to report because YOU crack me up!! hardyharhar
<giggle>

Okay so anyways, my calories are in the neighborhood of 900. However I may have one more tator with DH later. A later tator. (ok sometimes I crack myself up too)

Yesterday was 925

I am colder today. But it is colder outside, and I was out quite a bit, and the thermostat is on 68, so I don't know if that is contributing.

Oh, just remembered. The other thread we were watching our temps. I havent done that in quite awhile.

And I've decided that you and your husband should move to California so we can hang out.

K? Great!

@Martha - it's okay, we won't flog you this time.... T H I S T I M E M A R T H A

@Jenn - I think you're eating more cals because you have the spice of variety... even
though you're eating basically low calorie fat free veggies - still... the variety. Not even
exciiiiiiting variety, but I bet if I could get some delicious green beans to eat along with
every bite of boring ass potato, I sure would!

I don't know what the heck I'm going to do tonight - I know that just having 400-something calories
for the day won't kill me (and mysteriously I've been sleeping like a LOG) but I need
to eat sommmmething, so I think I'm going to peel some russets and try making baked fries, with
salt.

I know they're just going to taste like any other baked thing, but maybe if I dip them in some mustard
they'll taste different. You know, if I squint really hard and spin around 5 times. MAYBE.

All I know, is that when this is over, I'm going on a SERIOUS MEAT FEST.

My husband is Qing up hot dogs and hamburgers right now for him and the kids.... f*cker!

[j3nn]

Yeah, variety is the only reason it's easier to get higher cals in. I can see 800-1000 being the ceiling on just potatoes. That's very filling and over three pounds of food before water and coffee.