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When you go on a diet, how do you feel?
Are you happy and energized, or cranky and starving? Many diets,
especially fad diets, require a drastic reduction in food intake, and
that's one of the biggest reason people cheat. And as we all know,
cheating on a diet leads to failure.
A diet that leaves us feeling full while cutting fat and calories might
seem like a pipe dream, but according to nutritionist Barbara Rolls,
it's not. By eating foods with a low calorie density, we can feel
satiated without adding pounds. This is the idea behind the Volumetrics
eating plan.
Rolls literally wrote the book on Volumetrics. As director of the
Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior at Penn State, she
has done extensive research on eating habits. Her first book, The
Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan, was published in 2002. She followed it
up in 2007 with The Volumetrics Eating Plan, which includes more
recipes.
What Is Calorie Density?
The Volumetrics approach to weight loss relies on the concept of calorie
density. Just as it sounds, calorie density represents the number of
calories in a given volume of food. For example, consider a cookie and a
slice of apple, both of which weigh the same amount. The cookie has more
calories than the apple slice, therefore it has a greater calorie
density.
The least calorie dense foods have a high water content. Since water
contains no calories, the calorie content of such foods is less than the
same amount of a food that is made up primarily of oil. Yet both foods
are similarly filling.
Fruits and vegetables are among the least calorie-dense foods because
they are usually 80 to 95 percent water. Other foods with a low calorie
density include broth, skim milk and vegetable soup. Foods that are
dense in calories include nuts, chocolate, chips and butter.
The concept of calorie density is also applied to cooking. Egg whites
are substituted for whole eggs, applesauce is used in place of oil, and
skim milk is used instead of whole milk. Such substitutions make it
possible to enjoy many of our old favorites without eating as many
calories.
The Volumetrics Eating Plan includes listings of the energy density of
many popular foods, as well as a formula for calculating the calorie
density of any food. It also provides guidance on increasing physical
activity. Rolls also suggests that dieters keep a record of the foods
they eat and the physical activities they participate in so that they
may identify problem areas.
Volumetrics is reported to have a high success rate, and it is
reasonably easy to follow. It is also less restrictive than most diets,
allowing even calorie-dense foods in small amounts. Those who attribute
their diet failures to constant hunger will find that the Volumetrics
Eating Plan is a welcome change of pace. |
