Weight Loss & Diet Plans

The Rice Diet Solution

The Rice Diet Solution: What It Is

The Rice Diet Solution is an extremely rigid approach to reverse disease and cause weight loss. The detailed food plan severely limits salt, sugar, fat, and processed foods and causes rapid weight loss. Dieters are promised fast weight loss of 20-30 pounds the first month, followed by 2.5-3.5 pounds per week in the later phases.  Add the recommended exercise and you can lose even more weight.

The Rice Diet Solution is based on the 1939 Rice Diet Program, where dieters checked into facilities in Durham, N.C., for an intensive two to four week boot camp focused on treating obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and kidney disease.

Due to the continued success of that expensive in-house program, co-authors, Kitty Rosati, MS, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian; and her cardiologist husband, Robert Rosati, MD, wrote The Rice Diet Solution to guide those wanting to try the diet at home.

The plan consists of a very low-calorie, high-complex carbohydrate, low-sodium, low-fat, low-sugar, low-protein, whole-foods diet designed to detoxify, cause , and prevent or reverse chronic diseases.

The plan incorporates stress reduction through mindfulness, yoga, and meditation as well. Hundreds of recipes, weekly menus, tips, and diet advice are sprinkled throughout The Rice Diet Solution book.

NOTE: The diet is not recommended for anyone who has had a colon resection or impaired kidney function.

The Rice Diet Solution: What You Can Eat

Ricers, the affectionate term for those following the Rice Diet Solution, eat more than just rice -- but not much. Though rice is part of the plan, it is one of 30 foods available at any given meal.

The plan allows for whole-grain starches, low-sodium beans, fruits, vegetables, nonfat dairy and very lean protein sources. "Eating a diet high in fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will keep you feeling full and satisfied," says co-author Kitty Rosati.

The Rice Diet Solution plan has several phases:

Phase 1 -- one week

1 day: Basic Rice Diet (800 calories and 50 mg sodium)

2 starches and 2 fruits at breakfast, lunch, and dinner

6 days: Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet (1,000 calories a day and 300 mg sodium)

 Breakfast: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1 nonfat dairy

Lunch and dinner: 3 starches, 3 vegetables, 1 fruit 

Phase 2 -- one week

1 day: Basic Rice Diet

5 days:  Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet

1 day: Vegetarian Plus Rice Diet (1,200 calories per day and 500 mg sodium)

  Breakfast: 2 starches, 1 fruit

  Lunch: 3 starches, 3 vegetables, 1 fruit

  Dinner: 3 starches, 3 protein (or 2 dairy), 3 vegetables, 1 fruit

Phase 3 -- Maintenance. Same as phase 2, adding about 200 more calories per week, until you stop losing weight.

1 day:  Basic Rice Diet

4 days:  Lacto Vegetarian Rice Diet

2 days: Vegetarian Plus Rice Diet

The authors of The Rice Diet Solution note the diet is too low in calcium and vitamin D and suggest a once-daily multivitamin.