Could you really lose weight by eating pasta? With their new book, The Carb Lovers Diet, authors Ellen Kunes and Frances Largeman-Roth say that you don't have to ditch the carbs in order to drop the pounds. "We’ve been told [that diets] are all about the steamed vegetables and the grilled fish and the plain chicken breast," Frances says, "but you don’t have to deprive yourself like that because [when you do] you get low energy, and if you’re an exerciser it’s really hard to work out. You can’t run and do a low-carb diet; you might lose weight, but it’s not going to stay off forever."

The authors explain that the secret behind their diet is resistant starch. "It’s a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine," says Frances. "So what that means is that you’re not taking in all the calories from it. It makes you feel full and it actually boots your metabolism and burns more fat." Ellen adds, "It makes you have more energy, it lowers cholesterol, it balances blood sugar, it does all these amazing things. So our diet incorporates resistant starch, and that’s why people are losing weight, because they’re burning more fat and they’re feeling fuller longer. Your goal is to get somewhere between 10 to 15 grams of resistant starch for the day. You do that and you’re going to kick up your fat burning by something like 25 percent!"

Ellen and Frances break down some of the foods that you are allowed to enjoy on the Carb Lovers Diet:

Bread
"You can have a sandwich!" Ellen says, clarifying that the Carb Lovers Diet is not about croissants or muffins. "Let’s face it, those are not so hot for you. But you can have pumpernickel, you can have rye, you can have sourdough. You don’t have to just have whole wheat, which I think all of us are a little tired of sometimes. And you can have a roll with your hamburger. This is what it’s really about - it’s about being able to enjoy your life and eat like a normal person."

Chips
Potato chips are OK on the diet because they are a resistant starch, explains Frances. "A lot of times when you think you’re craving something salty, you think, 'Oh, I’ll just have some crackers, that’s a healthier thing to do,' but a lot of crackers have extra sweeteners in them, high fructose corn syrup and no resistant starch." She says that one ounce of potato chips or tortilla chips is OK and should satisfy your need for crunch.

Potatoes
Frances points out that a small potato has about 3 grams of resistant starch and that you can add toppings such as light sour cream, Greek yogurt or a little Parmesan cheese - as long as you don't overdo it on heavy cheeses. "Because then you’re off-setting the goodness of the resistant starch of it," Frances warns.

Sweets
"Bananas are really important on this diet," Ellen says, "because they have the most resistant starch of anything. One banana has about 12 grams of resistant starch, which means that if you eat just one banana in the morning you’re going to get your whole resistant starch load." Frances adds that you can also enjoy five Hersey's Kisses or a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup for a snack. "This is a diet that is not about deprivation," Ellen summarizes. "You can even have a glass of wine with your pasta!"

Watch the video above to see one woman who followed the diet for 24 weeks ... and lost 40 pounds!

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The Carb Lovers Diet

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