Lose Weight with the Volumetrics Diet! | Hardworkout Magazine

Key takeaways

- The Volumetrics diet divides all foods into four categories by calorie density, from below 0.6 in category one to between 4 and 9 in category four.

- In Barbara Rolls's research, participants ate roughly the same weight and volume of food regardless of its calorie content, cutting their calorie intake by almost 25 per cent when the energy density was lowered.

- No food is banned on the Volumetrics diet; categories one and two should make up most meals, while categories three and four are eaten in small or limited amounts.

- Because the diet restricts energy-dense foods such as plant oils, avocado, oily fish, nuts and seeds, a long-term low fat intake may lead to nutrient deficiencies and a poorer metabolism.

What is the Volumetrics diet?

The Volumetrics diet, or quantity diet, is about eating a lot of foods with high volume and low calories, while limiting the intake of calorie-dense foods. The diet was created 25 years ago by a woman named Barbara Rolls, who was a professor of nutritional studies at Pennsylvania State University in the USA.

The diet has received positive feedback over many years, as it allows people to eat until they are full, even if they may also want to lose weight. By following the diet, you may end up eating larger amounts than you are used to, just with less calorie-dense food.

The Volumetrics diet is not for those looking for a quick fix to lose weight, but for those who want a long-term plan with good eating habits.

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Who created the Volumetrics diet, and does the research support it?

Dr. Barbara Rolls participated in several studies in the 90s that looked at how calorie density affected food and calorie intake. In the studies, they examined how macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) influenced hunger, food intake, and satiety.

[The studies](https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(23)18218-9/fulltext) showed that people generally ate a certain amount of food. It appeared that people regulated their food intake based on weight and volume rather than calorie amount, regardless of whether it was salad or meat.

Dr. Rolls then wanted to further investigate whether it was possible to reduce total calorie intake by lowering the calorie density of meals, so that each portion contained fewer calories. [The results](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9806313/) clearly showed that people ate approximately the same amount of food, even though they consumed food with lower calorie density, thus unconsciously reducing their calorie intake by nearly 25%. From this, the Volumetrics diet was created.

A thorough review has recently been conducted of 30 years of research on weight and energy density, and they found [good evidence](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212267212001323) that a diet based on foods with lower energy density (and more volume) yields good results for weight loss and maintenance. The Volumetrics diet is therefore scientifically proven to be effective for weight reduction.


How to follow the Volumetrics diet

The Volumetrics diet does not completely exclude any foods, but all foods have a specific "score," based on calorie density.

All foods are then divided into 4 different categories, where foods in the first group have the lowest calorie density and the fourth group has the highest calorie density.

The Volumetrics diet is based on eating mostly foods from the first two groups, as these foods contain fewer calories and thus allow you to eat larger amounts of them. In this way, it will fill up the stomach more, and you will be able to eat until you are full without overeating.



Category 1: Foods with a calorie density lower than 0.6

Foods from this category should make up the majority of all meals.

- Fruits – such as apples, bananas, pomegranates, and grapefruits.

- Broth-based soups.

- Fat-free dairy products – such as sugar-free yogurt, skimmed/low-fat milk.

- Vegetables without too much starch – such as broccoli, carrots, kale, cauliflower, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce.

Category 2: Foods with a calorie density between 0.7-1.5

Eat moderate amounts of foods from this category.

- Lean beef/pork.

- Turkey/chicken breast.

- Starchy vegetables – such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn.

- Whole grain products – such as whole grain pasta, oats, whole grain rice, brown rice, and quinoa.

- Legumes – such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas.

Category 3: Foods with a calorie density between 1.6-3.9

Eat only small amounts of foods from this category.

- Refined carbohydrates – such as white pasta, tortillas (wheat flour), and white rice.

- Full-fat cheese, whole milk, ice cream.

- Chicken and turkey with skin.

- Other types of fatty fish and meat products.

Category 4: Foods with a calorie density between 4 and 9

Eat limited amounts of foods from this category, which includes fatty and processed foods.

- Nuts and seeds.

- Butter, oil, and cooking fats.

- Fast food.

- Candy, chips, cookies, sweet baked goods, soda.

Follow these tips:

- Choose lean protein sources.

- Load up on vegetables.

- Eat legumes.

- Use low-calorie sauces, herbs, and spices.

- Choose protein-rich snacks with low calories.

- Plan meals.

- Drink water consistently throughout the day.

Benefits of the diet

- Better satiety as the foods have a good fiber content.

- Low calorie density allows for larger amounts of food to be eaten.