Volumetrics: You Can Eat To Lose Weight

If you enjoy eating, and can't seem to stop, the Volumetrics plan can help you to achieve your weight loss goals without feeling hungry or deprived. Barbara Rolls, PhD, is a nutritionist who developed the Volumetrics plan when she realized that no matter how hard people try to lose weight by restricting the amount of food they eat, they will always go back to the same habits that got them in trouble in the first place.

People get hungry. We need to eat. Eating is pleasurable, and it keeps our bodies from kicking into starvation mode. Volumetrics is a common sense eating plan that nearly everyone can benefit from.

How Volumetrics Works
Volumetrics works so well because it guides people to eat plenty of low calorie food so that they feel full. When you fill up on high volume, low calorie foods, you can eat plenty and still lose weight.

Low calorie, high volume foods are called "Low Density Foods" and, according to the Volumetrics plan, you can eat a nearly unlimited amount of such foods. They are mainly foods that contain a high amount of water:

• Low-Density Vegetables - Any vegetable that does not contain a lot of sugar or starch is considered to be a low density vegetable. Lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens are ideal, as are celery and artichokes.
• Nonfat Milk Products - Anything made with nonfat milk is high in protein and low in calories.
• Broths - Basing soups and stews on low calorie broths will help keep calories down and satisfaction up. You can enjoy savory herbs and spices as well as feel satisfied when you eat foods that are based on these types of broths.

High calorie, low volume foods are also included in the Volumetrics plan. They need not be cut out altogether, especially since many of them are essential to good health, but any food that contains empty calories ought to be avoided. When you follow the Volumetrics diet, you stay away from things like:

• Fatty, Sugary Sweets - These will only make you feel bad! They will give you an initial sugar rush, and cause sluggishness and discomfort later.
• Fried Foods - Fried foods, especially snacks like potato chips have no real place on the Volumetrics plan. They are full of calories and it takes a lot to fill you up.

Eating the right food is not the only aspect to Volumetrics. Sensible exercise, begun at a slow pace and gradually increased over time, plays a big part in the weight loss plan. This makes sense, as exercise is crucial for healthy metabolism. In addition, people are encouraged to keep food diaries and keep track of their weight. This helps identify what is working and what is not helpful.

Pros and Cons of the Volumetrics Plan
The Volumetrics plan is a tried-and-true plan for healthy eating that allows people to lose weight without feeling deprived. There is room on the plan for occasional small treats, and this can help dieters to keep from falling off the wagon.

There is solid factual evidence that the Volumetrics plan works; dieticians have used similar plans with well documented success for decades. People who use the Volumetrics diet need to plan their eating ahead of time in order to avoid succumbing to temptation.

For some busy dieters, all the cooking, planning and recording just will not work. For others, simply seeing the visual aids that abound in the books and on the website will help them to understand how the way they eat can be changed for the better.

How To Get Started On The Volumetrics Diet
You can go to Dr. Rolls' official website to buy the Volumetrics books; they are also available at retailers everywhere. You can use the interactive tips and see great recipes that will help you enjoy your food as you lose weight; and you can get support in the Volumetrics diet community.

You will need to clean your kitchen and get rid of all the foods that you eat, just because they are there. Once you gain an understanding what foods will fill you up and help your body to function properly, you will be able to lose weight and keep it off.

Official Website:

http://www.volumetricseatingplan.com/

Additional Resources:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/volumetrics-what-it-is

http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/volumetrics-diet.html

http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/lowfatcookingtools/fr/volumetrics.htm

http://volumetricsmenu.com/