Health and Weight for Life: The Answer Is Eating More, Not Less

In this article:

• Eating smaller portions can be effective for weight loss because it reduces calorie intake, but this strategy has drawbacks.
• Eating less food can make you feel hungry and deprived. Another drawback is the lack of emphasis on nutritious food choices. Long-term, this can lead to weight gain and poorer nutrition.
• You can reduce hunger and increase nutrient intake by selecting low calorie-dense, high nutrient-dense foods. They can be more filling because serving sizes are bigger, and they have nutrients like fiber and protein that keep you full longer. They also tend to be higher in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
• The majority of a high-volume diet should comprise of vegetables, fruit, lean protein, and controlled portions of whole grains. Healthy fats are also good choices.
• You can shift a calorie-dense menu to a high-volume menu using our examples as a guide.
• Lark can support your goals and help you stay motivated as you make progress towards your health and weight loss goals with or without GLP-1s as you log food, get tips for eating healthier, and make small changes that can turn into healthy habits.

Is your healthy plan keeping you full and satisfied? Or do you feel hungry and deprived? Eating a higher-volume diet can help if you want to manage weight and keep your nutrient intake up.

Here are some benefits of a higher-volume diet for health and weight loss, as well as what to eat and how to get started. It may put long-term weight management within reach.

Reasons to Eat More

You may think intuitively that you can lose weight by eating less. Mathematically, it’s true. For example, switching from a double hamburger, large fries, and 2 cookies, to a single burger with small fries and 1 cookie, saves over 400 calories. That adds up to nearly ½ lb per week - an ideal rate of weight loss without making any other changes.

It sounds good, but there are some problems that come with cutting those calories.

‍

Over time, you’re likely to feel deprived because you’re eating less than before. You may also have a lower nutrient intake.

A volumetric approach can help address these concerns for a long-term solution. It helps you choose lower-calorie foods with bigger serving sizes. It also leads to the selection of more nutritious foods.

Foods to Choose

For this weight loss and health strategy, choose mostly low-calorie, high-nutrient foods. Cleveland Clinic explains how to calculate calorie density for a food by dividing calories per serving by serving size in grams. Foods fit into the following four groups based on calorie density.

Group 1: Lowest Calorie Density

These foods have a high water content and not many calories or under 0.6 calories per gram. The majority of what you eat should come from this group.

Here are foods in this group.

• Non-starchy vegetables including leafy greens, cucumbers, onions, cauliflower, carrots, beets, and tomatoes
• Fruit like bananas, apples, oranges, strawberries, and pineapple
• Non-fat milk and non-fat plain yogurt
• Unsweetened non-dairy milk substitutes like unsweetened almond milk and soy milk
• Broth-based soups like vegetable, chicken noodle, and minestrone

Try eating foods in this group first at meals and snacks. If you’re hungry for second helpings, serve yourself more of these foods before foods in other groups.

Group 2: Low Calorie Density and High in Nutrients

These foods are slightly higher in calorie density with 0.7 to 1.5 calories per gram. Include them regularly in your diet, but keep portion control in mind. Look for nutritious options, like fish or beans instead of red meat, and whole grains like brown rice instead of refined grains like white rice.

Here are foods in this group.

• White fish, skinless chicken and turkey, lean ground turkey, and lean meat
• Legumes like beans, lentils, and split peas
• Starchy vegetables like butternut squash, sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes, and peas
• Whole grains like whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, barley, and quinoa

A meal might include a serving of protein, like 3-4 ounces of fish or ½ cup of beans, plus a nutritious starch like ½ cup of corn or whole-wheat pasta.

Group 3: Higher Calorie Density But Nutritious

These foods have 1.6 to 3.9 calories per gram. Look for nutrient-dense options when you can, like fatty fish instead of chicken with skin or cheese instead of ice cream. Options like nuts and seeds, peanut butter, and olive oil are nutritious, but also high in calories. Portion control is especially important.

Here are foods in this group.

• Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines, red meat, poultry with skin
• Nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado
• Full-fat dairy products like cheese, whole milk, and ice cream
• Refined carbohydrates like white bread, crackers, and rice

Group 4: High Calorie Density, Low Nutrient

These foods are high in calories, with 4 to 9 calories per gram, and they don’t have many health benefits. It’s best to choose them carefully and watch portions.

Here are foods in this group.

• Fats like butter, oil, and shortening
• Fried foods like French fries and fried chicken
• Salad dressing, mayonnaise
• Candy, cookies, and chips
• Bacon and other fatty processed meats

Menu Examples for Shifting to a Higher Volume Diet

These are examples of how you might shift your diet to a higher volume diet that’s more filling and lower in calories. Be sure to check with your healthcare provider before making dietary changes, and to modify the menus to meet your needs. Plus, include plenty of water, and remember to be physically active as your health allows.

Sample Day 1

Sample Day 2

‍
‍
Sample Day 3

‍

How Lark Can Help

Managing stress can get you closer to your weight and health goals. Lark can also help you make positive choices on a daily basis. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement and nutrition and physical activity coaching and tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications.

Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

‍

Reviewed by Heather Tonkins, Lark Health Coach.