Pros and Cons of the Volumetrics Diet – Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials

Nutritional scientist Barbara Rolls, PhD, developed the Volumetrics diet in 2000 after years of research. The resulting books – four of them, not including updates and translations – have sold hundreds of thousands of copies.

Most diet trends end up in the dustbin of history within a few years, but Volumetrics seems to have stood the test of time. It has also earned the respect of many healthcare professionals.

So what exactly is the volumetrics diet?

Volumetric diet

The basic principle of volumetrics is that volume matters. The plan sets loose ratios: no food is off limits, but you want to eat larger amounts of certain foods than others. By filling up on low-calorie, healthy foods, you won’t feel as hungry as other diets.

Dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, describes Volumetrics as “a highly filling, primarily plant-based diet that encourages you to eat non-starchy vegetables, which contain the most nutritional benefits.”

The four categories

The volumetric diet divides food into four categories. To determine which category a food falls into, divide the number of calories in a serving by its weight in grams. The result is a number between zero and nine.

If you are trying to lose weight on the Volumetrics diet, you are encouraged to eat 1,400 calories per day. Most of your daily intake should come from categories one and two, but occasionally, small meals from categories three and four are acceptable.

1. Category one (caloric content less than 0.6) This food category forms the basis of your diet. In other words, these are the things to be filled. These foods – because of their high water content – should help you feel full. A few examples of category one:
   • Fruits such as bananas, apples and grapes.
   • Non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, beets and Brussels sprouts.
   • Nonfat dairy products such as yogurt or skim milk. (If you’re not a dairy drinker, never fear: most whole milk substitutes fall into this category, too.)
   • Soups based on all kinds of soups.
2. Category two (calorie content from 0.7 to 1.5) This category contains foods that are healthy when used in moderation. A few examples of category two foods are:
   • Skinless chicken and turkey and lean cuts of pork or beef.
   • Legumes: lentils, chickpeas and dried beans.
   • Starchy vegetables: corn, potatoes and squash.
   • Whole grains: brown rice, quinoa and farro.
3. Category Three (Calorie Density 1.6 to 3.9) This category contains food that, although still healthy, should be eaten in small portions. A few examples of category three foods are:
   • Fatty meat and fish, as well as skin on poultry.
   • Full-fat dairy products such as ice cream, cheese, and whole milk.
   • Refined carbohydrates such as pasta, white bread and white rice.
4. Category Four (Calorie Density 4 to 9) This category includes processed, sugary and fatty foods that should be eaten very sparingly. A few examples of category four foods are:
   • Fruits and seeds.
   • Oils, butter and shortening.
   • Fast food, candy and chips.

In addition to dietary parameters, the volumetrics diet recommends 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Volumetrics diet

One size does not fit all when it comes to weight loss and diet. Zumpano explains that choosing the diet that’s right for you is a personal process.

“It’s affected by the foods you enjoy, and you can’t give up, food availability and know how motivated you are to make changes in your eating habits and food choices,” she says.

Here are some common pros and cons of the volumetrics diet

advantage

• Promotes long-term healthy eating. The Volumetrics diet is designed to be sustainable and healthy in the long term. It’s a “come for the weight loss, stay for the health benefits” kind of situation.
• Losing weight is a long time. Fad diets often cause you to yo-yo your weight back and forth. Because the Volumetrics diet is intended to be a long-term lifestyle change, people who follow the plan may lose weight a bit more slowly, but they will have a good shot at keeping it off.
• No foods are “off limits”. Go ahead and have a little birthday cake. If you’re craving pretzels, have some. Nothing is off limits when it comes to determining the amount of Group 4 foods you eat.
• Accessible to everyone. are you vegan Do you keep kosher? Do you know you have celiac disease? That’s okay because there are no hard and fast restrictions on the Volumetrics diet, so you can eat or not eat as you wish.
• It’s okay! Volumetrics is not a fad diet. It doesn’t require you to be in a dangerously high calorie deficit, eliminate entire food categories from your diet, or create a negative relationship with food. You don’t have to cook special meals for yourself and your kids because you’re not eating “diet food.” You are just living a healthy lifestyle.
• There are many resources at your fingertips. In addition to the four books that the diet’s creator has already written, there is plenty of scientific research to back up the plan and plenty of website recipes.

