What Is the Volumetric Diet?

The Volumetric Diet is a popular new type of diet that was developed by doctors and dietitians as a diet solution for people who have difficulty feeling full while they are on a diet. The Volumetric Diet uses simple principles that help trigger the body to feel full, and is a long-term plan that does not require a drastic reduction in caloric intake.

Function

• The Volumetric Diet focuses on getting more satisfaction out of your food while consuming fewer calories. The diet focuses on reducing caloric intake by filling the stomach with food that has a low number of calories per gram, allowing you to consume a larger volume of food, which can help you feel fuller.

Principles

• The Volumetric Diet's principles are based on sensible eating choices, and this plan is meant to be employed with a regimen of healthy moderate exercise. When using the Volumetric Diet, you should pay attention to the number of calories per gram of food. Foods with a low number of calories per gram usually include a lot of water and fiber. The Volumetric Diet also calls for an increase in the consumption of water, suggesting 48 to 60 oz. of water per day, which amounts to 8 to 10 six-oz. glasses of water.
  Dieters employing the Volumetric method should avoid adding fats like oil or butter to their food. Although the diet calls for 20 to 30 percent of the dietary calories to be from fat, healthy food choices should provide enough fat in the diet to meet the fat-calorie requirement. The Volumetric plan also suggests that 15 to 35 percent of total caloric intake should come from protein, and no less than 55 percent of the caloric intake should come from carbohydrates.
  You should keep a food diary of what you eat during the day, and plan your meals ahead of time so that you do not have trouble meeting your Volumetric Diet requirements when you are out at work or on the road.

Foods to Eat

• The Volumetric Diet calls for high-moisture foods with a large percentage of fiber. The bulk in the water and fiber of the foods add to their size, reducing the number of calories per gram and filling the stomach. High-moisture foods include fresh fruits and vegetables with high water content, including tomatoes, broccoli, celery, and greens like lettuce and cabbage.
  For carbohydrates, acceptable foods include whole-grain pasta and rice, high-fiber bread and cereal, non-cream-based soups, and salads with little or no dressing. Meat and dairy consumed under the Volumetric Diet plan should be low-fat and eaten in healthy portions, keeping in mind the fat and protein intake requirements of the plan.
  You can consume sugar and alcohol in small amounts, but you should record the calories from the alcohol and sugar you eat, just as you record the calories you eat in meals.

Foods to Avoid

• There are no expressly forbidden foods in the Volumetric plan, but high-fat foods such as fast food or fried food can throw off your caloric intake percentage and make it difficult to stick to the plan. The best way to stay on the Volumetric path is to carefully examine what you are eating and determine whether the enjoyment you will get out of eating the food is worth the caloric intake. High-fat food tends to have a low nutritional value. Dieters using the Volumetric plan should avoid eating foods with low nutritional value.

Considerations

• A sudden increase of fiber in the diet can cause stomach discomfort, bloating and flatulence for some people. If you have a reaction to sudden fiber intake, gradually introduce your body to the high-fiber foods at a rate that does not cause you discomfort.
  As always, contact your doctor before starting any diet or exercise plan, especially if you have pre-existing health concerns.