Feeling Full Yet?

Some of you out there may know that I’ve started “working” again (for those of you who don’t, a couple of months ago I started teaching weekly nutrition classes at a local weight loss clinic)...

More recently, I’ve been asked to contribute to the clinic’s online blog - something that I’m really excited about since, being the uber-efficient individual that I am, I get to disseminate the same post to two completely different blogs (another perk: I’m getting paid to give people my opinion)!!

My very first work post sparked the question for my most recent poll...so let’s get on with it......

Forget everything you know about diets, and chew on this:

Get full on fewer calories.

That’s the main concept behind “The Volumetrics Eating Plan” developed by Dr. Barbara Rolls of Penn State University (check it out in book form for more in depth information). She believes (and I tend to agree) that if you limit your caloric intake by simply eating less, you end up feeling hungry and deprived - and are less likely to stick to the diet you’ve chosen for yourself...

Basically, the typical American diet is composed of “energy dense” foods (high calories with less health benefits) that come in small “packaging” (i.e. a candy bar). When we eat foods like this, we load up on calories, leave out the healthy, and are hungry again relatively quickly.

Instead of choosing foods that are energy dense, suggests Dr. Rolls, aim for eating “nutrient dense” foods (low calories with more health benefits) - foods that you can eat a lot of (filling your stomach) without overdoing it in the calorie-department. Think fruits, vegetables, soups, lean protein, and whole grains.

“The Volumetrics Eating Plan” focuses on what you can eat instead of what you have to give up, and it’s based on sound nutritional advice widely accepted by health professionals. It emphasizes that the only proven way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than your body needs, while stressing the importance of well balanced meals - which reduce your risk of missing out on important vitamins and minerals that you may, on a “reductive” diet, otherwise not get. Additionally, it teaches you how to make food choices that will help control hunger and enhance satiety, and how to fit your favorite foods into your diet.

The best part (besides the pictures) - if you’re willing to get the book - is that there are recipes to get you started (or to keep you motivated). I promise - if you try it, you just might like it!!