Cons

Although most doctors and nutritionists agree that this is a solid approach, the volumetrics diet is not perfect. Here are some negative aspects of the program:

• Limit the use of healthy fats. Millennials beware: Volumetrics is coming for your avocado toast! The Volumetrics diet does not differentiate between healthy and unhealthy fats like other diet plans. As a result, nuts and seeds occupy the same category (four) as candy and fast food.
• It can be very calorie intensive. The calculation of energy density is the basis of the volumetric diet, which means that the calorie count is based on the plan. Over time, we’ve learned that counting calories isn’t stupid. Foods that usually have the same amount of calories—such as 1 ounce of nuts and 1 ounce of chips—can be treated as nutritionally equivalent. Now we know that not all calories are created equal. As Zumpano puts it, “Even if your goal is to lose weight, caloric restriction is not the only way to lose weight.” The good news is there are ways to boost your caloric intake. More later.
• It’s a big time commitment. The Volumetrics diet is not suitable for microwave-food. The emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables makes the diet a healthy choice. But frequent trips to the grocery store and plenty of home-cooked meals make it difficult to stick to the plan. If you decide to go full-on with food journaling and energy-dense calculations, that will also take some time.
• It can be boring. All that soup gets a little mushy eventually. If your meals are starting to feel a little predictable, you can spice things up—literally—by adding new recipes to your rotation.
• Eating out is tough. While many chain restaurants will make nutritional information available to you upon request, the chef is unlikely to hand over the recipe. Without that information, it can be challenging to categorize and record what you eat outside of your home.

Making volumetrics work for you

As with any diet, the key to success on the Volumetrics diet is to follow the plan conscientiously and adjust as necessary.

What do we mean by good faith? Zumpano put it best, explaining, “We live in a world of hacking, and it’s okay to hack your diet once in a while. But if you do it regularly, you won’t get the benefits it’s supposed to.

Think of it as embracing the spirit of the diet, not the spirit of the diet. Yes, nuts and fast food are in the same category, but we all know that a handful of almonds is a better choice than a few pretzels. Unlike plans that integrate a peer support system, you’re solely responsible for the Volumetrics diet.

While the freedom that comes with Volumetrics nutrition may tempt some people to experiment and play with the system, it can make it fit your needs. This makes it durable.

How do you adjust the Volumetrics diet to fit your goals and lifestyle? Here are some examples:

• Let’s say you’re trying to get healthy, but you don’t really need to lose weight. You can adjust the number of calories you take in each day while maintaining the ratios set in the diet. You can also completely ignore calories and just focus on nutrition.
• Let’s say you do You want to lose weight, but counting calories puts you in a less-than-healthy headspace. Don’t do it! Instead, try recording the number of foods you eat from each of the four categories, or create a healthy eating list for yourself.
• Let’s say you can’t exercise for 30 minutes a day. Then do what you can! Five minutes of stretching or taking the stairs instead of the elevator is 100% better than doing nothing. Set realistic and achievable goals that fit your current level of health and fitness. Once you crush it, you can raise your sights.

Is the Volumetrics Diet Right for You?

As with all diet plans, your mileage may vary when it comes to volumetrics. If you are trying to decide whether or not to adopt this diet, the following questions may be helpful.

• Looking for a quick fix or lifestyle change? The Volumetrics plan is about long-term healthy eating, not short-term weight loss. If you need to shed a couple extra pounds, this might not be the best choice.
• Are you a good cook? Thinking of collecting a salad dressing? Does the fire alarm serve as the soundtrack to your culinary adventures? Or is food delivery your most used app? If your answer to these questions is “yes”, you may want to choose a less cooking-based diet.
• Where do you live and what is your budget? On the one hand, the Volumetrics diet doesn’t require you to buy brand-name specialty foods, which can be expensive. On the other hand, not everyone has equal access to quality fruits and vegetables, and rising prices have made healthy food less accessible than it used to be. Take a careful look at what you spend your grocery budget on now, and see where you can make healthy substitutions.
• Do you have gastrointestinal problems? If you have digestive problems Like bowel syndrome (IBS), you may find that certain unhealthy foods make your symptoms worse. You can still follow the Volumetrics diet, but choose Low-FODMAP Foods that are less likely to start a fire. Your stomach will thank you.

Some diet, like DASH diet or the Diabetes dietThey are designed to address specific health issues. It’s not a Volumetrics diet, so you won’t hear about it from your doctor unless you ask. Before making any drastic dietary changes, do some more research, and talk to your doctor or nutritionist.