Volume Eating – Eating More to Lose Weight

Managing Your Weight with Volume Eating

There are many different diets on the market, some with a gimmick or product that they are promoting and some promising quick and easy weight loss. Occasionally, these diets are science-based and good for you, while others can be dangerous to your health. Regardless, one thing is for certain, anyone looking for a way to lose weight, they want it to come off and stay off. 

The only sustainable way to do that is to look at your current nutrition and make changes for the better. Some people believe that to lose weight, you need to eat less, exercise more, reduce your portion sizes drastically, and their justification is “calories in, calories out.” However, the human body is built on much more than calories, and we need to factor in what the body’s basic metabolic needs are to function properly every day before a grown adult reduces their portion size to what is meant for a toddler. Your age, your activity level, and your gender, are just a few factors that determine how much you need to eat of each macronutrient (the major ones are protein, carbohydrates, and fat) to stay fit and healthy. 

That’s why the concept of volume eating is so interesting. It seems counterintuitive, but this scientific and research-based diet proved that eating more high-water content/ high fiber foods will help you lose or maintain your weight. I am not talking about the caloric load in the food nor its weight on a scale. I mean, one gram of protein contains 4 calories and one gram of carbohydrates also contains 4 calories, and one gram of fat contains 9 calories. For instance, 100 grams of cauliflower is only 25 calories, where the same 100 grams of french fries is approximately 196 calories. The fries would be considered a low-volume food, since it is high in fat and calories and have a lower nutritional value, and therefore should be consumed less often.  It’s important to note, however, that there is room in your diet for all foods. Depriving yourself of the meals you love can just lead to overindulgence, so be sure to always include your favourites in moderation. Remember the 80/20 rule: 80% of the time you eat well, 20% of the time you eat for fun. 

If you have decided to make some improvements to your diet, this concept is excellent. Just a few of the benefits are:

1. Reduced cravings: Cravings occur from a lack of a particular nutrient (as an example, a lack of magnesium will usually create a chocolate craving). But if you are eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, those cravings will drastically reduce. 
2. Increased satiety: Since high-volume foods like fruits and vegetables have a lot of water and fiber in them, bigger portions will help you feel full without breaking the calorie bank. 
3. Improved nutrition: Adding more varieties of fruits and vegetables will improve your health immensely as you introduce a multitude of essential vitamins and nutrients that you may not have been getting before. 

The best way to start is to just add to your meals. Making tacos for dinner? Add some extra grilled or steamed vegetables. 

Enjoy oatmeal for breakfast? Add a banana or an apple. 

Take some extra egg whites with your omelette in the morning. 

Swap your chips for popcorn. Popcorn is “airy” and will fill you up without as many calories. 

Peek into your spice rack and see what flavors your can add to your vegetables to make them more interesting, and then pop them on the grill or in the air fryer. Give it a try today!

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