How to Eat More and Weigh Less Posted Mon, Mar 10, 2008, 9:51 am PDT

It sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Is it really possible to eat more and lose weight? A diet plan called Volumetrics suggests that this holy grail of the dieter is indeed possible.

Volumetrics is an eating plan developed by Dr. Barbara Rolls, a nutrition researcher at Penn State. Her discovery is that each day, in our efforts to feel satiated, we all eat about the same weight or amount of food. What this means is that if you choose to eat foods that are packed with calories (calorie dense), then you are going to gain weight.

Of course, the opposite is also true: If you consume the same volume or weight of less calorie-dense foods, you'll still feel full and satisfied and you'll also lose weight.

A food's energy density can be found by dividing the weight of the portion in grams by the calories in that portion. Look at your food labels: for example, one cup of Cheerios has 100 calories and weighs 28 grams. The energy density of a cup of Cheerios, then, is 100 ÷ 28 = 3.5.

Energy density is divided into four categories:

• Very low energy density: 0 - 0.5
• Low energy density: 0.6 -1.5
• Medium energy density: 1.5 - 4.0
• High energy density: 4.0 - 9.0

The goal of the Volumetrics plan is to eat less of — but not avoid altogether — the high energy-dense foods, while eating more of the very low and low energy-dense foods. That way, you can eat the same volume of food you always have (or even more), while maintaining or even losing weight.

Higher energy-dense foods include such items as chips, cookies, bagels, nuts, oils, and high-fat meats. Vegetables, fruits, skim milk, beans, and lean meats are all lower energy-dense foods.

Try calculating the energy density of some of your favorite foods to see if you can swap some less energy-dense items into your diet.

That was the post pulled from the news story just so u know... i thought i would share

Sounds a lot like what Neecee has been saying all along.. :)  Eat low calorie dense foods. THanks for sharing!

not really. in volumetrics, you want to eat low density foods (not "dense" foods) so you can eat larger portions. so using spaghetti squash or shirataki noodles in your spaghetti instead of pasta. light popcorn instead of corn chips etc. the portion is much larger and therefore, you feel more full. i am a volume eater, so this is really the principle that guides my program. this is why i have trouble trying to do low carb - protein is pretty dense (which might keep you full longer, but portions are small - just can't do it). http://www.volumetricseatingplan.com/tastetheplan.html

yeah, Kriz...i think this is moreso Andy's way of eating...I actually believe in eating smaller, richer portions. THAT is what I work on.  b****kins helped me realize this about myself  - eating way high fat impressed me so much; as i say it scared me to eat that way alla time, but i met myself somewhere in between on fat intake! I DO need to eat less calories, this is true, and eating more veggies/fruits does help me on those days when I do "think" I need more food. I definitely have some deep seated need for feeling very full at times. But eating for volume is a slippery slope for me as a recovering binge/purge type! I cannot risk feeling over full...and eating for volume tends to do that. That feeling of over-full would trigger purge urge. hey i made a rhythme!