Volumetric diet to lose weight: what is it, how is it done, its pros and cons

When it comes to losing weight, we have a variety of options at our disposal, many of them widely recognized, such as the volumetric diet. We tell you what it is, how it is done and the pros as well as cons of this alternative to lose weight.

What is the volumetric diet?
A volumetric diet is called a proposal in which the most important thing is to add volume to the dishes without many calories, that is, it is a diet focused on the caloric density of our diet.

Thus, the diet is based on eating foods with low energy intake, rich in water and fiber, such as fruits, vegetables and soups especially. In smaller proportions, the intake of whole grains, lean protein sources, legumes and skimmed milk is allowed.
How to put the volumetric diet into practice to lose weight
As we have said, it is a diet in which the quality or what we put on our plates matters more than the quantity or how much. Thus, we can organize the menu or intakes according to our tastes and preferences, as long as we prioritize the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and preparations such as high-water content soups.

We can ingest fresh fruits and vegetables without restrictions, especially non-starchy ones, although vegetables such as potatoes, whole grains for breakfast or eventually some food, legumes and lean meats, fish or eggs are also allowed in a lower proportion.

A recommended menu could be:

• Breakfast: pancakes without flour or vegetable omelette with a slice of whole wheat bread and fresh fruit.
• Food: soup or vegetable broth without fat. Salad with plenty of green leaves, egg, chicken breast and a fresh fruit.
• Snack: glass of skimmed milk, a fresh fruit and some oatmeal flakes.
• Dinner: Fat-free vegetable broth or soup. Grilled fish with steamed vegetables and a little brown rice. A fresh fruit.
• Foods such as cheese, bread, yogurt and pasta can be consumed in reduced quantities while sources of refined flours and fats in general should be limited as much as possible, thus avoiding butter, oils, cookies, fried foods, commercial sncacks and various sweets.
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  The advantages of the volumetric diet to lose weight

The volumetric diet has a good premise as its basis: reducing the caloric density of the dishes that has been tried, helps you eat fewer calories and achieve the negative energy balance that we all need to lose weight.

It also encourages a change in habits by encouraging the consumption of healthy and satisfying foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and preparations or foods with a high water content.

It can be an excellent alternative for those who suffer from food anxiety and are looking almost constantly to eat food, because as we have said, the amount is not important.
It does not have a closed and strict menu to comply with, which allows us to organize the dishes to be eaten according to tastes, preferences and possibilities and it is also advantageous to achieve flexibility in the diet that can promote long-term adherence.

Weight loss can be much slower than with other more restricted alternatives and therefore, it can be a good option to get away from the rebound effect and lose weight while taking care of the health of the body.
The cons of the volumetric diet
Among the main disadvantages of the volumetric diet is one of its characteristics that in the eyes of many can be advantageous: not limiting quantities at all.

Not having to control the amount we eat can lead to excessive behavior and overeating, even healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Which at the time of ingesting a dish that is not very satiating and of poor quality can translate into a binge of nutrients and unhealthy calories for the body.

Quality is important in food, but learning to be moderate is also valuable, since excessively healthy foods can also be dangerous. In fact, if we go overboard with water or fiber, we can suffer negative health consequences.
On the other hand, when it comes to changing habits, it is always essential to learn to control both quality and quantity.

Likewise, a great against the volumetric diet is that it restricts in its attempts to reduce caloric density to the maximum, the intake of highly nutritious but energy-concentrated foods such as nuts, seeds, extra virgin olive oil and other vegetable oils.

Fats are necessary and choosing suitable options can be of great help to lose weight taking care of the health of the organism, therefore, basing only the diet on reducing the concentration of calories can lead to some errors like this or not controlling the quantity.

These are the main features them of the volumetric diet to lose weight that can, with some variants, be an excellent alternative to improve the quality of what we eat, change some habits and lose weight while taking care of health.