Ultimate Lose-Weight, Save Money Diet

[Bree]

I've tried a lot of different diets out there... but this one takes the cake as far as I'm concerned. I call it 'the rice beans and beans diet.'

Diet:
Organic Brown Rice: $2/bag
Black Beans: $0.8/bag
Green Beans: $3/bag

1 part rice, 1 part beans, 1 part beans. Then add tex mex, or other low/non fat seasoning. Add other vegetables or low fat meat to mix it up.

Not only is is amazingly effective for weight loss, but unlike other diets you don't feel so damn hungry all the time. Basically the black beans stabilizes the hunger - at least for me.

There's a few things I like about this diet:
It's so cheap that when I go 'militant' on this diet I spend almost no money during the week, as I ride bike/walk to work and don't eat out for food. It's kind of a weird feeling when your wallet has the same amount of money on Friday as it did when you started the week on Monday.

I can cook enough for 3-4 days in one session of cooking. Since the green beans are frozen they're easy, and then I make 3 cups of brown rice, and one bag of black beans and put them in Tupperware. When I get hungry it only takes 3 minutes (including microwave time) to have dinner served.

Losing weight is easy - like so easy, since this is essentially a negative calorie diet (as I understand it). If you stick to this for lunch and supper there really isn't even much need to be going to the gym a lot - the weight just falls off.

How to Cook the Black Beans:
I usually cook them in a rice cooker with the lid open after having soaked them for about 8h in the fridge (to reduce the fartiness power of the beans!). I let the water & beans come to a boil. Strain and let cool. I've found the beans taste much better when they are slightly crunchy than when they are mushy.

This isn't for everyone, and the recipe gets a bit bland, so I usually do it about 2 weeks on, 3 weeks off. Sundays are free days - eat whatever you like.

In the past I've tried: South Beach, Zone, Cabbage Soup, various detox diets and this bean diet is the only one I can stick to.

Now... if I could only convince DW to stick to it

Cheers guys,


Mitch
PS - if you want to give this a go maybe check with your Doc first. It worked really well for me, but I'd hate to recommend something that is incompatible with your body time. I can't see much going wrong - as this is WAY healthier than say a McDonald's diet, or 99% of the other convenience food we eat - but just be safe

 

[haha]

Losing weight is easy - like so easy, since this is essentially a negative calorie diet (as I understand it).

Mitch, could you tell me what this means?

Ha

 

[Bree]

Basically there are some foods that use more calories to digest than is in the food. One example here would be an apple. I don't remember the exact numbers and I'm not a dietitian... but it was something like an apple contains 75 calories, but uses 150 calories of energy to break it down.

Hence 75 - 150 = -75 giving you a 'negative' calorie count.

I should have also mentioned that beans are very high in protein, which has been proven to assist with weight loss (like Atkins diet).

When I was researching this, the black bean was the most weight-loss friendly bean, and cooked the way I describe in the post - tastes pretty good even as a snack - the crunchiness makes them somewhat like a weird peanut replacement

 

[haha]

Basically there are some foods that use more calories to digest than is in the food. One example here would be an apple. I don't remember the exact numbers and I'm not a dietitian... but it was something like an apple contains 75 calories, but uses 150 calories of energy to break it down.

Hence 75 - 150 = -75 giving you a 'negative' calorie count.

Sound like funny chemistry, but I can't argue with success. Good going!

Ha

 

[Bree]

Haha,

Ya - never got into the whole science of negative calorie... if you are interested tho, there is lots of info online if you look up negative calorie on the net.

I first heard about this concept when researching recipes for a detox. The thing I found with most ways I tried to spin the foods on the negative calorie list was that I would get this bad/weird feeling in my stomach. Thankfully adding black beans cleared that up and stabilized the hunger

Cheers!

 

[VaCollector]

So how much weight loss and how quick are we talking here?

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I make a similar mix about once a month - it lasts about a week at 2 meals/day. I do it because of the taste, not to lose weight.

6 cups brown rice, in a rice cooker
3 lbs (black, red, pinto) beans, cooked 3 hours stovetop
1 can (6+ lbs) costco crushed tomatoes
1 lb bacon fried down to well done
1 lb shredded cheese

 

[Bree]

VaCollector,

When I stick to this diet and eat it lunch, and supper (maybe have an apple for breakfast) and also do running - about 5k/day Monday - Friday (sat/sun are 'free days). I generally lose a kilo every 2 days.

Depending on your age (I am still a 'young pup' at 27) your metabolism might be quicker or slower. The example I read about said following this 'militant style' (6 days a week, sunday is free day) will lose about 20 lbs in a month with zero exercise.

what I've found - since I like the taste of the food, is that I usually just eat this a few times a week, and then not worry what other things I am eating... however, if it's beach season, or time to go home for xmas whatever and you need to look good quick - militant style is the way to go!

