Book Description

Dieters everywhere have the same complaint: they're hungry all the time. Now this revolutionary book, based on sound scientific principles, can help you lose weight safely, effectively, and permanently without those gnawing pangs of hunger.

The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan introduces the concept of "energy density" -- concentration of calories in each portion of food. Here you'll learn how to avoid high energy -- dense foods, and how such different nutritional factors as fat, fiber, protein, and water affect energy density and satiety. You'll discover which foods, eaten under which circumstances, allow you to consume fewer calories and still be satisfied. And you'll get to know the hidden calorie traps, seemingly innocuous foods that can sneak unwanted calories into your body. Finally, the authors offer 60 sensible, tasty and easy recipes, plus an integrated program of exercise and behavior management that can be sustained over a lifetime.

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Do you overeat because you don't feel satisfied or full? Volumetrics is based on "the science of satiety"--what researchers have learned about the food choices that make people feel full. The authors teach you how to eat low-calorie-dense, high-volume foods so that you feel like you've eaten plenty, even though you've eaten fewer calories. You'll lose weight without feeling hungry or deprived.

Here's an example of how volume affects eating. Raisins are dried grapes. But 100 calories of raisins fill only one-quarter cup, while 100 calories of fresh, whole grapes fill one and two-thirds cups. You'll feel satisfied after one and two-thirds cups of grapes, but if you're eating raisins, you're likely to keep filling your mouth. The point is not to stop eating raisins (or chocolate, cheese, or other high-calorie, low-volume foods), but to realize that you're likely to take in many more calories before your body tells you you're full. If you're trying to manage your weight, eating more low-density foods (lower-calorie foods that have a lot of volume) will make you feel full while you drop pounds.

Barbara Rolls, a respected and well-published food-nutrition researcher at Pennsylvania State University, and food writer Robert Barnett explain energy density and how to use this concept to lose weight. They include the scientific evidence about how low-density (low-calorie, high-volume) foods make you feel satisfied, the best (and worst) foods for a satisfying, lower-calorie diet, a menu plan, an exercise plan, and environmental influences on eating. You also learn which foods are easiest to overeat. This is not a fad diet--it is logical and scientifically based, yet easy to understand and put into action. --Joan Price