In her first book, Volumetrics: Feel Full on Fewer Calories, Dr. Rolls, who is director of the Laboratory for the Study of Human Ingestive Behavior at Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania, described ways to avoid high energy-density (high-calorie) foods, learn to spot “calorie traps” (foods that seem healthy but contain hidden calories), and discover foods that will make you feel satisfied with fewer calories. In that book, she notes that reducing calorie intake by between 500 and 1,000 calories per day may lead to 1 to 2 pounds (lbs) of weight loss per week. Rolls’ second book, The Volumetrics Eating Plan, is a lifestyle guide and cookbook. It follows the original principles — losing weight by eating satisfying portions of flavorful, healthy choices rather than high-density foods — plus it offers more recipes, menu planners, and lists of healthy food options to give readers concrete, real-life instructions for every meal. Most recently, Rolls released The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet, which offers updated research, more recipes, and additional tips and tools for people interested in the diet. According to Volumetrics, foods that contain more water, such as fruits and vegetables, are healthier because they have lower energy density, or number of calories in a specific amount of food, than other options that have comparable satiety. Foods that have high energy density include sugary and fatty foods, such as potato chips and cookies. “[Rolls] is saying that you can naturally turn off your desire for these foods,” says Blatner. Essentially, the claim that advocates of Volumetrics make is you can lose weight by eating fewer calories yet still feel full. “Volumetrics is one of my favorite diets because it’s more about eating than dieting,” says Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD, a nutrition communications consultant based in Hermosa Beach, California. “People like to eat, and research has shown that when you eat high-water-content foods, such as a green salad with a lot of vegetables or soup, you eat less [calories].” Best of all, Rolls argues in Volumetrics: Feel Full on Fewer Calories that you won’t have to give up foods you love while on the diet: “You won’t have to cut out all the fat from your diet, live on rabbit food, subsist on foods on a ‘free’ list, or avoid any food,” she writes in the book. Instead, the diet helps you understand how to enjoy certain foods — whether it’s raisins, pretzels, chocolate, cheese, or the like — without overeating, Rolls explains in the book. Volumetrics also gives tools to calculate the energy density of foods, and recommends using a food journal and getting enough physical activity. “Research shows that keeping a food journal is one of the tactics that work for successful weight loss,” says Giancoli. One study found that eating a diet with a lower energy density, including more vegetables and whole grains, could help people maintain their weight loss. (2) A 2016 review looked at 13 studies and found evidence that suggested that paying attention to the energy density of food could help people with obesity manage their weight. (3) That said, the program does recommend certain foods that have high water content (low energy density), high fiber, and high nutrient density, to help promote satiety. These foods include:
Fresh fruits (rather than dried fruit or juice, for example)Fresh or frozen vegetables (try swapping some in for half a portion of pasta in a pasta dish, for example)Beans and legumesWhole grainsFiber-rich breakfast cerealsLow-fat fishPoultry without skinLean meatsMinimal added sugarsWater (rather than sugary drinks)
Breakfast
Oatmeal topped with apple slices, cinnamon, and a sprinkle of brown sugarNonfat milk½ grapefruitCoffee
Lunch
Grilled chicken salad with chopped romaine lettuce, red bell pepper, 1 teaspoon crumbled blue cheese, and chopped walnuts with light dressingWhole-wheat pita breadStrawberries
Snack
Cheerios with skim milk and fresh blueberries
Dinner
Steak fajita with grilled green peppers and onions, salsa, shredded romaine lettuce, diced fresh tomato, corn kernels, and nonfat sour cream on a tortillaCantaloupe
Solid Science “Volumetrics is sound advice that is backed by research,” says Giancoli. “The diet comes with science behind it.”Good Foods A big advantage of Volumetrics is the emphasis on learning how to eat water-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, which tend to be healthier foods. “It’s one of the best concepts out there because it teaches you how to eat right,” says Blatner. “It promotes all the healthy foods we know.”No Crash Dieting Rolls’ books on Volumetrics promote a safe and slow loss of 1 to 2 lbs a week, aiming for sustainable rather than rapid weight loss.No Rigid Rules When you start this diet, you won’t have to tell yourself that you’re never having chocolate or cheese again — instead, you’ll learn how to work it into your diet in the most healthful way possible.
A Need to Cook Volumetrics is about cooking at home, so this approach may not work for everyone. “This plan is based on making your own meals,” says Blatner. “If you eat out for business or pleasure, this plan is not ideal.”Only Short-Term Satiety Eating lots of low-calorie foods under the Volumetrics plan will help you feel full, but the effect may not last. “When you eat high-water foods, you feel full at the time, but may feel hungry a short time later,” says Giancoli. Try having protein and healthy fats with your meals to help the feeling of satiety last longer.No Rigid Rules This pro can also be a con. Some dieters may find comfort in a set of rules and rigid measurements that let them know that, if they follow those rules exactly, they’ll lose weight. By contrast, the Volumetrics diet offers guidelines and suggestions on how to eat for satiety — but doesn’t restrict certain foods or provide specific calorie limits. The plan also encourages you to up your exercise and stay active, but again, provides no definitive guidelines. If you need those rules to help keep you disciplined, this may not be the diet for you.
Volumetrics: Feel Full on Fewer CaloriesThe Volumetrics Eating PlanThe Ultimate Volumetrics Diet
Beyond these titles, you can also check out some of the following online resources for more info about the plan:
Pinterest boards, like Lisa Rothschild’s Volumetrics Recipes, containing easily searchable snack ideas and links to recipes that fit the Volumetrics planThe Facebook page for The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet, where you can stay updated on news, tips, and tricks about the diet
But in the long term, people who follow the Volumetrics plan are more likely to build lasting healthy habits. “They will develop a healthier lifestyle and maintain weight loss,” says Giancoli. “You’ll be getting a more plant-based diet and eating whole grains. You’ll be healthier.” A 2013 review suggested that healthier diets do cost a bit more than those high in processed foods — about $1.50 per day on average — but if you can afford to change your diet, it may be worth it for weight loss and overall better health. (4) But you may enjoy how straightforward the approach is. “It focuses on what you can eat instead of just taking things out of your diet,” Blatner says. “You’ll eat lots of healthy, real food, and it’s more of a lifestyle approach.” If you’re someone who likes strict rules or wants a quick fix, on the other hand, Volumetrics may be a difficult approach for you, she adds. She offers the following tips to set yourself up for success: Get comfortable grocery shopping. “Aim to keep lots of fresh food, like vegetables and fruit, on hand,” Blatner says. Always having these water-dense foods on hand will make you more likely to eat them. Have fun with your food. Avoid resorting to eating salads for every meal. Instead, get creative with healthy foods that fit in the Volumetrics plan. Blatner suggests cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, carrot fries, and banana “nice” cream. Keep an “in-a-pinch” meal plan handy. Blatner recommends learning how to whip up two go-to meals to make when you’re short on time, and doing some research on healthy takeout options for when you don’t feel like cooking. A little prep can go a long way in helping you stay on track. Blatner says she recommends the diet because, compared with similar diets, it focuses on what you can eat to feel satisfied instead of deprived. “Most other diet plans focus on eating less, [following] strict rules, and cutting food groups, which is not sustainable long term,” she says. But if you’re looking for quick and convenient, or are daunted by the lack of rules, this diet may not be for you. Just make sure to check with your doctor before starting any diet, especially if you have any pre-existing health condition. Additional reporting by Stephanie Bucklin and Melinda Carstensen.
