John Myers
[lwptoc]
Fast weight loss without starving – that’s what a diet with rice promises. But what is behind it? We explain how the rice diet works and what you should consider.
How does losing weight with rice work?
As the name suggests, on the rice diet you should eat almost exclusively rice. Losing weight is primarily due to the lower calorie intake. But also because rice and potassium, it contains bind water and removes it from the body. Anyone who implements the stricter variant of the diet and sticks to it should (according to the promise) lose up to nine kilograms in one month.
- In the rice diet, in the first stage, you need to reduce the number of calories to 800-1000 per day. Gradually increase the number of calories to 1200.
- The strict version of the diet requires that you only eat rice for the first week, possibly with a salad (but no greasy dressing). You can eat vegetables and fruit from the second week.
- The milder variant also allows the consumption of vegetables, fruit, and lean meat right from the start. In both cases, however, it is important that you pay attention to the calories.
- Salt, sugar, and fat are not allowed.
- You can eat lean meat and fish in the stricter version of the diet from the third week.
- White rice contains fewer vitamins and minerals but more calories. It is also digested faster by the body, which can lead to food cravings. Therefore, it is better to use wild rice or whole grain rice.
You should pay attention to this with the rice diet
The rice diet cannot replace a change to a healthy diet – and should not be implemented in the long term.
- The allowed number of calories is extremely low. Your body will (have to) get used to using fewer calories.
- If you then eat normally again after the diet, the dreaded yo-yo effect can occur and you quickly regain the weight.
- Be sure to drink enough water. The rice diet is designed to remove excess water from your body—but it shouldn’t cause dehydration.
- Especially in the strict version, the rice diet is one-sided and your body does not get enough vitamins and nutrients.
- The flushing of water from the body means that vitamins and important minerals such as magnesium are also lost. This can lead to deficiency symptoms. So it is best to take extra magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D during this time.
- Rice contains arsenic. The chances of getting cancer are increased if you consume too much rice.
- With this diet, you consume little protein – and that’s what you need for healthy muscles. If you don’t eat protein-rich foods at all, you may lose muscle. We recommend the moderate version of the diet, which also allows you to eat meat or other protein-rich foods.
- Another reason to avoid the strict variant: it is monotonous. You need variety, otherwise, you will hardly be able to stick to the diet after a few days.
- Before starting any diet, it’s best to talk to a doctor or nutritionist. They can tell you if the diet poses any health risks for you and which method is best for you.
