SO MUCH OF THE DIALOGUE IN THE NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENT SPACE REVOLVES AROUND IDENTIFYING NEW FOODS, INGREDIENTS, AND DIETS TO HELP PEOPLE LOSE BODY FAT AND CHANGE THE WAY THEY LOOK.

I THINK THE BEST-KEPT SECRET OUT THERE IS SOMETHING ALMOST ALL THESE DIETS ALREADY HAVE IN COMMON. IT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE INTUITIVELY KNOW AND CAN FEEL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER IMPLEMENTING. AND IT'S SO EASY TO IMPLEMENT ONCE YOU HAVE FULLY GRASPED IT.

IT ISN'T A MACRO, IT ISN'T A SINGLE FOOD/FOOD TYPE IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN FIND INSIDE ALMOST ALL FOOD GROUPS AND CAN OPTIMIZE WITHIN EACH MACRONUTRIENT.

SO, WHAT IS IT?

IT'S SOMETHING KNOWN AS "FOOD VOLUME".

FOOD VOLUME SIMPLY REFERS TO THE SIZE, WEIGHT, AND DENSITY OF THE FOODS WE INGEST. FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND LEAN MEATS ARE EXAMPLES OF SOME RELATIVELY HIGH VOLUME FOODS (ALL OF WHICH ALSO ARE HIGH SATIETY FOODS). HIGH SATIETY MEANS THEY WILL HELP YOU FEEL FULL AND SATISFIED.

IT SEEMS SUPER INTUITIVE TO JUST UP YOUR VEGGIES, HECK IT’S WHAT MOST BODYBUILDERS DO GETTING CLOSER TO SHOWS. IT IS STILL IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHY. HIGH VOLUME FOODS CAN BE “ENERGY-DENSE” OR HIGH IN CALORIES, BUT THIS IS USUALLY NOT THE CASE. EXAMPLES OF EASY TO FIND, HIGH VOLUME, LOW-CALORIE OPTIONS ARE:

VEGETABLES
POULTRY
FRUIT (NOT DRIED OR CANDIED FRUIT, YOU WANT THE WATER AND FIBER TO MAXIMIZE VOLUME)
FISH
LEAN MEATS
WATER (DUH)

ENERGY-DENSE FOODS, HOWEVER, ARE OFTEN PROCESSED, HYPER-PALATABLE, AND EASILY ACCESSED (THINK SNACK FOODS). WHILE MOST HIGH ENERGY FOODS ARE DESIGNED TO BE SMALL AND PACKED FULL OF CALORIES - THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE ANTITHESIS OF HIGH VOLUME, LOW-CALORIE FOODS. THESE FOODS ARE LOADED WITH CALORIES AND TAKE UP VERY LITTLE ROOM IN OUR STOMACH/DIGESTIVE PATHWAYS. TRAIL MIX IS THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF A FOOD WITH HIGH ENERGY DENSITY, IT’S LOADED WITH HIGH-FAT NUTS AND HIGH CARBOHYDRATE PIECES OF CHOCOLATE THAT MAKE IT TOUGH TO STOP EATING. THE ONE THING IT HAS GOING FOR IT IS IT HAS SOME FIBER AND PROTEIN - BUT IT’S CERTAINLY MORE LIKELY TO BE OVEREATEN THAN UNSALTED NUTS OF THE SAME WEIGHT SANS THE CANY. THAT’S WHY IT’S A GREAT FOOD FOR LONG HIKES, BUT NOT A GREAT OPTION FOR LUNCH AT THE OFFICE. OTHER EXAMPLES OF ENERGY-DENSE FOODS ARE:

CHIPS/CRISPS
CANDIES
PASTRIES/BAKED GOODS
JERKY (DRIED MEAT PLUS ADDED SUGAR, THIS IS LOWER VOLUME THAN AN UNPROCESSED PIECE OF MEAT OF EQUAL WEIGHT)
CHEESE
NUTS/NUT BUTTER

