How to Eat A Lot and Still Lose Weight 🥗
An eater's guide to healthy indulgence
Okay, I know. This headline is clickbaity as hell.
But don’t worry – I’m not peddling weight-loss products, detox teas, or anything like that.
The God’s honest truth is that there is a way to eat a lot of food and still lose weight, and it’s easier than you think.
If you’re like me, you love to eat.
I have favorite foods, but the act of eating itself is a sincere pleasure for me.
Especially when it’s a wide variety of foods of different textures, tastes, and flavors – it’s a thrill to explore.
The problem with that approach is that the calories can pile up pretty quickly, especially with calorie-dense foods.
To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume.
Gaining weight involves consuming more calories than you’ve burned over longer periods.
Unless you’re engaging in intense workouts for hours a day, it can be tough to lose weight if you’re eating so many calories.
Luckily, you don’t have to eat mouse-sized portions if you want to lose or maintain your weight and love to eat.
There’s a well-kept secret approach to eating that lets you indulge while keeping the calories low.
Allow me to introduce the concept of Volume Eating.
This approach to dieting focuses on consuming large quantities of low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods.
Eating this way helps you feel full and satisfied while avoiding excess calories.
The idea is to eat foods that take up a lot of space on your plate and in your stomach without contributing many calories, making it easier to maintain or lose weight without feeling deprived.
Looks like a ton of food, right?
Volume eating is my favorite way to eat, and it really works.
You’ll feel lighter, more fluid, and more satisfied if you adhere to some of the foods listed below.
Golden List of Volume-Friendly Foods 🥒
Vegetables 🥕
Vegetables are by far the top volume-eating food.
Because of the rich fiber and water content in veggies and greens of all kinds, you can eat pounds of the stuff before you reach concerning calorie levels.
Veggies have necessary nutrients for health, yes, but what makes them “healthy” is that they fill your stomach with fiber that aids in digestive function and keeps you from craving or over-eating bad stuff.
If you can get into vegetables – salads, stir-fries, or cooked, you will begin to prefer them over anything else.
The satisfaction veggies bring (fiber sends “no more” signals to your brain) is what makes them so powerful for weight loss.
Ya gotta try cauliflower rice. This whole plate of rice is something like 150 calories. The same amount of white rice equates to over 1600 calories (!)
Some of my favorite veggies to Volume-Eat:
Brussel’s Sprouts 🌱
Bell Peppers 🫑
Kale 🥬(cooked or in salad)
Spinach 🥬(Boiled)
Cucumbers 🥒
Cabbage 🥬 (In any form)
Beets
Carrots 🥕
Mushrooms 🍄🟫(fungi, but close enough)
Cauliflower (riced or whole)
Fruit 🍉
Similar to veggies, fruits have a lot of fiber and water, which can fill you up quickly and leave you refreshed and satisfied.
Now, unlike veggies, you shouldn’t mindlessly consume fruits because of their sugar content, but you can still eat a nice amount of them before the calories pile up.
Antioxidants, water, and just a pinch of sugar. Eat up!
Fruits to Volume Eat 🫐
Raw cranberries
Blueberries 🫐
Blackberries
Kiwi 🥝
Raspberries
Strawberries 🍓
Watermelon 🍉
Other Foods 🍳
Yes, you can volume-eat food that isn’t “super healthy”.
In moderation, you can enjoy high-protein and airy foods that let you pig out before you hit high-calorie marks.
Other Foods to Volume Eat 🍿
Popcorn 🍿(Just lay off the butter. Skinny pop is great!)
Rice cakes 🍚
Egg whites 🥚
Chia seeds/pudding (they expand!)
Greek Yogurt 🥛
Soup or Broth 🍲
Beverages ☕️
A key to volume eating, or just feeling full and satisfied, is having your belly full of fluids that are low in calories.
Drinks like juice and soda are enemy #1 when it comes to unnecessary calories.
Instead of knocking down 150 calories and 50g of sugar in one small can, opt for these tasty and satisfying bevs instead:
High Volume, low-calorie drinks 🥛
Tea 🍵 (Black, Green, Chamomile – anything zero calorie!)
Seltzer/Sparkling Water 💦 (I love Spindrift)
Infused Water 🍍
Good ‘Ole H2O 💧
And that’s your introduction to Volume Eating.
Remember, this isn’t a strict diet – it’s simply a way for you to enjoy eating more food without any guilt.
Still enjoy other things you like to eat in moderation, but if you’re looking to cut down a bit, start identifying what gives you more with less.