Rice Diet Review – The Rolls Royce of Diets

This Rice Diet review takes a look at one of the most effective weight loss programs around – can you really lose 20lbs in a month? – and no, it’s got nothing to do with eating rice!

The Rice Diet is a low sodium, low fat, high complex carb, wholefoods diet. Developed by Duke University in the US, the Rice Diet Center uses food to treat chronic disease.

The Rice Diet promises quick weight loss in a medically supervised environment and has an impressive track record.

So what is it and does it deliver the impressive results it claims?

Rice Diet Review for Weight Loss

The Rice Diet has been helping people to lose weight for nearly 70 years.

The Rice Diet was one of the first clinically supervised programs that used diet and lifestyle to treat serious medical conditions like obesity, coronary heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.

People who follow the diet are called “Ricers” and it’s claimed that they can expect safe weight loss well in excess of that achieved on other weight management programs.

It’s claimed that Ricers will lose an average of 25lbs in a month, nearly 20lbs for women and nearly 30lbs for men.

The original Rice Diet is a residential program based at the Rice Diet Center in Durham, North Carolina.

Patients are strictly supervised and eat personalized, calorie controlled meals. They also participate in a range of interventions designed to address the causes of their obesity, overeating and underlying medical conditions.

Stress management, nutritional education, yoga, cognitive behavior therapy, exercise…it really is the Rolls Royce of the diet world!

Whilst designed for the morbidly obese, in recent years it’s become popular with wealthy individuals looking for a rapid solution to their weight problems.

Ricers can expect round the clock medical support, with doctors, dieticians, nurses and chefs on hand.

Of course, all this comes at a price and a stay at the Rice Diet Center will run into thousands.

We would suggest that the intensive support that Ricers receive plays a big part in the rapid weight loss achieved.

Which may be hard to achieve by people simply buying The Rice Diet Solution book. Certainly a cheaper and more accessible option for most people, but more of that later!

Rice Diet Review – What Does the Diet Consist of…?

The Rice Diet consists of two phases.

Phase One is pretty severe and requires medical supervision – this is not one to try at home!

It consists of a very low calorie regime and is essentially a vegetarian diet. It consists entirely of grains and fruit and in addition to the weight loss, is intended to gently detox your body.

You stay on phase one for as long as medically appropriate.

Phase Two expands the menu and ups the calorie intake. You eat a wide variety of vegetables, beans and other complex carbs in addition to the fruit and grains.

The three meals a day includes fish once a week. Once you get home you can add in some lean meat and fat free dairy products as well.

The diet strictly limits salt intake, as you’d expect from a program designed to treat conditions like hypertension and heart disease.

An excessive intake of sodium can lead to hypertension but it can also stimulate appetite. The theory is that if you eat less salt you’re less inclined to overeat.

Other flavorings like herbs and spices are used to flavor foods instead.

Rice Diet Review – Does it Work…?

It certainly does!

As you’d expect from a program developed and run by doctors and scientist in a clinical environment, it’s been rigorously evaluated.

The reported results are very impressive, both in the short and longer term.

Our Rice Diet review would suggest that the rapid weight loss of around 20-30lbs in the first month is largely due to the severe calorie restrictions early in the first phase of the diet.

The close supervision and one to one support will also be significant contributory factors.

This rate of weight loss is clearly not sustainable in the long term but does get Ricers off to a flying start.

What’s more impressive is that over 60% of Ricers who lose weight, keep it off or have continued to lose weight a year later.

Now we would suggest that the successes achieved by Ricers over and above other weight loss programs are largely down to their stay at the Rice Diet Centre.

Whether the same could be said for people who buy the book and do it for themselves is less clear!

Phase One is clearly inappropriate without medical supervision, which leaves you with a very healthy eating plan.

No problem with that, but 1-2lbs a week would be a more realistic target to aim for.

In addition to some very varied and tasty looking recipes, the book also contains instructions on yoga, meditation and other stress-relieving techniques.

Again, all sound but hardly the same as having your own personal medical staff, dietitians, chefs and counselors available 24/7!

Rice Diet Review – The Bottom Line…

The only issue is the cost of taking yourself off to North Carolina and spending a month and thousands of dollars at the Rice Diet Center. This is a first rate, well researched, evidence based, healthy and varied diet.

Judging by the published research we’ve looked at when compiling this Rice Diet review, if you can afford it you’re unlikely to be disappointed.

Whatsmore, most people seem to maintain their weight loss and new lifestyle habits when they get home, which is fundamental to long term success.

However, we would suggest that the cheaper, DIY option of buying the book and doing it yourself may well deliver similar results.

In addition to the Rice Diet Solution there are a couple of cookbooks with 150 recipes, a book with a heart health plan and other spin offs that expand the brand. All are well worth a read.

Our Rice Diet review verdict? If you can afford a Ferrari, you’re onto a winner with this program!

If you can’t, then why not try the book?