Weight Loss

Overweight people have become overweight because they eat more. If they are thrust with a diet that restricts intake, will they be able to tolerate it? Most probably, they will go back to their eating ways after some weeks and gain more weight. Nobody knows this better than nutritionist Barbara Rolls, who has come up with an eating plan that focuses on eating more to satiate hunger- The Volumetrics Eating Plan.

The trick is to load up on foods that are not high in calories. Rolls says that satiety does not depend on the amount of fat, protein, carbohydrate, or calories in the food; rather, it depends on the amount of food. By eating more food that is not high in calories, you can feel as full and lose weight instead of gaining any.

Good food and bad food
No food is banned, but dieters are advised on what is good and what is bad for their weight. Foods are to be evaluated by their energy density - the number of calories in a specified amount of food.

Some foods have high energy density and should be avoided. Foods like chocolates, chips, cookies, oils, butter, etc. are very high in energy density. And foods like nonfat milk, soups, broths, and vegetables are low in energy density. Water has zero energy density. If dieters fill up with low-density foods, they can eat more and feel fuller while reducing the intake of calories. This is the premise on which the Volumetric Eating Plan works.

While water is not going to satiate hunger, foods with high water content can be eaten to good effect. Watermelons contain 90% water. Many other fruits and vegetables contain more than 80% of water.

Low energy density food recipes
The book contains 125 recipes along with planners and charts to help out with healthy choices in food. Recipes use minimal amounts of oil, cream, milk, eggs and other foods that are high in calories. Low-cal substitutes like egg whites, skim milk, yogurt, etc. are used.

For example, the traditional macaroni-and-cheese is modified as Volumetrics veggie-stuffed macaroni and cheese. They have used whole-wheat pasta, nonfat milk and reduced-fat cheese, added vegetables, and reduced the amount of butter and cheese.

It is essentially what nutritionists always say - reduce fat, reduce calories and eat high-fiber foods like vegetables and fruits to satisfy hunger and provide nutrition.

Negatives
A lot of people eat not because they are hungry; they eat out of habit or comfort and can find ways to keep eating after meals. The feeling of fullness is not always the be-all and end-all to stop overeating.

The diet relies on homemade food and things to be bought from the grocery. It does not provide convenience that many people look for.