IN CONTRAST, HIGH VOLUME/LOW ENERGY DENSITY FOODS ARE LOW IN CALORIES WHILE TAKING UP A LOT OF SPACE. THEY WORK TO HELP KEEP DIETERS FULL BY TAKING UP ROOM INSIDE OUR DIGESTIVE "EQUIPMENT" AND TRIGGER OUR NATURAL SATIETY MECHANISMS THE WAY NATURE MAY HAVE INTENDED. HIGH VOLUME FOODS HELP WITH FAT LOSS IS BY LITERALLY MAKING US FEEL FULL. THE MECHANICAL IMPACT A LARGE BOWL OF GREENS HAS ON THE STOMACH IS MUCH GREATER THAN A LOWER VOLUME OF FOOD OF EQUIVALENT CALORIES. ALL THIS TO SAY THAT 100 CALORIES OF SPINACH WILL TAKE UP MORE SPACE AND MORE EFFECTIVELY MAKE ONE FEEL FULL THAN 100 CALORIES OF PROCESSED, ENERGY-DENSE FOOD. MORE SPACE, FEWER CALORIES. HERE IS A NICE VISUAL EXAMPLE:

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT BECAUSE MANY HIGH VOLUME FOODS ARE RICH IN PROTEIN, FIBER, PLANT MATTER, AND MICRONUTRIENTS, GETTING MORE NUTRITION FROM FEWER CALORIES IS A REASONABLE EXPECTATION WHEN OPTING FOR MANY HIGH VOLUME OPTIONS. JUST BECAUSE A FOOD HAS FEWER CALORIES DO NOT NECESSARILY MEAN YOU WILL BE MALNOURISHED INCLUDING LOTS OF IT IN YOUR DIET - THIS IS ENCOURAGING FROM A SUSTAINABILITY AND PERFORMANCE STANDPOINT. IN SHORT, ADD SOME SPINACH TO WHATEVER YOUR EATING. MANY FOODS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE HIGH IN VOLUME, LOWER IN CALORIES AND HELP WITH SATIETY CAN BE MODIFIED TO CREATE A MORE PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCE AND ENCOURAGE OVEREATING.

TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, A TRADITIONALLY HIGH VOLUME FOOD, BAKED WHITE POTATO. THIS SAME POTATO CAN BE PREPARED IN SUCH A WAY (DICED, FRIED IN OIL, SALTED AND SERVED WITH A CALORIE-DENSE DIPPING SAUCE) SO THAT THE VOLUME IS THE SAME, BUT THE ENERGY DENSITY SPIKES AND REWARD INCREASES, MAKING IT EASIER TO OVEREAT. - YOU CAN STRATEGIZE TO TRY AND GET THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS BY WORKING SMALL PORTIONS OF ENERGY-DENSE FOODS (NUTS + CHEESE) ONTO HIGH FOOD VOLUME OPTIONS (SALAD + CHICKEN) TO BE ABLE TO “HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO”.

LOOK AT HIGH VOLUME FOODS AS ALMOST LIKE A “FILLER” OR A CHEAT CODE. WHEN IN DOUBT, DIETING, AND HUNGRY, YOU MAY DO WELL TO ADD SOME HIGH VOLUME FOODS.

EXAMPLES OF BUILDING YOUR FAT LOSS DIET AROUND THESE FOODS COULD LOOK LIKE:

MAKING SURE HALF YOUR PLATE IS GREEN VEGGIES BEFORE ADDING OTHER THINGS.
REPLACING A NORMAL MEAL WITH A BIG SALAD TOPPED WITH A LEAN PROTEIN AND LARGE CALORIE-FREE BEVERAGE.
SNACKING ON FRUIT INSTEAD OF CHIPS, NUTS, JERKY, AND OTHER COMMON “HEALTHY” SNACKS.
EATING FRUITS AND VEGETABLE WHOLE INSTEAD OF JUICING THEM.
ADDING A GLASS OF WATER TO EACH MEAL.
CHOOSING LEANER CUTS OF MEAT (THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO LOWER THE ENERGY DENSITY OF FOOD CHOICES).

SO, WHEN PLANNING A FAT LOSS DIET. IF COUNTING CALORIES ISN’T YOUR THING (AND IT PROBABLY WILL/SHOULD BE AT SOME POINT), YOU CAN FOCUS ON INCREASING YOUR INTAKE OF HIGH VOLUME FOODS AND LOWERING YOUR INTAKE OF HIGH ENERGY DENSITY/LOW VOLUME FOODS. A FOCUS ON THESE OPTIONS WILL LIMIT CALORIE INTAKE WHILE HELPING YOU STAY NOURISHED, AND ULTIMATELY, HELP YOU ADHERE TO A CALORIE DEFICIT. BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT, YOU CANNOT EXPECT TO SEE MUCH CHANGE.

GOOD LUCK!

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