Oh - another positive here is that it creates sustainable results (in my experience) so, even though I've been dining on way too much pizza for the past 3 weeks my weight has more or less stayed the same. Which is totally amazing considering how I seem to have a 2nd stomach when it comes to how much pizza I can pack away!

With this diet I really get the feeling that losing weight is actually much easier than gaining weight. Going militant will lose me 10kg in 2 weeks fairly easily, however, to gain back that 10kg maybe takes 2 months.

Unfortunately... This diet does not eliminate man boobs... so finding an efficient/easy way to get stronger and rid of those is the next thing to tackle heh

Mitch

 

[Bree]

One thing that I should mention here is that I have read healthy weight loss is about 2 lbs per week.

This diet obviously kicks the heck out of that estimate, and while I thought perhaps it was unhealthy, I can't really see how eating this could be worse than a fast food/convenience diet that many of us live by. You know the one where work is too busy and you end up eating at the food court, and then you're too busy after work so you grab take out from somewhere or order in - yuck.

Basically it's all natural foods, and you can add in additional low fat foods to get all your nutrients/vitamins.

-mitch

 

[VaCollector]

Unfortunately... This diet does not eliminate man boobs... so finding an efficient/easy way to get stronger and rid of those is the next thing to tackle heh

Mitch

My DW and teenage daughter call those MOOBS..... and at little time at the gym on the bench takes care of that for me!

Thanks for the info....I will put it to the test shortly and let you know if the results are similar for a 53 y/o who walks 30 miles a week (can't run 'til I can lose some of this weight and treat my knees better!!).

...and FWIW, I started walking no less than 5 miles a day (5-6 days a week) 2 months ago to initiate weight loss and have actually gained 5 lbs.....so I'm hoping that your beans/rice combo might help and get me on track for the 20 lbs.(+) that I need to get rid of !!

 

[Bree]

...and FWIW, I started walking no less than 5 miles a day (5-6 days a week) 2 months ago to initiate weight loss and have actually gained 5 lbs.....so I'm hoping that your beans/rice combo might help and get me on track for the 20 lbs.(+) that I need to get rid of !!

Let me tell you - few things are better than when you get multiple people coming up to you saying 'Are you losing weight?'

I usually go all vegetarian, but sometimes I will add minced chicken or pork or canned tuna if you don't want to give up your meat.

I'm interested to hear your results - I keep trying to get my parents (also mid 50s) on a similar diet, but so far they're resisting the rice, beans and beans. Perhaps your testimonial could push them over the edge

 

[haha]

...and FWIW, I started walking no less than 5 miles a day (5-6 days a week) 2 months ago to initiate weight loss and have actually gained 5 lbs.....so I'm hoping that your beans/rice combo might help and get me on track for the 20 lbs.(+) that I need to get rid of !!

On this diet that should take one month!

You are good as thin already.

Ha

 

[cantlogin]

I like rice and beans. I also like beans and cheap. I like everything you said about this food. It sounds perfect to me. I’m going to give it a try. I’ll let you know if I die from eating it.

 

[W2R]

I eat this way once every week or two, if I am feeling overly hungry and want something FILLING...

Personally I wouldn't want to eat the same thing all the time, no matter what it was. I would get tired of it, and I would be concerned about getting proper nutrition. Still, I'm sure this is a lot more nutritious than some things people eat.

 

[Zoocat]

I've tried a lot of different diets out there... but this one takes the cake as far as I'm concerned. I call it 'the rice beans and beans diet.'

Diet:
Organic Brown Rice: $2/bag
Black Beans: $0.8/bag
Green Beans: $3/bag

1 part rice, 1 part beans, 1 part beans. Then add tex mex, or other low/non fat seasoning. Add other vegetables or low fat meat to mix it up.

Not only is is amazingly effective for weight loss, but unlike other diets you don't feel so damn hungry all the time. Basically the black beans stabilizes the hunger - at least for me.

Well, I like this! Simple and, if you're right, very effective. I like that it's high in carbs because I do some killer (for me) hikes 4-5 times a week. I'v found that most low calorie diets like Weight Watchers leave me too weak to hike. So that doesn't work. I also like that it's high in fiber and low fat since I'm also trying to figure out how to get my cholesterol down.

Also, as I understand it, the negative calorie factor comes into play when a food is low in fat and high in fiber. The calories needed to break down the food and use it end up being more than the food contains. Or something like that.

