Chinese man, 43, eats potato instead of rice during meals, drops about 30kg in 6 months

A man in Guangdong, China seems to have found the secret to a "super cheap weight loss method": potatoes.

After swapping out staple foods like rice and noodles for potatoes, the 43-year-old man, surnamed Chen, lost around 30kg over six months.

His high blood pressure and sugar levels also lowered, while his fatty liver improved.

Potatoes as staple

Chen's diet began after seeing negative results during a health check up, reported China Press.

Instead of drastically changing his meals, he opted to replace the usual staples with potatoes.

Chen would typically eat a fist-sized portion of potatoes for lunch and dinner, and maintain a healthy diet of lean meat, fish, eggs and leafy vegetables on top of it.

The potatoes were only steamed, boiled or baked without oil, while oil-heavy cooking methods like deep-frying and braising were avoided.

His breakfast consisted of eggs with unsweetened soy milk or milk.

After three months, Chen reportedly lost about 20kg, then another 12kg in another three.

By the end of six months, he weighed less than 68kg, a sharp drop from his original 100kg.

Why it works

Steamed potatoes not only contain about two-thirds the calories of rice, but they also have fibre and provide greater satiety.

As the root vegetable is also rich in potassium, it aids in maintaining sodium-potassium balance for individuals with high sodium intake.

This is, however, not a one size fits all solution; individual body types and health conditions have to be taken into consideration, alongside lifestyle factors.