Eating for Volume

I have tried all sorts of diets. I'm softer in the midsection than I want to be and I like thinking about how I fuel my body. I've tried Paleo, Whole 30, carb cycling, low-carb with cheats, etc. Recently I learned about counting macros, sometimes known as If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM). I'm sure people have thoughts that are all over the place about things like counting calories. I know that most of the diets I mentioned do not count calories and instead restrict some sort of food group, type of food(s) or macronutrient. I believe that people lose weight on those diets because they eat fewer calories. It's thermodynamics. I have found that this method works better for me because I have more data to work with.

(If you want a primer on counting macronutrients, check out this blog post)

Today I want to talk about what I think is the most important component of losing weight when you count your macros: EATING FOR VOLUME. What that means is that you try to consume foods that have a high volume or bulk but lower calories in comparison to other foods. A classic example of eating for volume is the base of a salad. Generally lettuce and other greens are very low in calories but take a lot of eating to consume all of it. High volume, low calories.

Eating for volume also has two other distinct advantages. First, vegetables top everyone's list for high volume foods and they are loaded with micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). I think if you locked all the experts and authorities on nutrition into a room, demanding that they came out with some consensus, you'd likely hear "Eat more vegetables" when they emerged (though I guess you could get micronutrients from organ meats if you're into that).

Secondly, when you are trying to lose weight by eating fewer calories, you will be hungry. There isn't a way to avoid it. You're body is accustomed to certain number of calories and won't like you trying to eat fewer. It's evolution in action. You can, however, mitigate some of that hunger by getting bulky foods into your gut. Your stomach will be more satiated without trying to fill up your fat tissue from the extra energy.

Some ideas I incorporate into my diet when I'm trying to eat for volume:

1. Eat salads and vegetables. Easy choice here. Vegetables are disgusting to me but I can focus for 5-10 minutes with a plate of broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and kale in front of me and power through it. I actually cook 4 or 5 12-oz. bags of frozen vegetables in a pot on the stove and eat them over two days for a total of 160-432 calories (the higher end generally have carrots and beans in them) with a ton of volume.

2. Add vegetables to your carbohydrate staples. I shred up zucchini into my oatmeal and boil cauliflower into my potatoes and rice doubling their size. Others use spaghetti squash and "zoodles" (zucchini noodles) to beef up their pasta.

3. Get your protein from food. I tend to shy away from protein drinks and protein bars when trying to lose weight. They taste good but don't leave me feeling full. Lean pountry, pork and beef, however, tend to fill me up a bit more.

4. Eating less sweet fruit. I love a good banana but 100 grams worth is about 90 calories whereas 100g of cantaloupe is only about 35 calories. That means more food in your stomach if you eat the same number of cantaloupe calories. And cantaloupe is good.

I hope this can helps with all your fat loss goals. You absolutely can lose weight eating junk food as long as it fits your calorie goals but you'll likely feel hungry and less healthy. These tips should help you avoid those feelings, which make it easier to be consistent. Feel free to ask me any questions you have.