> I can easily eat a pound of potatoes mashed with a fork with olive oil and salt for example
1 pound of white potatoes + 2 Tbsp olive oil is only about 550 calories, and about half that is the olive oil. You've got a long way to go for the day if you're not on a starvation diet.
Interesting (as you can tell I didn't read the article). I think the 'originator' of this diet was Penn Jilette (I listened to his podcast at the time), and when he did it I'm certain it was potatoes and nothing else.