I'll try it out and see if it works for a 59 yr old woman's metabolism.

 

[simple girl]

This type of diet is espoused by Dr. Gabe Mirkin. He wrote "Fat-Free, Flavorful". Here's a list of some of the recipes: Recipes for Healthful Eating

I lost a fair amount of weight on this diet a few years ago, but I did find it hard to stick with it long-term. It does work though!

 

[Bestwifeever]

I absolutely love meals like that, but there is no way I could lose weight eating this--portion control goes out the window for me with high-carb dishes. But it sounds delicious!

 

[Bree]

I absolutely love meals like that, but there is no way I could lose weight eating this--portion control goes out the window for me with high-carb dishes. But it sounds delicious!

I never had an issue with portion control here - I also really liked this simple food and ate very large portions and it still worked - if you like the food anyhow, it's worth a shot

 

[Delawaredave5]

Basically there are some foods that use more calories to digest than is in the food. One example here would be an apple. I don't remember the exact numbers and I'm not a dietitian... but it was something like an apple contains 75 calories, but uses 150 calories of energy to break it down.

I'd be suprised beans and rice are negative calorie - but I don't understand the "digestive energy" stuff.

Celery is apparently truly negative calorie - you expend more calories chewing up the celery than the calories contained in the celery.

This is a great diet - healty, weight loss, frugal, easy.

 

[ERD50]

I'd be suprised beans and rice are negative calorie

It would seem that certain cultures would have ceased to exist a long time ago.

I think there is a lot of value to adding more brown rice and beans to our diets, and eating less meat. But I still want plenty of variety.

And the frugality of it is a good thing. Good food ata good price.

-ERD50

 

[Rambler]

Interesting, I did something similar this past week...Lentils, green beans and a mixture of kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and pintos. I had about a cup of this mixture for lunch and dinner each day, plus a little chicken or beef, and some other veggie like broccoli. I wasn't doing it for the weight loss...I just have upped my intake of beans for the fiber over the past few months. But, I tell you the weight did drop. Not a kilo a day, but maybe 2.5-3 in a week. I was amazed, and will be doing it again later this week (travelling now and a bit at the mercy of the restaurants around here...no beans, lots of white rice).

R

 

[RonBoyd]

...and FWIW, I started walking no less than 5 miles a day (5-6 days a week) 2 months ago to initiate weight loss and have actually gained 5 lbs...

Muscle weighs more than fat... "they" tell me. (Greater water component?)

 

[Zoocat]

CHS kitchen-test note on Charros-Black Bean Chili: I bought the ingredients at one of the local "Mexican" markets which cater to the Hispanic population. The total cost was:
1 pound black beans: $1.19
2 medium onions: $ .36 ($.33/pound)
garlic: $ .15 (5 heads for $1.30)
jalapeno chiles: $ .20
1 can tomatoes: $1.00
oil, cilantro, etc.: about $ .30

Total: $3.20
For 6 servings, that's $.53/serving. Add $2 for 4 dozen tortillas, slice up six medium raw carrots (12 oz.) for crunch and vitamins, and that brings it up to $5.60 or $ .93/serving (even less if you get 8 servings).
If you wanted to add a pound of meat, and you buy on sale, then add another $3.40 or so for either beef (lean cut) or ground turkey. That boosts the cost to about $9.00 or $1.50 per serving for a hearty, protein- and fiber-rich meal.
Compare that to the cost of a supposedly "cheap" (and horribly unhealthy) fast-food "value" meal of burger, fries and a sugar-bomb soda for six: in California, over $30. And yet all we hear is how "poor people" (like me?) "can't afford healthy food." What rot! 93 cents beats the heck out of any fast-food garbage, it's easy to make and the ingredients are readily available virtually anywhere. FROM WALLET TO WAISTLINE: THE HIDDEN COSTS OF "SUPER SIZING" (Prevention Institute)

 

[Bestwifeever]

Oldbabe, I totally agree--it is amazing how you can whip up a very tasty economic meal at home. And Chipotle restaurant charges about $5 for their burritos with the same ingredients.

Interestingly, digesting protein uses more calories than digesting carbohydrates (way too much time on my hands here) :

Reported DIT [this is diet induced thermogenesis--the amount of calories the body uses to generate energy] values for separate nutrients are 0 to 3% for fat, 5 to 10% for carbohydrate, 20 to 30% for protein [16], and 10 to 30% for alcohol [6]. In healthy subjects with a mixed diet, DIT represents about 10% of the total amount of energy ingested over 24 h. When a subject is in energy balance, where intake equals expenditure, DIT is 10% of daily energy expenditure.

in http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=15507147

 

[Marquette]

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